The Cook Family

Catching up and putting it all in perspective....

2012-01-28T06:34:00.001-08:00

Wow! I guess I have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to update the blog (sorry to my 3 readers!). Christmas came and went, and here it is almost February. Maggie turns FOUR in a week, which means Elliott turns TWO in a little over a month. This week the winter sickies finally hit us. I came down with a stomach bug last Saturday and was out for a couple of days. Maggie woke up on Monday throwing up.

Needless to say, we spent a lot of time in the house, which I enjoy from time to time. I'm trying to be more present with the kids....spending time playing games and just loving on them!

I also realized this week that all the day to day things don't really matter that much. It really isn't important if the house is clean or if my menu is all planned or if I get that last sewing project done. It really IS important if I show my kids how much I love them! They can't hear it enough!!! I can't hug them enough!!!

I was reminded of this on Tuesday morning when I got the news that friends from church had a very complicated delivery of their second child. The baby was full term and because of complications was without oxygen for 10-15 minutes. It was a life or death situation for both mom and baby. My heart dropped with I read the email for emergency prayer for the family.

What else can you do but drop to your knees? I do know one thing, our God is a MIGHTY God who HEARS our prayers and gives us grace on a daily basis. He knows our hearts and just wants us close to Him. (He doesn't care if my bathroom is clean or if I filled my Etsy order!!)

So, I have been in constant prayer for this family as well as another friend who is on bed rest at 15 weeks of her pregnancy. Just that He would cover them with the blood of Jesus and protect them and fulfill His promises for them.

And I believe in miracles, because I believe in a God who has come through over and over again in my life and in the lives of so many others. And also because I am allowed to be a mother to two beautiful miracles in my life. I may not have had a complicated delivery or a difficult pregnancy, but this week I was reminded that they indeed are miracles too and were created for a purpose by God. They were given to me and to Greg for a reason, and I know God has wonderful things planned for them!

Join in prayer with me for baby Lincoln and his mom Lauren and for Holly and her baby boy in her belly! God does hear our prayers and listen to our needs if we trust in Him and follow Him!!!

**Baby Lincoln is doing well in the NICU. His initial tests are NOT showing the catastrophic brain injury that the doctors thought may have been there! He is breathing on his own with some oxygen. Praise God for little miracles day by day.**

My little miracles

Giveaway

2011-12-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

So, I have this really super, super talented friend Greta! Her blog is awesome and gives me hope as a mother to two little ones (she has FOUR)! She is giving away a super cute headband. Get on her blog to get yourself entered. Here is the link:
http://gremadcha.blogspot.com/

Etsy

2011-12-01T19:49:00.001-08:00

I'm not really sure at this point how many people even read this blog--maybe 2, maybe 3??!! Well, for those of you that don't already know, I started an Etsy shop a couple of months ago to sell the things I have created with my new found love of sewing. So, faithful reader(s), check out my shop!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MagPieandMeCreations?ref=pr_shop_more

AND, if you see anything you LOVE, my amazingly creative friend Greta is doing a Mag Pie and Me Creations giveaway on her blog. Go take a peek, and leave a comment, and post it on Facebook, and you will be entered to win 50% off one item in my shop:) While you are at it, scroll back to old posts and READ.HER.BLOG! She is a great writer and is a mom who keeps it real!!

http://gremadcha.blogspot.com/2011/12/giveaway.html

Halloween

2011-11-06T04:51:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun time on Halloween. Since this was the first year in our new house, we were excited to see how this neighborhood enjoys the holiday. Let me just say, we were out of our giant Sam's Club bag of candy in the first 45 minutes! Our neighborhood is swimming with kids. Maggie and Elliott had a blast! Uncle Andrew and his friends Lisa and Cameron and their little lion Rylan joined us as well!

I worked tirelessly on Maggie's Rapunzel costume all the way down to the long braided wig. They looked pretty darn cute! On a side note, the day after I was in Old Navy and they had 2 costumes left on clearance. One was a girl costume in a 4T/5T (Maggie's size next year) and one was a boy costume in size 2T/3T (Elliott's size next year). I took this as an omen that I should buy these and not worry about making something for next year! At $3.00 a pop, I couldn't resist!!

Will I ever run another again??

2011-10-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I ran my first half marathon right next to my marathon man dad. It was hard, it was exciting, it made me proud, it made me set a goal and reach it, it gave me precious time with my dad, it has made me better. I know, how can running 13.1 miles make you better? Well, it made me realize that I can do anything! I kept reciting to myself when my legs wanted to quit..."I can do all things through him who give me strength."--Philippians 4:13. And I can and I did!

My training was time consuming. But I honestly feel like each day I ran, I had my quiet time with God. I listened to worship music, I listened to sermons. I felt His presence in each and every step. See, I was that overweight kid/teen/young adult. I didn't play sports past 8th grade. I had no motivation to exercise. I am not particularly athletic. Running this race has kind of been my sort of vindication. I have proved to myself that I can be healthy and I can accomplish a goal like this. More importantly I feel like I am setting a wonderful example for my children to be active.

Even when the doubt set it....around mile 9, but there was this little voice that kept saying, "yes, you can do this!" (and there was a big voice next to me (my dad) pushing me and encouraging me). Even with two stops to massage my left foot back to life (it got SOOOO numb), we finished in 2:16, which put me at an overall pace of 10:26 per mile.

I am not ready to hang up my running shoes quite yet. Three days later, still a bit sore, I am contemplating going down to the basement for a run on the treadmill. Perhaps, I have been hit by the running bug! Only time will tell:)

Let Your Hair Down

2011-10-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

My new found love of sewing has taken me on an adventure--making a Halloween costume! Maggie LOVES the movie "Tangled" and all things Rapunzel, so naturally, she wanted to be Rapunzel for Halloween. I found a tutorial online and with some added help from my amazing sewing step-mom, I almost finished it last night. I found an awesome tutu at Target on clearance for the underskirt--one less thing to sew. I just have to finish the sleeves and we have a beautiful Rapunzel! Next project, making a long braided wig:)

Pumpkin Patch and Apple Picking

2011-10-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we ventured to Eckert's Fun Farm for apple picking and a visit to the pumpkin patch. The kids are finally getting old enough to "enjoy" this kind of thing. We had a really fun day....there were rides, a giant jumpy pillow thing, kettle corn, over-priced diet coke, golden delicious apples, a pumpkin canon, and two tired kiddos at the end of the day (and a tired mom who had run 10 miles at 6 a.m. on that day!!).

I convinced Maggie that she wanted the little tiny pumpkin that only cost $2.50 instead of the giant one she picked from the patch that would have taken a good chunk of her college fund. She was equally happy with this deal! All in all, it was a beautiful fall day, and we enjoyed just being a family:)

Visit from friends

2011-09-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Our good friends the Schroeder's moved back to Evansville several years ago. We are lucky they live in Eville, so at least we can see them when we go visit my parents, but it is always nice to have them in St. Louis too! Their family is about to expand from 4 kids to 5. We were at the hospital when their oldest, Emma and Zach were born, and it is hard to believe they started kindergarten a couple of months ago. Maggie had the time of her life with all the kids at our house. Makes me sad that we don't get to see each other all of the time, but I am grateful for our weekend together!! These pictures make me laugh!!!

Fun times with my kids

2011-09-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

On Monday, we had absolutely nothing to do. It was supposed to be a nice, sunny day. At around 8:15, I made an impromptu decision to take the kids to the St. Louis Zoo. Just a side note...I have lived in St. Louis now for 8 years, and I have probably been to the zoo 5-6 times total. Why do I not take my kids to the FREE zoo ALL the time???

We had THE.BEST.DAY! We didn't have a date to meet anyone or be anywhere at any time. We just went. We got there when they opened and rode the carousel about 5 times. I truly just enjoyed my kids. They were amazingly well behaved. They were excited to see the penguins, puffins, zebras, giraffes, butterflies, etc.! It made me think about all the opportunities I miss to just spend time with them because I am too busy folding laundry, doing dishes, sewing, playing on Facebook, or typing an email. All those things need to be done (well, maybe not playing on Facebook), but most of those things CAN WAIT. My kids are growing up way too fast, and I need to take more days to just BE WITH THEM! They are way too precious to not spend time with:)

Maggie loved the carousel

Elliott thought it was pretty cool too

Maggie has been having rest time these days because she was just staying up too late with a nap...this is how I found her after our morning at the Zoo!

Wooohooo!!!

2011-09-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

We finally got a new camera, and I love it!! It shoots so much faster than our other one, and I took a few shots this afternoon outside with the kids.

My stupid foot

2011-08-30T16:07:00.001-07:00

So, about 4 years ago, I got the privilege of wearing this beauty for a good THREE MONTHS!

It really is too bad that when we moved I thought I should just get rid of it because never again would I need something like that again, right?? It cost several hundred dollars, but why keep a useless boot?? Well, I may be needing another! All this running has most probably caused me a nice little stress fracture in my foot--same foot but closer to the ankle. Problem is, stress fractures don't show up very well on x-rays, so right now, I am just making due and hoping the pain goes away so that I can actually run this race on October 23. Taking a week or so off and seeing if it makes a difference...here's to hoping!!

Sewing projects

2011-08-23T12:16:00.001-07:00

I have been busy sewing. I tried to get good pictures of these things, but our camera is just not up to snuff these days. You would think that a really nice, expensive camera would last longer than FOUR years! Here are a few things I have been working on...a few for me, most for Maggie and one thing for the little man:)

Pillowcase Dress for Maggie

Cute dress for myself made with a $2 tank from Old Navy (I wore this in our family pictures a couple of weeks ago)

Appliqued shirt for our friend Joel's 4th Birthday

Initial Shirt for Elliott

Market skirt for another friend's birthday

Maggie modeling her Market Skirt

Skirt for myself complete with pockets

Pre School

2011-08-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

Maggie started pre school today. She didn't cry, I didn't cry...we just said our little goodbyes and I left her and she had an amazing morning! Her backpack is bigger than she is, but she was sooo proud to carry her supplies in this morning. Such a big girl:)

Family PIcs

2011-08-16T19:32:00.001-07:00

Apparently I have been too busy sewing and running to post anything on the blog lately! I don't even have any pictures of the things I have made (well, the dress that I have on in these pictures I made only hours before said pictures were taken!!). Maggie has 2 new dresses, 3 new skirts, I have a new dress and skirt, and every time I go to the fabric store I want to drop at least $20! Anywhoo, we had some pictures taken last week by the oh so fabulous Greg Herndon! I am so glad we decided on downtown by the Arch for the photos. They turned out great!!! Here are a few...

(And the running is going awesome as well...now that I have purchased my second pair of running shoes because the first ones I bought weren't *quite* right for my feet--and causing major pain!!!)

There are about 190 more pictures, and I love them all, but blogger is being weird, so here is a sneak preview!

My new hobby

2011-07-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting a sewing machine for awhile. Greg promised me one for Mother's Day, and I just got around to getting one. I knew a couple of things....I wanted a good machine, but I didn't have the money to buy a super duper computerized thing! I went to several stores to do some research and on Saturday without even planning on making a purchase, I came home with this

Not only did I get the machine at HALF price, but she pulled it out of the box and taught me how to use it for an hour (Greg was none too thrilled that my quick naptime expedition, turned into an all-afternoon event!). Now all I want to do is sew, but it is pretty tricky to do so when the kids are awake! I have lots of project ideas, but the easiest one has been this cute skirt for Maggie. She insisted I finish it before nap yesterday so she could wear it. Next up is a skirt for me:)\

Swimsuit

2011-07-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay...I've been a blogging slacker, but I just got my very own sewing machine, so I have had more important things to do...more on that in another post! I just uploaded some pictures to the computer. Our really, nice, expensive camera has been on the fritz, and I'm not sure if we are going to be able to replace it right now. Some days it works, some days it doesn't!

On to my point of this post. So, Maggie asked to wear THIS swimsuit last week. Anyone want to try and guess the size of said swimsuit???

This may help a little. This picture was taken of Maggie at SIXTEEN MONTHS!!!!

How is it that a 3 1/2 year old can STILL fit in a suit that is size 12-18 months?? She looks bigger and feels heavier.... It is a mystery to me too!

It's All in the Past

2011-07-02T05:36:00.001-07:00

Here is a look at the 4th of July year's past!

Maggie's First 4th of July

Maggie's First trip to the Fireworks (apparently, I don't have an specific pictures of this event, but this is close enough!)...July 4, 2009

Elliott's First 4th of July in Evansville

Rock n Roll

2011-06-30T07:09:00.001-07:00

I did it. I signed Greg and I up for the St. Louis Rock n Roll Half Marathon on October 23. I am not a stranger to those grueling 13.1 miles. I have walked 2 in the past...but I feel like people think it is no big deal to "just walk" a half marathon, when in all actuality, it is much, much harder and takes much, much longer! The last one I did was also when I was 19 weeks pregnant with Elliott! I have been working out pretty regularly for a good 4 months now, and I decided I needed a goal to keep me motivated. It helps to have my brother Andrew in town, because he is an avid runner and will keep me on my toes. We ran 4.1 miles together on Sunday, and while he was barely out of breath, it really helped me to keep going! Now, I just need to get Greg back on track, and we should be ready to go by the end of October. Happy running:)

Little Swimmer

2011-06-18T12:18:00.001-07:00

Maggie just finished two weeks of swim lessons at the Kirkwood Pool. She adored going every day!! She got a certificate at the end saying she could move up to the next level, and I'm debating signing her up for another session before the summer is up. Today Greg and I heard her asking to go to the pool probably 1000 times....she apparently doesn't think thunderstorms should hinder pool time. Here are a few pictures from her last day of class.

Summer Fun

2011-06-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I am bit behind on posting! We've been busy...the entire month of June is chalk full of fun stuff (mainly for Maggie). She started swimming lessons this week, and she LOVES them! She loves them so much, I may sign her up for another round at the end of the summer....

I will take pictures of my little fish next week, but last week we went to the zoo. Here are a few pictures from that adventure!

Elliott

2011-05-18T11:09:00.001-07:00

The little man is just over 14 months now and I wanted to document what he has been up to. He is just a sweet, sweet boy and is so easily entertained! He does love his mama, but also waits eagerly at the front door for Daddy to get home and squeals in delight when his car hits the driveway. Maggie has always been a really good talker, so I was wondering if my second would be just the opposite. Greg and I think he may even talk MORE than she did at this age. Here is a list of his "words."

Maggie
Daddy
Mommy
Bye
Hi (his favorite)
Uh-oh
More
Milk
Wa wa (water)
Up
Out
Uh huh (his way of saying yes)
Thanks
Please
Papa
Pee pee
Nose
Ears
Snack
Ball
Juice
Blueberries (he tries really hard on this one)
Kitty
Doggy
Baby
Bubby (this is what Maggie calls him)
More
All done
This
That
Nigh Nigh
Bath

For the sake of my memory, as of today he has 14 teeth!!!

Vacation

2011-05-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful vacation last week in Gulf Shores, AL! It was hard to come back to the rainy, cold weather. Here is a sneak peak at our fun....

Nothing like a sweet newborn:)

2011-05-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends Rachel and Kyle had a beautiful baby boy, Bryce Douglas yesterday. We got to go visit them and snuggle tiny Bryce! It truly reminded me how awesome our God is....that he creates and knits each one of us and knows every single thing about us before we even enter this world. It also reminded me that Elliott is no longer a "baby." My little man is about 14 months now. He walks like a crazy man, talks like he knows exactly what he is saying, and is starting to really play with Maggie. I also nursed him for the last time this weekend. Made me pretty sad, but then I was reminded that 14 months is a LONG time to nurse your baby and create that special bond. It was his choice, not mine and in the long run is much easier, I suppose!

Back to the new baby, Bryce...so sweet!!

Easter

2011-04-29T07:48:00.001-07:00

So, apparently I have been a blogging slacker! We had a great Easter despite the dreary, rainy days we have been having. We dyed eggs, made Resurrection Rolls, had a small egg hunt indoors, made our inaugural Ted Drewes visit, had awesome worship at church and enjoyed a small family Easter dinner in our comfy clothes--there is a perk to cooking at home and it just being us:)

Go Butler!

2011-04-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

We are all excited over here for the Final Four games tomorrow. We have a few ties to Butler--Greg's sister went there and the coach went to DePauw and his wife was in my sorority and worked with Greg when he was doing an internship. We decided to show some love all the way from St. Louis:)

One Year Stats

2011-03-18T07:03:00.001-07:00

I realize that the video of E's birthday is not working because the song I put with it won't work on YouTube because of copyright laws. I mean, I OWN the song, so WHY won't it work?? I'll have to see what I can do to get around this!

Anyway, I digress. I took E to the doctor yesterday for his one year appointment. He is perfect just as I expected:)

19 1/2 lbs. (holding strong at 10%)
27 in. (down to 5%, but Dr. Molitor even said that those lengths aren't accurate, so he would put him more at 25%--knowing my genetics, I hope he is an "average" size adult male!)

He got two shots, and was pretty crabby after his nap yesterday afternoon. He is also working on teeth #10 and 11, so we can blame that on his crabbiness as well!

Elliott turns ONE

2011-03-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Big Day

2011-03-12T19:06:00.001-08:00

Just had to blog about our big day, so I can officially know the day Elliott started WALKING and got his first HAIRCUT!! He has been cruising like a mad man all over the house for months. This morning we let him go in between us and first he took 3-4 steps, and before we knew it he was walking across the room. He is 12 months and one week--exactly the same time his big sister started walking too!

We also got his haircut today because we were taking Maggie. He looks like such my little man now....his hair was hanging over his ears and he had quite the baby mullet going in the back! What a great day today was:)

Before

After

Happy FIRST Birthday, Elliott:)

2011-03-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

The little guy turns ONE today! Wow, that was a fast year:) Once I have time, I'll post more, but here is my sweet man!

Maggie's 3rd Birthday!!!

2011-02-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

Three Year Stats

2011-02-18T18:51:00.000-08:00

Working on a little video of Maggie's 3rd birthday, but I wanted to post her stats from her 3 year appointment a couple of weeks ago.

Drum roll, please:
Weight: 26.2 lbs. (25th % I honestly think he was looking at the wrong chart!)
Height: 35 1/2 inches

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

V is for Valentine!

Maggie....

2011-02-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

A few days old...

Big THREE year old...

Maggie is THREE (really, really hard to believe)! I stole this idea from my friend Katie (www.katieandthe5boys.blogspot.com). If I remember, I will ask her these questions next year when she turns 4 and see how her answers change:)

What is your favorite color?
yellow

What is your favorite book?
Charlie Brown Christmas

What is your favorite t.v. show?
Calliou and Dora

Who is your best friend?
Londyn

What is your favorite food?
hot dogs and carrots

What is your favorite drink?
milk

What are special things you like to do with Daddy?
Go to the pool and stay home and go to the Do Do Drive-in

What are special things you like to do with Mommy?
Play playdough and make crafts

What is your favorite song?
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

Who do you like to sing to?
to my bubby (Elliott) when he is sad

What do you want to be when you grow up?
a doctor like Papa

What is your favorite toy?
kitchen

What is Mommy's job?
to stay home

What is Daddy's job?
to go to work

Trouble

2011-01-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

This boy is going to get into trouble!

Letter "C"

2011-01-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

We had fun with the letter "C" last week!

Colorado

2011-01-20T13:02:00.001-08:00

I went to Colorado last weekend with my girlfriends from college. It was an amazing weekend!!! We relaxed, some skiied, went tubing on the snow, ate a lovely fondue dinner at the top of the mountain, watched the Golden Globes, hung out. You know, the usual stuff! I am forever indebted to Greg for holding down the fort while I was gone. I really, really, really missed the kids, and I know especially Elliott missed me (since this was our first time away from each other his whole life!) All my fears of him being dehydrated were long gone as soon as I hit the Denver airport. He did fine! Here are a few pictures of the trip....

The "B" says "bbbbuh"

2011-01-12T07:27:00.001-08:00

We've been busy already this week and it is only Wednesday! This kid LOVES crafts and so far, I've only spent $1.00 on paper bags. There are plenty of things around the house to make these little crafts. Wonder if we'll last 26 weeks with this??? She seriously wants to make a project 3 times a day!

Letter of the week....

2011-01-10T11:34:00.001-08:00

I decided that I would try and help Maggie with her letter recognition and doing a letter of the week would be something fun--we'll see how long it lasts before she gets bored. She LOVES doing craft projects, so I thought this would be a good way to integrate those into our day. Most mornings are spent waiting for Elliott to nap, and this is a good way to keep her engaged during that time! We started at the very beginning....here are our projects from the letter "A."

New House, New Year

2011-01-08T18:44:00.001-08:00

Our final goodbye to 676 Marshall Ave.

Hello, Hollywood Place!

We are finally getting all settled in our new house. I can't believe it has been three weeks already. Living in such a de-cluttered house while our house was on the market has made me really purge and makes me want to live with less "stuff" everywhere! So, I'm taking my time unpacking all the unnecessary items--picture frames, decorations, etc. The kids really do LOVE this house! We have kind of had a routine to come play in the basement after nap until Greg gets home. It is nice to have space just for toys! We have also basically spent the last week in the house. Elliott started with a little stomach bug and passed it on to me--it kicked my butt! I don't ever remember feeling so bad--thankfully only for 24 hours. Then Greg got it, then Maggie. A family affair:( Not only did Maggie get the stomach bug, but she then came down with a fever that didn't end for 4 days and had an ear infection on top of it. Needless to say, it has been a rough week here. I am really thankful that my kids rarely get sick! Elliott is 10 months old and this is the first sickness he has had and he didn't even act bothered by it. I must blog though that when he did throw up, we were heading down to the basement and Maggie just happened to be in front of us....he managed to get it ONLY on her--her hair, her back. I reacted pretty well and charged them up the stairs to the bath. She was more upset by it than he was! Happy 2011...I am so BLESSED and thankful for my beautiful kids and my amazing husband:)

On the twelfth day...

2011-01-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

November 2010 (Apparently I have no good pictures of Maggie from November!!)

On the eleventh day...

2011-01-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

October 2010

On the tenth day....

2011-01-06T05:27:00.001-08:00

September 2010

On the ninth day....

2011-01-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

August 2010--Hilton Head, SC

On the eighth day....

2011-01-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

July 2010

On the seventh day...

2011-01-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

June 2010

On the sixth day....

2011-01-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

May 2010

On the fifth day....

2011-01-01T14:19:00.001-08:00

April 2010

On the fourth day....

2010-12-31T10:03:00.001-08:00

My blog is all messed up....tried to change the background yesterday and am not sure what is going on with it right now! Happy New Year!!!

Maggie and Elliott--March 2010 (E was one week old!)

On the third day....

2010-12-30T06:21:00.000-08:00

Maggie's 2nd Birthday--February 2010

On the 2nd day.....

2010-12-29T08:58:00.001-08:00

January 2010

I'm a thief....

2010-12-28T12:41:00.000-08:00

So, this blog I read by a friend from college (www.babygirlparsons.blogspot.com) is doing the 12 days of his daughter Megan. I'm going to steal his idea (sorry, Brian!). So, here is the first day of The Cook's. A year ago at Christmas, Maggie was still an only child.

NINE months old....

2010-12-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Elliott turned NINE months old earlier this week! Time just flies.....he is a sweet boy. He started crawling last week (just in time for the big move!). He says the typical "dada", "mama", "baba", and lately even says what sounds quite like "Maaaa-ggggie". He is pretty laid back and chill and loves to laugh at his sister! We went to the doctor today. Here are his stats:

17 lbs. even (10th %)
27 1/2 inches (25th %)
Head: 47 cm (25th %)

I know he is still a little peanut, but Maggie didn't weigh 17 pounds until she was a year old!! Love this boy:)

Thanksgiving

2010-12-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

We have so much to be thankful for this year! We are especially grateful that both Greg's family and my family could all be together to celebrate Thanksgiving in Evansville. Sorry for the short entry...I need to get packing....16 days and counting until the big move!

Moving on up....

2010-11-23T11:39:00.001-08:00

We SOLD our house!!! Well, at least it is under contract...just waiting on the inspection report to hear the damage, but our agent said I could probably start packing. Last week was kind of crazy. I arrived home from CT at around 6:30 p.m., and we had a showing on the house at 4:00. When I landed, there were 3 voicemails saying the people that had just looked at our house wanted to come back that same evening to look again! Thankfully, they got ahold of Greg and he gave them the go ahead to come back. Wednesday, we got an offer. Thursday, we finalized the sale price. Friday morning we made an offer on a new house and Saturday, they accepted! So, we are moving on December 17! I should be packing right now instead of typing, huh? Here is a link to our soon to be new house (hoping that all goes well in the next couple of weeks with all inspections and negotiations to close the deal!).

This link doesn't have very many pictures, but you get the idea!

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/560-Hollywood-Plc_Webster-Groves_MO_63119_M73034-44071

Meeting Baby Anna

2010-11-18T11:29:00.000-08:00

Elliott and I took a trip to Connecticut this past weekend to meet Baby Anna (and to visit with Sarah, Joe, and Nicholas). Anna is so sweet...so nice to snuggle a newborn! I also got some good one on one time with Elliott and Nicholas. Maggie did great being at home with Daddy. They did everything on her list (except go to Sam's--which she is still reminding me about!) I really wish the cousins got to live closer. Thank goodness for technology (Sarah says that Nicholas thinks Maggie lives inside the computer!). Here are a few pictures from our trip...

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe as I type this that it is NOVEMBER 1 already. Umm....how does time go by so quickly??? We had a great Halloween weekend. Thursday night we went trick or treating in downtown Kirkwood with the Taggart's. Maggie and Londyn are good buds and enjoyed being with each other in their costumes.

Friday was Trunk or Treat at church...more candy, more fun!

We decided to stay home and go around our neighborhood this year. We had dinner with our neighbors and then pulled the wagon around our neighborhood. There is a street about 2 blocks up that closes down for trick or treaters. It was fun, but I had to depart early from the festivities to get my little bumblebee to bed! After a late night for Maggie, she thought it was a good idea to get up at 6:15 a.m. and ask for her candy. I now realize why parents don't like Halloween!!! I let her pick out one piece to have later and hid the rest away. By 9:00 a.m., there was already a "lay on the ground and scream and kick" fit for candy....Hope you all had a great Halloween too:)

Fall Fun

2010-10-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Apple picking and pumpkin patch...need I say more?

Oh Indiana....

2010-10-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

We have been to Indiana for the last two weekends! Lots of driving, but also lots of fun to see all the grandparents. Unfortunately, in hustling to get out the door to go to Evansville a couple of weeks ago, I forgot the camera! No pictures of that visit, but we did take lots of pictures in Winchester. It was our first visit in 2 years!! We had a nice time and enjoyed our stay even though our little Miss Maggie decided she was too big for a pack n play and climbed out each and every time it was time for a nap or for bed. When we got home, she said "Daddy, I'm so glad to be home in my own bed with a tent on it, so I won't climb out!" Do they make tents for big girl beds???

Maggie's Imaginary Friend

2010-10-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

Maggie has one heck of an imagination! She now has an imaginary friend--a little girl named "Lobby." I have no idea where the name came from, but she is adamant about her name. All I've gotten out of her about Lobby is that she has brown hair like me and still wears diapers. She also has informed me that Lobby's mommy is Gali.

Her and Lobby have picnics and take naps together. She also bosses Lobby around which I find quite humorous! The other day in the car she said to her "Lobby, you have two choices. You can either eat lunch or take a nap. No, Lobby that is not one of your choices. I did not say we could go to the park. I told you what your choices are--eat lunch or take a nap. Which one would you like to do?" Hmmm....wonder where she's heard this before?!?

I figure that I need to blog about these little details of my kid's lives so that I won't forget them!

Our House is on the Market....

2010-10-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

Our house went on the market this past Friday. Here is the listing...we've been working really hard, so here's to hoping it sells quickly!!

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/676-Marshall-Avenue_Webster-Groves_MO_63119_M79793-99386

It's a GIRL:)

2010-10-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

My sister had her baby on Tuesday. I stole these pictures from her blog to share because I'm so excited she now has a little girl. There is nothing I love more than the surprise of what the sex of a baby is:)

Anna Marie Martino
Born Oct. 5, 2010
6 lbs. 11 oz.

One for Maggie...

2010-10-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

Didn't want to leave poor Maggie off the blog! She was sick with a stomach bug this week. All she wanted was her Mama.... Here she is doing what sick kids do--watching t.v.!!!

Tooth #2

2010-10-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to document E's second tooth before I forget when it came through. So, here it is....September 29, 2010.

Latest Happenings

2010-09-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today I went outside to get the mail and saw this in our yard....

I knew it was coming but I just wasn't expecting it today for some reason. This is our first house....I will be sad to leave it because it is a great first house. We brought both our kids home from the hospital to this house. It goes on the market next Friday! Here's to hoping that it sells quickly and that we find the perfect house for our family...

E's First Tooth

2010-09-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

I decided that I better blog about the fact that Elliott's first tooth popped through yesterday, Sept. 20, 2010. Mainly because I have yet to start a baby book for him or write anything significant down that he has done thus far. I'm sure it is the second child syndrome--however, Maggie's baby book is not that complete either! I pretty much had no idea that E was even teething...I mean, all babies teeth for the first 2 years of their life and any change in behavior we just blame on "teething." Maggie had all the classic signs when she got teeth--drool, snotty nose, chewing on everything. Elliott hasn't bothered to even show interest in the fact that he now has a tooth and another one on the way! He's pretty easy going. Here is my attempt to document his first tooth.

Lots of things a happening!!!

2010-09-13T07:40:00.001-07:00

I know I'm slacking on posting. I promise that one day I'll put together a slideshow of our vacation, but we've been really busy. We are trying to get our house on the market by the first week of October. So, time is ticking and I should be doing something productive instead of posting but I had some pictures of Maggie's first day of school!! She started a Mom's Day Out program today. She will be going every Monday from 9-12. It will really be good for her considering Elliott is always napping every morning and we are basically stuck in the house from 9-11. She was SOOO excited and just gave me a little wave when I left her there. I know there will be more days like this in the years to come where she becomes more independent and is more excited to be somewhere else than with me!

Maggie Sings in Hilton Head

2010-08-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sneak peak of our trip to Hilton Head. Maggie has been SOO into singing, so when the guy singing kids songs invited her to the microphone, she was not shy at all. I have to admit that I was ONE PROUD MAMA and was crying while video taping!

Friends

2010-08-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

My kids already at their young ages have a lot of friends!!! Just wanted to share a few pictures. Maggie has been saying lately "I love it when my friends come to my house. It is so much fun!"

Elliott and Marin

Elliott and Joel

Marin

Maggie and Marin

We made it!

2010-08-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it through the tough time of having a non-sleeping baby. I always said that once he figured it out, he wouldn't turn back, and in the last month, he hasn't proven me wrong! Elliott went from waking 4-6 times a night to sleeping from 6:30 p.m.-5:30 a.m. (eats) and back to sleep until I have to WAKE HIM UP at around 7:30 so I can keep him on a decent schedule during the day. It's amazing and I feel much more amazing!

We've just been enjoying our last days of summer. It has literally been 100 degrees for days on end. That pretty much limits our activities, but Maggie doesn't seem to care how hot it is outside! She always wants to play out there. We're really looking forward to our vacation to Hilton Head in a week. The 15 hour+ drive will be interesting with the two kiddos, but just being together for a week with nothing to do except swim and relax will be worth it!!

Here are a few recent pictures of the kiddos....

Wish for endless time

2010-07-25T12:05:00.001-07:00

If I had endless time, I would just make bows and try to figure out how to edit photos using all this amazing software I have on my computer. I, however, do not have said endless time! But both kids are actually napping at the same time, so I've been playing on Lightroom. Elliott is a much easier subject right now because he will actually look at me when I take his picture and stay still. Maggie is too quick for me! Here are a few of him that I edited a bit....

Photo fun

2010-07-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

We just got a new flash for our camera....exciting, I know! We had all these gift cards stocked away since Christmas, so we pooled them together. It is amazing what a difference an external flash will make on a photo. However, it is going to take me awhile to figure out how to turn it to get the best light. Here are a few that we've taken in the past couple of days.....

Sleep Training 101

2010-07-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Here is how I've been spending my time in the last 3 or 4 weeks....

And sleep training would not be complete without a log

Greg is honestly so sick of hearing about all these different sleep methods, but we really didn't have to go through any of this with Maggie. She slept great right off the bat with very little "training." I'm a researcher, so I've been hard at work reading and trying to figure out the best way to train Elliott to sleep longer than 3-4 hours at a time. The main conclusion I came up with was that the poor boy was just as sleep deprived as we were and therefore his over-tiredness was contributing to all the wake ups. So, our plan went a little something like this......

1. Early bedtime--Elliott went down for bed no later than 2 hours after he woke from his last nap...one night it was as early as 5:45. The point of this was to try and get rid of his sleep debt.
2. Eliminating feedings in the middle of the night--If he woke before 10, I would feed him (which he did on the first 3 nights). After that, he wasn't getting his mama until 3 a.m., and Greg was on duty. We always gave him 10 minutes initially to put himself back to sleep--didn't happen....the only way this kid knew how to go back to sleep was to nurse. So, Greg would go in the room and pat him for no more than a minute and then leave (never picked him up). The intervals of time got longer and longer each night....a few nights seemed to go on FOREVER!!!!

Here is what we have now....a happy baby, a happy and more well-rested mama and daddy and a baby who last night slept from 6:40 p.m.-4:20 a.m. without waking then nursed and was back to sleep until 7:50 this morning!!! How's that for success?????

Four Months Old

2010-07-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

Umm....how did Elliott already turn four months old? No one ever tells you HOW much you will actually love your children! It is pretty hard to explain to someone, I guess. It is even hard to put into words how awesome they are. We were just talking about how excited we are to see what his little personality will be like in the coming months. We've already determined that he is active like his big sister. In fact, I was at the doctor today and the receptionist held him while I had my exam and she said....does he ever bend? He is already enjoying his exersaucer and I think it may be time to break out the jumperoo! Maggie has been begging me for weeks to get it out of the basement. I am pretty sure she will try to get in it on a daily basis!

He had his four month check last week....12 1/2 lbs. and 24 inches. He also measured 24 inches at his 2 month appointment so they have to be off somewhere along the line because I know he is longer than he was TWO months ago. We also go the go ahead to start cereal. He really does love it....I think it is disgusting, but he seems to enjoy getting messy. I've already broken out the ole' ice cube trays to make some baby food and get it in the freezer. We'll give him a couple more weeks of practicing with the cereal and then we're off and running! Now, if this kid would just sleep a little more, life would be awesome!!!!

Looking cute it a girly bib!

Summer Fun

2010-07-14T12:13:00.001-07:00

Last week we decided to take a picnic to the park and let Maggie run around in the fountains. It was a nice day....only in the upper 80's instead of the mid-90's!! We had a good time and managed to snap some pictures along the way.

Fourth of July

2010-07-06T12:32:00.001-07:00

I spent the last week in Evansville. I got to spend some time with my brother last weekend and my sister, her husband and my nephew drove in from Connecticut. Maggie had SUCH a blast with her cousin Nicholas. We spend lots of good time together, went to the pool, went to the zoo, went on the paddle boat at my dad's house. Although we had a good trip, it was really nice to get home last night. Elliott's sleeping took another turn downward when we were out of town. I have made an executive decision that we are not traveling anywhere until we go on vacation at the end of August. He is now 4 months old, so some serious sleep training boot camp is on the way!!! Here are some pictures from our time away....

Slacker

2010-06-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

I've been a major blogging slacker! Mainly because I either have a screaming baby (mainly in the middle of the night ALL night long) or a fit-throwing toddler....I have been reminding myself that this will pass, but I've also been reminding myself this for the past 15 weeks, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. I think my kids just like me a little too much. They want to be around me 24/7....don't want to sleep, just want me to hold them and cuddle them. Elliott can't go back to sleep unless I nurse him. Maggie has been waking at the crack of dawn in her new "cave" (i.e. our closet where she now resides). Thankfully, she has only climbed out once. I'm on my way out today to buy a pack n play tent so I can zip her in!

Truth be told, I didn't think motherhood would be this hard. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my kids. I take pride in the fact that I nourish them and take care of them. But some days, my nerves are shot. I am averaging between 4-5 broken hours of sleep a night. I feel like a prisoner in my own home. It takes a toll on every aspect of life. Thankfully I have a wonderfully supportive husband, but some nights I find myself banishing him to the basement so we both aren't walking zombies. Life is hard for me right now. I know in the grand scheme of things, this is not the worst thing in the world that can happen to me, but right now IT IS! I want to be a good mom....and some days I feel like the worst one because I'm so tired and snapping at Maggie and being internally angry at Elliott for not sleeping. I can't help it--this is how I feel!

I promise my next post will be a little more upbeat! I LOVE my kids....and feel blessed to have them. Some day all they will want to do is sleep, and I'll be forcing them awake, right????

They are pretty cute though...

Go Cardinals!!

2010-06-02T06:38:00.001-07:00

We attempted our first family Cardinals game on Monday. It was HOT and then it STORMED, but we got a couple of innings in, and Maggie LOVED it! Thankfully we had some extra seats so Elliott could chill in his car seat. Here are some pictures...

Epitome of tiredness

2010-05-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

We're so tired over here. SO SO tired! Elliott only woke up 3 times last night which was a VAST improvement from the 7-8 times he had been up for the past three weeks. We decided to put Maggie in the pack n play in our walk-in closet and put him in her room. He seems to like it in there better and Maggie is thrilled with her new digs. I'm hoping more rest is to come. Being so overtired makes me feel like a bad mom. It is so hard to be on your game with your kiddos when you haven't slept. I keep telling myself that he won't always be this small and won't always need me this much. That is keeping me going. Plus the kid is pretty darn happy and smiley during the day which makes life awesome:)

Maggie's New Do

2010-05-20T13:53:00.001-07:00

I took Maggie to get her haircut yesterday. It was driving me mad...always in her eyes, tangles everywhere! I asked her how she wanted it cut, and she said..."like yours, Momma." Done and done!!! She looks sooo grown up:)

And I don't want to leave my little man out...just cause he is SO cute!

Tales from the Toilet

2010-05-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. Maggie is officially potty trained! I'm not saying she is perfect, but she has done really really well. It all began about 2 weeks ago when she came downstairs with underwear in hand and told me..."I no wear diapers anymore, Mommy." I thought to myself...umm, I have a newborn baby! How am I going to do this? I've heard from lots of parents that when the kid shows this much interest, you just go with it because if the interest passes you by, you have to wait awhile to start. So, I went with it.

We basically stayed home for 3 days straight and sat on the potty all day long. Of course, just like her Grammy, she is motivated by jelly beans! After the first 3 days, she stopped asking for them!! Peeing has been so easy for her. She has barely had any accidents since the first day. Pooping is another story. The first day she was going in her underwear. Then she started holding it, which I could tell was hurting her. I had to up the ante on her reward. If she filled up her sticker chart, she could get a kickball. When we went to Kansas City last weekend, she went THREE times in one day, so Aunt Judy got her a Dora kickball.

Having one out of diapers sure does help, but she is not quite to the point where she tells me she has to go. We're getting there. I'm so proud of my 27 month old!!

My Big Boy

2010-05-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

Elliott had his 2 month appointment today! He is growing like a weed...

Weight: 10 lbs. 8 oz. (40 %)
Height: 24 INCHES (90 %) Yes, you read that right folks, MY son is in the 90th percentile for height!! If you know anything about my genetics, you will find this humorous....

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Even though I got a HORRIBLE night's sleep the night before Mother's Day AND Maggie was a whiny, whiny kiddo yesterday, I still managed to have a great Mother's Day. We were walking down the stairs getting ready to load up for church and out of the blue Maggie says to me..."Happy Mother's Day, Mommy....I love you." She then planted a big kiss on my lips! Blame it on the hormones or on being tired....I just started crying! So blessed to have these two kiddos! I asked Greg to take a few shots of me with Elliott and Maggie. It proves to be quite difficult to get them both to look at the camera at the same time....

Smiley Boy

2010-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Elliott starting smiling back at me last week! So sweet...love him so much even though he is keeping me thoroughly sleep deprived!!!

Elliott--6 Weeks Old

2010-04-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

****I fixed the video on YouTube so that it is not private...always forget to do that!!****

Elliott is 6 weeks old already, and when Maggie was this age, I made a video for her. This is a little nicer than the one I made for Maggie thanks to Imovie and our wonderful MacBook Pro!! Enjoy....

6 Weeks Old

2010-04-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Seriously has been the fastest 6 weeks ever! Elliott is growing and starting to smile and be more interactive every day. Let me just say that Maggie is really a great big sister. She is so helpful fetching diapers, wipes and pacifiers. I love it and can't wait till he is bigger and they can play together! I realized that when Maggie was 6 weeks old, I made a little video, so I'm working on one for Elliott (check back later to see it...if I ever get a chance to finish it)

We made our first trip to Evansville last week...pretty successful. Elliott pretty much slept the whole way each way and Maggie watched various Dora episodes on our computer. I was a little worried since Greg didn't go with me, but I think we did well considering I only had to pull off at a rest stop one time to change the movie for Maggie. We visited with Grammy and Papa Rick and Grandma and Papa. We also got to see my friend Amy and her 4 kids and Kelly and her 2 kids. We packed a lot into our 3 days there!

Overall, life is good! We are truly blessed....

Maggie and her friend Garrett

Chicken Dance and Kissing Cousins

2010-04-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few videos of Maggie I've been meaning to put together for awhile. She recently learned her version of the Chicken Dance. She also hasn't learned the boundaries for kissing your cousin!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwZ7_0rISec

Easter

2010-04-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

We had such a blessed Easter....just the 4 of us. We basically decided to hang around here for Easter. I made a nice brunch for Easter morning and then we went to church. We took walks and watched basketball and just enjoyed each other! Here are a few pictures....

Funny girl

2010-04-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

This video speaks for itself!

Visitors Galore

2010-03-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

We have had non-stop visitors since Elliott's birth. Today was my first "real" day with the kiddos by myself. I really really enjoyed our company and especially the help! Now back to real life!!!

Two Week Stats

2010-03-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

Elliott paid a visit to Dr. Molitor on Friday. He is already growing, growing, growing....gaining about an ounce a day!

Weight: 7 lbs. 10 oz. (40th %)
Length: 20 1/4 inches (50th %)

Maggie loves on her brother!

Sweet, Sweet baby

2010-03-17T06:20:00.001-07:00

He is so stinkin' SWEET:)

Week One with Elliott

2010-03-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

Well, we've made it through our first week with our precious little Elliott. I have to be honest that it is a lot less stressful bringing home your second child! One main difference is that Greg has been home with us all week, and what a blessing it has been! I know he has really enjoyed his time with Maggie....it has been a long time since she has had Daddy all to herself. Maggie has really adjusted well so far. She LOVES, LOVES, LOVES her "baby Elliott." Each morning when she gets up he is the first one she asks for. Not sure how long this love will keep up, but we will take it while we can.

As for Elliott, we left the hospital with him weighing in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. As I left I couldn't help but think that this would be a big repeat of what we went through getting Maggie back to birth weight (it took her almost a month to get back there). We left on Tuesday and headed to get him weighed on Wednesday. He weighed a whopping 7 lb. 2 oz. on Wednesday!!! Nothing like a good baby weight gain to give momma some nursing confidence. Hopefully this trend continues.

I am feeling remarkably good a week after having a C-section. Each day I feel better and better. Still trying not to lift Maggie, but today I just had to pick her up and snuggle her a little!

So, one more day and we're on our own. Thankfully my mom will be back on Wednesday to help for a few days since I'm still not supposed to drive. But I will greatly miss Greg when he returns to work. It kind of feels like we've been on vacation in our own house. We have had such good family time, and I have loved every moment of it...even being tired!

It's a BOY!!!!

2010-03-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

I am wondering if you are all as shocked as I am!!! I still can't believe it....

Elliott John Cook was born yesterday, March 6 at 10:17 a.m. He was 7 lbs. 8 oz. and 20 inches long. So far, he is a pretty chill baby. He spent most of the day sleeping after his circumcision this morning and is now making up for that by being wide awake at 10:30 p.m.! Greg and I feel soooo blessed by his arrival. I highly recommend waiting to find out the sex of your baby if you have the chance. It was amazing to hear the words "It's a boy"!!! It was worth every ounce of impatience on my part over the last 9 months.

Maggie loves her little brother. She was a little intimidated yesterday when she saw me in the hospital bed hooked up to the i.v. She refused to get in bed with me or hug me. Today when she came up, she did a little better and was really loving on Elliott. I think they will be good buds! Here are a few pictures to get you started....

Having a baby.....

2010-03-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

We're having a baby...tomorrow morning! Yikes, where did those 9 months go??? I've been an emotional wreck the past couple of days. I'm worried about Maggie's adjustment and how it will effect her, but I know she'll be a great big sister! My mom and aunt got here today, and it has been such a blessing to have them here. On Wednesday I had a horrible headache and called the doctor who told me to immediately come in to have my blood pressure taken which was high. I laid down for awhile and it came down. I'm thankful that I got to make it to my c-section day. We head to the hospital in the morning and the C-section is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Here's to a good night's sleep!

Baby Marin Hoskins

2010-02-27T15:50:00.000-08:00

My good friend Christy had her baby on Thursday. We were due 4 days apart and she beat me to the punch!!! We took Maggie up to see her last night, and at first, she was a little scared of Marin's cry, but really did not want to leave the baby when it was time to go home. Maggie absolutely adores Christy and Larry!! I know she will love Marin too. Here are a few pictures...

Funny girl

2010-02-23T04:52:00.000-08:00

So, in true Cook fashion, the video camera we bought when Maggie was born has a major flaw--it doesn't work!!! The warranty is up and it would cost more than the cost of the camera to fix it. We figured that we should break down and get a new one to document this baby as well as some of the funny things Maggie does on a daily basis. Greg was testing it out last night, and this is what he found!

Maggie obviously has watched me teach a few piano lessons. She won't sit at the piano unless a) the light is on b) there is a music book up on the piano c) stickers are in sight.

Enjoy:)

37 Weeks

2010-02-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that I am 37 weeks pregnant. I had Greg take my picture today--mainly because I remembered that I was wearing this same shirt when I was pretty far along with Maggie. Here they are for comparison--

36 weeks pregnant with Maggie 2 years ago

and 37 weeks, 1 day TODAY

Maggie loving on the belly....

Baby Update

2010-02-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

Well, Baby Cook will be making his/her arrival in just 3 short weeks! I really did forget how tiring the third trimester can be. Especially since Miss Maggie has been giving me a run for my money lately...not sure if she anticipates the changes that are about to come or she is just two now and this comes with the territory. It is now an hour and 20 minutes after I put her down for her nap, and I think she JUST got quiet. I love that she is verbal, but telling me over and over that she doesn't need a nap and doesn't want to go night night doesn't fly!

Back to baby...I went to the doctor today and am still on schedule for my March 6 C-section. I've had some contractions and the baby has moved down a bit, but she didn't anticipate me going in to labor before my C-section. If I were to go into labor, she said that I am more than welcome to try laboring and having this baby the old fashioned way if I want, but if I make it to 39 weeks (which is my surgery date) go ahead and have the C-section. Kind of undecided on that one. So, for now, I'll take it as easy as I can and enjoy the next three weeks!!

On another note, my friend Christy's baby shower was this weekend. It is always good to get together with the college friends. We had a great time!! I really do love that we are still such good friends after all these years. Maggie absolutely adored playing with them and my friend Natalie's daughter Ella.

And one of Maggie and her true Valentine:)

Maggie Turns TWO:)

2010-02-11T05:54:00.000-08:00

Video should work now!!

2 Year Stats

2010-02-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

Maggie got to see Dr. Molitor today....first time since her 18 month appointment in August. We are blessed that she hasn't been sick at all in 6 months!!! I have to admit that I missed him...he is such an awesome pediatrician! I guess in a month we will be there all the time again, so he will be seeing plenty of the Cook Family...

2 Year Stats:
Weight: 23 lbs. 3 oz. (10th %)
Height: 33 inches (30th %)

She's growing--just not very quickly! I love my little peanut:)

Sneak peak at a birthday picture...