Cooper's First Week at Home

 

Our First Donut Saturday as a Family of 5...let the healthy eating habits begin!



 Cooper's 1st Bathtime with Daddy

Ellie and Ashley meeting their new cousin for the first time



Welcome to the Cousin Club Cooper! (Is it obvious the girls had sno-cones right before this picture was taken?)

Lounging "poolside" in the front yard...it's a rough life!

Proud Sisters

 



It's hard to believe but it's been a little over a week now since we first returned home from the hospital with Cooper.  It's amazing how fast the time has flown by.  What's even crazier is that in just a few short days Cooper will be 2 weeks old.  We have had a great time over the last week spending time together as a family.  Josh has been able to take time off from work so the two of us have been able to utilize the time when Cooper is sleeping to really love on the girls and give them some extra individual attention.  I keep telling people we are in the babymoon phase where most of Cooper's days are spent eating and sleeping.  I am so thankful for this somewhat slow and restful downtime because it helps to make the transition easier and smoother for me personally when it comes to recovering from surgery and easing into the role of being a mommy of 3.

The girls have done an incredible job of stepping into the role of "Big Sisters".  You can tell by the way they run up to him first thing in the morning to say hi and by the way they look for him and ask about him when they walk into the room that they love and adore their baby brother.  Abigail, especially, has fallen head over heels in love with her little "Coopy" (as she has so affectionately nicknamed him).  Nothing makes her more proud than the opportunity to introduce him to our friends and family when they come over to meet him for the first time.  I am really proud of the way she has stepped up and become not only a great example for her younger siblings but a huge helper to me. 

While Cooper's days have been really laid back and pretty predictable when it comes to his schedule, he has managed to experience a few "firsts" over the course of this past week.  He experienced his first Donut Saturday as a Smithson.  While he didn't get to actually partake in the donut eating he did accompany his sisters on the ride to and from the Donut Palace.  He had his first check-up with Dr. Meriwether where I am proud to say he passed with flying colors.  He has already gained weight and is now 8 pounds.  On top of that, he met some of his cousins for the first time, he took a stroll around the block with the family for the first time and he even attended his first pool party with his sisters...granted the pool was a blue plastic pool in our front yard and the extent of his involvement was lounging in his bouncy chair poolside with Wrigley while the girls splashed around in the water, but even so, it was a first.  It has been a fun and eventful week around our house.  We can't thank our friends and family enough for all of the love, support, prayers, gifts, and meals that have been showered upon us during this special time.  There's no doubt the reason our transition has been so smooth and easy up to this point is because of you.