First pair of shoes

Today, Cooper got his first pair of shoes.  We went to Stride Rite, and his shoes were almost as much as I pay for MY shoes!  He better love them!  They're cute...look like little Sperry's.  Hopefully, he'll learn to keep the shoes on his feet, unlike his socks.  The receipt for the shoes is going in his baby book.  Who knows?  Maybe baby shoes will be triple the price when he has kids....

2012 happenings

I've been lazy.  Or busy.  You be the judge, but it's been about a month and a half so I figure it's time for an update.   We wanted to start the holidays off with some family traditions this year. Corey and I had so many ideas in mind, but then we realized that it's really hard to do with a toddler who really doesn't know any better yet.  We did start a tradition for Christmas that we will make sure happens every year until Cooper is grown and that's waking up in our own home on Christmas morning.  I wanted to have cookie baking, and special meals/movie nights during December, but we just did not have enough time!  At least next year, Cooper may be able to help with the baking.

We spent New Year's at home as well, since it was my holiday to work this year.  We went down to our neighbors' where they made their own glow-ball to drop at midnight.  It was a styrofoam ball with glowstick guts spread all over it so it glowed, and then covered in Christmas lights.  It looked really cool, but the rope that was supposed to hold it up ended up breaking with less than 5 mins to midnight!  It was still a fun night hanging out with neighbors, even if it didn't go exactly as planned. It was the start of a neighborhood tradition and I love it!

Once we rang in the new year, it was time for me to start planning COOPER'S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY!  I had been gathreing ideas for a couple months, and finally decided on a safari theme.  I've got most of my table decorations in order, his monthly pics have been printed and cut-out, and the menu is set.  I have already done a run-through of his "smash" cake (a mini bear that I'm going to decorate as a panda--not safari, I know, but closer than a teddy bear or polar bear).  I've got 3 more weekends to get everything put together.  Call me crazy, but I'm glad I started thinking about this a while ago.  I know Cooper won't know any different, but we'll have lots of pics for him to check out later. Oh yeah, and I just ordered a cute shirt for him to wear, too!  I can't believe how much stuff there is for one year birthdays!