Cooper's News

2011-11-06T07:51:00.001-08:00

Rub a dub dub!!

Hello blog fans and how are you?! The Bryant boys are in full swing this fine fall and have lots of goings on. First off the chicken farming is quite a success. The chickens graduated from the dining room to the basement and out to their coop just yesterday. We think they are adjusting well. They seem to really like us, especially when we give them worms. They are a little wary of Cash because he tries to pull their heads off but once they move past that, I'm sure they'll find he's a gentle giant! We are off this morning to buy some straw for their nesting boxes and a new watering device. Good thing dad was secretly a chicken farmer at heart. We are also looking for a new battery for the truck. Since dad will be home more with us now during the week (YAY), we can do some running around in our favorite vehicle and maybe even pick up my four wheeler. Fingers crossed it is FINALLY up and running!!
Halloween was a blast and we are all counting down the holidays until Santa makes his big arrival. We aren't asking for much, simply all items in the toys r us big book will do us fine...except the pink stuff. Jagger and I are doing well in school and learning so much. Mom says the best part is when jag gets back in the van and says, "mom, I misted you so much!" she never let's me fix it when he mispronounces words...for someone so big on school and making me write my letters so much I find that puzzling!!
The gym is growing like crazy and it's our second home. We love all the folks there and I've really been working out hard. You should see mine and jagger's muscles!! WOWSA! Luckily all of dad's hard work has paid off and we will be seeing a LOT more of him. Something we are all extremely grateful for this Thanksgiving. Another big blessing coming up is little brother cash's first birthday!! Moms planning on breaking out her foil hat and making him some kind of crazy cake so hold on to your seats...you may or may not want a piece!! Mom will head back to work a couple days a week now. We tell her we'll miss her but between me and you with all that fun we will be having with dad, we may have to do some serious convincing!!
I'm a busy bee but I promise to do my best to update of all of our exciting happenings as much as possible. As always, thanks for stopping by to check on us and take care. Remember to count your blessings every day and hold your loved ones tight! We'll be doing the same here. Lots of love and fall cheer. Cooper and the rest of the Bryant boys.

2011-11-03T11:52:00.001-07:00

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2011-04-15T09:10:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics of us @ the local peep show! We had such a great time and even enjoyed a peep kabob, peepcorn and peep punch! Cooper and Jagger voted for their favorite exhibit, a peep penguin and cash said his favorite was the pirate ship!! Definitely the most cultured under 4 crew we have ever seen :). We will try to update more often now that we have a compliant phone! Until next time, take care and hope to see you soon!! <3

2011-04-15T07:32:00.001-07:00

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Happy Summer from the HANDSOME DEVILS!!

2010-07-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE WE BEEN???? Well, since you asked so nicely, I have lots to tell. You know brother and I have been into everything and to tell you the truth, so have mom and dad!! Best news first, I am going to be a big brother, AGAIN!! Can you believe that one?? We sure couldn't! Mom seemed to be the most surprised of us all. And then to find out it's gonna be another boy, well, us guys in the house are totally over the moon with that news! Mom said something about falling off the deep end, but since our pool is only 2.5 feet, I'm not quite sure what she was talking about :) We have been busy bees here in UB...if you didn't hear yet, we have a NEW BUSINESS! Dad finally took the plunge and opened up a gym in Westminster. He is doing so well! Everyone here is working their fingers to the bone and excited to see the CrossFit Retribution family growing each week. We are at week two and already have 10 members! Isn't that the best news?! We sure have been missing dad around the house, especially at dinner time, but we are sure it will pay off in the long run! It's a beautiful place; if you've yet to see it, you can check out pics at www.crossfitretribution.com
or you can friend us on facebook.
The Bryant boys are enjoying a much busier social schedule these days as if you couldn't tell this from my lack of posting! We are so thankful for our new friends and their company; we've been beside ourselves with playdates and outings and let me tell you, we've been having FUN! The best part is, two of our friends will be attending preschool with me in the fall!! That's right folks, you read that right and you read it here first...Cooper B. will be attending preschool this fall TWO whole days a week! WOO HOO. I wish I could adequately convey my excitement about going to school. I ask mom everyday, "am I going to school today, does school start today??" And she patiently tells me, "soon honey, very soon..." I CAN'T WAIT!! Speaking of asking questions, you will be pleased as punch to know I have entered the "why" phase in FULL FORCE! The best part is, brother hears me ask so frequently, he has also begun asking "why" too. Mom and dad LOVE IT! And you know those two think they are pretty darn smart, but I can out-why them every time and leave them completely baffled. Between you and me, I don't think Jagger actually even wants to know why, he simply asks to aggravate them! Hahahaha. Isn't that the best??
More news to report...cousin Carrie is also expecting her little bundle of joy and we couldn't be happier for her! What a long awaited blessing for her and Tim :) Must be something in the water, because pretty well everyone mom knows and loves right now has a baby in their belly! I know I am really excited to meet ours. I'm gonna help change his diapers and Jag promises to show him how to be ornery as the dickens!! He will be the coolest, FOR SURE!! More great news, we may be getting some visitors this week in the form of Gram and Gramps! How about that?! We are so excited as Jag and I have been practicing all of our wildest tricks to show them! Jag does this new daredevil act off the stairs...he counts to 3..."one two fee" and jumps then slides down the steps! It's pretty amazing stuff...my little brother is SOMETHING else for sure.
Well folks, I am so glad we could catch up if only for a brief moment. I promise to try to get back into the swing of posting regularly. Dad is keeping us busy holding down the homefront here and making sure we keep the CFR facebook community happy and informed, but, we promise to try our best. Thanks so much for tuning in and for you patience! Can't wait to hear from or even better, to see you soon. If you're ever in UB, feel free to stop by and witness our antics...we keep poor mom on her toes, even with that big belly of hers :) Take care of yourselves and know we are and have been thinking of and loving you from afar. Hope to visit soon, until then, try to stay cool like me, Cooper B. and my sweet little bro Jag. Love and hugs to you!!

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2009-11-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

My favorite boys on a beautiful day!

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2009-11-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

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2009-11-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

Jag just a swingin!

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2009-11-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

Riding the wild frog!

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2009-11-08T08:15:00.001-08:00

This should definitely make me feel better!

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2009-11-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Popsicle time!

Feeling better and a day at the park!

2009-11-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

Hello to all of you blog fans and here I am thrilled to report a better bill of health despite my tumble down the stairs! Yay for me! My fever is officially outta here and mom and dad didn't waste any time getting me out for some fresh air and playground time. Poor mom has had quite a time with the weekend's events but you know she is thrilled to see me up to my old tricks yet again!
Yesterday we spent the day relaxing and mending. Dad did some cleaning and mama did some cooking and cleaning and cooking and cleaning, etc...today we are at the park enjoying ANOTHER beautiful fall day. What a gift!
Hope this finds you doing great and also BIG NEWS that little jag was walking up a storm today. He pushed that FP cart all over our house! Is that something or what?! I'll try to post the video so you too can share our amazement over our sweet little jag-a-lag. We love you and miss you...don't forget to leave us your two cents! More pics and hopefully video soon. Take care, be safe and remember to count your blessings folks. Any day is a great day for it. All the best, cooper b and jagger j.

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2009-11-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

Brother ate himself to sleep this evening! M&D always wondered if those kids who fell asleep in the highchair really existed! Here's proof, bless his little heart! Night all, love, hugs and kisses, cooper b

i told mama, "the trains crashed in the varines!"

2009-11-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Howdy do and how are you? We figured out how to update our blog from mom's phone so we should really be cooking with gas now folks! Only took mom half of the morning to get up and running! I'm sure it will take a while to work out the kinks but once we have it under control you will hopefully be seeing a lot more of me and my sweet little brother and of course, all of our goings on! Still more hopefully we can edit from our home computer and add the nice pics from our camera. If not, we can still do the ones from the blackberry so its a win-win either way!!
We are doing great! Great morning so far including my very own special cupcake AND meeting our new and very nice neighbor Michelle! How about that? She has a nice dog that let jag and me pet him and we will hope to have her over for dinner when the dust settles! Exciting!
More news on the trick or treat front...a great halloween was had by all! Gram and gramps joined us for a sugary, fun filled weekend and what a wknd it was!! I will try to attach a pic of me and jag-jag in our costumes asap. In fact, I think the 3 seconds it took to take that pic was the total length of time i wore that cape! No matter, I still scored big on the candy and we sure hope u did too! I have to run but this will be short and sweet like the bryant boys (sweet anyway :). Jag's gonna take a little snooze while I watch baby einstein and mom prepares for her big 3 hour work day :) gotta love that, more time with yours truly and my exceedingly charming brother (he gets it from mama!) Take care and have a wonderful day. We'll talk real soon. Till then I'll be thinking of you dearly and wishing you were nearly! Beware those varines (lol). Lots of love to you all, cooper b and jag-a-lag.

IMG00030-20091103-0846.jpg brother and me

2009-11-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

Test pic for coop's news.

Oh baby! It's beautiful outside!!

2009-10-04T08:45:00.001-07:00

Hello and how are you?! It's me Cooper B. coming at you with a great big Halloween BOO! Guess what?! Jagger James is 9 MONTHS OLD as of Friday!! Can you believe the nerve of him, getting SO BIG and so mobile SO FAST! Whew, I don't know what in the world I am going to do with him, but I think between you and me folks, I am in BIG TIME trouble!! Listen, I will once again offer my deepest apologies for not doing better keeping up with this blog. That said, do yourself a favor if you want to see more of yours truly and handsome Jag, JOIN FACEBOOK!! Ok, now that I have that off my chest, let's get started with news, news, and more of the same...First on the agenda is me, of course, and all the wonderful, highly intellectual things I am up to...I am not going to brag and say I am potty trained, but you know folks, I am doing one heck of a job thus far and I have to say I am quite proud of myself. How could a guy not be with m&d constantly singing my praises?! They sure do get excited about a guy going number 1 and 2 in a pot! WOW! Personally, I think those two need to GET A LIFE, don't you?! I really need to do a better job in keeping you updated friends, because I humbly admit, you'd be amazed at the likes of my brother and me! I peed on mom's tire the other day and told her I was wetting it down so it would go better! Don't tell m&d, but I have a whole arsenal of cute, witty items saved up, if only to blow their little minds!! This past month was quite a doozy. We met gram and gramps b at Dutch Wonderland and for a ride on Thomas the Train. How fun was that?! Thank goodness for a friend of theirs (now our very good friend too : ), Chris. He saved the day. The parking changed the night before the big event and you know mom didn't get that email on her crackberry! Needless to say, I thought poor mom was going to have a nervous breakdown!! Chris found us a spot to park, led us to the gate and even managed a few photo ops! What an amazing guy! Be on the lookout for me in the Lancaster newspaper. I will be sure to post a copy!
More on the homefront...mom is officially back to work, that is, according to dad, if you can call it that. Honestly, I have been doing my best to make her feel as guilty as possible about it, but bless her heart, she must really need out of this house; the old girl is hanging in there! Jag's doing great with all his new friends at Ms. Michele's and I'll have to say this week was also better for me. I miss her when she's gone and even shed a few tears here and there, but for some reason when she rushes up the driveway to pick me up, I'm not quite ready to leave. What a pickle, huh?! Poor mom...she worries so much. Thank goodness dad is the voice of reason...I personally think he keeps her from falling off the deep end. He reassures her how very much fun I am having (which I am) and how it's good for the both of us. I can tell she's not sold, but she is also pretty happy about some extra Christmas cash for Jag and myself! Not to mention, she jumped on a pretty snappy bandwagon. One week in and Dr. Middleton's office was honored among Carroll's best in the newspaper. Mom's picture was in with the group (not that she had a whole lot to do with it YET) but we were happy for her and the Middletons' nonetheless. Couldn't have happened at a better time since the doors recently opened for the new office. We will try to post a copy of that asap for your viewing pleasure.
On with more news...those of you who know me well know I am pretty obsessed with birthday cake, birthdays and candles. Well, not so much the candles anymore, but definitely the cake and ICING! Mom and I have been doing some baking together for fun, cupcakes, cookies, birthday cakes. Between you and me, I think she's a pretty tricky gal; she is using me to sneak treats into the house! Can you believe the nerve?! Anywho, one particular baking escapade led to my newfound hatred of birthday candles, at least those that are LIT! Mom accidentally dripped the wax on my thumb after a huge production of cake baking, cooling, icing, etc...I was devastated and so was she. Luckily, it wasn't so bad that I didn't get to attend my very first big boy birthday party yesterday. Dr. Tracie's son, Brock, turned 3 today, and his party was so much fun!! I played with all his toys, ate his cake, and jumped in a moon bounce! How about that?! All that excitement and still managed to remember my pottying! I know you must be impressed...
Honestly, there is so much more to tell, but my fingers are tired, in fact, we are all tired around here. Now listen closely, I have a deep, dark secret...for months now, around 9 to be exact, I have been a wee bit concerned about this new guy living in our house. He is perfect folks, never cries, always easy to get along with, no fits, no fuss, no muss. I was a little worried about my standing to tell you the truth, but these days, I am OVER it. Because guess what! As incredible as that little guy is, he NEVER sleeps! That's right folks, I can let m&d have it all day long and still be such a "good" boy, because take it to the bank that ole Jag is giving it to poor mom ALL NIGHT! There you go, chew on that one, ha! The whole darn house is crazy...best come and see for yourselves. Meanwhile, be sure to wish cousin Kent a great big, Happy Birthday today. He's 13 and loving it : ) Take care of yourselves and think of us as we think of you. We love you dearly, be on the lookout for halloween pics coming to a computer near you very soon! And remember if you're lonely, come on down! We'd be happy to see you anytime! Be safe and hold your loved ones close as you can! Tune in soon; lots of love to you and yours, Cooper B. and Jagger J.

Alligator Bait

2009-08-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Howdy do and how are you?? Cooper B here happy to report the news, especially the weather! We sure hope it is as beautiful wherever you choose to be as it is here in downtown UB. After the crazy thunderstorms finally stopped, we have been enjoying some especially fine sunshine and blue skies! Yesterday we celebrated with a trip to our local zoo even though both m&d are secretly terrified of the tigers and their enclosure (or lack thereof). Good news is, we made it out of there alive yet again. Although, mom swears the tiger was eyeballing brother...that's another story. Luckily, my little brother Jag, is a courageous adventurer, he has escaped peril twice so far this month, not to mention the myriad times he manages to get through the day with me (that doesn't count). You will see him staring a crocodile right in the eye above...this pic was taken during our wonderful family vacation in NC. You will see several pics from said vacation, though not many on the beach proper. Of course, you know there is a reason for this...yours truly did take a wee bit to warm up to the sand and the waves, especially the waves. I would say by Friday (read end of our stay there) I finally decided that the ocean wasn't going to "get me". I then began to laugh, run, squeal and play like my other comrades on vacation. Before that, not so much. There was definitely squealing, but prior to my acceptance, it was accompanied by copious amounts of snot, sweat and tears. Now Jag was definitely another story. He was gung ho from the get go! He loves water, regardless of the source. Be it pool, puddle, or ocean, he kicks his little feet like a boy possessed! Let's just say I am not so easily convinced. Don't worry though, m&d did their darndest to entertain me as usual. We hit the boardwalk with cousin Connor one night, went to the aquarium one morning and on one rainy day, we had the most fun at the Wilmington children's museum. As you can see from above, it was designed for kids like me. We all got in on the fun and Jag was a model patient for me to check him, bless his heart! I would say this and the aquarium were my most favorite, although all of it had stiff competition with all my "friends" at the blue house. I was constantly asking m&d to look into their cell phones and see where my friends are. I can't tell you how much fun I had spending time with and playing with my family. What a treat! I think mom and dad enjoyed being with them more than the idea of going to "the beach". I know Jag and I sure did!! The ride there and back sure was rough, but once we were there, it was TOTALLY worth it! I also enjoyed the pool, aunt Deb and uncle Bart's golf cart, and our daily outings in the car for a Starbucks. You know how it is, can't go through my day without a grande half caff!! More news on the homefront, dad's business is booming, Jag has two top teeth (though no front teeth), and poor mom is preparing to return to the working world (insert frown here). She had her picture in the paper this past week with her new coworkers, looks like quite a group indeed. I know she is excited, but she can hardly bear leaving me and brother. Who can honestly blame her?! Great upcoming news, m&d, brother, me, and Grampagrampa are all going on a ride on none other than Thomas the train. I told mom today he is my favorite. We are also hitting dutch wonderland and making a weekend out of it, staying in a hotel and EVERYTHING! Is that exciting or what! All the fun of a vacation but only a two hour drive. Perhaps m&d learned their lesson with that last road trip?! I will be sure to post the pics. You know I am always something to see! And of course, so is my amazing brother. Until then, enjoy my sweet pics above. The handsome guy with Gram and Gramp is cousin Gage. He was a special surprise waiting when we got home. We had lots of fun and Jag and I sure were glad to meet him! Please tune in again real soon. And thank you, as always loyal reader, for checking in on us. We love you and think of you always. Be good and REMEMBER, sharing is caring! At least that's what mom always crams down my throat!! With love and warm hugs to fight off the upcoming chilly air, yours truly, Cooper B.

Arrrgh!

2009-07-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hello out there in blogland to all of you dear fans. How in the heck have you all been, you been doing pretty good? Well, we've been up to no good around here as usual, and we sure do have lots of news to report. First off, I want to clarify I am not trying out for a pirate play. The newest news is that I have a corneal abrasion on my left eye. Happened first thing this morning as a matter of fact. Whew, what a day! I was difficult to console and mom and aunt Amber couldn't figure out whether I was simply having a rough day, or something was actually terribly wrong with my eye. Let's say I was quite the trooper while those two were hashing it out. Luckily, the doctor saw me right away, and after a terribly traumatic experience, I was diagnosed with a corneal abrasion and had my very own eye patch. Needless to say, it was horrific. I was held down, salined, fluoriscened, and THEN they shined a bright light in my sick eye! And even though I used my very best manners while screaming at the top of my lungs, NO THANK YOU, that PA, mom, and the nurse, totally ignored my requests. I was crying, mom was crying, heck, I think the nurse and PA were about to cry. I was such a big boy and all I got was a crummy teenage mutant ninja turtle sticker. Can you believe that?! Needless to say, while I was eating dinner, aunt Amber asked me whether I thought today was a good day or a bad day. My reply was BAD, without hesitation. But you know, I am such a big boy, I am already doing better, let mom and dad put drops in my eye AND put my patch on. Amazing how adaptable we are as little guys. Thank goodness cousin Kent and aunt Amber were here to watch brother while mom tended to me. What would we have done without them?! Speaking of Jagger, you should see him CRAWLING! He is just like an inch worm and he is getting fast. I am not sure what we're going to do with him, especially since he is already exhibiting such destructive behavior toward my trains! GEEZ! Mom swears brother is also saying "muuuum" and "hhh, hhh" for hi. He waves and quite frankly, the kid is nothing less than adorable. He wows folks everywhere we go. If you don't mind me saying, we both do. People simply glance from one of us to the other, mouths agape, in total awe of our devilish handsomeness. Honestly, I can't say I blame them. More news, big birthdays this month to include Kamrie, Cody, Gramma B, cousin Valerie, Hannah G, Erin T, Joey T, Joshua S, and happy anniversary to grammy and pappy J. If you see these guys, wish them MANY happy returns. Almost forgot...brother got another tooth, weirdly enough, not one of his two front, he will have to ask for them for Christmas I guess! On the tech-y front, both m&d got new cell phones, exciting, but annoying as they continuously argue which one has the best. Seriously, both Jag and I think they should grow up; they're like two kids at Christmas! On the business end, very exciting news for you, dad ordered some t-shirts for crossfit retribution. Let us know and we will hold one for you in your size. Visit www.crossfitretribution.com today and check out the new post if you want a sneak preview! Of course, this is only for our VIP blog fans! Lastly I would like to report the passage of brother's pacifier into what will eventually be the Chesapeake Bay water system. Let's just say dad had to go while taking care of both of us on his very own today. Well, while putting the tp liner in place, he heard a "puhhh" and there went brother's paci, shooting straight into the pot! I said "I'll go get it", but dad shouted "NO!" Seriously, I don't see what the problem was, it's just WATER!! From that point I was completely consumed with checking out what was happening to that paci in the toilet. I kept reassuring dad that I could go in after it, but to no avail (and probably to the sheer delight of anyone within earshot in that Chick-fil-A bathroom)! Needless to say, alas, we are one paci down. Mom wasn't even that upset about it and you know she gets about losing those pacis! Well, better run, off to bed with me. Time for cookies and milk, YUM! Come on by some time and I will be happy to share them with you lovely reader! Until then, we'll be thinking of you and hoping for your visit. You take care of yourself out there and bless your hearts for tuning in. You hang in there and as soon as mom gets the gist of blogging from her blackberry, you'll REALLY be in the know. Remember folks, you heard it here first. We love you dearly and wish you were nearly...signed the fabulously handsome and keenly intelligent, yours truly, Cooper B.

Mutants among us...

2009-06-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

I'll just start right in by telling you folks I deserve a medal for getting the post up for this CRAZY month! June has really been something else for the Bryant family in UB. Well, heck, it's been quite awful for the whole Bryant clan! For those of you who don't know, my dad had to go into the hospital for a sick leg (4 dvts "blood clots") on June 3rd. He was there for 4 whole days trying his best to get better with the blood thinners. He got to come home on the 7th FINALLY; brother and I missed him so much. You should have seen mom playing nurse to him; she had to give him dirty old shots in his belly and yelled at him basically everytime he tried to move. When she missed an opportunity to boss him, Gramma B enthusiastically jumped in. Poor dad didn't know what to do with himself. He is now much better, barely a limp and doing fine on his coumadin (oral blood thinner). He's back to coaching Crossfit 3 days a week and he recently graduated to going in for blood testing only once a week, yay for dad. I think he was starting to feel like a pin cushion. Speaking of, we are lucky enough to get a monitor ordered for home use; that way, if dad can't get to his doctor, or if we ever get to go on vacation, or simply to fulfill mom's neuroses, he'll not have to worry about finding a lab. Isn't that great news? The best part is, mom and dad saved so much money because mom's new friends and employers, the Middletons', were nice enough to go through their medical supplier to order it for dad. You know that means more cash in the kitty for toys for yours truly AND brother (I guess)! Although the way it seems recently, we may just be putting it toward more doctor visits! Speaking of, bless my heart, I've been battling pneumonia for the past 2 weeks. I am getting better, but it's still hard to breathe when I get too hot or lie down. Please don't worry though, mom and dad are taking excellent care of me. Thanks again to Dr. Middleton for giving me the medicine to make me feel better. I am on my second course and mom has been saying her prayers this nasty old pneumonia will LEAVE ME ALONE! I want to get outside and play!! If you aren't quite feeling sorry enough for us yet, on with more news...We found out the reason dad got the clots was genetic. Since then, we've learned Gramps and aunt Amber have it too : (. All of us, me, brother, and my PA cousins have to be tested too. As you can imagine, the majority of us have been sick with worry. Not so much brother and me, but m&d, and grampagrampa have been beside themselves. Doesn't change a thing, but who in the world can help it?! Especially when beautiful babes like yours truly and brother are involved! Mom is taking me to be tested as soon as I feel a bit better. Lucky Jag gets to wait a few more months until he's 9 months old. Please keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers. Sorry to be so depressing folks, it has bee QUITE a month. We would like to especially thank Ms. Michele and Mr. James, Ms. Norma, our neighbors Crystle and Steve, the Middletons, and most of all Grampagrampa for all of their help and support. We don't know what we'd do without our friends and such a special mom and dad to drop everything and be here in a flash when we need them most. We sure know how blessed we truly are! Speaking of blessed, have you seen my little bro lately? OMGosh, he is something else. You should see him bouncing in his jump-a-roo. He almost brings down the house. Between the two of us, I am a bit surprised it is still standing. M&D are thankful that brother is finally putting all the toys and gadgets they bought for me to good use! He's such a showoff, he plays with EVERYTHING. I have become quite the tricyclist lately; go ahead and pencil me in for the tour de france! You should see how fast I can ram stuff on that thing. Thank goodness for the helmet, I am sure Grampagrampa had no idea how well I would put that to use. I am also looking forward to getting back into my pool; you should see how beautiful it looks. Dad got it all vacuumed and sparkly clean for us. Poor mom couldn't figure out how to use the pool vac; honestly, I don't know what in the world she'd do without dad! He had a great father's day by the way. We took him to lunch at Macaroni Grill and to the mall to play with Thomas the train. He LOVES playing with trains. Then we came home and both brother and I took a nap as our father's day present to dad. How about that?! Then he grilled a delicious dinner for all of us! We're so happy to see him back in action at the grill, in fact, anyone is better than mom! She always looks like she's trying to set the yard on fire but somehow never manages to get the meat done...puzzling. Let's say she is definitely out of her element; sometimes there's even grass all over our sausages. She tried to tell us this was a new seasoning, but I'm not buying it. I would like to write and tell you all of the hilarious things I am saying and doing these days. All I can tell you is it is much better witnessed in person. In fact, both of us are. So, if you get the chance, please come on up and see us, we are well worth the drive. Meanwhile, keep all of us in your thoughts and try not to hold it against us that we're mutants. Mutants need love and friendship too! (you have to laugh about it otherwise, you'd go crazy) Take care of yourselves and remember to wish aunt Linda, uncle Dana, Nanny Hively, cousins Carrie, David, and Chase all very happy birthdays. We'd also like to take a moment to congratulate our beautiful, poised, and incredibly intelligent cousin, Kamrie Costello, on her graduation and what we know was an inspiring and wonderful speech. We are so sorry we missed it, and the party, and also that we railroaded Gram and Gramp's attendance. We are so proud of Kamrie and we know in our hearts she will be a raving success at any endeavor she attempts. We will have our own celebration on our beach vacation, and we're all looking forward to that so much. Due to her greatness, we are only slightly mad about her eating ALL of the delicious cake and not saving us even a morsel! HAHA. We miss you and love you all dearly, thank you avid reader for your loyalty and interest in our beautiful little family. Hugs and kisses with a capital K, Cooper B.

Be careful, the waps (wasps) will sping ya!

2009-05-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hello out there and Happy Memorial Day weekend to you. We hope that you, unlike us, are on a vacation away from your cleaning, laundry and yard work. Dad said to mom just this morning, next time we have a three day weekend, we are going SOME where! As you can tell, the two of them are feeling a bit overwhelmed from the daily grind. I have FINALLY posted the pics from my trip to WV as well as my trip to the zoo at the beginning of this month. So sorry for the delay, but honestly folks, I can hardly tell if I am coming or going these days. I guess that's what you get for becoming a big boy! I have all sorts of news for you, so I'll dive right on in...Gram and Gramps came to see me again since my last post; we are trying to convince them to buy the house next door to no avail. We will keep working on them seeing as how the only time m&d get things done is when they visit! Can you imagine how much landscaping and housecleaning they could do if grammagramps (what I call them) were our neighbors?! Dad has a big weekend coming up, he is heading off to a nutrition certification in VA all day tomorrow. To celebrate, mom had her last bowl of ice cream tonight in what she feels will be a long, long time. Lucky for me, I'm a kid so the rules don't apply, whew! Let me tell you, she savored every last morsel of that Edy's thin mint! I want to tell you what I did tonight, but I don't want you to well up and be a big baby like mom; I rode my very first carnival ride all by myself. By mom's reaction you would have thought I packed up and went away for my first week at summer camp. Let me tell you, I can drive a hot rod. I can even steer with one hand and wave, or honk the horn. I rode the heck out of those cars; I was driving all over that place. I also took one spin on the caterpillars, but that was just a bit much for me. I couldn't walk straight when I got off those crazy worms! Made me BUSY (my word for dizzy)! I guess you could say I am growing up at what mom calls the speed of light. I do EVERYTHING on my own and Lord help you if you try to assist me! I can open the door and get in the car all by myself, hook my own carseat, open our backdoor (read 20 times a day, mom keeps it deadbolted but knows it's only a matter of time), put on my shoes, take the lid off my sandbox, put my own movies in the dvd player, the list honestly goes on and on! And guess what else, I got another new pool; this makes about 10 in the past two weeks, but who is counting?! Mom finally got her way and now we have a pump. I guess you could say she was more than a little upset when she took the new tarp cover off my other new pool only to find it filled with some strange looking worms and lots of slime. Well, you know she drained that thing lickety split and rolled it up. That pool will be back to Walmart before you can say "that's gross". I knew something serious was about to go down when I heard her tell Crystle, either Beau is bringing home the pool I want or I'm going to get it! Go mom! Wouldn't you know, the new pool is sitting in our dining room as we speak?! I guess she'll spend tomorrow morning trying to figure out how to set that thing up. Bless her heart, you should have seen her setting up that gazebo by herself today. It looks great, but I bet if I had a video camera we could have won some money on mine and dad's favorite show. Thank goodness I was in the sandbox and out of earshot, that's all I have to say about that. But...it's up and it looks great; I will try to post a pic as soon as we have the pool to go under it. I think mom has a compulsion to summer proof the back yard; poor thing was cooped up to long this winter if you ask me. OK, on with the news...mom had her first day at work on Thursday; it went great except for poor brother. He had a rash, he's still teething, he wouldn't drink his milk...poor little guy, it was terrible. Mom felt so bad for Ms. Michele and Jag, I thought she was going to cry! Dad says not to worry though, he will be just fine, like yours truly. Speaking of Jagger, he also had a blast at the carnival tonight! You should have heard him squealing and laughing at all the rides. He loved watching me drive those hot rods. You know he'll be five months old in 4 days; can you believe it? He's almost sitting up by himself, and m&d swear he's trying to walk! We'll be showing him off to our PA family this upcoming weekend when we go visit for Kamrie's graduation party. We are excited to see everyone and of course, to eat Snickerdoodle cake! We'll try to save you a piece! Well folks, I could talk all night, but I better run. Have to rest up to help mom set up that pool tomorrow. Crossfit Retribution wants to thank all of you for your support; dad is doing so great with the business and keeps adding more students and time slots! Pretty soon he'll be recruiting me to train! Don't worry though, I'm up for it; I can almost do a pullup already! I have more pictures to share and will try to post them as soon as possible, but please folks, don't hold your breath! Come see our new layout and fancy pool with the filter sans worms if and when you get the notion. We'll leave the light on for you...until then, we'll be missing you lots and loving you bunches! You watch out for those bees too, they'll get you. The other day, I told mom the waps bought me the mail! I'm full of funny sayings these days; I keep m&d in stitches. Come on by and I'll entertain you too, of course. Take care and be safe. Lots of love to all of you and thanks for tuning in, Cooper B.

Brother has two teeth and he rolled over!

2009-04-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

Hello to all you blog fans out there. It's me again, Cooper B., happy to share the latest and greatest with all of you. As you can see by my title, that little brother of mine has been one busy bee! Can you believe how fast he is growing? He is almost 5 months old!! We had a great trip in WV, but it's always nice to be back home. Da-da sure did miss us last week. We celebrated our homecoming with a day just for mom. She got to go to the DC zoo, and to the playground next door. Is she a lucky mom or what? Brother and I got her a beautiful card and so did dad. I even added my own personal touch on the envelope. We have had alot going on since I last dished on the news, so I will simply dive right in. Brother has two bottom teeth and we are fairly certain his top ones are on the way. I am thankfully back to taking naps almost regularly (mom told me to insert the thankfully part)! I was quite a mess in WV without my naps and routine. Mom got to see the side of me that her and dad usually whisper about in hushed tones when they witness it from other kids. I hate to do it to her, but...you know if it was all gravy, she would probably get lazy on me. Brother is eating like a little pig. He gobbles down anything on his fancy new spoons that the Easter bunny brought him. I would try to list his favorite but who in the heck can tell with the way he wolfs it all down! It's like he was born to eat. Little fella could care less about the milk, I mean, he drinks it, but he definitely never yells for it like I did. Come to think of it, he never yells for ANYTHING. What a sweet little guy! He is definitely growing on me. I often kiss his sweet little pea head after I hit him in it. I know, I just can't help myself. More news, I am posting some pics of our visits from Stephanie and her family. I hope you enjoy; we saw them again on their turf in WV, and what a nice visit! Grammy J went with us and I sure did love playing with all of Sawyer's awesome toys! I am hoping to go back soon and play with all the outside stuff. We were pretty much cooped up all week due to the rain, but that didn't stop us from having a great time with Great Grandma Hively, Grammy J, Papaw Bill, Lisa, and their brood, and Great Grandma Sloan. I took a walk with uncle Scott and brother sat on his lap. He is doing so great and looks totally amazing. We also got to go to dinner at the new mexican restaurant in Elkview with uncle Bob, aunt Carole, aunt Dawn, Chase, Hannah, Hannah G, Jessica, Abagail, Nathan, Papaw Bill, Carrie, Tim, and my favorite, Lisa. You know she played with me the whole time I was there! She makes me macaroni and cheese, plays cars, colors markers, sings songs, the whole nine yards! I miss them all already. I miss my great aunt Pat too, she knows some silly songs and funny rhymes. The biggest complaint I have was that there's never enough time to see everyone. Guess we'll have to go back asap and visit the rest of the fam. Speaking of fam, we have a HUGE vacation planned for August. We are going to the beach with Gram, Gramps, Costello gang, and Uncle Bart and his family. Mom and dad are so excited they have hardly talked about anything else! I know I can't wait to play in the sand! Brother is going to try his hand at surfing...good luck on that one Jag! In celebration, mom started working out today. Bless both of mine and brother's hearts, we let her. We know she wants to be bikini ready by August! Considerate, since she sacrificed her body for both of us...ha, she tells us all the time she doesn't care one bit, as long as her pants button, who cares what's hanging over! We know we love her just the same : ). More news, dad's business is quickly expanding. They went to five days a week in Alexandria. He is still working so hard; we know he'll probably enjoy the beach getaway the most of all! He certainly deserves it! We are also missing Ms. Michele and our PA family. If all goes well, we will see them very soon. This week, brother has to go get his shots and doctor visit. We are all excited to see how he weighs in! By Wednesday he will probably have his full set of teeth. Other than that, no plans here for the week. We'll be bouncing between the sandbox and the playground and recouping from our big road trip. We'd like to wish a very happy belated to Aunt Helen in FL. We are hoping to get to see her when she comes in June to visit her family. I guess I better run, fans. Sorry to leave you hanging. We will shoot for two posts this month since we have plenty of pictures to share. Until then, we will be thinking of you and continue to miss you big bunches. Happy belated mother's day to all of you beautiful moms out there. Mom says her job is the best on earth and you have to know it all has to do with my sweet brother and yours truly! Take care of yourself and keep us in your thoughts. We'll be doing the same for you. Lots and lots of love and springtime cheer, Cooper B.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hello to you and a very Happy Easter too! We already celebrated our Easter here in UB. Dad had to go to a weightlifting certification this weekend, so the Easter Bunny came early for us this year. I must have been such a good boy because I got TWO baskets from that nice bunny! He hid all of the eggs mom, dad, brother and I made for him and I got to go outside and find them and then...there was a basket waiting for me in the yard and in my very own room from that bunny. Brother also got a basket although, don't tell him, but it wasn't nearly as exciting as mine! You know he still doesn't have teeth, so I had all of the goodies. He got some cereal, spoons, sweet potatoes and a bib in preparation for when they do decide to feed the poor guy. I think the bunny felt sorry that all brother can do is drink milk! I might try to save some candy and chocolates for him, but it is so delicious I can't make any promises. Speaking of delicious, we also planned well and bought a lemon cake from our favorite bakery for Gram and Gramps. We were hoping they would share it with us and share they did! What a sweet sensation! I have been having so many treats, I wish Easter came more than one time a year! Today I had potato chips and Pepsi for lunch, that certainly never happens in this house without gram and gramps. We are so thankful to have them here this weekend with dad away at the certification. Mom doesn't know what she would have done without them! We know dad is having fun, but we are really missing him here. Mom is making pork and sauerkraut as well as ham and sweet potatoes for dinner. She is hoping this will hold dad until Tuesday when she makes another round of food! Yesterday we went to my favorite store, Wal-mart, but I almost missed it while napping in the car. Mom thinks it is the neatest trick to drive around so I will fall asleep. But don't you all worry about Cooper B. because I am ON to her. Bless her heart, she drove around for almost two hours on Thursday to get me to nap. She told dad she is quite thankful gas prices went down. Otherwise, the nap thing could get quite expensive. Speaking of expensive, we are sure hoping you are hanging in there for this nasty recession. We have dialed back ourselves and mom is definitely feeling the pressure to get back to work! Before she does though, we are planning a vacation to see our family in WV. We are hoping to make it in the week of May 3, if all goes well. Mom, Jagger, and I are so looking forward to it; we wish dad could make it with us. We also have another visit to look forward to this upcoming weekend. Our cousin Stephanie and her family are coming to see us this Friday. Isn't that exciting?! If you see her, be sure to wish her a very happy birthday as well. I should probably run, you know all the Easter hub-bub and such. But please, take care and think of us. We hope you have a wonderful, joyous Easter. If you get a chance to drop in, please come on by. I assure you that brother and I will charm your pants off! That little guy is totally something...he had his first laugh this past Tuesday! I could talk about how sweet he is all day, but you should come by and see us both for yourself. Until then, we'll be thinking of and missing you. Lots of love, bunny kisses, and chocolate eggs, Cooper B.

I can do it myself!!

2009-03-25T05:09:00.000-07:00

Oh avid reader, what can we do to make it up to you? Perhaps pay you a visit? I would like to promise more blogs for you, but alas, I write this one as I prepare scrambled eggs with cheese for breakfast and watch my new favorite show, Little Einsteins. Yes, we are all multi-taskers here in the Bryant household; is there any other way? All I can do is offer my most humble apologies and hope you can forgive me on charm and superb looks alone. I am quite the handsome devil and I have posted some pics in case you didn't quite remember. As you can also see, brother is getting SO big. That's not all he's getting either...he's been teething for the past two weeks at least. Bless his heart, he's hanging in there like a champ. Fortunately for him, I set the standard and taught those two silly parents of ours what to look for, even if it starts at two months old! Needless to say this time around they have been much more forthcoming with the analgesics and frequent gum massage. What I want to know is why I have to do all the suffering so that HE can be more comfortable?! Don't worry though, no animosity here. I love my little brother so much, why just yesterday I shared my raisins with him! And you know, he is truly a good boy. He is so laid back that mom, dad, and I get into so many fun activities. For example, he is so polite...he naps quietly every Wednesday while mom and I attend reading circle at the library. Or like yesterday, he considerately napped in the wagon in his car seat while mom and I played at the playground, in my sandbox, and with my new friend Kayla (Crystle's niece). He sleeps through grocery excursions, lunch, and even lets mom get me down for a nap most of the time. In fact, this is more than I can say for myself (about the naps of course)! OK, enough about how great my little brother is, you will have to come and see for yourself and...ON WITH THE NEWS. Where do I begin...I GOT A NEW TRICYCLE. I am learning to pedal and getting around quite well. You would think by mom's reaction I will be the next Lance Armstrong. I hear this was supposed to be an Easter present from the Bunny himself, however, mom gets way too excited and couldn't help herself. Anyway, I love it as you can see from above. Dad is doing wonderfully with his Crossfit business. He is now teaching his own gluttons for punishment several days a week. His gym is state of the art and his newest addition to the torture chamber consists of four, 400-600 pound tractor tires. Bad news for those recruits, great news for mom. She is quite thankful for his students as they have taken his attention and need for whipping someone into shape away from her. He also had a big birthday this past Sunday, number 33 in fact, and we had quite a celebration. We had guests from WV, the Smell triplets, and we also enjoyed a cake from Cold Stone! YUMMY!! We got dad a special Crossfit t-shirt and a new belt to sport his eagle belt buckle we got him for Christmas. A great day was definitely had by all. On the mom front, she finally got a hair cut after nearly a year thanks to the help of Ms. Michele. She also got an AWESOME new job, not the one you likely heard about, but one that came t-totally out of left field, also again thanks to Ms. Michele and dad of course. She would've been back to work this week (big bummer), but with dad's ok, she is all ours until mid-May! Whoopee!! Is that the best news ever or what? She is so thankful, she will keep her 20-24 hour week and also get a raise. Not to mention the new place is 35 minutes closer AND she will be working for some incredibly nice folks! It was an offer she couldn't refuse. Between you and me, I know she took it solely for the extra two months home with Jagger and me! Mom sure does love her boys!! Who in the world can blame her? We have a new weekly tradition here in UB, Thursday nights at the Buttersburg. Last Thursday night was extra special as Ms. Michele and Mr. James dined with us. We love that place! Not only does mom get out of cooking BUT we get a delicious meal...two thumbs way up. If you're up this way, come on by and patronize with us. Let's see, I told you about my fantastic brother, dad, mom, babysitter...what else is there? Ah yes, my amazing grandparents. They are coming to see me for Easter! And best of all, Gramma B. is staying another week. What good fortune! She and mom have the best time lunching, gossiping and drinking coffee, not to mention the desserts...we can't wait! You know she can't stay away from these irresistible Bryant boys for long! Speaking of Bryant boys, uncle Bart is well. We saw a pic of him recently and he is looking great. More good news in the family, cousin Kamrie got into Alfred U with a big, fat scholarship. We are all so happy and proud for her. She will be joining her big brother Kirk this fall. More family news, cousin Kelley got married on Valentine's day and we hope you didn't miss aunt Amber's bday on the 4th of this month or cousin Connor's on the 22nd, just like dad's. OK folks, I guess that is quite enough for now. Sure don't want to overwhelm you. I would like to say I will write again soon, but I don't want to get your hopes up. Truth is, I will write as often as possible and hope you will stick with us until life slows down a smidgen. If you can't stand missing out, I suggest you make the trip to see us. I know you won't be sorry, we are so worth it, just make sure you let me do it all myself! Until next time, thanks for everything, especially for staying tuned! We love you, miss you, and think of you each day, please do the same for all of us. Welcoming spring, the big bunny and you and yours, Cooper B.

I love airplanes and swimming!

2009-02-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

Hi blog fans, how in the world are you? As you can see, I am doing pretty great, having lots of fun as usual. Above you will see pics from my outing to the air and space museum. It was brother's first big field trip on none other than Valentine's day and boy, did we have a ball! I don't know if you knew it or not, but I love airplanes! I also had quite the weekend, including a visit from Gram, Gramps, and cousin Kamrie. I did have a bit of the stomach flu, but I certainly didn't let that slow me down. They all went and watched my last swim class on Sunday and I have to say they were quite impressed with my skills in the water. Dad has a time keeping up with me. Mom was taking so many pictures I felt like a celebrity! You'll be happy to know that the stomach bug has already passed through our house with none of us the worse for wear. We are keeping our fingers crossed that Gram, Gramps and Kamrie don't catch it, especially since they were so nice to come to UB and see us. In fact, Gramma is so nice, she is staying the whole week to hang out with us. She is something else, it is only Tuesday and she has already rearranged the kitchen for us! I honestly don't think mom is going to allow her to leave. Today, Mom, Gramma, Jagger and me all went to lunch together. We ate at Panera, one of my most favorite places. It was such a good time! We also went to the library for reading circle and I wowed Gramma with my artwork. You simply wouldn't believe what a good boy I am. Speaking of good boys, I have quite a brother too. He is so easy to get along with; mom says his middle name is let's go! Every time we get in the car, he falls asleep. Somehow, this truly amazes EVERYONE. I think they may be suggesting I was less than a perfect napper. How dare they?! In fact, I have been showing both mom and Gramma what a big boy I am by getting up every day for the past two weeks at 5 a.m. Not only that, I take it one step further and delay my naps until the last possible moment, read, until mom steals a moment to rock me. Don't let her fool you though, she eats it up. Speaking of eating it up, we had a special guest last night besides Gramma. Liz came by to visit and for the occasion Dad bought us all coconut cake! YUM! Little did he know, Gramma and Mom shared a slice of Jewish apple cake for lunch. Keep that one under your hats! Speaking of dad, we are so proud of him, work is going well and he is about to add yet another Crossfit contract under his belt. We are counting our blessings in this nasty economy that his business is steadily growing. Great news, cousin Robbie is home from his deployment; thanks for your service and welcome back! Be sure also to keep uncle Bart in your thoughts and prayers. We are certainly lucky to have such brave men in our family. Well, I guess I should run, always lots to do, but please remember to check in for the news. We know we aren't writing as much as we should, but we love you and think of you always nonetheless. Take care and be safe and please, come and see us if you have the notion. It sure will be lonely around here without Gramma B. Lots of love and wishes for defrost, Cooper B.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T06:10:00.000-08:00

Hello to you and howdy do?! It's me again; better late than never I always say! I hope you enjoy the pics. As you can see, brother and I are both very popular here in UB. We have already had 2 groups of visitors thus far in this fine month and we aren't finished yet! As you can also see, aunt Amber was quite taken with my brother. You should have seen the two of them; I thought we'd have to pry them apart with a crowbar. Of course, I had the most fun with cousin Kent; I love playing with him. Mom tried to get him to stay but he had to head back for school and basketball. Can you believe he missed his very first game of the season to see me?! We're so glad he decided to get his dog, Molly, and include us in his trip. We hope the whole Costello gang can come back real soon. In fact, we are expecting one member of their clan this very weekend. Cousin Kamrie will be accompanying Gram and Gramps B for the trip down south, and we can't wait to see them. We are going to kidnap Gramma for a whole week too and you know we are all so excited. Especially mom, she practically does backflips when an extra set of hands are involved! You'll see my other visitors above, Papaw Bill and Papaw Charlie. They came for a surprise overnight visit and trailer purchase. You know brother and I broke them in well and mom put them both straight to work! Papaw Charlie held Jagger while Papaw Bill entertained yours truly. Mom was really high on the hog because they also took us out to dinner at the Buttersburg! What fun for a Monday night! Speaking of outings, you all should be so proud of mom. She has been taking both of us boys out on the town as much as possible. Kudos to her for getting out of the house...you would think she was the only woman to ever have two children! Most of the time we are also clean and fed! At least Jagger and I are. Dad has been doing great too. He starts up his second Crossfit contract next week and he will be teaching these classes by himself. They also added a second hour to his Virginia gig so you know he and all of us are tickled pink. More news if you didn't already notice, brother is growing like a weed! He is smiling often and losing the "baby" look as dad calls it; he is starting to look like his own little person and his big brother of course! He is such a good boy, not that you would expect any less from a brother of mine. Saturday we all went on a huge outing to the air and space museum in Virginia. We made a full Valentine's day of it with dinner at the Cheesecake factory included. I got my very own piece of cheesecake, wild blueberry white chocolate truffle. And yes, it tasted as good as it sounds. I am into everything including cheesecake lately; I think my newest line sums it all up perfectly..."mine did it all by myself". Mom and dad are so proud of me and I make them laugh all of the time with my antics. Recently I got a toilet seat stuck on my head and while you may feel sorry for me, the two of them thought that was a real hoot! Speaking of toilet seats, I have been peeing in the potty like a big boy. I am earning stickers like mad and mom practically takes an ad out in the paper every time I go. Honestly folks, I could go on and on about what I am up to, how smart I am, and how much my brother is growing, but I have a better idea. You should just come on up and see for yourselves! I do also want to take a minute to thank you for your patience...I have sure had a hard time finding a spare minute to post on this blog for you. As brother continues to sleep a little better I am sure my time will free up even more. Until then, please know we are thinking of you and missing you like crazy. Look forward to some upcoming pics of me with the airplanes and of course, with my little brother. Don't tell anyone, but I am actually starting to like that little guy a bit. He has a way of growing on me even though he makes mom hold him all of the time! Take care and call us soon. Better yet, stop on by...we'll be looking forward to it! Lots of love and hearts with chocolate. Please be mine, Cooper B.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-01-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

Hello out there in blog-land! My apologies for the delay in posting. Our computer got a virus and I have also been busy as a BEE! Dad and I went to BJ's yesterday and got ourselves a new computer, so we are back in business! I don't know if you knew it or not, but I am TWO years old. Can you believe it? Mom and dad are still totally in shock. Almost as shocking is the fact that my little brother will be 4 weeks old this Friday. I will use the word I often use opening up presents...WOW! I have had some serious visitors lately and so much news to report. Last week Grammy J came up to spend the week with us. Don't think I didn't win her over BIG TIME! You know my brother and I kept her hopping. We are quite a pair. Sometimes we take the opportunity to gang up on mom already...you should see her panic when both of us start yelling at her at the same time! I know it sounds cruel, but you see, that is what brothers do best! OK, gotta take a break already, my brother needs me! Nearly a week later and I am back...I figure between mom and myself, we will publish a post sometime by late summer! Seriously, loyal fans, I have been beside myself to tell you the news, but as you can see, we have been a little bit tied up here in UB. You do know I had still more special visitors at the end of January. Papaw Bill and Lisa came to my birthday party! What a time was had by all! M&D really know how to throw a bday bash. They were very thankful to have Papaw and Lisa there, otherwise, we wouldn't have had any decorations or food for the party. Ms. Michele and Mr. James also came as well as our friends and neighbors, the Farina family. You know m&d made another special cake, those two were up until almost midnight on Friday night preparing for the fiesta! It was totally worth it though, the cake and cupcakes were as delicious as they were beautiful. And this year, I ate my cake like a big boy. I also got some wonderful presents from our friends, but the best present of all was having such nice friends and family there to help us celebrate. Speaking of parties, m&d have been doing some serious partying lately. We also had a superbowl shindig. Ms. Michele, James, Me-mom and Pop came over to watch the game. We ate, drank, and made merry. You should have seen how excited I was!! Brother also partied with us for a while, poor guy, he couldn't hang though, and he turned in early. He is really growing like a weed, you should see him. He is so handsome, of course, you know he looks like his big brother. He keeps mom and dad hopping; I suppose he is learning from the master. They both keep marveling over the fact that he sleeps. One wouldn't think this is such an amazing feat, but they both go gaga about that and also how he just chills out much of the time. I think I am starting to get a complex! Do they dare suggest I was a challenging infant?! Regardless, mom said it doesn't matter one bit because I turned out to be her little Mr. Perfect. And yes, I still have her wrapped around my little finger. Is there any other way to be? I have that effect on most people I meet! Great news about dad's business. He got another hour added to each day on the Virginia contract, and he begins the Maryland contract February 24. We are all so excited for him; he will get to teach this class all on his own and we know he will do a fabulous job. YAY Dad! Some birthdays that we want to mention in January are as follows: Uncle Bart on the 13th, Gramps B. on the 24th, Grammy J on the 28th, Great Aunt Pat on the 29th, Cyndy Smell on the 26th, and the newest birthday on our calendar...our cousin Ariel Elizabeth Dobbins was born on January 22nd. Congratulations to cousin Stephanie and her family! We would also like to extend an invitation to drop by UB and see us anytime. You better hurry because my brother and I are getting really big, really fast! I better run and I promise to try to post again real soon. Until then, we will be thankful in our hearts for friends and family like you. Please keep Uncle Bart and cousin Rob in your thoughts and prayers. Love, hugs, and kisses to you. Take care and bless your hearts, Cooper B.

Meet My Brother...Welcome Jagger James!

2009-01-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you and boy, do I have some serious news! I am a BIG BROTHER now! Did you know my brother was coming to see me? I guess it's better late than never. He arrived just after the 1st day of the New Year at 12:07 am on January 2nd. He weighed a whopping 8lbs 12ozs and was 20 in tall! Can you believe he was almost as big as his big brother?! We are all doing great; in fact, mom, dad, and Jagger came home on Saturday morning. You should have seen how excited I was to see them! I was waiting at the back door. And you know I am the best helper! I help with diapers, wipes, his paci, heck, I even share my motorcycle and cars with him. M&D say he gets points for coming into this world so thoughtfully; unlike yours truly, he was out in 2 pushes without the epidural. Is that fantastic news or what? You should see how well mom is doing. She was able to get up and around immediately at the hospital, that's why she got to come home so early, for good behavior. They even had all of the same wonderful nurses that helped usher me into this great big world. What a wonderful experience! I got to hang out with Gram and Gramps B, and you know they were my playthings. Mom and Dad didn't have to worry about a thing; Gram and Gramps got me down for naps, bedtime, they even took me shopping to buy a present for Jagger! I bought him Bard, who, coincidentally, is my favorite baby einstein character. I showed him Bard, you know I picked him out myself, then I took him home for Jagger to get him settled in and to try him out. I have also been sleeping with him to break him in and make sure he passes the fun test for Jagger. Jagger brought me a present too, a whole dozen matchbox airplanes, how about that?! I love them and mom, dad, gram and gramps all agree they are a pleasure to step on! So far, mom and dad aren't getting any sleep as they and Jagger wait patiently for the milk to come in. But it looks like they are none the worse for wear as dad has been running around with me and even took me for a tractor ride today. I know you are waiting for my verdict, and it's in, I think I'll let him stay (for now). I will write more as soon as I can, but right now, baby brother is in full throttle eating mode. Please join us all in prayer for the milk to come in soon! We love you all and thanks for your patience. Please let us know what you think of our newest addition in the comments. Or, better yet, come on by and see him for yourself. He is certainly a sight to behold! Lots of love, and thanks a million for your thoughts and prayers! Happy New Year to you, Cooper B. (the B. stands for big brother).

Twas the Night Before the Night Before Christmas

2008-12-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

Ho ho ho and Merry Christmas to all of you! Can you believe only 2 more days until Santa Claus comes to see me? I wish I could tell you how very excited I am! Santa gave a dry run in UB last night; he came to my house on a firetruck! Guess what else...he gave me a candy cane AND an orange! I was so tickled, I took the orange to bed with me. I also had some of it for breakfast. You will never believe who's here hanging out and counting down to Santa with me. Seems to me there's another reason they are here but in my excitement for Santa, candy canes and presents, it escapes me. That's right, Gram and Gramps B. are here for the duration and you wouldn't believe how much I love them! As a matter of fact, I don't know who is having more fun, mom or me. As you can see from above, I have been practicing for Christmas opening a few presents each day. The jig was up when Gram and Gramp got here and insisted I open their presents. Little did I know that mom and dad had such wonderful toys hidden underneath all the pretty paper and bows. Once I figured it out, they are having quite a time keeping yours truly out of the presents. At least I am an equal opportunity opener, yesterday I opened one of mom's gifts from dad. Luckily, Gramma B. was the one who caught me! So far I am cleaning up. Gram and Gramps got me a bruder cement truck. It is AWESOME!! I love stuffing my hand in the cab and all of my hotwheels in the barrel. Mom hasn't quite figured out how to get them back out, but I trust her ingenuity. I also got a Nemo bath towel and wash cloth that lights up, a Nemo hotwheels car, a Nemo lunch box, a deck of Nemo cards, a hotwheels carrier, Barney videos with my very own Barney, some new hotwheels cars, an awesome ocean book, and some new gardening gloves all from the Costello gang and aunt Helen. As you can tell, I do love Nemo and Barney. I really love my new big boy magic markers and coloring books from Ms. Michele too. For some reason, mom watches me like a hawk with those; perhaps she is worried about me writing on something I am not supposed to. Can you imagine?! Word on the street is that we can also expect Grammy and Pappy J. for a visit. Seems as everyone is waiting for the big arrival, and not so patiently at that. Poor mom had a false alarm yesterday; she thought she was going to finally get to meet my brother. Her doctor said she is 2cm and 50% effaced and even mentioned the word induction. Mom actually did a dance in the exam room. While she waited, the doctor phoned labor and delivery, but to no avail, they were all booked up until at least next Monday. SO, unless the little guy decides to come on his own, mom has yet ANOTHER date with Dr. Barnett next Monday. Keep her in your prayers; you know she is being a trooper. She told me, if it was meant to be, they would've had a spot for her, so, we wait! That's ok, I know she is excited to be home for Christmas morning. Seems as if mom, dad, and Santa are all in cahoots for some big surprises. Fine by me, I am all for conspiring for presents. As you can see from above, Gram and Gramps are keeping me busy and very entertained. You should have seen me applying sprinkles to the cookies Gramma made, I am such a big boy. They are beautiful indeed, and you know my sprinkling finesse made them taste TERRIFIC. We are planning peanut butter kiss cookies for tomorrow and possibly doing lunch at Chick-fil-A. This morning we went to Panera for bagels and coffee. Bless mom's heart, she is like a new woman with all of the help. She went from constantly stressing about all there is to do, to being on top of everything! She even napped while I did the past two afternoons. I must tell you I have been doing naps in my big boy bed. Can you believe how fast I am growing? It breaks my poor mother's heart! Well folks, thank you for checking in, but it is getting late and I better hit the hay. I want to be well rested for the big day! We will let you know as soon as Baby B. gets here. The holiday greetings are already designed, we are patiently waiting for the pictures. Don't worry, you'll get yours hot off the press. Meanwhile, we thank you kindly for your cards, gifts, and pictures, and of course for your well wishes. We will be thinking of you and counting you in our Christmas blessings. Please keep us close in heart and come and see us when you get the chance. Have a blessed and beautiful Christmas and hopefully, you'll be hearing the wonderful news from us SOON. We love you dearly, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Cooper B.

Santa Claus is Coming!

2008-12-10T04:52:00.001-08:00

Hello out there and Happy Holidays, did you know it is almost Christmas? We have a lot to look forward to here in UB, to say the least. We are having several A-list guests in the next few weeks to include, my baby brother (brand spanking new), Gram and Gramps B, Grammy & Pappy J, and the new and instant favorite of mine, Santa Claus. He is so nice. I tell mom every day all about Santa Claus and how he is coming to bring me presents and candy canes. Have you had one of these delicious concoctions? If not, do yourself a favor. They are obviously and seriously underrated as no one has bothered to mention them up to this point. I could eat about 30 a day, possibly more. Mom bought me the cherry flavored kind at Walmart the other day (these are her favorite), but I LOVE those peppermint ones too. I say, "mine want candy canes." Of course, this does the trick nearly every time, except when I have yet to have my breakfast. For some reason m&d place quite a bit of emphasis on this meal as I have noticed I get NO candy before my breakfast, no matter how many times I ask for it. I guess I should count my blessings though, the way mom tells it, Dad is so hard core, I am lucky to get candy at all. He told her the other day that the stuff stays out of the house once the baby comes. Poor mom, her gravy train is almost over!! On with the news...I finally got my picture made with Santa Claus. But don't fool yourself into thinking I sat on that man's lap alone; mom squeezed in the picture with me, she's always horning in. I almost worked up my nerve to do it solo this Sunday, but Santa went to lunch before we made it back for the picture. More great news...mom is finished wrapping almost all of the presents. She has been busy as a bee making the house ready for both Christmas and my baby brother. I have also been doing my part in case you were wondering...every once in a while, I tear up the house when mom looks a little bored or lazy. I can't have her resting on the job too much or getting out of practice; it's about to get even crazier around here, you know. Also in the news, yesterday was my aunt Deb's birthday. If you get the chance, please wish her a happy belated. Speaking of birthdays, I think we need to throw poor mom some sort of party; she has been quite overwhelmed and emotional lately. She tells me she's fine and she sure is trying her best, but between you and me, I think those crazy hormones are getting the best of her. Needless to say, we are all anxious for both Santa C. AND Baby B. Luckily, help is on the way soon, in my most favorite form (read playthings), Gram and Gramps B. Bless their hearts, they have elected to spend their precious Christmas vacation days with us among the caterwalling and madness. Are they troopers or what?! They will likely need another 16 days of vacation when we are finished with them here in UB. Oh, big news before I forget, don't think we left you out of our holiday greetings. You know mom is always crazy about sending out the cards. But, if all goes well, we should have another big announcement before the New Year arrives to add to our Christmas/New Year cheer. Sooo, be sure to look for your holiday wishes in the form of a Merry Christmas/Happy New Year/Announcing the arrival of Baby B trifecta. We promise not to disappoint. We would also like to say a big ho, ho, ho, MERRY CHRISTMAS to you while we have the opportunity, just in case we become unavoidably detained in the near future. Not that we are holding our breath around here, but you never know when the baby may choose to arrive. We will keep you posted with any progress; mom goes back to the doctor on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed. Also, please know that even though there's no Christmas card in your mailbox, we are still thinking of you and wishing you the happiest and healthiest of Christmas and the New Year to come. May your days be merry and bright...and if you get the chance, drop on by to say hello to all of us here in UB. I will tell you a big story about candy canes, Santa Claus, snow, snowmen, and of course, presents. If you are really lucky, I may even share one of my candy canes with you and we'll watch Frosty, Santa, or Rudolph together. Until then, you take care and enjoy the Christmas preparations. Don't forget the reason for the season; it's easy to get caught up in the STRESS (according to mom). Rememer to count your blessings as we'll be counting loved ones like you. Lots of love dipped in peppermint and wrapped in a beautiful package, yours truly, Cooper B.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hi to all and happy turkey day! Hope this finds you doing well and not nearly as stuffed as your turkey was today. Speaking of stuffed turkeys, you should see mom's belly! Someone in Walmart asked her if she had a basketball under her shirt the other day! Can you imagine? He must have been either crazy or in the mood for a serious brawl! We are having quite a wonderful Thanksgiving so far. We have completed round one of dinner and are anxiously awaiting our bellies to empty so that we can go for round two. In the meanwhile, maybe some pecan pie will speed up the process! Mom made two pecan pies and bought an extra frozen one just in case. Needless to say, she loves pecan pie, and I guess she was afraid of not quite getting her fill. We have some surprise Thanksgiving day guests...the Costello gang came down to spend this fine holiday with us. And boy are we thankful! We only wish Gram, Gramps and Kamrie could have made the trip with them. Luckily, Gram and Gramps had their own surprise in store last weekend. They came down on a whim on Friday night and were there when I got up Saturday morning. They are loads better than Saturday morning cartoons!! We had a ball. We hung around the house, relaxed, and played our hearts out. Talk about a great time. And now, this weekend, cousin Kent is my new plaything. I say his name about 25 times an hour; I am honestly not sure if there is anyone cooler. We have had such a great week, with the aforementioned guests (did I say how much we LOVE company), and yesterday, we had a Thanksgiving feast with Ms. Michele and all of my friends at the daycare. I ate for about 30 minutes straight! My favorite was the corn, and of course the turkey! I even said, yum, yum! That's not all, I am practically saying everything these days, whole sentences, you should see how hard I try. In fact, if you get the notion, you should come on by and hear how much I have to tell you; I promise you will be amazed. Now that we have Thanksgiving under our belt, both literally and figuratively, we are more than ready to tackle Christmas here in UB. Mom has been busy, busy, mostly with thinking about what in the world to get everyone for Christmas. She has made a few purchases, but bless her heart, she has quite a handicap going on as far as the actual shopping goes. Between that big belly and my impatience, it looks like she'll be doing most of her browsing online! We hope you are checking your list off quickly; mom says she may just give everyone a group gift in exactly their size and color, a bouncing baby boy! Sounds good to me, how about you? Well folks, I wanted to let you know I was thinking of you and thankful for you this fine turkey day. I better get going as I hear the leftovers calling. Please think of us and we will keep you posted, you know the time for Baby B's arrival is drawing very near! Take care and eat lots of turkey and dessert for me. Lots and lots of love with gravy, gobble, gobble, Cooper B.

November Rain?

2008-11-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

Hi, howdy do, and how in the world are you? I must apologize once again for my neglect to you, my faithful reader...I squeezed an extra post in for October and I have almost missed the proverbial boat to wish you a Happy November!! I hope you are doing well, staying warm, and bedding down for the upcoming winter months. Let's hope the weather stays as temperate as it has been thus far. If it gets any colder I can personally assure you both Dad and I will freeze to death. In case you didn't know, the two of us are living with a walking, talking, hot flash. If you have these similar symptoms, we will gladly send her your way. While the two of you hang out in your t-shirts and flip flops, Dad and I will work on rewarming our extremities! Bless mom's heart, all she keeps saying is what a great time of year it is to be really pregnant (for some of us anyway)! I have posted some pics from the wild Halloween party we attended at the UB fire hall. There are also a few extras from my trip to the pumpkin patch with my daycare friends. We are still visiting them once or twice a week, and both mom and I look forward to our playtime at Ms. Michele's. She drinks coffee and chitchats while I play to my heart's content, definitely a win win situation. We are both so thankful for Ms. Michele and her family; we honestly do not know what we would do without them! By the way, have you been raking leaves? Well, I certainly have and I hope you are not forgetting the best part of the job is jumping in the pile. I had poor mom out there raking last week and I wasn't sure she was going to make it. She's quite a trooper, but I honestly thought she would cry when she looked out the window later that day and they were all over the back lawn once again! Pesky hormones! Good news...mom finally got a few Christmas presents ordered. I think she is really starting to feel the pressure (both figuratively and literally) of our upcoming arrival. There's been quite a bit of hustle bustle here in the Bryant household and you should see how my new room is coming along. Dad has been working his fingers to the bone painting, hanging, putting together, you name it, and I will have to say it is definitely paying off. My only concern is that the two of them will be moving into my room when it is finished. They are both obviously jealous of how utterly cool it is and I am not ashamed to say, I'm not quite sure I trust those two. Furthermore, I can't say what's worse, mom eyeballing my storage bins, or dad's outright lust for my new alligator mirror. For my next post, I will take some pics of the finished product so you can see what they are up to and what all the fuss is about. Mom said today my room is the only one in the whole house with matching curtains (read curtains period). All I can say is that I guess they really do love me. Dad has to paint the crib and dresser Ms. Michele so kindly gave to us for Baby B., and then they are almost all done. Poor mom is worried sick she'll wait too long for all the tasks she has in store; don't tell her I told you, but she is waddling already and can barely get herself out of our chair, forget the floor! Yet she drives on...you know we only have one more swimming class left! Can you believe it has been four weeks already?! I LOVE IT!! I talk about it non-stop to dad at dinner every Tuesday and Thursday evening. Heck, mom has even heard me talking about it in my sleep. Friday she asked me, "how about we go see Ms. Michele?" I answered right back, "how about we go swimming?" She doesn't know what she'll do next as she isn't quite sure she will be swim-ready for the next four weeks but she hates to see yours truly landlocked. She is trying to recruit Dad for Saturday mornings, but we can't sign up for this class for another four weeks. I know we will figure something out...meanwhile, great news, I got to go swimming with dad on Tuesday and we had a blast. He was a trooper, singing songs, chasing moo cow (I throw my toy moo cow and then 'swim' to get it), don't you know he got an "A" in class participation from Ms. Susan. Don't tell Mom, but I personally think Ms. Susan likes dad best, something about him being less confrontational... Other good news, Uncle Bart is home for the holidays, and we are thankful to have him back safe and sound. Both he and cousin Robbie are heading out after Christmas, so please remember to keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. While you are at it, please also add Mr. James' dad and Ms. Michele's dad to the list; we sincerely appreciate it. In fact, we appreciate all you do for us, especially checking in on me, Cooper B., when you have a spare moment. Oh...more wonderful news, Dad got his first paycheck for Crossfit Retribution, and you know if he wasn't watching so closely, mom would already have that baby spent! Lucky for him that he's already a shrewd businessman, and he'll get plenty more practice prying the plastic from mom's clenched fists! Between you and me, I think she is starting to go into shopping withdrawal. Her self-discipline has been commendable in that realm; I only wish I could say the same on the chocolate chip cookie front! Oh well, soon enough and she will be back to leaves (this is what I call lettuce) and nuts. I know I have told you how much I am talking, but I want you to know we have been having some serious conversations here in the Bryant household. You will simply have to come see for yourself to get the full effect. Please do so any time you have the opportunity. Before I forget, we spoke to cousin Stephanie and she is doing well; it's always nice when mom gets an opportunity to commiserate with a fellow mom-to-be. Oh, two more items that deserve attention...first of all, HAPPY BELATED 2ND BIRTHDAY to the Smell triplets and a big thank you to aunt Helen for mom's birthday package and for not forgetting I like presents for mom's birthday too! Also, don't worry too much about the swimming situation; I always have my fallback in nerdville at the local library. And hey, I don't mind mom using me for an excuse to fulfill her need to read. Let's face it, she could have worse addictions although I will say probably none quite as geeky! She dreams of me growing up to be a voracious reader and lover of board games. There are worse hobbies you know. Anywho, now that you know mom's deep dark (dork) secret : ), I guess I should be running along. Please take care and let me know how you are doing by posting a comment or two. Better yet, give us a ring or come by and we will put you to work on one baby's room or another; there's more than enough work to go around! We'll be thinking of you, please think of us too. Much love to you from me, Cooper B.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hello and a great big Happy Halloween to all of you! We hope your Halloween is going swimmingly, so far, ours has been pretty great I must say. We started off the day wild and woolly at the local BJ's, what a hot spot that is! Mom and I frequent this venue and today was especially special as we had to renew the membership. Very exciting stuff. We also purchased some hors d'oeuvres for our big and spooky night. The Bryants' have actually been invited to a pizza gathering and some trick or treating in not one, but two elite neighborhoods in the area. Try not to be too jealous about how fancy we are getting here in UB; mom has really been working it to try to up our social status. We are doing pizza with the Farinas' (pictured above at Lily's first birthday) and their family, then we are topping off the night with a visit to trick or treat Ms. Michele and her fam. We are all very excited and thankful to have such wonderful friends to visit on this fine holiday eve. I must admit, I had some early practice in the frog costume; we attended the UB Lion's club party Tuesday night, unfortunately, the costume contest was bought out, and yours truly came home empty handed, but with a belly full of cookies and cider. I also have wonderful news to share. If you didn't know as yet, say you were vacationing on another planet, I have a baby coming to live with me very soon, at least this is what m&d keep telling me. Also, you may not have known, but my mom is neurotic, again, maybe if you never met her. I digress, anywho...she has been beside herself about sleeping arrangements practically since we found out about baby B's existence. Recently, she discovered she is likely going to have to purchase another crib and possibly some furniture to go with it. As you do know, mom has no job, so this has been a MAJOR source of stress and worry here in the Bryant household. Well, I am ecstatic to report that Ms. Michele has once again saved the day by giving us a dresser AND a crib for my little brother. Is that fantastic news or what?! Mom is so excited she can hardly contain herself. Dad is too, of course, as he is any time we can stop mom from her 2nd favorite pasttime, SHOPPING. I have to commend her though, all she buys these days are groceries and the occasional Barney video. I don't know if I have told you, but I LOVE BARNEY. I call him Barndney. Yet another one of my amazingly cute and charming attributes. More news, I have also been to TWO swimming classes. They are quite fun, even when you have a bit of a cold, except I fear that mom might possibly beat up the swimming teacher. Yes, you heard it correctly, but it would simply be to defend my honor. That teacher had the nerve to ask mom if I am a "stubborn two year old". Imagine our chagrin...I will have to say, mom handled it with poise and tact, but I fear what may happen if there is a next time...we shall see. Hell hath no fury like a pregnant woman...at least, that's what dad always whispers in my ear! The good news is, I love swimming, mom doesn't force me to do anything that upsets me in the pool, and the two of us are just fine in the knowledge that I am still a prodigy, even if the swim teacher doesn't recognize this yet. I know today is halloween, but I would like for all of you in blogland to join us with thoughts and prayers for Uncle Bart, who is once again fighting the good fight (thank God for the few and the brave), and also for Pop (pictured next to me on the big John Deere). He is Ms. Michele's dad, and my 3rd granddad, and you know we love him like family. He is going to have a tough upcoming few months of chemo and we all need to keep him and his family close in heart. He is tough as nails and strong in faith, so we know he can and will get through it. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about my outing to the pumpkin patch with all my friends at the daycare. I drove a big tractor, rode on some hay, and picked some 40 odd pounds worth of pumpkins, what a great day!! Poor mom almost got arrested for pumpkin theft before they realized that wasn't what she was smuggling under her shirt! Hee hee. Well folks, I better get on my way, I have a frog costume to don and some treats with my name all over them. I will let you know how it goes for the world's most handsome reet, reet. If you are in the area, stop on by and I will share my booty with you, that is, if m&d (read mom), doesn't eat it all first. Yes folks, the proof was on the scales yesterday at mom's doctor visit. She had a five pound weight gain since last visit and we are mysteriously missing 4 1/2 pounds of chocolate bars which, by the way, were meant for Halloween (gone missing roughly 10 days ago). I am trying to keep an open mind, you know innocent until proven guilty and such, but you can do the math. Meanwhile, if you have any tips on our missing bag of candy, you can call UBPD! Take care of yourselves and have a safe and happy Halloween. We love you so much and miss you bunches, Cooper B.

I'm 21 months old!! Reet, reet, trick or treat!

2008-10-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hello out there to all of you blog fans and a great big howdy do! I am happy to report the Bryants' of UB are doing great today, of course, we have been for quite some time. For those of you who don't know, today is my mom's 33rd birthday. We have been having quite a day for sure. I got to see a real live fireman at Ms. Michele's house, I had corndogs for lunch, and I also got an awesome new hat out of the deal. I am attaching a picture of me with my cool new hat, and of course, one with my cool mom. We are planning a big dinner out tonight, maybe in Frederick, and dad says he has a surprise or two up his sleeve. Mom has been very excited all day. In honor of her birthday, I tried not to take a nap so we could party hearty, but alas, she won that battle yet another day. I have LOTS of news to report for the upcoming week, for starters, I'm going swimming. After weeks of neurotic phone calls to the local YMCA chapter, mom finally made contact and was able to get me signed up for swim class. Monday, we are going on a hayride at the pumpkin patch with my friends and Ms. Michele, and Thursday, we have the fall party at my daycare. Tuesday, not only do we have swim class, but my reading circle is having a costume party at the library AND there's a Halloween extravaganza at the UB fire hall that evening. You may think this sounds a bit full for a 20-month old's social calendar, but first and foremost, thankfully, I am now 21 months old. Furthermore, mom is strategizing early for Halloween night. She not only expects me to put that frog suit on, she also wants me to wear it for more than 30 seconds. What is up with that?? Don't worry though folks, I am used to her asking alot of me and all I can say is...I will do my best, no promises. Luckily after today, we have a back-up costume; I can always wear my brand new fireman's hat. We have had quite a wonderful week so far, as if you couldn't tell; yesterday, mom and I crashed the 2-3 year old reading circle at the library. Don't worry though, I really played it cool. That librarian was none the wiser and they're supposed to be fairly bright! Mom and I sang songs, danced, listened to some big boy books AND we made a cuckoo bird out of a paper bag. Poor mom was starting to perspire about the craftwork as no one would provide her a visual aide. As it was, the bird's face and beak ended up on the wrong side of the paper bag and now the poor thing can't even open its mouth. Thank goodness dad has artistic ability, otherwise, I would be in some SERIOUS trouble in that department. More big news, guess who came to visit me on Tuesday? My friends, Ms. Michele, and me-mom! You should have seen how excited I was. I twirled circles around my living room, played cars with everyone, I even shared my decorated pumpkin cookies that Gramma B. made for me. Talk about showing some love!! We had a great time and we are hoping they all come back soon. Speaking of coming back soon, we had more visitors this past weekend, of a particularly special nature. None other than Gram and Gramps B. came to UB and boy, did we have fun. No beating around the bush this time, I gave them my most special grin as soon as I saw them, and it just kept getting better from there. Saturday morning I practically jumped out of my crib and mom's arms so I could get downstairs to see them! Of course, the visit was way too short, but we kept their shoes and hotdogs as a little insurance policy. If that doesn't bring them back soon, I don't know what will! Guess who else is going swimming with me, besides mom of course, my friend and neighbor, Lily! How about that? We also have a few birthdays to announce, cousin Kirk, uncle Jr., Becca High, uncle Keith, and YOURS TRULY turned the big two one yesterday, months that is. So if you see these special people, be sure to wish them the happiest of birthdays. I hope you have also received your Halloween present from us, what better surprise to find in your mailbox than a picture of Cooper B in a frog suit! Reet, reet! OH! One more very important item of business, be sure to keep up with your daily visits to dad's website at www.crossfitretribution.com. Dad is doing so well, kicking butt and taking names, not that we would expect anything less of him! We sure do have so much to be thankful for, including friends and family like you! Well folks, I think that is about enough news for you to digest on a Thursday afternoon. This handsome devil will be signing off with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Please take care and call, write, or even better, come and see us as soon as possible. We'll be looking forward to it! Until then, we'll be thinking of and missing you bunches. Reet, reet, trick or treat and lots and lots of love, Cooper B.

Hooray for Pumpkins!

2008-10-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hi to all and Happy October to you! We hope this fall has been treating you very well so far; it sure has been a blessing for us. I will get right down to it, I can't wait to tell you how excited we are for dad. He had his first workouts this week with his new contract for Crossfit and it was a raving success. On Monday, 10 guys showed up and yesterday, they had a whopping 14! Today he had yet another 14-15! Isn't that the best? Dad says the office is all a buzz with excitement and both days his boss at the other facility showed up for the WOD (that's workout of the day for all of you not yet up on the lingo). It is looking quite promising for him to get a contract with Maryland as well and in the meanwhile, he continues to make contacts at other facilities very interested in his training. Before you know it, he'll have to send mom out to teach these guys! Can you see mom showing up in her current state trying to instruct a bunch of studs, HA! Little do they know beneath that basketball belly and extra padding lies one mean, lean, pull up machine! Guess what else? I am going to be a reet-reet for Halloween! For all of you who don't know, that means frog. Mom is a tad bit worried though as I haven't let her try the costume on for more than 30 seconds with trying to rip the feet and hat off. She gets so excited about this sort of stuff, I simply don't have the heart to tell her I am more like dad in this respect. Forget the silly costume, it's itchy (I told her so yesterday), just PLEASE, give me so darn dum-dums. For pete's sake, I am cute enough to warrant free candy as it is, don't make me put on a monkey suit (in this case, frog suit) and beg for it! Oh well, I can see this is one of the many future battles to come with dear mom and in case you're wondering, of course, I will take one for the team and do it for her. Besides, I feel sorry she had such a hard time finding a costume for me, the first one she ordered was supposed to fit a 2-4 year old but it was way too small. She had to switch from the bumblebee to the frog and get me a child's extra small! I guess those are the breaks when you are a big boy! Guess what mom heard me doing all on my own this morning...I counted to 10. You wouldn't believe how much I know, I simply don't want to lay it on her all at once. I don't think she and dad could stand it! I also want to update you on my new name, handsome devil. I like to call myself this and please feel free to do so as well. Mom and I went to reading circle on Tuesday and I noticed my sweet mug in a mirror by surprise during play time whereupon I proudly declared "handsome". Yes folks, I am shy like da-da, but vain like mom! I hope you enjoy the above pics, I wanted to show you some of my favorite activities. Dad and I love to play hotwheels and you can see us practicing our letters on my doodle board. So far I have made it to P. This past weekend mom and dad took me to a pumpkin patch and I had a blast on the tractors. I also posted some pics from last month when mom took me to the Catoctin zoo. The one with dad and myself is obviously self-explanatory...instead of fighting about which one of us is actually superman, we agreed to call a truce and, in honor, mom bought both of us the t-shirt. How sweet is that? Mom and I had yet another wonderful day today, we went to see Ms. Michele, Memom, Becca, and all of our friends. It was so great to see them and we are very much looking forward to Oct. 27 when we go with all of them for a hayride, snacks, and to pick our own pumpkin at the farm. Mom may not be able to do the hay ride, but I promise to have enough fun for the both of us. We are also expecting my friends to come over for snack and playtime while they study neighborhoods next week; we can't wait for that visit. Mom and I are going to the Halloween party with our reading circle too, and let me tell you, I can do without the tricks, but I am super pumped for the treats. I heard mom and her new friends talking and while I didn't catch everything, I know we can look forward to pumpkin muffins and rice krispie treats. Those ladies sure know how to party! We also managed to squeeze in a trip to the playground AND a tractor ride today before my nap, how about those apples?! Well, I better run, be on the lookout for your halloween card in the mail. Don't be surprised if I look like a real live reet-reet, underneath that frog suit, it's only me, Cooper B, handsome devil. Take care, be safe, and count your blessings. One of our most prized is friends and loved ones like you. Lots of love from me to you, Cooper B.

Happy Fall Y'all!

2008-09-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

Hi there all, how do you do? I am as great as ever, and happy to be joining you for the news. There are quite a bit of new goings-on you'll be excited to hear about it, the first of which is that I am now an avid reader. Pretty big for 20 months old I know, but you have certainly come to expect big things from Cooper B. by now. Actually, mom and I are attending a weekly reading group at the local library. We have been two weeks in a row and the place is full of kids my age. Although I have to say none quite as big as this big boy, or may I add as highly intellectual. What you also might be interested in knowing is that mom has much more fun than I do. Bless her heart, she tries to tell herself it's all for me, but she is meeting new friends and we even had lunch with them at Panera last Tuesday. I don't want you to worry about me delicate psyche though, I am ok with the fact that mom uses me to make friends. In fact, I am happy to help, I know she gets a little lonely sometimes. We have also visited the Taneytown library, and who knows, as crazy as we are, we might go to reading circle there too. Mom likes that library due to the incredibly close proximity to Dunkin Donuts. I will have to say I agree with her. I had my first chocolate iced ring with rainbow sprinkles two weeks ago, and I can tell you I am definitely looking forward to more of those. You know I ate the whole darn thing. I think I already told you we are planning to join the country club. Don't be jealous though, just be happy for us. It's called the YMCA and we are gearing up for swimming lessons starting the end of next month. Keep your fingers crossed that they let us in. I know I am a shoe in, but with mom being a hillbilly and all, the jury is still out on her. We have also been doing some visiting in our time off and we try to see Ms. Michele and all of my friends at least once, sometimes twice a week. This upcoming week I will be spending some time there by myself, just like old times, while mom goes to get some routine bloodwork and her shot. She invited me along of course, but I would rather steer clear from needles for as long as possible, I have had quite enough of those in my little life so far. You'll also be pleased as punch to know, dad is officially official and he is in business. If you haven't visited his website yet, do so soon and join in the fun at www.crossfitretribution.com. Once you check it out, we know you'll be as proud of him as we are. It looks like he will have his first contract for service coming up October first. Not that we are greedy, but we are hoping for the same deal at both of his work locations. If you knew how much fun mom and I are having together, you wouldn't blame either one of for for a little bit of greed. I don't know if I have told you yet, but I LOVE hotwheels. I am an excellent driver and am working tediously to wear the knees out of all of my pants. Fine by mom and dad, they are totally enamored by the vroom vroom sounds I make while I drive. Oh...great news, remember I told you cousin Stephanie is expecting? Well, congratulate her on a baby girl due to arrive February 2, 2009. Speaking of babies, you should see how big my little brother is getting. He actually had the nerve to kick me in the side the other day while mom and I were snuggling. Can you believe it? More good news, guess who is coming to visit us? Gram and Gramps B., and soon. We can't wait. Did you know my cousin Kamrie was in homecoming court? We are so proud of her and will try to post a picture of her asap looking so regal and beautiful. We also had some birthdays and anniversaries since I last wrote to you and we wouldn't want to neglect announcing those. First off, congratulations to our friend Jen Duval who had a bouncing baby boy Sept. 10, Camden Creed, welcome buddy. Also, anniversaries include Keith and Libby, Robbie and Megan, Dawn and Mark, Cyndy and Jeff, Amanda and Brian, Matt and Lori. There are also quite a few birthdays to name...Granny Lisa, Colin Andrews, Allison McClintock, Papaw Bill, Uncle Scott, Josh Halfin, Jeff Smell, and of course, yours truly turned 20 months on the 22nd. Whew, that was quite a month of celebration, don't you think?! Well, I guess I better get going, I promise to try to blog a little more often, I apologize for mom keeping me so busy. She can't control herself, poor thing. She is constantly planning and searching for fun things for us to do. Sometimes I think she is having more fun than I am! Please keep us in your thoughts, and by all means, come for a visit if you get a chance. We'll be thinking of you and missing you too. You know we love you dearly. Take care and be in touch. Lots of love, Cooper B.

Happy Birthday Ms. Michele and Sawyer D!

2008-09-12T12:28:00.001-07:00

Hello out there and happy September to you! How are you by the way? We are doing great, getting loads of sleep (at least mom and me) and having a blast hanging out together. I apologize for my pictures being a little bit behind. You will see some from my visit to Gram and Gramps B as well as when Grammy J and the gang came to UB. I want to tell you about my trip to Clara, PA, first and foremost. Let me tell you, they have some TRACTORS up there and I rode ALL of them. Mom and Dad felt guilty about taking me back home I was having so much fun. They have a creek, a horse, and a real live John Deere! Can you believe I drove that tractor? I rode Smoky the horse too, well, for a split second anyway. The only cowboy truly crazy enough to ride that wild horse is gramps and besides, mom said NO WAY! I got to see all my cousins, Kamrie, Kent, and Kirk and Gramma B fed me all kinds of delicious food. Don't tell mom but I think she milks it for all it's worth that Gramma likes to cook for me. I told her we may have to work out a deal because no one rides the Cooper B gravy train for free! We had a wonderful time, we only wish we could have stayed longer. Doesn't seem fair to work so hard and vacation so little, maybe we should move to Europe! Mom is all for a whole year of maternity leave, as a matter of fact, so am I! Don't tell dad, but she spoils me; next time you see me, I might just be totally rotten! Alright...you saw today's headliner I hope. Ms. Michele and Sawyer's birthdays were actually yesterday; I unfortunately get my timeliness from my mother (bless her heart). So if you see either of them, please wish them a very happy belated. Mom and I did just that today. We took Ms. Michele over a little present and she gave me a few more matchbox cars. I am OBSESSED with those things. Mom swears she is going to get me a car ramp and garage as soon as she gets a chance. I can't wait; I make a beeline for the cars as soon as I get to Ms. Michele's. We visited her twice this week already. Last week, mom took me to the zoo and next week, we are planning on attending some story times at the library. We are also thinking about swimming lessons at the end of next month, and to tell the truth, I think mom is more excited about them than I am. Mom is always busy researching new and exciting excursions for us. I told her she may have a second calling in event planning for toddlers! Speaking of events, I have been throwing a party or two of my own lately in my crib. This morning mom came to pick me up and I was NAKED as a jaybird! That's right folks, I have learned to peel off that pesky diaper. The bad news is I haven't quite mastered bladder control yet and mom had to strip my crib down to the mattress! I tried to sleep in the buff, you know I actually prefer it, but mom came in to check on me before she went to bed last night and found me that way. She remedied the situation, but she caught me unaware and as soon as I woke up this morning it was off with the diaper again. She thinks she is getting smart and put pj pants on me for nap time today. I will show her soon enough! Well, I better run...time to get up from my nap and play, play, play. I will be in touch soon with dad's new web address so you can all check out his new site for the business. YAY for dad! So nice to spend some time with you, come on by, it will be a million times better in person. Until then, we will be missing you and hoping to see you soon. Lots of love, hugs, and kisses, Cooper B.

Two Landmark Weekends in a Row!

2008-08-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hello to you and yours out there. I would first like to apologize to all of my fans for my brief absence on the blog. I would like to give a good excuse, but all I can say is that I have been busy as a bee having too much fun! So much news and where in the heck should I begin? First of all, you will never believe, but I have mom all to myself. We have the best days ever. We ride my tractor, take walks, go for stroller rides, play at the playground, go for ice cream, eat candy, read loads of books, and play, play, play to our hearts' content. Isn't that wonderful music for your ears? Now, don't get me wrong, I do miss my friends, me-mom, and Ms. Michele. But luckily, we can stop by and see them too any old time we please. How about those apples?! We did just that on Monday morning and had a grand time. I jumped right in like old times and played with all of my friends. Mom and I plan to make it a weekly ritual and we are thankful Ms. Michele doesn't mind. We don't know what in the world we'd do without her! OK, more news to report...guess who came to see me this past weekend? Grammy J, Nanny, great Aunt Pat, and my cousin Skylar. Wow! We had quite a time! I seriously think I charmed to heck out of those fine ladies. We talked and strolled and even did lunch at the Buttersburg. I wooed them with my gentlemanly manners and my superb etiquette. I also showed off my tractor riding skills, my continuously expanding vocabulary, and best of all, my obsession with dum-dums. You know it was hard to let them go back to WV. They said it was especially difficult leaving yours truly, and mom tells me she can't say she blames them. Of course, they tried to take me with them, but mom put her foot down on that one. We are so thankful they made the journey and we hope they will come back asap! Until then, we'll be missing them for sure. I learned to say nanny and Sky while they were here too. One of my other new favorite words is bumblebee. I have to say I am quite the cutie when I say it. It's hard to keep up with new words these days because I am repeating absolutely everything. Oh, I almost forgot! Guess what I got this past weekend? A real big boy bed! Mom spent almost an hour and a half putting it together today only to figure out she reversed the head and foot board! Bless her heart, she was working her fingers and back to the bone! Oh well, the good news is that dad came home and got them switched around. Now all it needs are guardrails and we'll be all set. She also got my new bedding set in the mail today. It's Nemo, and I LOVE it. I wanted to climb right in, but there's no mattress yet. One step at a time. You know poor mom has been worrying herself to death about the sleeping arrangements coming up this Christmas. Dad and I try to reassure her that it will all work out fine and dandy. Guess who we got some more pictures of this weekend? My brother! Mom went back for her ultrasound and Nanny and Grammy J got to go with her. I think they all had a great time visiting him. He is so handsome and looks alot like I did at his age if you don't mind me saying so! He is still due to arrive the day after Christmas. What a present! We are all so excited to meet him. This weekend we have more adventures to look forward to. We are heading up to PA for Labor Day weekend with the Bryants and Costellos. I can't wait to ride the tractor and see my family. We know we'll have a wonderful time. More good news...cousin Cody is recovering from his MRSA infection and we are all glad to hear he is home and able to go to school. We hope his arm gets back to good as new in no time. I haven't told you yet, but we have a new cousin on the way! Cousin Stephanie is expecting and we are all anxiously awaiting her ultrasound results to find out if a baby girl or boy is coming our way in February. Congratulations to her and the Dobbins family! Well, I guess I better run, it is getting past my bedtime. Please keep your fingers crossed for my poor little legs tomorrow. I got some vaccines today and are my thighs sore?! When I got up from my nap today, I refused to walk! Luckily dad got home and got me doing some squats and deadlifts with him in the gym. Thank goodness they are feeling a little bit better! I hope you have a wonderful evening and all of your parts are feeling fine as frog hair. We sure do miss you up here in UB and wish you all of the best. Take care of yourselves and one another and do drop by if you get the notion. You're welcome any time. So much love to hold you until next time. Yours truly, Cooper B.

An Outlaw for an Outlaw

2008-08-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hello to you and GUESS WHAT?! I got my very own TRACTOR named the Outlaw! Well, m&d say it is actually called a four wheeler, but in my eyes, it's the world's snappiest tractor. It is bright red with real skulls painted on the sides and it even has it's own headlights!! The first time m&d took me for a ride, I said "awesome". Now it's what we do every evening! Both m&d take turns riding me through the cornfield and the neighbor's yard. It is truly exciting. You should see me on it, I look like such a BIG boy. I try to convince m&d to let me take a turn driving, but those two are quite stingy. You would think it's their very first tractor instead of MINE. And, oh by the way, I remind them of this often, in fact, one of my most favorite new words is "mine". You may not know this, I am certainly schooling m&d on the subject, but most items in our house, including all food and beverages are indeed, mine. I have another new hang up involving water bottles. They definitely ALL belong to me without question. M&D sometimes try to sneak a drink, but to no avail, I begin stomping and grunting, and soon of course, they are forced to give me what I want. Isn't it wonderful how that works out?! I am posting some pics of me on my hog. I surely hope you enjoy them as much as I do riding! My ride also came with a matching helmet, how lucky can one boy get? More news...we are getting some visitors soon. First, Gram and Gramps B are stopping by on their way back to PA from uncle Bart's house. We can't wait to see them this weekend. Another wonderful surprise is that Grammy J may also be coming very soon to see me AND to join mom for her ultrasound. They need more pics of Baby B. and we are all quite excited at the opportunity to see him again very soon. Everyone is asking if we have a name picked out, and just to keep it juicy, I am not telling one way or the other. Besides, mom needs at least one tool in her bag to invoke the power as she did when I was born. Aunt Heather said if you name him, he will come. And so, in total desperation, about 30 minutes before I made my grand entrance, mom whispered, "we will name him Cooper". Now those of you who weren't there may not think that was a big deal, but those of us who were know that this was one of the only sentences the woman spoke in three hours. Furthermore, for those of you who know mom well, you know this is possibly the longest time frame that she has EVER been shocked and/or terrified into silence. Needless to say, it was a wild time, and we will leave the name declaring until the date of the event so that poor mom will have one last straw to grasp. Moving on to not so good news, aunt Deb has been feeling terrible, so please, keep her in your thoughts. And then on a happy note, we are quickly approaching mom's last day at work. All I can say is that it is none too soon (whatever that means). I will also add poor mom is running increasingly low in the sympathy department and both dad and I are worried she will soon start handing out prescriptions that read "sorry about your luck", "suck it up, life's rough", or "quit being a sissy and get over yourself". If you need me to spell it out, she's quite on edge to say the least. Dad tells me it is her hormones, of course, he is not brave enough to say this to her face, again, a bold statement about the bravest guy I know. Well, enough of the chit chat for now, it is bedtime you know. Please think of us as we often do of you and know we are always wishing you the best. Take good care and remember to count your blessings. Oh, and if you get the chance to come on up to UB, take it. I will take you for a ride on the Outlaw, that is, if your heart can stand the rush. Until then, I will be loving and missing you from afar, Cooper B.

Happy Birthday Gramma B!

2008-07-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hello to you! It's me, the fabulous Cooper B, dropping a line with the latest and greatest from UB! First things first, we have to wish Gramma B a very happy day today. We heard she had a great one and we sure wish we could have been there to celebrate with her. Luckily we had her all to ourselves for 9 whole days. Mom said she will have to have a piece of Cold Stone ice cream cake tonight in Gramma's honor. Funny though, she didn't share it with me! She's been like that lately, quite stingy with her food. I don't want to say anything negative, but it looks to me like she could stand to share the food a little more freely...she's busting right out of her clothes! Speaking of, I have the bestest news of all...I am getting a little brother! The details are a bit shady, I am not quite gathering the whole concept, but it looks like he'll be arriving sometime around Christmas. Hey, maybe that Santa Claus will be bringing him to our house. I sure hope he's careful when he drops that precious package down the chimney! I'll let you in on more as the particulars come in. I don't know if I told you about the week I had with Gram, Gramps, and cousin Kent, but it was incredible! We went fishing, to the playground, swimming, EVERY day! Can you believe it? It was as if I had my very own entertainment crew. Cousin Kent played ball with me, read books to me, wrestled with me...he even let me crawl in his lap to watch tv and play with his hair! Is that true cousinly love or what?! I'll tell you, a good time was had by all! We went to a real live baseball game on Friday night, and wow, was it fun?! We all ate pizza and hot dogs, my favorite was the pink lemonade and the beer. As you can see from above, I am quite the little food conaisseur myself. And believe it or not, I have mastered the fork. I am practically saying everything by now and today, I learned how to read and say the letters A, B, and E. By the time mom goes back off maternity leave, I plan to be reading her medical journals to her! She'll need the help the way I figure it! More news...Yesterday I had another great day, m&d took me to the Carroll County fair and I sat on a HUGE tractor and petted some goats. I loved the animals! I also saw some cows, alpacas, sheep, and did I tell you about those John Deere tractors?! Those were probably my most favorite of all. The best news is we are going back this week and I can't wait. Dad says I can probably lasso a pig after I demonstrated my brute strength on the rowing machine today. I'll let you know how that works out. We had some visitors this evening, Ms. Michele and Mr. James, and boy, was it wonderful to see them! I have really missed Ms. Michele, of course, I played it cool at first, you have to know how to relate to these women; they sure are complicated creatures. Luckily, I already have a bead on them...dad has been teaching me well. She brought me a real live frog from Ocean City. Well, not really, but as close to real as fake can get! I think mom loved it even more than me, she played with it all evening. I am looking forward to seeing Ms. Michele, Me-mom, Pop, and all of my friends tomorrow. Mom says only 9 more days and no more hustle bustle for quite some time. I think that may be the best news of all. We also would like to give a shout of Happy Anniversary out to Grammy and Pappy J. They celebrated 12 years together yesterday. Hard to believe that August starts this week, and hey, can you believe I am already 18 months old?! Whew, I am such a big boy and sooo good! Come on by and I will tell you all about it! Oh, one more HUGE item to report, da-da is well on his way to getting his own Crossfit business. It will be called Crossfit Retribution and he is almost all done with the paperwork and such. Mom and I are so proud of him and happy for him too. He will hopefully soon be acquiring a contract teaching the men at his work, talk about a stroke of great luck! He sure deserves it, and we'll keep you posted when the deal is sealed. Well, I better run, you be safe and take good care. I'll be talking to you next month and bringing the latest happenings here in UB. Until then, we'll be thinking of you and missing you like crazy. Love to you and all your kin, Cooper B.

Happy Birthday Kamrie & Cody to name a few!

2008-07-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hi there and howdy do! How is life treating you these days? I am doing super swell, no complaints at all. Of course, how could I complain when I am king of the domicile? You read it right folks, and from now on, just refer to me as 'Your Majesty', yes, that will do just fine. The reason I am sitting so high on the hog is I have twice the people here at home right now and everyone's goal is trying to please yours truly! Usually I have only mom and dad catering to me, but this week, I have Gram, Gramps, and cousin Kent all as my playthings! And boy do we play! You know mom and dad are as thankful as me to have them here, and don't think it is simply for selfish reasons. Mom told dad the other day that of course the help is more than wonderful, but she appreciates the company ten times more! I can't say I blame her. Yesterday we had a fabulous day. You will never guess what we did. We drove to Harper's Ferry and I swam in the river for HOURS for my very first time. M&D got in with me and we sat and relaxed in the river and threw rocks forever! You should have seen all the rocks! I was in hog heaven. And guess what else?! I held some fish! Real live ones! Cousin Kent caught about 25 fish while we were there and I wasn't a bit afraid of them. Good thing, because someone else sure was, not to mention mom's name or anything. I could have sat in that river all day! Gram knitted me some socks while we were there too; they are beautiful and the good news is that this pair may actually fit! She is having a hard time sizing up these big pigs! We all had picnic and snacks together and then headed on up to our usual haunt (Frederick) for dinner. What a great day! I had such a wild time, I crashed in my car seat on the way home...and that's the last thing I remember! Today we've been relaxing, well as much as we usually relax on a Sunday. Dad and the men did yard work while I went to town grocery shopping with the women folk. I am such a good boy! Mom and gramma tell me so all the time. I got to drive my own shopping cart car in Safeway while I noshed on Goldfish and potato wedges. The potato wedges were mom's idea, I feel sorry for her, she can't even finish the shopping without getting voraciously hungry! Good news though, we are expecting her parasite to be cured around December 26th, just in time for Santa, whoo hoo! Speaking of Christmas, we received a nice gift in the mail from our cousin Stephanie and want to thank her big bunches for it. Mom already hung it in my room and it looks great, matches my bees perfectly! I also want to say a very happy belated to cousins Kamrie, Cody, and Valerie. Today is Amanda's birthday, you'll see her pictured above with my friend Brady, and this Wednesday is Heather Halfin's big day. There's also a great big deal coming up this weekend with Gramma B's day this coming Sunday. This weekend also brings Grammy and Pappy J's anniversary. So if you see any of these special people, be sure to give them the appropriate regards. To give you a forecast of the week ahead, we plan on more fishing tonight, the Keys baseball game with fireworks next Saturday, with lots of play, play, play, in the meantime. If you feel like joining us, come on over; we would love to have you any time. Until then, you'll be in our thoughts and prayers. Take special care and remember to hug and kiss your family as often as you get the honor. We love you loads, Cooper B.

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks! How is every little thing? Couldn't be better here in UB, other than some extreme fatigue plaguing mom, we are all as fine as frog hair! I think she may have a parasite. It also seems to be causing her belly to swell and fast! Dad doesn't seem to be too worried though, he pats her tummy and tells her it looks nice. They are so weird. I know if I had a parasite, I would NOT be happy about what it was doing to the appearance of my belly or my energy level. Oh well, maybe I will understand some day. As you can see by the pictures, I have lots of news to report. We had the pleasure of babysitting our neighbor, Lily, when Gram and Gramps B were here visiting. As you can see from above, dada had it ALL under control. Lily LOVES dada. I have also attached pics of fun with Gram and Gramps, fun with Papaw Bill and Lisa (my first mud puddle), and fun at Great Grandma Hively's 80th birthday (that's me in the front beside the hot chick, I have such serious mojo : ). You can also catch a glimpse of aunt Helen and me on the couch and yes, that's me with two of the triplets and in my first little swimmers! This past weekend I went swimming in a big boy pool for the very first time. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but within a half hour, mom was throwing me into the pool to dad. What fun! I didn't want to get out of the water-nana. At least that is what I call ALL water, water-nana (watermelon). We all had such a wonderful and relaxing time this weekend in WV, we didn't want to come home! I played with the Smell triplets, Brady McCabe, MacKenna Halfin, Colton Miller, Lexi and Olivia Johnson. What a wonderful bunch of friends! AND contrary to popular belief, no fighting broke out among our wild and crazy group of kiddos. I will attach more photos to upcoming blogs as you know mom took a MILLION pictures. I also saw my very first fireworks. You can see me enjoying them above on dad's lap when I was actually supposed to be sleeping. I couldn't help myself, I simply couldn't tear my eyes off of them. You would have been so proud of me, I wasn't even scared of the BOOMS. I also got to play on Josh's tractor, which you know was great fun for me. I rolled in the grass, played football, and shared rocks with my new friend MacKenna. All in all we had a smashing good time; I sure hope your fourth of July was as great as ours. We also want to thank the Smells for their amazing hospitality. Before I forget, we have some birthdays to announce. First, some very belated, this goes out to aunt Head and Colt who had bdays in April, the 5th and 19th respectively. Also, aunt Carole's was this past Sunday, cousin Erin's was this Tuesday the 8th and Ms. Mary Caldwell celebrated hers on July 2nd. So if you see these lovely ladies please wish them a very happy one. We'll be sure to mark Colt and Head's bdays in big red letters for next year so they won't be missed! In fact, July is packed FULL of birthdays and I will have to post again next week just to name them all! More news here in UB, mom is 16weeks along with Baby B and dad LOVES his new job. I am talking up a storm, my newest words are ice, splash, and best of all THANK YOU! Can you believe what a nice, well-mannered, polite young man I am becoming. You know this little phrase melts EVERYONE'S heart. Mom and dad are so proud of me and now that I mention it, I am quite proud of myself. I am officially a GOOD BOY! Oh, I almost forgot, I also say "ruff ruff". Mom and dad never quite regain composure from their constant amazement at my feats of intelligence. I can't say I blame them! But don't just believe everything you read, come on down and witness me in person for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed. You are welcome any time you get the chance. We'll leave the light on for you! Until next time, take care of yourselves and know we love and miss you here in UB. Thank goodness we have a visit from Gram and Gramps B to look forward to NEXT weekend!! Hooray! Lots and lots of lovey dovey, Cooper B.

God Bless Gram and Gramps B!

2008-06-22T09:06:00.001-07:00

Hi there folks, sorry I am a little behind on my blog. We have been pretty busy here in UB doing a whole lot of NOTHING! And guess what?! It felt AMAZING! Here's the skinny...Gram and Gramps B came down last Sunday and proceeded to cook, clean, cut the grass, scrub the porch, do the laundry, edge the sidewalks, paint the furniture, vacuum, straighten up, etc, etc...all the while fully and completely entertaining me. Mom and dad have no idea how they managed to do it all, but you sure wouldn't believe how thankful those two saps were! And the house and yard look better than ever! Mom was so well rested and energized she cut almost ALL of the lawn today. Can you believe it? She hasn't felt like doing anything in SO long, and she smiled the whole time! Dad and I got our own burst of motivation and headed to town for the grocery shopping and BJs. All this was accomplished by 11:15am! Woah! We were all SO sad to see Gram and Gramps drive off into the sunrise today on their Harley. Poor mom was crying. Dad said this morning I'd sure be lonely without my real-life play toys, but mom is really the one who will be missing the company. We all went out yesterday and had a nice dinner at the Macaroni Grill. It was delicious as usual. Then we went to the mall and I got some new books and mom got some new duds. Poor thing, she needed them, she is starting to look a bit uncomfortable walking around with her pants unbuttoned! Friday evening we went for Hoffman's ice cream and I got my very own cup. Chocolate marshmallow and boy, was it tasty! I don't know if I told you but I LOVE ice cream. Last weekend was quite the event too; we went down to WV to see our family for a whirlwind visit and to join the celebration of Nanny's 80th birthday. I got to meet my uncles Mike and Danny, aunt Dee, cousins David and Brian, and their family. What a nice time we had. We also got to spend some time with Papaw Bill, Lisa, great Grandma Sloan and uncle Scott. It was hectic and we wish we could have spent more time but we're sure glad we could make it. We even ran into aunt Dawn and her family at Bob Evans before we had to leave. The ride home was quite a doozy...20 minutes shy of our house, I had a major puke fest. But don't worry, none of it got on our Honda, I strategically threw up repeatedly all over mom. Bless her heart, she took it well and even laughed about it! More news, you know we have the 4th of July coming up and Mom and Dad can't wait! I am so excited to run around with all of my friends and maybe even this time I will make it until the fireworks! We are heading to a cookout at our friends, the Smells' house on Friday, then of course, over to the Halfins' for Saturday's festivities. I didn't tell you but we had a wonderful visit with aunt Helen. We were so thankful to spend a few days with her, and so sad to see her go. Mom felt so bad because she was sick during the visit, but we still managed to enjoy our company to the fullest. We hope both aunt Helen and Liz had fun too and will come back soon to see us. Great Grandma Hively turned 80 this past Thursday, quite an accomplishment, let's hope we are all as beautiful and vivacious as her at 80. Cousin Carrie turns 32 on the 26th, so if you see her, tell her happy birthday! I posted some pics above of our trip to the aquarium and me clowning around the house. I tell you, you better come and see me soon because before long, I am going to be delivering FULL speeches. I guess I better get working on that. Back to the grind tomorrow, ugh! I feel for mom and dad, but you know I am also excited to see Ms. Michele, Me-mom, Pop, and all of my friends and their family. Please know how much we love and miss you and think of us often, as we do you. Love you big bunches, XOXOXOXO, Cooper B.

Aunt Helen is arriving tomorrow!!

2008-06-09T17:49:00.001-07:00

Hello out there in blogland! How are you holding up in this sweltering heat? We actually thought we were going to melt until Papaw Bill helped dada fix the AC over the phone. Mom was starting to worry and honestly, so was I! I am posting more pics for your enjoyment, the one with dad depicts us reading my most favorite book, Secret Seahorse. I can't wait to show aunt Helen where that crafty seahorse is hiding on each page. I know she will be so proud. I sure hope you all enjoyed my sprinkler video; that waterpillar is a little bit frightening. I much prefer the hose as you will see above. I am also posting a picture of my poor finger. I have alas, lost my nail since the accident but it actually looks alot better. One injury on the mend and wouldn't you know I acquired a new one yesterday morning. Mom and I were out enjoying the morning and I am really mastering the steps. I also enjoy sitting on ANYTHING heine level. I perched myself on the back steps and before mom could blink, I pitched forward, hit my head and scraped my face then landed face down, heiner up in the grass! Have you ever?! How upsetting. Dad says I look like a tough guy. Both mom and I cried about the whole ordeal. Luckily, it is already looking much better today. Great news, mom put in her 60 day notice at work today. She is excited/apprehensive about the whole deal, so keep her in your prayers. We had a big outing in the heat wave this weekend, we went to lovely downtown Baltimore to the aquarium! Woohoo, what fun. You know how yours truly loves some FISH!! I saw lots plus sharks, dolphins, stingrays, seahorses, anenomes to mention only a few. We had quite an enjoyable time. I also spent some serious time basking in the shade and playing in the water. Mom and Dad even let me drink from the hose! How about that? The water is SOO cold, I highly recommend it. I love everything about that hose, especially when they squirt me with it. I swear, I ran around in the buff or diaper only ALL weekend. No one told me how great summer is!! Well, I guess mom did, you know she loves some sunshine! We are looking forward to the next few months to our upcoming visitors. We have Helen tomorrow, Gram and Gramps B very soon, and today we found out our friends, the Swigers, may be coming sometime in June or July. We are SO excited!! Of course, we have some visits of our own to pay, starting with this very weekend for great grandma Hively's 80th birthday, what a day to celebrate. We are heading back to WV for the 4th of July as you well know, and planning a trip up to PA with dad's first long weekend after mom is done with work. Dad says I can visit Smoky the horse and maybe go fishing! Doesn't that sound like the most fun? I have all sorts of new words, and don't you know, we have been practicing Gramma like crazy. I say mamaw instead, but I figured, hey, close enough and it gets the point across. I have also been saying mea-maw for Ms. Michelle's mom and my very own grandma away from home. Honestly, mom and dad become more and more impressed with my accomplishments with each passing day. I really am one smart cookie! Mom is hoping to have me singing happy birthday by the weekend! Uncle Bart and his family have been visiting gram and gramps and the Costello gang this past weekend. We are sure sorry we couldn't' get up there to join in the festivities. Gramma B sent mom a sample menu and mom can't wait until they get here to hopefully enjoy some of that fine fare! More news...I am having some sleep issues recently, I think it may be the party in my crib at 3am that is the culprit. What can I say, I am an ANIMAL. Yesterday when I was waking from my nap, mom heard a ripping sound over the monitor and was quite puzzled until I clearly told her "wee". Obviously she wasn't aware of my diaper removing talent! Last night she tried to pull a fast one and change my poopy while I was sleeping. Much to her chagrin, one of my poopies escaped and she stuck her finger right in it. Sure wish I was awake to enjoy that one! Serves her right. Well, I guess I better run, I will try to post again asap. Until then, think of me, miss me, and by golly, COME AND SEE ME if you get the notion. I may not be this handsome and charming forever! Now you know mom vehemently disagrees :) Please be safe and take care of your loved ones. Don't forget to tell them how much they mean to you. We'll be thinking of how much you mean to us; you know we sure do love you. Miss you lots too...Hugs and kisses, Cooper B.

Welcome June!

2008-06-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

A great big howdy do to all of you! How in the world are you? We are doing absolutely copacetic here in UB. Sorry I have been a little out of touch, you know how time gets away from us. So what is new with you? Lots of news here to report since our last post, so let's get started, what do you say? As you all probably know by now, we are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of our bun in mom's oven. I am doing my part, just so you know, I kiss mom's belly several times each day. Is that the cutest thing you've ever heard or what? It happens to coincide with the fact that I am seriously into tummies right now. Don't get me wrong, I love dad's tummy too, but mom's is really the one for smooching. Besides, I think the baby can feel my kisses, don't you? We had the ultrasound and all was well except for the fact mom wasn't quite as far along as her doctor thought she was. She swears she is going to stop listening to him! You know how impatient she is...Anywho, she has been feeling pretty rough, but bless her heart, she has sure been trying to hang in there and do her mom-ly duties. More great news, dad's new job is going well and he actually is working with some of his old comrades from his former unit. We think it is such a blessing and although he is making one heck of a commute, at least it is toward something he can believe in again. Soon he will be moving into a brand new facility with a state of the art gymnasium. And this is not just any gymnasium, the people at his new building are hard core crossfitters too! How about that stroke of luck?! Mom and I are both so happy for dad, and the best news of all is that he won't be travelling like he thought he would. Not that we couldn't do it without him, we'd simply much rather have him around. OK...I know I am on a roll with the good stuff, so guess what else?? Aunt Helen is coming to visit, VERY soon. Tuesday the 10th, in fact, is when she will be rolling into UB to see yours truly. We are so PUMPED!! Also, Gram and Gramps B will also been arriving sometime in June to have some fun in the sun and run through my new caterpillar sprinkler with me. Of course, you know I will have to show them how its done. Dad got it for me today and you should see me, I don't know whether to laugh or cry at it, I am beside myself! We had a big day of shopping yesterday at the Leesburg outlets...mom got some new maternity clothes, but for some reason, she didn't have quite the same look on her face as when she leaves Banana Republic with a bag full of goodies...strange. Dad got some new duds AND some new shoes. We figured, what the hey, he has been such a good boy! I am saving some of the bestest news for last...Mom got an email on a job lead today for 20-25 hours/week. She is hoping to get the interview ASAP. Would that be the absolute greatest or what?! Mom said it's like her prayers have been answered and you know she's been in turmoil with the whole house not selling, etc. If you ask me, this is just what she needs...more ME time! Don't you think? OK...finally some not so good news, but I want to report it nonetheless...Uncle Bart is heading back overseas in July and again around Nov/Dec. Please join us in wishing him a safe and successful journey. We are hoping like crazy to get to see him before he leaves, we sure miss having him around. On that note, I guess I better get to counting sheep. If you see my uncle Nathan, be sure to wish him a happy belated 8th birthday. Also, remember to congratulate your graduates and students for another year well done. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead and please know you are in our thoughts and prayers. We sure miss you and hope to see you soon. Take care of yourselves and give those loved ones close to you a hug and a kiss and think of us. We'd do the same if we were with you. Lots of love to all of you, be safe, Cooper B.

Finally Feeling Better!

2008-05-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hi there, how is your spring going so far? Mine is great, except for the recent bout of illness that has hit the Bryant household. Dad and I have had quite a week to say the least. Mom was getting worried about the both of us, she knows we are tough guys and was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to shake this nasty old virus. I have had the infamous hand, foot, and mouth AND a right ear infection. Dad has the the sore throat from you know where and felt much like he had been beat with a baseball bat! Last night was my first night sleeping through the night in a week. Up until Thursday night, I was up all night every 30 minutes checking in with m&d to remind them just how terrible I was feeling. I am posting a picture of my poor little foot just to give you an idea of what my throat looked like. Needless to say, it was far from pretty. There for a few days, I couldn't even swallow my own saliva! But don't worry, I am still the same old Cooper B, tough as nails, you know the B stands for big and brave. Some fabulous news...the B also stands for Big Brother! Yep, you read it right, I am going to be a BIG BROTHER, whoo wee! Isn't that the best news you've ever read on the blog?! Our little family thinks so anyway...mom had her first Dr. appointment this past Thursday and much to her surprise and delight, she is about a month or more further along than she thought. Good news too, because she has been feeling pretty bad. You moms out there must really love us little ones to put up with feeling like you do. My mom says it's worth every bit of it and more to have another one like me! Isn't she the sweetest? I can't say I blame her though, I am one charming fellow. I have been repeating EVERYTHING. Yesterday, I said raining and believe it or not, my new fancy word is...Beau! How about that?! At first m&d thought they heard me incorrectly, but then I gave my dad what mom calls a poop-eating grin (I cleaned it up for you G audience members) and then they both realized I can say my da-da's name! I am also working puzzles like a prodigy. I have a new one with sea creatures and I can almost name them all! My favorite is the whale and of course, the seahorse. I don't know if I have told you about my favorite book, Secret Seahorse, but my aunt Helen is going to be so proud of me when she comes to see us, I have learned to point out the seahorse on every page! Wait till she gets a load of me!! We had a very nice gift today, our neighbors had some mulch left over and shared it with us. M&D were so excited, it really made the flowers (the ones still living that is) look so nice! I don't know if you knew it, but my gram and gramps B were here to visit last weekend and we had a great time. I think both Mom and Gramma B had a wonderful Mother's day. I got mom a special card that sings a song and you can record something, I told her "trash". No surprise there, that is my favorite word. Unfortunately, it got erased so she will have to settle for "hat" instead; nothing says "I love you" quite like "hat". Also a good one by mom's count. Gram got a special surprise in her mother's day card, we signed Baby B's name to it. Isn't that clever? We did the same thing for Grammy J figuring that's just about as good as a mother's day present can get. Don't you think? Well, I better run...m&d did some yard work while I took myself a nice catnap today. I figure we will hit the big city for some dining out and shopping : ). Hope you had a fantastic mother's day if you're a mom. I personally want to thank you and tell you how very much we little ones (and big ones) appreciate all you do. Dad starts his new job on Monday, so say a little prayer for him. We'll be doing the same for you in whatever your endeavors are and of course, just because we love you. Drop us a line or better yet, come and congratulate our family in person. We'll be thinking of and missing you bunches. Much love and hugs AND kisses, Cooper B.

Happy May to You!

2008-05-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

How do you do? Fine here thanks for asking. We are enjoying this beautiful weekend and we hope you are doing the same. The weather has been gorgeous here in UB this past few days, whew, we were beginning to wonder if spring would EVER get here! Dad's crossfit seminar was, as I am sure you predicted, a great success. He now has his level one crossfit certification and just this past Friday he earned his CPR card. How about that? He is getting ready to take the practice test for his CSCS (certified strength and conditioning coach) and he will be well on his way to getting some people in shape here in Maryland! He already has a wonderful pupil, our friend, James High. He comes weekly for the punishment, and both mom and dad always anxiously await his arrival. You should see how well he is coming along out there! He only has just begun and before long, he will be out-lifting mom, haha. Dad has also converted the Smells who are posting workouts to be very proud of along with dad on their workout blog. They recently completed Murphy, which is a workout to top all workouts. Let's say it isn't for the faint of heart. Mom and dad are so excited to have them for motivational partners. Too bad we all can't be closer to REALLY share in the blood, sweat, and tears. More news on that, since dad's new job, I am pretty sure our house is coming back off the market. Needless to say, the market isn't in much shape for a sale right now. But don't worry about us, we say whatever is meant to be will be. Other fabulous news...Dad heard the word about his new job and he starts May 12th. We are so happy for him and we know he will be a tremendous success. We had some special surprise visitors this evening, Ms. Michele came with Mr. James tonight. She joined me for my bath and naked gallavanting...we had a fabulous time. Unfortunately, I missed out on the majority of my afternoon nap and I was beginning to get a tad bit grumpy. I sure hope Ms. Michele and Mr. James can forgive my manners! More news...I am still very much into trash, throwing most everything into the garbage can and deeming it "trash" whether or not it is. I am also obsessed with the vaseline and digging my little fingers in it every time I get the chance. Good news for the upcoming weekend, gram and gramps B are coming to see us. We discovered a lovely new place to people watch and window shop and we can't wait to take them there. Well, it's approaching my bedtime and I guess that's enough good news for one post. Don't worry, I'll write again real soon. Until then, we'll be thinking of you and wishing you well. Please take care of yourselves and come see us any chance you get. Lot and lots of love, Cooper B.

Honk if you love Starbucks!

2008-04-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Hello to you, it's me again, bringing you the news on this lovely spring day! How in the heck have you been? We are really great here and I have to say we are all especially enjoying this beautiful weather. We sure hope you are too. If you get a second, be sure to check out the Battler Babies Blog. You will find a link on this page near the bottom. We can't believe how the triplets are growing! We are so excited to see them and everyone else at the annual 4th of July extravaganza! You would certainly be amazed if you could see what I've been up to. I LOVE to read! My current favorite book is called Secret Seahorse from my aunt Helen and m&d read it to me no less than 10 times daily. I love to point the seahorse out on each page and I give kisses to the fish. I am quite the kisser these days. Tuesday at daycare, I kissed my friend Lily 5 times and then Wed morning, I tried to plant one on Tatum. The past few mornings mom has come to get me up and found me kissing the various animals on my quilt Nanny made me. In fact, I wouldn't get out of bed until all the kissing was finished. It really makes mom and dad laugh. Another amusing feat lately has been my vast and quickly growing vocabulary. For instance, you know I told you how much I love the word shoes, right? Well, now I have more faves to include UP!, truck, whee, no way, please (only for chocolate), wa (for water), and most importantly, uh-oh shit! In fact, this last phrase has been the phrase of the week, much to m&d's chagrin. Mom is trying to blame dad, but we all know it is totally her fault. She was afraid we'd get kicked out of daycare for some reason or another. I am not sure what all of the fuss is about, I say it appropriately every time. For example, when I fall off my zebra or drop my pacifier, uh-oh, shit. Sounds right to you doesn't it? Anywho, mom keeps trying to substitute some word, shoot, every time I try out my new word. First they want me to repeat every word they tell me and then they try to change my favorite one, I am so confused! As you probably know, this upcoming weekend is dad's crossfit certification. We know we will miss him, but we are so excited for him as he already got offered a gig from the park rangers down where he teaches his land navigation class. Very exciting. Today I have my 15 month old well visit with a new doctor. Mom is a nervous wreck about the whole deal, you know I have to get some shots and a blood draw today. Needless to say, she is beside herself. We are planning some weekend visiting as soon as we get a chance. We'd like to go to the Baltimore aquarium, the National Zoo, and mom especially wants to visit her favorite landmark, you've all probably heard of it, the Dulles Town Center. Doesn't sound historic to me, how about you? We also want very much to pay a visit to Clarksburg and all of our friends as well as stops at our families. Keep your fingers crossed we can squeeze it all in! Of course, if you want to help us out with the driving, come on down our way if you get the chance. We had a wonderful but brief visit from aunt Amber and uncle Jim last Saturday. We did lunch, mom and aunt Amber shopped at the UB general store, and of course, we had some fabulous cold stone ice cream. What a great day! This is what you can look forward to as well anytime you are in the neighborhood! Well, I better run, I am busily napping (call me multitalented) and mom has to get a shower since we got so muddy playing in the yard this morning. Dad will have quite a surprise to come home to as mom decided to do some gardening on her own. What a mess! Hopefully he won't yell at her too much for destroying his beautiful grass and giving him MORE obstacles to mow around. I'll let you know how that one turns out! Until next time, keep us in your hearts and prayers and we'll do the same for you. Lots of love to you, Cooper B.

Almost 15 months old!!

2008-04-16T06:00:00.001-07:00

Hello there! How are you folks in blogland doing? OK here, busy as a bee as usual. Mom and I are having breakfast together as we speak and I thought I would shout out a quick howdy do! You wouldn't believe how much I am talking! I repeat about anything I am asked and I LOVE to sing. I will try to attach a video file of my latest hit. I am sure I'll be going platinum! Good news...Dad is likely getting a new job! Isn't it exciting?! He sure deserves it but mom is beginning to think Uncle Bart was right when he said da-da was born with a silver spoon up his toukas! Haha, just kidding, and you know he didn't use the word toukas! Don't worry, I try to keep it G rated for my adoring audience. The work will be more along the lines of what dad used to do and we are all so happy and excited for him. We are now simply waiting for the contract to be accepted by the customer and he will likely start within a month. As for mom, she is also a little happy for herself; she may be able to cut back on her working hours after we get the ball rolling with dad. You can all guess what that means for me, possibly one more day with mom. She wants it so bad but is not yet allowing herself to get excited in case it doesn't work out. We have faith whatever is meant to be will be. More good news, Grammy J is feeling a little better. She is out of the hospital for 11 days now and actually returned to work for a few hours today. She was very tired this evening but sounding much better each day. I feel a bit sorry for her since mom has been badgering her sometimes twice daily. She has had quite a battle with this pneumonia and we sure have been worried about her, especially mom. She says it is so hard to do what she does but then be helpless in these situations. Speaking of what mom does, she has a potential new job in the works. Again ,you say...fickle may be her middle name, haha. More on that later. We missed some very important bdays too, cousin Stephanie and our friend, Jen Duval, both shared the 11th for their big day. If you see them, be sure to wish them a very happy belated. Today would have been 33 years for Papaw Bill and Grammy J had they not moved on to greener pastures. Aunt Dawn is celebrating on April 20th and our friend Curtis B's is tomorrow. What else you say? Well, I am recently saying Shell (for Ms. Michele), Lord knows she has earned it keeping up with yours truly. Gram and Gramps B got their house "jacked up" and in this case, we hear that's a good thing. We also can't wait to see the new paint job; we know with Gramma B's touch the colonial blue will be bea-u-ti-ful! Dad's big seminar is coming up next weekend for Crossfit and mom's upcoming big weekend involves working this Saturday and walking around with that crazy phone in her pocket, YUCK. As for myself, every weekend is landmark hanging out with mom and dad. We'll soon be planting our garden so you'll have to drop by this summer and enjoy some of our home grown veggies. That is if the rabbit doesn't eat them first because you know mom won't let dad shoot it! Until then, we'll be watching for you and wishing you the best. Please keep us in your thoughts and hearts as we do for you. Take care of and love one another. Above all, love me because I sure love you too, thanks for tuning in, Cooper B.

Get Well Grammy J!

2008-04-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hi to all of you faithful fans and my apologies first and foremost for the delay in posting! I hope you can forgive us for the gap in the news, you know life barrels on at quite a dizzying pace! For those of you who don't know, I'll get right down to the nitty gritty. My grammy J is in the hospital with pneumonia and we are praying like crazy she'll be out by the weekend. She has had quite a battle with this nasty infection and we only wish we could be there with her to cheer her on. She sounded much better today but has a few months of recovery and hard work ahead of her. We don't doubt for one second if anyone can kick it in the rear, Grammy J can! Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy return to good health. I have many updates, Happy Belated Easter first of all, and boy, did you miss one heck of a bday bash for dad turning 32! Whoowee! There was a HUGE cake, but funny, now that I think of it, I didn't get a single bite! The nerve! I guess I can't be too angry, m&d did take me to the beach. And what a great time was had by all! We celebrated Easter together with a delicious ham dinner and we even hunted Easter eggs on the beach, a first for our little family. We all colored and decorated the eggs together. We also went to a pig pickn for Uncle Bart's homecoming. You should have seen what a party animal I was! The park people all had their golf carts surrounding yours truly and I was showing off my moves to some serious soul music. The food was delicious and I guess the beer was too from the looks of the Bryant/Costello gang! Of course, they cut me off after one, talk about your party poopers! We also went to the NC aquarium. That was the BEST! I saw lots of fishes, an alligator, seahorses, stingrays to name a few. I will try to post some of the pics with this entry or very soon. I also went to Chucky Cheese for the very first time (m&d's too). You should see me play skee ball! Once I get the ball on the actual machine I will be unstoppable! Dad, mom and me had a picnic in the park and I did some swinging and slicky sliding. The most awesome part of all was spending time with my family. It was great to see them all and we miss them already. We hope Gram and Gramps B are busy planning our next get together, of course we are keeping our fingers crossed that it is somewhere in the southern region of the US. Big news here in UB, dad's crossfit certification is coming up at the end of this month. Mom and I are REALLY excited for him and know he will have a blast. Gramma B announced today more wonderful news...she is getting hearing aids! WHOOPEE! We are very excited for her as well; although mom is a bit worried, she made a comment that Gramma B might tell her friends...love that daughter in law, but BOY, is she LOUD!! April fool's came and went without a hitch around here, I'll tell you time flies and most days mom doesn't even know what month it is! She and I are a little under the weather right now with head colds and snot, but we are both thankful that dad is finally feeling better. In fact, he's right back at it in the gym. Poor mom keeps suffering setbacks but she is keeping the faith. We got some new rubber matting for our gym floor and you should see it. Dad is willing to do anything to keep mom out there with him! No news yet on the house, unfortunately, but keep your fingers crossed for us...m&d say it doesn't look good. We are reassured that whatever is meant to be will be. We missed alot of birthdays in our time off and we'd like to mention a happy belated to Marcie, Leah, Marisa, Gary, cousin Kelley, uncle Bob, Mason Halfin, Brady Swiger (the big 1), cousin Connor, & Wyatt McClintock (also 1). This Friday cousin Matt, aunt Glenna, and cousin Katie Sayre (ONE : ), also celebrate so if you see them, tell them Happy Birthday. We are sure looking forward to the weekend here in UB. Dad has big plans for a vegetable garden and the seedlings are poking out of the topsoil. He is looking forward to the rotatiller and getting those babies into the ground. We are also admiring our very green (read higher than everyone in the neighborhood's) grass due to some fabulous weed and feeding by my dad last fall. Needless to say we'll be the first on the block to mow this spring. So please, if you are in the neighborhood, take the opportunity to come by and take a gander at our grass! We'll be looking for you and in the meanwhile, please remember ma-ma's MAMA and keep her in your prayers. Take care of yourselves and those you love...we miss you and love you back. Hugs and kisses, Cooper B.

PS: I have 15 going on 16 teeth now and I am repeating lots of words. I said sleeves today! How about that? I am also feeding myself with a spoon and helping put on my own shoes (while I say "shoes")! I have also added the twist and some serious head nodding to my dance repertoire, next stop, dancing with the stars!

I Got My First Haircut, Whoowee!

2008-03-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Hi to all, how in the world have you been? Better here, I am happy to report. I am officially afebrile. I wish I could go all the way with that one and say I am feeling 100%, but the irony of it all is that I have FOUR teeth coming in as we speak. Can you imagine? I can't think of anything more painful for a little guy, although I know poor mom is coming close in that race. She called her Dr. tonight and begged him to get her in to see the surgeon ASAP. He is going to work on it in the morning and I think she feels a little bit better knowing there is light at the end of her tunnel before this Thursday. Besides the fact that is cutting it awfully close to our big vacation...we don't want to take any chances on that because we are all VERY excited. It sure did get hairy here in the Bryant household for a while with all of these illnesses, even poor Sam got in on some antibiotic action, as you can see from above. As you can also ascertain, he was none too happy about taking his medicine. I hope you also enjoy my warrior pose; I think I almost have it perfected...all I am missing is a little face paint and I would look like the real deal! Guess what mom and I did today? We went shopping...I actually let her try on clothes for the very first time in a year! I am such a good boy, of course, you know mom thinks so above all. My reward for this awesome behavior was some books for my Easter basket. Now, call me crazy, but how is it a such a big secret when mom and dad keep talking about it and buying things for it right out in the open? And I am here to tell you right now, mom better not pull that stunt where she takes toys I already have and puts them in my Easter basket. I am a little miffed to admit she didn't think I was smart enough last year to figure it out. I told her not to mistake kindness for weakness, I knew all along but was simply too polite to point out the obvious. So if you talk to her, please pass along this very important tidbit. All in all, teething included, I had a pretty good day. I am not napping the best these days, but I did sleep until 10 till 9 the past two mornings. I do, however, want to point out, I was up for a quick nip both mornings from 5-6am. These parents of mine are LAZY, and boy, do they LOVE their sleep! I have to shake it up every once in a while to keep them on their toes if nothing more than for a little perspective. Now for the news, I received my very first hair cut one week ago today...I am going to be straight out with it, I look like a movie star. Of course, my stylist (read, our neighbor, Ms. Crystle) came over to our house to make me over. You wouldn't believe how good I was for the whole event. You should have seen m&d, mom snapping pictures as usual and stuffing pecan sandies down my throat, dad, holding Lily and keeping her entertained while Ms. Crystle worked her magic. Don't tell mom, but I would've been the same without all the cookie bribery. Nonetheless, I thought it worked out well. I also want to tell you I am officially brushing my teeth AND feeding myself applesauce with a spoon. This is the only notion that cheered me during mealtime today. Mom said she'd never seen 4 ounces of applesauce stretch quite so far. I think she was beaming with pride and maybe a little jealousy as I am getting to be such a big boy. Speaking of, you should hear me talking up a storm! I am trying to make it clear for these two knuckleheads, but I guess old people aren't very good listeners. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, mom had quite the compliment today. She was checking out at American Eagle and a sales chickie told her that "my mom would really like those pants!" I thought mom was going to knock her out! Talk about feeling like an old cronie! Anywho, I am also happy to report that uncle Bart is officially home and I will be seeing him within one week, yippee. We will be visiting with him, Deb, Cody, and Connor on our beach getaway. I haven't seen mom and dad so excited. We are even taking Sam with us. M&D are a bit put off about that as it will cost more for him to stay than the three of us put together. Mom has the game plan all figured out to maximize beach time and we will be leaving UB Thursday after dinner. You know how those two love staying in hotels! That way we can be to the beach by early Friday afternoon if all goes well. More news, our friend, Cyndy Smell passed the kettle bell certification this weekend and kudos to her. Not only is she a force to be reckoned with, she had the courage to spend the weekend away from the triplets. I don't think my mom will every be able to do it; she swears she is going away to college with me! Don't laugh, I don't think she is joking! Well, I better get going, pray for speedy entry of my canines! UGH! We'll be in touch. Feel free to call us or simply drop on in for a visit. We'd always love to have you. Until then, you're in our hearts and minds. Love to all of you, hugs and kisses too, Cooper B.

PS: Don't forget to leave out some carrots for the Easter bunny!!

In loving memory of Lawrence 'Eugene' Sloan, Dec 28, 1925-Feb. 25, 2008

2008-03-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

Heidi ho! How in the world are you doing? I'm ok, seems like I can't shake the sickies. This cold weather has been pretty hard on a little guy. Although, the first news is, I am not so little anymore, you know I am a whopping 13 months old now. I am eating m&d out of house and home. As you can also see above, I am now practically feeding myself. Pretty soon, I will have to get a job to help pay for the groceries around here. Mom already has me in training, and as you can see from above, I am quite the quick study. Good and bad news to report here...first the good, mom and I have been together non-stop since last Thursday, how about that?! We are doing everything together including being sick. She has a nasty looking sore throat (according to dad, "it's a mess in there"), she had him check her out with the otoscope. Mom thinks dad may have some undiscovered talent, though he would have to work on his comments, you can't say that to an actual patient according to mom. Anywho, she says it looks alot worse than it is. And now the worst news, for those of you who don't know yet, or haven't heard, my great Papaw Sloan passed away Monday morning, Feb. 25 at 10:07 am. It has been a very rough few weeks for us here in UB, but we are reassured to know that he isn't suffering any more. The best part besides knowing he is at peace is that we got to see our family, albeit on a whirlwind tour. Mom and I spent the past two weekends in WV, first to see Papaw and then this past weekend accompanied by dad for the wake and funeral. It was so hard on poor mom; thank goodness dad was there to help and supervise me. At one point I think he may have needed a sheep dog! The services were short and sweet, just as Papaw would have wanted. Grandma Sloan is doing as well as can be expected; we hope she will soon have peace too with the unfairness of it all. That was about all she could say about it, "it's not fair". We can't imagine how hard it must have been for her. It is always a blessing to see them all and I know mom has been having a hard time since we've been back missing her family and wishing she wasn't far away in times like these. We're sure working on it, so keep us in your prayers. I am afraid also to report I have been up to no good since I have been back. Sunday, I discovered I have quite a temper (mom says it must be from dad)! I threw my very first fit, poor mom couldn't figure out what happened, she started to panic and almost cry before dad informed her of what was going on! Afterward, I was playing with my new favorite toy, an umbrella stroller purchased during our travels, and can you believe that thing had the nerve to be difficult? Well, I showed it, I yelled at it every time it didn't go my way and when that didn't work, I am a little ashamed to admit, I bit that crazy stroller (repeatedly)! Mom and dad watched with complete shock and awe. I think I even saw a little fear in mom's eyes. She doesn't know what to do with the new side of Cooper B. First I wowed the two of them and my family with my charm and giving out kisses to my relatives and m&d. Then I come home and all heck breaks loose! You know I have to keep those two on their toes! More great news...guess who should be coming home tonight? UNCLE BART!! He may be there as I write this glorious news to you. Other good news...17 more days until our BEACH trip and we get to see him there! Yippee! We also get to see cousin Cody, meet aunt Deb, and celebrate cousin Connor's bday with dad. Mom and I have been busy getting bday and Easter ready for dad. We think he will be excited to see what that Easter bunny has in store for him. Some not so good news, mom goes back to work tomorrow...YUCK! I know she wants to cry just thinking about it. Maybe some day, when we get back to WV, she can only work 2-3 days per week. Wouldn't that be the greatest? We're looking forward to seeing the Smells this weekend and dad's crossfit certification is coming up soon. Join us in prayer that this weather is here to stay. Mom is so sick of winter we may have to commit her if it turns cold again! She whispers stories of year round warmth in my ear when we are freezing cold. Maybe some day, she says, and hopefully before she's too old to walk in the sand! You all take care out there and know we are thinking of and missing you. Once this weather breaks would be a perfect time to visit exotic, downtown UB. We would absolutely love to have you any time. We are actually airing out the rooms today just in case! Don't forget to wish aunt Amber a very happy birthday tomorrow and please keep great Grandma Sloan in your thoughts and prayers through this difficult time. You'll be hearing from me and my antics soon. Lots and lots of love and big kisses to you! Cooper B.

PS: Hello to you beautiful aunt Linda...we are both surprised and flattered to now know you are such a blog fan. Please say hello to your family from us...I can't tell you how wonderful it was seeing you and Cindy. When we are feeling down here we think of your warm smiles...maybe some day we can get down there to TX to pay you a visit...until then, we're thinking of and missing you.

Just call me Rip Van Winkle

2008-02-24T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hello to you! How in the heck is every little thing? Not too shabby here, but you know it can always be better...of course, we must try to remember it can always be worse! Mom and I are back safely from our whirlwind trip to visit my Great Papaw Sloan. The news is terribly sad and I am afraid to report his prognosis is weeks at best, likely days. You will be reassured to know he is still in good spirits and taking all of these new developments in admirable stride. For those of you who have not met him, how unfortunate for you, he is a strong, oak of a man. Even at his worst, he still looks inconquerable to mom and me. Mom was thankful to have a few minutes alone with him. She got to give him a foot rub and they talked a little, more than worth the 13 hours of driving in her mind. Papaw is hanging in there and fighting the good fight. He has been in terrible pain for the last few years and says he is worn out from that. When we left from our visit, he seem to be a little more comfortable and that's all we can pray for. He isn't feeling up to eating too much, but he drinks some water and is a champ with the vast array of visitors that have come to pay their respects to him. How they all love him! I bet the VA has never seen such a sight. The halls were lined with Sloans on both sides and what a sight to see! Mom says they were all (and always are) a sight for sore eyes! We always say, there is NOTHING more important than family. I guess that's why we are so lonely here in UB. At times like these we seem worlds away. Poor mom in torn to pieces about wanting to be in two places at once. Dad and I are trying to cheer her up, but you know what a worrier she is! On top of that, after my nearly FOUR hour nap today (do you think I was happy to be back in my crib?), I awoke with a fever. I threw up last night while Dad was feeding me dinner, not the parent in this family you want to puke on. Needless to say, I almost started a barf-o-rama. The good news is I was the lone up-chucker. Mom said she was feeling a little queasy today, but you know how impressionable she is. I am sharing some pics with you of my great Papaw Sloan. The first two are from Christmas of 2005 when Dad was in Iraq. Mom had a wonderful holiday with her family, though you know she was missing Dad like CRAZY. The next two pics are from this summer when I very first met Mamaw and Papaw Sloan. The following two are again from Christmas 05. We have another update as I write this blog and again the news is bleak. Please pray God is swift and kind with him and ends his suffering very soon. I am sorry we don't have better news to report today. In fact, I actually do have a little. Uncle Bart shouldn't have much longer now. By our last count, he will be back in our great country in less than a week. Another blessing to be thankful for...well, I better get going. I have tupperware in m&d's cabinet to organize. Keep the Sloan family in your thoughts and prayers as we don't know what we'll do without our beautiful patriarch. Under the circumstances, it was wonderful as always to see them all. I got to chat with my cousin, Sawyer D, who briefly taught me how to flush the toilet. Sure enough, he was exactly right, it worked like a charm at Papaw Bill's that very evening. We know cousin Stephanie will get a laugh out of that. Congrats goes out to her for her new job, although mom admits, she is quite jealous. Also, a big thanks goes out to Grammy J for attempting to keep me under wraps while mom visited with her grandpa. I definitely gave her, in fact, a whole slew of them, quite a run for their money. Poor mom's biceps were sore from lifting me up so much! Dad told her she needs to hit the gym, no surprise there. We also got to meet quite a honey, our cousin, Katelyn Sayre. You should've seen mom balancing each of the two of us on her hips. She says she'll have to increase her calorie intake and beef up those hips before the next Bryant comes along. Relax Gramma B, no news on that front yet. Lastly, we are happy to report Ms. Michele is coming all with her recovery quite well. I will let you know more about her after we reunite at her house this week. While I am looking forward to being with my friends, mom is dreading going back to work without yours truly. You know how we love our time together and the last few days have spoiled us. We will keep you posted. Until next time, we'll be thinking of you and wishing you nothing but the best. Lots of love to you and your kin, Cooper B.

B My Valentine!

2008-02-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

Hello to you! It's me, Cooper B. wishing you a belated happy Valentine's day. We hope you had a great one full of hugs and kisses. We sure did. I am posting some pics with my funny Valentines mom and dad, and one of my belated Valentines present, a visit from Gram and Gramps B. Gramma B made me the last hat of the season, and boy, is it a nice one. Fits me perfectly and I wear it well, of course. We are having a nice visit so far and looks like we may be out for Saturday lunch and some fun in Frederick. The best part is that Gram and Gramps will be joining us. This morning I ate a GIGANTIC breakfast and now I am helping dad vacuum the downstairs. In case you didn't know, I am such a helper bee. I also gave Gram and Gramps my Valentine to them, well, sort of. They had a bit of a hard time getting me to let go of the candy. Don't they know candy isn't for adults anyway? Oh by the way, I hope you aren't faint at heart. The above Valentine pose is for the mature audience only. M&D think I may have a future in modeling although they were a little nervous as to how naturally this art form came to me. Mom says they will have to lock me in the house when I am a teenager. She also prays I don't have both dad looks and her personality. She says they will never rest, whatever that's supposed to mean...You know mom. Not much news this week; mom is working like a mad woman at her job, seeing so many patients a day her head is spinning. Dad has been making the long commute to southern Virginia, but he made it through the past two weeks without any frostbite. We're sure thankful for that. Ms. Michele is getting surgery next week, so be sure to remember her in your thoughts and prayers. We'll sure miss her, but I can't say I am not looking forward to Monday with Gram and Gramps, Tues and Wed with dad, and Thursday and Friday with ma-ma! Whoowee! Sounds like a great week ahead, don't you think?! I passed out Valentines at Ms. Michele's and mom stayed up Wednesday night making some beautiful Valentine cookies. They were heart shaped with pretty decorations and do you know I didn't even get to eat one? Some nerve. I have a new favorite cookie called Pecan Sandies. Come see me some time and I will share some milk and Sandies with you. Mom says I must get that taste from dad because to her a cookie just isn't a cookie without an inch of frosting or a pound of chocolate on it! Haha. I can't say that I blame her. Big birthday coming up on Monday...Pappy J. So if you see him, please wish him a VERY happy one. I wish I could tell him happy bday in person. You know I am talking up a storm. Too bad m&d aren't smart enough to figure out what I am saying yet. Bless their hearts, they try. I speak slowly and clearly, I am not sure what else to do. I guess I will continue to practice patience with those two. But you know, there is only so much a little guy can tolerate. Well, I better get going, maybe I can convince Gram to take me for a few more laps in my convertible before my nap. Regarding the above picture portfolio, I'll be signing autographs soon TBA. Until then, be thankful that you knew me when. Lots of love, be safe out there, and remember we are thinking of you and missing you like crazy. Come see us if you can. Hugs and Valentine kisses, Cooper B.

PS: We heard from Uncle Bart and are hoping like crazy we'll see him on our trip down to Topsail Beach over Easter/dad's bday. We'll keep you posted, but he only has about two weeks left! Yippee!!

Wait a minute, where did January go?

2008-02-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

Hello blog family and how do you do? It's me Cooper B. with apologies for the delay in the news. I hope this finds everyone doing well. We are all peachy keen here in UB. I am posting some more pics from my bday party as well as my recent goings on. Lots of news to report, so let's get right down to it. Today I received two fabulous gifts and it isn't even my birthday, how about that? What a pleasant surprise! I got a package from aunt Helen with an awesome puzzle, a card, and beautiful pics of her and Liz from their trip to New Zealand. Then, I got a special bible from aunt Libby and uncle Keith. How about that?! It is so nice and it has my name engraved on the front. There are pages to record all of my memorable moments and mom already said she can't wait to read it to me. Isn't that the best?! I hope your day was as good as mine, most of my days in fact. Today was nice because mom and I had breakfast together, scrambled eggs and maple sausage, YUM! I probably haven't told you, but I LOVE sausage. I am really into reading these days. I have this book that Gram and Gramps B got for me last June and it is my latest craze. I carry it around with me everywhere and m&d read it to me about 100 times a day. I love to point to the fish and make the hand motions with them. It is simply the best. We take turns and I read it to them sometimes too. It's only fair. More news, mom had her first on-call weekend this past weekend. What she said about it isn't approved material for this blog. See her for details. Moving on, lots of up and coming events, the one mom can't shut up about is our beach trip over Easter/Dad's birthday. She is absolutely beside herself. She told dad yesterday the best part is a whole 7 days with yours truly. Isn't that so sweet?! We can't wait! Big time birthdays this week, our friend, Aiden Dunnet, turned two yesterday. We are so sorry we couldn't make it to his party. The ONE time someone actually invites us somewhere and mom has to work. YUCK! Aunt Abagail turns 9 this coming Saturday and she shares her special day with grandma and grandpa Sloan's anniversary. Whew! We have a visit from the Smell's coming up and we are sure looking forward to that too! Maybe I will be speaking in full sentences by the time they get here in March. You know I have discovered the coolest thing ever...my TONGUE! It has endless possibilities for fun. I entertain m&d almost every meal with my parlor tricks. Keep it on the down low, but I think I may have some serious tongue talent! Once I get control of the crazy critter, I bet this whole talking thing will be a snap. Right now though, it has a mind of it's own and I can't say that's a bad thing at all. It provides a whole lot of laughs up here in UB. Mom and dad have both been busy with work. Dad is down in VA this week and roaming the woods. Mom is seeing so many patients it's crazy! She says the flu is in full swing. Let's pray it doesn't hit our house! We got our flu shot; heck, mom even gave it to dad and me herself. Bless her heart, she tries to take care of us...Well, I better get to bed. I am having technical difficulty with the pics again so bear with us; they'll follow soon. You take care out there and remember, uncle Bart will be home with us very soon. Keep him and all of us in your prayers and we'll do the same. Lots of love, hugs, and kisses to you, Cooper B.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-01-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hello there everyone in blog-land! I hope all is peachy with you. I have had quite a big week here in UB. As you probably know, yesterday, I officially turned ONE! How about that? Hard to believe I am already 365 days old, isn't it? Sometimes mom is so surprised she gets weepy about it, you know mom! I have very big news. We had our first party here in UB, and guess who was the guest of honor? None other than yours truly, Cooper B. It was my very own birthday party. Mom and Dad made me a beautiful bear cake, mom made cupcakes and decorated them on her very own (both a first for her). Dad, gram, gramps B., aunt Amber...heck we all pitched in for the decorating, appetizers, and bruschetta. Let me just tell you, it was a whopping success! Mom and Dad were so relieved. We were so thankful to have gram and gramps and then the Costello gang here prior to the festivities, and of course afterward, they were such a big help. Gramps even cleaned up a rotten pumpkin for mom. Talk about teamwork! I know he didn't sign up for nasty pumpkin duty! The guest list was quite extensive with a wonderful array of friends and family. We had the Dunnets from VA, the Bryants and Costellos from PA, Niala from VA, the Highs from New Windsor, the Farinas all the way from next door, and of course, mom, dad, and ME the man of the hour! Whew, what a turnout! Counting m, d, & me, we had 19! Talk about a party. We all had a great time, despite the fact that no one knew one another when the shindig kicked off. Isn't that wonderful news?! I thoroughly enjoyed talking to, eating, and sucking on the foot of my cake. We have some great pics to share with you if mom hasn't lost them all in computer land. (Keep your fingers crossed on that one). I am happy/sad to report, mom and I are home together today and dad and I spent the day together yesterday. Alas, must have been too much partying; I have been down for the count since Monday night. It all started with this runny nose and cough, and much to all of our surprise, you guessed it, MORE TEETH! This morning I was so out of sorts, mom and I both sat down in the floor for a good cry. She then proceeded to call for the day off work. Poor soul, she couldn't bear to go on getting ready or the thought of leaving me in this shape. You'll be happy to know (as mom was) I am now napping soundly and snuggly. Mom was trying her best to help, but I couldn't stop yelling at her. My little eyes are stinging from all the yelling and crying. Mom said this morning was the longest three hours of her life, next to my labor! Someone give this woman a medal! OH, almost forgot, wait until you see my fancy new covered wagon. Our whole family can fit inside! I also got some new puzzles for my bday, a jack in the box, a boat for my tub, a beautiful book, some cold hard cash, a turtle night light that projects stars on my ceiling, a farm with real live animals, a new camo outfit, some cars, crayons, and best of all, a NEW box of tissues of my very own. Mom and Dad saved this one for last. I think they learned their lesson at Christmas. We had a ball last night even though I am under the weather. My advice to you, next time you are feeling blue or under the weather, buy yourself a box of kleenex and GO TO TOWN. OK, on with the news...mom is interviewing at the Clarksburg VA medical center tomorrow. I will keep you posted on that one. Also tomorrow is Grampa B's 60th birthday (hope you don't mind me telling everyone gramps, you look so great, and limber like gumby since starting dad's workout), Saturday is Cyndy Smell's bday, and this past Sunday, the 2oth, was cousin Skylar and Justin's. Wish them all a happy bday. Next week belongs to Grammy J on the 28th, great Aunt Pat on the 29th...woohoo, isn't January the greatest?! Well folks, I better run. Hope you enjoy the pics. Please drop us a line, or better yet, come and see us when you get the chance. We love you and we'll be thinking of you. Take care of yourselves and love one another, Cooper B.
PS: I am having trouble loading pics, I will go ahead with the post and add pics as soon as I can!

Happy January to You!

2008-01-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Hello it's me, Cooper B., here to report the new year news! How in the world are you doing out there? I am great, fine as frog hair, finally feeling better after the crappy croup and these big teeth that keep invading my mouth! I now have 11 teeth, not a bad average for a little guy. I guess you know by now though, I am not going to be a little guy much longer. I turn one this month! Mom got some supplies for my bday party already, and boy, am I excited! I think she is going to attempt to bake me a cake. Be sure to wish her luck on that one. Boy, do I have news for you! Guess who the most recent visitors (read victims) to our garage gym (read torture chamber) have been?! Ms. Michele, James, Ryan, and Nathaniel. And guess what else? We have more victims, er I mean guests, on board for Saturday morning. Isn't that the greatest?! Mom and especially Dad are both so excited, the two of them have been extra motivated since they have more gluttons for punishment. You know they say misery loves company, hahaha. I was even out there night before last cheering on Mr. James and Ryan. I clapped for them as they staggered in for the last round! They were working hard and looking like pros already! Dad has been practicing his coaching skills and programming. He has some series excitement in the near future. He is going to be taking the test for his CSCS very soon AND he is going to a Crossfit certification in April. How about that?! Bless his heart, he has been waiting so patiently for a seminar close to home so he doesn't have to be away from mom and me. What a special guy he is! Mom and I are very proud of him and we know he is going to be the best affiliate EVER! Guess what else! We may be going on 2 vacations this spring. Word around the block is Gram B. has some tricks up her sleeve for Easter weekend and I think M&D are seriously thinking about crashing her party in a BIG way. Mom has been flitting around the house since she found out, you know how she loves the beach. The best part, besides the sand, sun, and ocean, according to her, will be seeing Uncle Bart, hooray! Other news, not quite as exciting, but M, D, and me will be heading to Snowshoe around the first week of March for a conference for mom's job. I am thrilled at the possibility of trying out my new sled in some serious snow! We have some more amazing news in the beginning of February, but we will wait to let that cat out of the bag, and NO, I am not going to be a big brother just yet : ). I'll definitely keep you posted on that one! Big time birthdays this month...Great Uncle Chuck's is today, Uncle Bart's is the 13th, Gramps B. is the 24th (my original ETA), Cyn Smell the 26th, Grammy J. the 28th, Great Aunt Pat the 29th, and YOURS TRULY...COOPER B., Big Boy on January the 22nd. As if you didn't already know! Whoowee! Big plans for the grown ups, I hear talk of Snickerdoodles cake. Stingy m&d are ordering a cake of their very own. I will try not to be hurt, but I can't understand why everyone wouldn't want me to feed them cake?! I want to tell you all about my new favorites as follows, the TRASH can; going #2 in the tub and playing with it (ask mom about that one, let's just say she normally has the tummy of a billy goat); swimming in the dog's water bowl; diving on Sam's dirty dog bed, preferably naked; going #1 and splashing in it; and, most recently according to dad, walking backward. Mom has yet to witness this amazing feat as this morning I was so busy doing all of the aforementioned activities. She is keeping her hopes up I will demonstrate this new daredevil act this afternoon. We will see! I also have been really enjoying feeding my dinner/lunch/breakfast to M&D. Sometimes dad gets a little green, I'm not so sure why, but I think he was a little disgusted with banana dipped in salad dressing. What a baby! I LOVE it, doesn't everyone?! I think he has a pretty weak stomach, but not mom, this morning she ate several pieces of my mushy toast and jam mixed with cottage cheese and runny nose like a champ. Needless to say, I was delighted. So what about you? Back to the cake issue, maybe you can give me some insight as to why anyone wouldn't want to share cake with Cooper B., or better still, let me feed it to them. I am practically squeaky I am so clean. OK, enough about that, you think about it, let me know, and I will put in a word to mom and dad to put me in charge of the appetizers for my big day. Finger foods only, baby! Woohoo. Hope you enjoy my above pics, I sure love going for rides in my wagon. It makes mom nervous since there is a specific warning on the bottom about NOT putting infants inside. I tell her she has to try living on the edge every once in a while. Poor mom has to learn to relax! Well, I better run, mom and I have big plans for today. We are doing lunch. Not sure where yet, but knowing her, I can guarantee it will involve a stop at Starbucks! I like the venti caramel mocchiato, hahaha. Helps me sleep. Take care out there. Lots of love to you and yours. Come and see me anytime you get the chance. I miss you and think of you often, Cooper little B., soon to be BIG B.

Happy New Year and Happy Anniversary to Mom and Dad!

2007-12-29T19:13:00.000-08:00

Hello to you! It's me, Cooper B, writing my last post for 2007, but don't be sad, I promise to be back in action and better than ever in 2008 (it that's even possible). I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did. We started off the day right with a Christmas call from uncle Bart and the day just kept getting better from there. I received some wonderful presents from a very nice man named Santa C. What a generous guy he is! He brought me a new car, a lawn mower, and a wagon filled with giant legos! How about that?! Then, he even sent me an extra special present all the way from northern PA...Gram and Gramps B! We are having some fun I'll tell you. Those two brought even more presents, from the Costello gang too! I want aunt Amber to know I am having a ball in my sled with mom and dad as my reindeer, who needs snow when you have able bodies and linoleum?! I don't know what I'll do with myself when I get to try it outside! I also got my very own snowman making kit. First I thought the coal was for eating, but mom reassured me this was not the case. I also got a real John Deere tool belt, a doggie of my very own from the NC Bryants, an awesome camoflauge hat from the Costello gang as well as a big boy tshirt from Gander Mtn. As you can tell, everyone who knows me thinks I am getting to be such a big boy. There was so much Christmas cheer and kindness from others, mom and dad saved two of my gifts for my big birthday next month. Don't worry, I didn't mind, once I opened my favorite gift, a whole box of kleenex for my little hands only from mom and dad, the whole living room disappeared! You know, I ripped every single tissue out of that box! I have been dying to do that for the past three months, but for some reason m&d always stop me. I'll tell you, Christmas must be some SPECIAL occasion! I am sad to say it is pretty quiet around here this evening. Gram and gramps left this morning and we miss them already. Let me just tell you what good sports they are, dad even got those two out into the gym. Isn't that something? We will be cheering them on from afar and hoping we help improve their quality of Harley riding if nothing more. We are going to have more victims, um I mean participants, in our workout soon. Mr. James, Ryan, and Nathaniel are planning a trip over. Mom and dad are so excited to have some new people to work out with; they say it really motivates them to get out there in the cold and keep working hard. So, if you are feeling the burden of holiday cheer, you know where to find us. Dad is getting his practice training in and can hopefully fulfill his dream to open his own facility someday very soon. Until then, mom sure doesn't mind being his frankenstein! If you see those two, be sure to wish them a happy anniversary today. Gram and gramps were nice enough to let them celebrate yesterday with a dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in Leesburg. They had a great time, but they said they missed me, of course. They say nothing is the same without their favorite little guy! I guess I better run, be sure to get your resolutions down, and above all, be safe for the New Year's Eve. We'll be thinking of all of you friends and loved ones out there and wishing you the happiest and healthiest new year. Take care of yourselves and come and see us any time, the work out is optional. Don't forget this upcoming January is a RED letter month. We celebrate the birth of a great man, well, a great boy who will someday be a great man (just like my da da). Love and hugs and smooches galore, miss you bunches, Cooper B.

Poopy Croupy

2007-12-18T08:26:00.000-08:00

Hello out there to all of you. How in the world are you doing? I am doing ok, I can't say great, buy you know I am a trooper so I am hanging in there. As you know, we recently returned from our trip to WV, just yesterday evening as a matter of fact and boy, did we have a nice time seeing our family. Just in the nick of time too, because you know I was walking all over the place! They sure were impressed with me, I'll tell you. Although, if you want the truth, I think that would have been the case whether I was walking or not. They spoiled me, all of them. I got some great books for Christmas, a real live zebra, some stacking rings AND blocks, a bear for my very own from the build a bear factory, some cool clothes, stuffed animals...just to name a few. I am going to try to make it back there again very soon, and not just for the presents, I love my family. I only wish I could have seen more of them. We didn't get to visit great grandma and grandpa Sloan or many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We were really sad about that, but you know God takes care of us, and it is a good thing I didn't spread any more holiday cheer than I did because you know what? Mom, Dad, and me took an exciting trip to Fairmont ER on Sunday night! Can you believe that?! Well, I am all for exploring and seeing new places, but that was a little ridiculous. Poor m&d, you know they are sleep deprived since I had them up until 4:30am partying on Friday night. They thought they would be slick and leave Sunday night instead of Monday morning so it would be easier on yours truly. We took off, originally heading for Morgantown, but the roads were bad and mom almost had a meltdown, so dad pulled off in Fairmont. Luckily, the same exit as the hospital...we got to bed around 12:30, and then I woke them up coughing, poor mom knew right away what the problem was. She was just hopeful I would make it through until morning. I did fall back asleep but woke up again around 3:30 sounding like I swallowed a t-bone. We were all scared so we loaded up the pilot and headed to Fairmont General. Sure enough, I have the croup, but I am already feeling a little better. They gave me a nebulizer treatment and some steroids, and by the time we were ready to go, I had myself a lukewarm bottle (not the best accomodations and hospitality there) and was sleeping peacefully. We made it back to the room around 7am and me and mom slept until 9. Dad, not so much. Needless to say we all slept like rocks last night, thank goodness. Whew! What an experience for a little guy. Mom and dad were so proud of me, and I am just thankful for the snow on Sunday that kept us from spreading more germs and made us get off at the exit we did. I think m&d are a little scared to take me anywhere for a while. I told them to think of it as an adventure. Bless their hearts, you know those two love the heck out of me! Hey, did you get my Christmas card yet? I hope you love it! We sure do love all of you too. Oh, great news! Our friend Allison is pregnant...again! So join us in wishing her the best pregnancy yet! Other news, gram and gramps B will be here next Tuesday to take care of me for the week. We are sure excited to have them and I can't wait to show them how well I am getting around and what a big boy I am becoming. I know my family in WV was sure impressed, as I was with them! We already miss them. Maybe some day soon we will be closer; mom and dad hope so every day. Well, I better save my energy for playing with my new toys and get some rest. I hope your holiday preparations are going well. Just remember not to get stressed because the gifts aren't what it's all about! Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of it all and forget the reason for the season! So please, take care of yourselves and one another and come on up to UB and see us any time you get the chance. XOXOXOXO, Be sure to clean out your chimney for old Santa Claus! We're hoping he brings us some $$ to cover my ER excursion, hee hee! Love you bunches, Cooper B.

'Walkin' around the Christmas Tree...

2007-12-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

HELLO!! Did you know Santa is coming soon? I am so excited, I can hardly stand it. We are in full throttle preparation mode here in UB. Mom is a whir of Christmas fury. You should have seen her this weekend. Dad stayed with me and let her get some Christmas shopping done on Saturday morning and you would have thought the poor woman won the lottery. She really needs to get out more. We had a pretty great weekend. We got a new movie, Ratatouille, and we are in the process of watching that now. For those of you who don't have a 10 month old in the house, movies are a process and require not one evening or two hour block, but at times, a whole week to watch! Sort of brings back the excitement of the mini series, at least I think so! Now for some super exciting news. I am pretty much walking. I took 5-6 steps on Friday and I have been working up my nerve to just take off. Takes quite a bit of courage for a little guy, but all of you who know me well know I am up for the challenge. Fortunately, both M&D got to see it all in person; mom almost cried bless her heart. To tell the truth, I am really wanting to wow my WV family. I figured this would throw my unending charm right over the edge, hee hee. Hey guess what? I played in the snow for the very first time on Thursday. I am sorry to say though, I didn't like it too much. Maybe that isn't fair, what I didn't like was all the bundling mom put me through prior to my snow outing. By the time she had me dressed and ready, boy was I mad! I did cheer up when we got outside, that is until I stuck my hand in the snow (after I wiggled it out of those crazy mittens), after this, the romance was over. I started yelling and mom took me back inside, apologizing all the way of course. I forgave her; bless her heart, she can't help herself at times. Other news...I tried to go see Santa today. Operative word here is tried. The line was so long to see St. Nick, mom and dad didn't dare wait it out. I thought it might be fun, but they definitely weren't up for it. I guess I will have to get gussied up some other time or wait until he comes to my house. You know he will; I have been SUCH a GOOD boy this year. Feel free to post comments elaborating on my goodness. Mom tells me Santa may be reading my blog and I figure I will recruit all the help I can get. More news on mom's new job...she is really liking it. Of course, she wishes she didn't even have to work so the two of us could hang out all day together (her most favorite pastime), but since she has to go, she isn't hating it the whole time she is there, which is a plus. As you know, we are heading to WV this weekend. We are all very excited to see our family. It has been over 6 months since I have seen some of my relatives and I can't wait. I bet they won't believe all I am up to these days. Mom and dad just laugh and shake their heads when I get going. I wish I could get one second of alone time with our beautiful Christmas tree and those packages underneath. Those two don't know when to let a little guy alone with his thoughts. I have some serious improvements to m&d's decorating and gift wrapping in mind. I will keep you posted on any progress I make in that department. I hope you enjoy the pics this time. Mom got me all dolled up today for Santa so we took some pictures before we left. They tried to make me wear a Santa hat, but I have to draw the line somewhere, don't you think? Well, dad is already in bed, so I better get going. Please be safe out there and don't forget the reason for the season! We will be thinking of you and keeping you close at heart. Today is aunt Deb's bday, so be sure to wish her a happy one. Cousin Rob's birthday is this coming week too, so if you see him, tell him Happy Birthday. Take care of yourselves. Love, hugs, and smooches, Cooper B.

Happy Anniversary Gram and Gramps B!

2007-12-01T05:35:00.000-08:00

Heidi Ho! Or shall I say, ho ho ho! How in the heck are you? So sorry I have been remiss in blogging, poor mom really needs to get it together! We have been doing great here in UB, great news to report, I have been sleeping like a log! Mom says thank the Lord! She had her first week at the new job this past week and she needed all the extra zzzs she could catch. She abandoned poor dad out in the garage, bless his heart...must have all been a little too much for her to handle. I am happy to say she made it, and none the worse for wear. She had a great week and everyone was super nice. Let's hope they stay that way; I would hate for dad and I to have to go up in there and adjust some attitudes! Ha ha! You know we could do it too. I have been working on my ring dips! We have heard from Uncle Bart from time to time and he is doing well. We worry, but we're sure thankful he has the time to send up nasty jokes and risque pictures (of course Mom doesn't share those with me)! We can't wait to get him home real soon. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you what a wonderful time I had in PA visiting our family for Thanksgiving. WOW! I was such a great boy, and soo happy. We had the best time. I had my very first Red and Trudy burger, I petted Smoky and wasn't a bit afraid (no surprise there), Ruby the dog is my new and very best friend (sorry Sam), AND, as if all of that wasn't enough, the Costello gang and Gram and Gramps got me presents too! Can you believe that? I got a pop up tent, how cool is that? I also got a pig that oinks and drives a car, a rooster flashlight, a real cowpoke hat, and some weebles! Woohoo. I want to visit there again SOON!! And trust me, it's not only because I got presents. I had so much fun playing with my cousins, and there is always more room in this tummy for Gramma B's cooking! I wish you could have seen how much fun I was having. Of course, you could see how much fun I was having if mom hadn't forgotten the camera. Alas, we have no pics of my very first Thanksgiving. I told mom not to worry about it, but of course, she is all upset. Maybe aunt Amber will email some of her pics and I will share them with all of you. More news, yesterday was Grandma Sloan's 77th birthday and TODAY is Gram and Gramps B's 40th wedding anniversary. Also, today we celebrate the birth of our friend Niala Ghalib! We sure wish we could be with them to celebrate, and especially to eat cake, ha ha. Monday the 19th was cousin Gage's bday. Amber and Jim had an anniversary, Wed. Nov. 21st, was 20 years for them. Also, last Friday was aunt Kim's bday and Sunday was Adam Townsend AND Seth Huffman's bday. This past Wed. was Uncle Bob and Aunt Carole's anniversary. So if you see any of them, wish them happy belated tidings. Let's see...update on the Christmas shopping, no news there, nothing accomplished as yet. Other great news, we are heading to WV the weekend of the 15th to see our family there. We are all really excited for the trip. We are also hoping to stop by Clarksburg and see our friends, the Smells and maybe the Halfins! We never have enough time to spend, but we're sure thankful for the time we'll have! I hope you enjoy the pics above. As you can clearly see, I am a prodigy. Along with my newfound stardom, I am clapping, pushing my cart all over the house, doing some interior decorating for m&d, and yes folks, dancing like John Travolta. Next stop, DWTS (that's Dancing with the Stars for all of you nerds like us out there who don't have cable, haha). I have also included the pic of Sam and me planning our great escape! Not really, the two of us would be crazy to leave this lap of luxury. We love to look out the window together; just wanted to show you what a big boy I am! I wanted to tell you also, Ms. Michele bought me the nicest book for Christmas. I know mom loves it too, but for some reason, she cries every time she reads it to me. Well, I guess I better get going. Nothing but BUSY-ness in UB. We are heading out today for my very first Christmas tree and of course, our usual Saturday rigamarole. Mom and dad are taking me out to lunch and I can't wait. Hope you all have a wonderful first day of December out there. Be careful and take care of yourselves. Come and see us for Christmas if you get the chance. We'll be thinking of all of you as always. SO much love to all of you, Cooper B.

Happy Belated 1st Birthday Smell x 3!

2007-11-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

Hello out there from Union Bridge! How in the heck are you? We are doing great here, thanks. I think this nasty cold is finally on its way out. I am presently napping my heart out. Can you believe mom got me up at 5:30 this morning? What in the world is she thinking? We cleaned house together, loaded the dishwasher and did some vacuuming. I don't know if I have told you about my three favorite toys here in our house, they are (in no order of preference): the vacuum cleaner, the refrigerator, and the dishwasher. Mom says I am going to make a lucky lady happy beyond her wildest dreams some day! As you already know, I also love to fold clothes. Talk about a total package. Now for the news...Mom's last day at work is tomorrow. Then the two of us have a whole week off together; we are both totally ecstatic, WHOOPEE. This is our year to go to PA for Thanksgiving, so we'll be heading out next Wednesday evening for the big journey. We are all very excited, but also sad we can't be in two places at once. Mom really misses her WV family during the holidays. She sure would love some of Nanny Hively's sweet potato casserole. She says I would love it too since you know sweet potatoes are among my favorite foods. I have a new one to add to the list, and you can just call me exotic. Dad and I had salmon last night for dinner. He told mom I loved it. Can you believe it? I also love broccoli, but my tummy doesn't love it so much. This morning I had lots of blueberries for breakfast which are also very popular with me. I love them so much sometimes my poo stains my bottom blue. Hope that isn't too much information for you! More news...much to mom's dismay, dad has purchased a food scale. Let's just say, mom hasn't been the most chipper this week or too positive about the whole thing. You know how much she usually enjoys our Thursday lunches at Chick-fil-a. Last week I ate like a big boy! Chicken nuggets and french fries dipped in real ketchup. I thought mom and I were really living high on the hog; we don't see that sort of fare on the homefront, that's for sure. I have an announcement to make, I feel like such a bad buddy...The triplets turned one year old on Saturday and we missed it. I think poor mom is so hungry she can't even think straight. So please join us in wishing them a VERY happy belated first birthday. We wish we could've been there to celebrate with them. Today mom and I are going to do our usual (read boring) BJ's run. No fine lunch, but mom says she will drive through for my nuggets, HOORAY! Oh, some good news, mom's wrist is healing well. She gets some funny looks from her patients, but hopefully the scar won't be too bad. She also asked me to ask all of you out there if you have ANY suggestions about how a mom can get geared up for Christmas. I am not sure what she means, but she can't quite seem to figure out how to Christmas shop with yours truly. It wouldn't be so bad if we lived close to a decent place to shop, but mom says the truly great places are an hour or more away. And you know, I am one cool cat, but after an hour drive, I am not overly excited about sitting in my stroller while mom racks her poor brain to make a decision. Those of you who know her well know exactly what I mean. Therefore, any suggestions are greatly appreciated : ). Well, I better get going. I hope you all have a wonderful day and enjoy our pics. They are: my friends and me; Myleigh on the phone (girls!); me again (how big is Cooper?); Ethan and me; Brianna, Myleigh, and me; Cyndy, Ethan, and Bri; and Ethan chowing down. Go Mountaineers. Take care of yourselves and each other. And please, come and see us when you get the chance. Love to you and yours, Cooper B.

Remember to give thanks!

2007-11-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

Hello there to all of you. I sure hope everyone is doing just fine. I am happy to report that I am fine too, for the most part. I have been battling this crappy cold for the last week. My nose won't stop running, I am coughing a little, and I have to admit, I've been more than a little crabby at times. And of course, it goes without saying, none of us here in UB are getting any sleep. Dad pulled out all the stops yesterday and bought me a humidifier and a triaminic room freshener. I am a little surprised to say it worked. I did get up at 5:30 this morning, but there were no two hour parties at 3am last night. Before I forget, I want to tell you I have a whole bunch of pictures to share from Mom's bday, Halloween, and of course, my visit with the Smell triplets. I will post what I can with today's message, and the others will follow lickety split. OK, now for the news. For those of you who don't know it yet, mom is awaiting a new job. She gave notice at Dr. Uggowitzer's office and her last day is next Friday. It has been rough saying goodbye to her patients and I am sure she will miss her coworkers, but it was an offer she couldn't refuse. It is very exciting although you know mom is a nervous Nelly. Dad and I keep telling her it will be great. You know what I think? I think those two DESPERATELY need a vacation! It has been since January and on certain days, they seem pretty worn out. Do you think it is because of their advanced age? Or possibly sleep deprivation? As far as I know, 2-3 hours at a time is more than enough to be wild and crazy. I mean, look at me...I sometimes don't sleep all day, and in fact, the less sleep I get, the more I get into. There is also usually alot of whooping and hollering involved. You'd think they'd learn by such a fine example. So...Halloween. Well let me just tell you, m&d have yet one more reason to call Maryland stinky. I hit four houses, FOUR...have you ever? What are these people doing around here? Not that they let me eat the candy, but seriously, I had like three miniature candy bars in my bag. And don't say that's not what it's all about, because that is EXACTLY what Halloween is all about. OK, discussion over, I get pretty riled still thinking about it. On to a happier brief...our visit with the Smells' was FANTASTIC. We really had the most fun. You probably wouldn't even believe it unless you saw it with your own two eyes, we did and it was still utter craziness. We have to hand it to Cyndy and Jeff, they are doing one terrific job with my three friends. God certainly knows who to bless with three babies at a time, and definitely who not to (read mom and dad). Those two can barely handle me, and you know I am pure angel incarnate. I don't know what in the world they'd do with three at once! You know how much mom and dad love having guests, we had dinner, of course some chocolates, and dad even talked Cyndy and Jeff out into his chamber of torture! What good sports they were! The four of them even played a game without the babes! Can you believe the nerve?! More news, we are getting a few new pieces of furniture here in UB. Mom is especially excited about that. She has also been racking her brain about Christmas...you know she is usually quite crafty, but dad just shakes his head at her and says she knows she doesn't have the time and not to stress out. I am not sure what he means by that time thing, do you think it could be he is trying to say she has poor time mgmt? Well, I better get going. Mom is such a tyrant she makes me help clean the house : ). You wouldn't believe the job I can do on a room in less than two minutes! Hope you enjoy the above pics...they are: me having dinner, dad and me on Halloween, me enjoying m&m's from my big candy booty (NOT!), mom's big injury, me, then me and mom on her birthday x2, and me being the big helper folding our laundry. Whew! Please come and see me soon before mom works my pudgy little fingers to the bone. More pics to follow. Again, keep our friend Jen Duval in your hearts and prayers. So much love...Gobble, gobble, we're giving thanks for all of you! Cooper B.