Family Pics

Cooper is a week old! We are settling into our family of four. Of course, we've had lots of help from both sets of grandparents (they're amazing) and we're very grateful. So far, Josiah has been great with his little brother. He just wants to kiss him all the time and he gets very upset when Cooper cries.

Here are some pictures from when Josiah met Cooper for the first time and when we were leaving the hospital. We don't really have a picture of all 4 of us yet, but we'll get one soon!

He's Here!

So, I posted yesterday about this little guy not coming anytime soon, and he decided to make his grand entrance today!

COOPER SIMEON WOOD
born 7.2.09
4:49 pm
8 lbs 14 oz
21 and 1/2 inches

Labor was smooth and calm. I woke up with contractions about 6:30 am, we got to the hospital at noon, got the epidural at about 3:15 ish and he was here at 4:49 pm!

**note: I didn't edit any of the pictures, so you'll get better ones later...



He immediately let us know that he has strong lungs. We think he looks a lot like Josiah when he was first born, except he has a little bit of dark hair!!



Our good friend Emily is a labor & delivery nurse and was working today, so she got to be our nurse! We are now very close...heehee. Also, one of my favorite docs from the practice was on call, so it was a great situation.



We're all doing well and thrilled that he is here!

Between Now and July 17th...

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me..."
Psalm 139:16

Well friends...it's official. I am the most pregnant I have ever been! Josiah was born 10 days early, which would have been 4 days ago for this baby boy, so I've never been 39 weeks prego until now! I wish I could say I've had a good attitude about it, but alas, that has not been the case. I'm going to blame the doctors :) SEVEN weeks ago, they told me I needed to rest more and take it easy...that this baby was going to be early. I quote one doctor, "I'm not a betting man, but if I were in Vegas, I'd say you won't make it to your due date and this baby is going to be big." Silly me...I know this whole thing is a big guessing game and babies come when they're ready, but I believed the doctors and thought for sure we were going to have another June baby! I've been walking 3-5 miles a day, gardening, scrubbing the house, drinking red wine, eating spicy food...this little guy is just content as can be and doesn't seem to want to come out!

I was super-discouraged last week. I don't know why...I was acting like I was entitled to have an early baby. Ahhh, being confronted with your own sin is so much fun. Part of it was selfishness - I want to meet him and see what he's like and be done carrying around this bowling ball! Part of it was pride - we had told everyone what the doctors said and I made Andy stay home from a trip and now we looked foolish. The Lord has been teaching me so much over the past month about how HE is the only source of joy and comfort. I wish I didn't have to learn this over and over. I wish it wasn't so painful to learn. But, I am learning and my heart is changing.

So...we're just waiting. My due date is July 7th. We'll induce around July 17th if he hasn't arrived yet. I'm setting my sights on the 17th and figure anything before that will be a bonus!

Having this "waiting" time has meant that we've gotten to do some fun things with Josiah and really enjoy him before he has to share our attention. This past weekend we went to the USA Baseball game at the Durham Bulls Stadium with our good friends Jim & Emily. They were playing the Canadian national team. Yes, I ran all around the stadium, up & down stairs, to & from the car in 95 degree heat...nothing happened :)

Josiah had been to one baseball game before and as soon as he heard we were going, he grabbed his baseball bat and did not let it go the whole time!

He was mesmerized by the Durham Bulls mascot, but never wanted to get any closer than 5 feet...

Jim & Emily

Cheering on the USA!

If you think about it, please pray for us as we wait...that we would enjoy this time we are given and not try to control everything!

Fire Trucks & Friends

We had Josiah's birthday party on Saturday. Since the boy loves fire trucks, it was a fire truck party! He had his 2 best buds over - Ella & Zack (affectionately known in our house as "Ax". I guess that's easier to say than Zack at this point?!?) as well as 2 other couples/families that we love and it was a fun time! Short, but sweet. After all, how much partying can a 2-year-old handle? We played, ate cake, opened presents, and everyone went home.

It was supposed to be a backyard party, but it was 100 degrees and very humid on Saturday, so we played outside for about 15 minutes and then moved indoors.

The 3 Musketeers (they sat like this on their own, we did not pose them)

Chasing bubbles

The Fire Truck Cake - it was actually fun and fairly easy to make!



He had such a look of pure joy while we were singing "Happy Birthday" to him...it was so sweet!



Concentrating hard on blowing out those candles


Time to Eat!



We actually got a good family picture!


Yay for fun birthday parties!

When It's Your Birthday...

They pretty much let you do whatever you want!

Like dump an ENTIRE box of styrofoam peanuts all over the floor AND bring your blankie and pacifier out of bed (normally not allowed). Who knew birthdays could be this much fun!

Josiah turned 2 yesterday and the day was full of simple treats. He got to play in lots of packaging peanuts and we just left them on the floor all day. Daddy had youth group at dinner time, so we had cake at lunch!


Gram made me a special birthday plate



Cake, Cake, Cake is coming!




Blowing out candles with Mommy


YUMMY!

I LOVE BIRTHDAYS!!

Grandmommie's Birthday

My (Amy's) grandmother turns 80 on July 8th. She is a pretty hard one to surprise, so we decided to throw her Birthday Bash this past weekend, a month early, to make sure she didn't find out! Her 4 children and their spouses, 8 of her 9 grandchildren and their spouses, and her 2 (almost 3) great-grandsons were all there! This is the first time we've all (almost all, we missed you, Megan!) have been together in at least 2 years...although it may be closer to 5 years...I can't remember.

After 2 rainy days, the sun broke through and we had beautiful weather for a cookout.

The surprise - As Grandmommie turned the corner into the backyard, she saw her motley crew on the deck!

Josiah & Addason (second cousins) showing their grandfathers how to dig...

There were plenty of cornhole matchups...some got a little competitive!

Addason & Josiah quickly bonded over trucks

Look at this sweet boy with his Grandaddy

Great-Grandmommie and her 2 great-grandsons...shockingly, we couldn't get 2 toddlers to pose at the same time for a picture. Oh well...

Happy Birthday to You!

A parting prego shot...maybe the last picture of the two of us before baby boy #2 arrives!


It was a fabulous afternoon, great time with family, and a fun party. Thanks for giving us a reason to celebrate, Grandmommie!

Hair

So, "they" say you should never cut your hair short while pregnant. Especially during your last month of pregnancy. Mine had been growing for a while...it was a chin-length bob. I was trying hard to follow the rules and keep it a little longer in case my face puffed up or something.

Well friends, I couldn't do it any longer. I'm not much of a rule-follower anyway. Plus, I only have about a month to go and my face seems fine. Yesterday, I got it cut!

And I love it! So much for those silly rules :)