Found the magical song

Cooper has moments where he does not want to sit still and have a diaper changed or get dressed. There is just too much to do for him to be tied down for 2 minutes! We've tried tactics to get him to cooperate-stuffed animal, toy, funny faces....turns out the ABC song works like magic! I started it about 2 days ago and he would just smile. Steve and I sing together and he just goes back and forth watching us with a huge grin. Well tonight he really wanted to go play with his train, but it was way past his bed time and that train could keep him busy for a long time. I had to wrestle with the little guy for a few and then remembered the song. Instantly he melted and just smiled at my musical voice (hahaha). THEN I paused a second (probably because I couldn't do 2 things at once) and he filled in a letter for me. We then proceeded to sing the song at least 10 more times where I'd pause and Cooper would fill in letters as I stopped! He's a genius. We've only been singing the song for a few days and already he knows the order!!

LOVE????

Cooper can say almost any word these days which is causing us to really pay attention to our words.
butt is our new fav especially when he points to his butt!, broccoli, poop, buddy...

The one word this boy won't say and it amazes us because that and his name are the 2 words he's been hearing at least 10 times a day since he was born. He will not say LOVE. He just plain out ignores us when we say "say love, Cooper".
We don't think he has ever said his name. He will call himself Buddy which is what Steve calls him.

Even tonight he said spaghetti. Not perfectly, of course, but he tries. LOVE, no way. He won't even attempt it. We know he loves us because he'll just come up and give a hug and kiss. Just like any girl, I want to hear it from him to know he means it!!

Love having company

Grandma Judy came to visit this past week. We were still on snowday vacation, so we got to spend more time together where usually it's just Grammy and Cooper. The weather made it hard to get out and do things, but the train kept everyone busy. Grammy made sure she got Coop a train as soon as she got here! He's really good at putting the tracks together and LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to say Chuga Chuga! I am always amazed at how well he focuses on working on things that seem frustrating. He's got a great amount of patience!

alphabet

Have you ever really noticed how many letters you see in a day? Well, get a 20 month old who is learning his alphabet and you'll learn just how many letters you see!
Driving in the car hearing this sweet little voice "o, a, b, i, m" and I'm looking around to find the letters. The other day he saw them on a truck!
At Lowe's and he starts pointing at boxes with brand names on them saying the letters he sees. It's great!!
He learned F the other day. Want to know where he learned it? Word World!! It's Cooper's favorite show thanks to his cousin Zion telling him about it. Now he sees a T and calls it an F. Well, they really do look alike, don't they?
The best is when he says K. He says the sound the K makes (think the sound of K in keep). We don't always correct him because it's so cute when he says it!

The brain is working so much each day, it's no wonder he zonks out at night! Can you imagine what it must be like to have all this new information each day and how much your brain has to process at such a young age? It's great!

baby....

We got pictures of Baby Girl the other day and are trying to teach Cooper to say "sister" or even baby girl when he asks for baby. Sister he does, but not girl.

We have this little Scooby Doo van that has a light that you can shine on things. Cooper LOVES to shine the light on my belly. He comes to me and asks for "baby" and helps me pull up my shirt to find my belly. He then shines the light on my belly and tries to grab the light. He laughs hysterically when chasing the light.
Anytime he plays with baby when he is done, he says "bye bye".

As of today, we've chosen a name. Trying to teach Cooper how to say it. Steve knows me too well...He said, "maybe we shouldn't teach him yet in case you change your mind." Please, me change my mind...never!

Tomatoes...

I'm overly paranoid about Cooper eating food that isn't cut up. I've only had to dig in for food when he was choking once and it was enough to make me paranoid. We were at the grocery store the other day and had a clamshell of grape tomatoes. We usually put everything in the lower basket because little man LOVES to grab everything out of the cart and put in the seat next to him. Okay, I diverse....I am grabbing something off a shelf, Steve is at the deli. I look over and Mr. Grabby has gotten a hold of the tomatoes. They are falling out of the little holes in the cart and all over the floor. I want to get them as fast as I can so no one rolls over them and makes ketchup or worse, slips. I gather up a few and see Cooper chewing away. He got a hold of a tomato! I have only given him the tomatoes when they've been cut in 1/4ths (I know, paranoid!) He's got a handful and is putting them in one at a time and loving them!
So, I've gotten over my paranoia (a little) and he eats the tomatoes all the time. The face he makes when the juice bursts is great. A kind of "what the heck is that in my mouth" face. And he says tomato....

Too long....Too busy

We have been so busy these days just playing and watching Cooper change before our eyes. I truly wish I could just sit down each night and record the new and funny things this little guy does. I say I'll do it, but....well we all know how well that's worked!

Alphabet. Cooper says so many letters and seems to learn a new one each day. He's got the vowels down. And says many of the other letters. R is the new one and it's funny the way he says it "err". When we are out and about Cooper will see signs and just start saying all the letters. It's certainly made us more aware of new signs!

Anything with a handle. If Cooper finds something with a handle: purse, bag, suitcase, duffel bag (you get the idea) he takes it and puts it over his shoulder and says "bye, bye". The most unique handled item so far: A cutting board. Grabbed it out of the cabinet, carried it around, and said "bye, bye".

Personal hygiene. Every parents' dream. Brushing his teeth, washing his hands and face are all fun times for him. He even loves to wipe his hands and face after eating. "Dirt" is his word when there is something on his hands. Funny how kids don't seem to like things on their hands!

Mr. Independent. Cooper surely loves to do things for himself, but fortunately does not get frustrated when he can't do them. Surely did not inherit that from his mommy!!! He will work and work to put something back together. His new thing is that he'd prefer not to sit in the seat of a shopping cart, but fights to sit in the big basket. He gets in that basket and is the happiest kid on earth. He is also learning that he can feed himself and wants to eat like us. If dinner is cut up chicken, he won't eat it. Put it in a sandwich and he devours it. He tries so hard to get himself dressed...it's just always backwards. He can actually get his jacket on, but it's with the zipper on the back. WHen Mr. Man wants something off the counter he can be found trying to scale the cabinets to get to the counter. Definitely a learning curve to keep items out of his reach!

So loving! Cooper kisses everything-stuffed animals. Characters in books. His Mommy and Daddy. AND his baby sister. He loves to come up and asks for the baby then give it hugs and kisses. Absolutely the sweetest thing ever. He is going to love his sister.

Trains and Bellies. Definitely his 2 favorite things. He's even gotten to where he will go after the little girl at the sitter's and her belly button. Granted, she does pull her dress/shirt up and tempts him! She's gotten to where she runs away from him. He pulls up shirts (including his own) and pokes at his belly. Then he'll laugh like crazy. The best is when he tries to do it in public!

Directions. Cooper follows directions so well. We are well aware that this won't continue through his teens, but we can hope! It amazes us each time we ask Cooper to do something and he does it. I think we ask him to do things just to be amazed at what he can do-of course we think he is a genius!!

That's all for now. Can I keep up with this and post more often??