Still My Baby

Sunday, May 15, my baby turned 3.  It was a happy day, but a little sad, too.  He's my youngest and its hard for me to see him grow up so darn fast!  Cooper is such a sweetie-pie.  He started smiling early as a baby and hasn't stopped since.  He copies everything his big brother Caden does, and his favorite word now is "dude".  He calls everybody dude.  He was so funny, because whenever we said "Happy Birthday", he'd say "Happy Birthday to you, too!" He's been such a sweet blessing in our family, and we love, love, love him!  

Eating his favorite breakfast for his birthday--pancakes!

Showing off their presents.  They always get a present
on each other's birthday.  It just makes things sooo
much more pleasant, if you know what I mean.

Sometimes I wonder how his little face can
handle that huge smile.

The bike was his favorite present.  It used to be
Caden's but we put the training wheels back on
and Coop thought it was great.  It was new to him!
He also loves his new helmet.

Getting ready to open his present from
grandma and grandpa

May 15 is also my mom's birthday.  It's nice of her to share her birthday with Cooper!  He was due May 15, and we thought there was no way he'd actually come on mom's birthday, but my water broke the night before, and he was born at 12:50 a.m.  He was grandma's first present, bright and early in the morning!  She was there when he was born, and they have fun being birthday buddies!  We decided to have a birthday lunch at the park Sunday evening, and my food assignment was cake.  I made mom a strawberry shortcake three layers tall that looked so pretty--turned out perfectly!  Unfortunately, it was not a good cake to travel with, and by the time we got to the park, every pot hole and bump in the road had taken its toll, and the whip cream and strawberries had slid all over the place.  It looked pretty funny.   Still tasted good though, I have to say.  Poor little Cooper's cake turned out even worse.  He picked a cake out of a book that he wanted, decorated to look like a basketball (or a soccer ball, according to him).  So, I made it and frosted it with orange frosting and the top layer kept sliding off and I kept sliding it back into place, and finally the top layer just broke into three big pieces and I was in a hurry and totally fed up, so I just dumped the whole cake into the bowl with the frosting, mashed it into pieces cause I was so frustrated, dumped some sprinkles on top and stuck the candles in it.  (It actually tasted pretty good that way!)  Anyway, I'm glad Cooper's too young to care.  He thought it was great!  

The birthday boy and the birthday girl and the
two weirdest looking (yet somehow still
delicious) cakes I've ever made.  I'll try
to do better next year!

So, even though Coop is a big three year old, he is still my baby and he always will be.  I don't care what anybody says.  Would it be weird if I went on his mission with him???

I can't believe I am posting a picture of myself
9 months pregnant, but this was taken on
Mother's Day a few days before he was born.  It
was a fun year, cause we were so excited for
Cooper to come!

Meeting big sister Kamryn and getting a kiss on his sweet little cheek. 

Cooper's baby blessing.  There's that smile!

And... he loves chocolate,  just like his mom!

Happy Birthday, Dude!  Sorry about the cake...you too, mom!  

We love you both!!!

P.S.  This is officially the end of birthday season at our house.

  Now I have a break till September. Whew!