I added a photo album of Elijah's first hair cut.  We took him to Tim's barber shop yesterday.  He did good for the first half of it, then went into meltdown mode.  Tim is awesome though, he danced all around that chair to get the haircut done without hurting anyone.  I would have cut Elijah's ear off.  Well, he's a little boy now.  Little boys lose that baby look after they've had their first hair cut.  I can remember Matthew getting his done when he was little.  He loved it.  I told Tim to do it kind of short so I wouldn't have to come back too often. 

 

Elijah is very sick today.  He acted funny all day yesterday, but we thought he was just tired from the hair cut wrestling.  But in the middle of the night he started running a fever.  Not sure what is going on, so I'm planning on taking him to the doctor tomorrow.  I may have her look at Emily and Lydia too just to be sure.  Lydia has been complaining that her ear hurts for about a week.  I missed being in church, but am so glad to feel connected through the Internet.  Hope all are well.

Well, it feels like forever since I last blogged, but it's only been a week.  We had a nice evening last week on Aaron's birthday, then we took the kids to Ann & Charles on Saturday and went up to the Convention Center.  We were only in the Saturday evening and Sunday morning services.  Sunday morning on the way to church Aaron said that he would like to hear Bro. Wilkerson (sp?) speak, and he did.  It was so good.  He talked about remembering where you came from and thanking the Lord out loud every day for dying on the cross in my place.  He spoke on Ezekiel and the valley of dry bones.  He said we are all just a pile of dry, dis-jointed skeletons without the Holy Spirit.  He was so anointed when he was speaking.  What he was saying reminded me of a thought I had a few weeks ago in church.  I was thinking of the principle of death before life.  Like Jesus' death before His resurrection and somewhere in the gospels where it says unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it will not produce any more fruit.  I even thought of the phoenix rising out of the ashes.  I know we've all felt a lot of mourning and grieving over the past year, and I felt comforted in the fact that God created the principle of death before life.  He's promised us life for our souls and for our church.

 

We had such a good time with Aaron and Gina Webb at the Convention, and they were wanting to come down and take their kids to the park at the church.  Unfortunately it rained buckets, so they hung out with Heather and Chris, then stayed the night with us later on.  Their kids are adorable and so well behaved!  We went over to my grandparents' house for Father's Day and Emily took her first steps without help.  I think she had 3 in a row at one point.  It was so funny, after she fell down and we all clapped for her, Elijah put his face in the floor and just cried!  He acted so dejected that sissy had done this first and was getting all the attention.  But his legs just aren't strong enough to hold up his hulk of a body.

 

As most people know, Tuesday was the funeral for Aaron's Uncle Ernie.  The service was so moving, especially the playing of taps and folding/presenting of the American flag.  He will be so missed.  We were at his house a month or so ago and Aaron asked him if he could have his Uncle Ernie's hair.  He told me that's been their running joke for years now since Aaron has been losing his.  "Speakin' of hair, uh, is Elijah going to get a hair cut?  Back in Pentecost, we didn't let our little boy's hair get long, uh ..." (Grandpa Cooper voice).  Elijah is desperate for a hair cut, I'm going to try and get it cut before their B-Day next week.

 

The stomach bug hit my parents' house with a vengeance.  My Mom and Dad and Grandpa have had it this week, and my Grandpa even had to be in the hospital because he was so sick and doesn't understand what to do.  Added - Ann and Charles also had the flu.  Ann was so bad that they had to call 911 because she passed out.  Aaron went over there about 2 am I think it was.  This was after me calling him earlier that afternoon at work freaking out because I was having an allergic reaction to some fruit.  I had bought a fruit platter for breakfast, and I had been eating grapes all day.  About 4:30 I took a bite of the cantaloupe and within one minute my throat was closing, I could not talk, and I was having trouble breathing.  I took a Benadryl and called Aaron and my mom.  I came very close to calling 911 because I couldn't breathe, but the Benadryl kicked in.  Colleen and my mom came over, and Colleen tells my mom something about it feeling like last year!    Anyway, by that evening I was fine, just reeling a little from the Benadryl.  House of emergencies!

 

Well, my kids are almost 100%.  They all have runny noses and Elijah has green stuff in his eyes, so we'll probably stay home tonight.  I hope everyone else is on the mend.  God bless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, we picked up where we left off last Friday.  I took all the kids to Kroger by myself for the first time.  It went well, until Elijah and Emily started digging their fingers into the bread.  I gave them cookies from the bakery and they were throwing them at each other!  But we made it out alive and with no stomach flu experiences.  I was going through the aisles thinking what would I do if one of them started puking?  I think I would just keep going.  It is so hard to get all three of them anywhere!  Aaron had to come home early today because his stomach is not well.  Lydia just told me she put her snot on the wall.  Oh correction, she just said it got on there by itself.   Okay, she's cleaning it up.

 

We were watching video of Lydia when she was the twins' age last night.  We have so much video of her just sitting there!  The poor twins, we hardly have any of them.  But at this point she was saying her name already. 

 

The other day we were at Chick Fil-A with Letty and her kids and Lydia comes flying out of the play area telling me, "Mom, that girl in there is SO RUDE and SO BOSSY!"  Ashton came out and said that the girl really didn't do anything, but Lydia just kept yelling that at her.  OMGSH!  Then today at Kroger she thought a kid in the bread aisle didn't like her.  Where did she get that from?  She's going to get a sign that reads, "Does not play well with others."  It reminds me of Kelly crying because people were looking at her.  Well, I guess it's a family thing.  Well, I better go tend to my kids.  Hope everyone starts feeling better soon!

Well, if you've known me for any space of time you are aware of my unnatural fear of the stomach flu.  I think last night was the nightmare of all nightmares for a Cooper.  Earlier in the afternoon, I was taking all three kids to Kroger and was in the parking lot getting the kids from the van to the cart.  I got Lydia out of the van and she starts going hysterical like she does when she is about to throw up.  Somehow I managed to get her and the babies back in the van and home without any damage.  Once home we spent the next 30 minutes with Lydia literally hugging the toilet seat (thank goodness it was on Friday, cleaning day) and crying out to Jesus to help her feel better.  I thought I was going to lose it.  When you hear your baby crying out to the Lord to make her feel better, more than I could stand.  Well, she didn't throw up at that point, but she fell asleep leaning her head on the toilet.  I managed to get her in bed for a nap.

 

About 7:30 she was still in bed, Elijah was on his 3rd hour of napping and Emily was playing.  Aaron was about to leave for church when Lydia got up and said very calmly that she needed to throw up.  He held her hair as she puked into the toilet.  She spent the rest of the evening on the couch and threw up about 5 times.  Well, I got Elijah up at 8:30 because I at least wanted to feed him and change him into PJs before the night.  I put him in the high chair, start to feed him and he throws up all over the high chair and himself!  I started to cry.  I just can't take it when they throw up.  Thank God for Aaron!  He is so calm and business-like when the kids are sick.  He looks everything up on the internet and finds out what to do for them.  I know Mom, how did you survive and rasie 4 kids without it?  Well, to round out the night, Emily wakes again about 1:30 and as I get her out of the crib, she pukes all over herself and me.  I had to dig in the bottom of my PJ drawer just to find something clean for me to wear! 

 

Today has been much better.  No throw up, and all three kids ate somewhat normal.  Lydia did go 24 hours with nothing to eat.  My mom has always said if there was a personal hell, her's would be never-ending stomach flu.  I totally agree.  I'm sorry for going on and on about this sickness, but another thing we Coopers do is call everyone in the family and give the Stomach Flu Report.  We all know the tone in each other's voices when we call and say, "Guess what!"  Well, I hope so much that Aaron doesn't get it.  I rememer one of the first times he had it after we got married.   He threw up in the hall bathroom, crawled out into the hallway, and laid down.  He told me to just leave him there, he couldn't go any further! LOL  Well, I better get to bed.  No telling what might happen tonight!

Well, quick payback by the forces of motherhood.  I ventured out on a Wednesday night for church because for the first time in a long time it didn't feel like a monumental task.  I usually just collapse on Wednesday nights because I work at my Dad's office all day.  Anyway, so I go to church and it really was wonderful to feel the spirit.  I felt refreshed, but it did hold a little late, then Aaron had some questions for Bro. Steve, but I thought, "Okay, I'll be home all day tomorrow."  So I think we got in bed about 11:30.  Lydia was scared so she slept on our floor in a sleeping bag.  At 1:45 am I wake to Emily crying.  I go get her bottle, then get her and she is covered in throw up!  I want to stop right now and apologize to all the moms with kids in the nursery.  So I strip her down, change her clothes and rock her back to sleep.  I try to go back to bed, and Lydia is tossing and turning in her sleeping bag which sounds like those shiny sweat pants, you know? 

 

Twenty minutes later Aaron can't handle sweat pant girl, so I take her to her bedroom and I'm going to lay with her until she falls asleep.  In the meantime, I hear Emily puke again in her crib.  I go get her, put her in the swing and change her entire bedding.  Of course Elijah never wakes up the entire time.  Well, Lydia is not quite asleep, so she comes running in the living room; this is about 2:30 am.  I told her that Emily was sick, so Lydia goes running into our bedroom to inform Aaron that Emily is puking.  I'm sure he loved that.  Okay, get Emily changed and back in bed AGAIN, then get Lydia in bed and lay down with her.  Her night-light is blinding me, so I turn that off.  I think I fell asleep about 3:15 am.  Then I wake up at 6 am and I am not feeling well at all.  I don't know what is wrong with me, just not right.  I think I slept another 30 minutes or so, but Elijah was up at about 6:45 for the day.  He's rested all right. 

 

So that well rested and refreshed feeling was just a fluke to let me know that it does still exist, just not at this season in my life.  Although, I doubt I will ever sleep like I did before I had kids!  Thanks for letting me rant and rave!  

Killer stomach flu hit this morning at 2:20 am.  I woke up and thought I had hearburn.  Within an hour I was puking my guts up into a trash can.  Still sick this morning, and threw up again around 7:30 am.  I literally stayed in bed until about 1 in the afternoon.  I haven't done this since Ann-Rene' and I were teenagers and would stay up watching TV until 4 am, then sleep until the afternoon.  My wonderful husband took care of the three kids all day AND worked from home.  He took all three outside and fed them lunch because it was so beautiful outside.  He had to take two conference calls during the day, and while he was on one of them, I hear Lydia yelling from the bathroom, "Daddy, I went poo poo!" I did stumble out of bed to try and help her, but Aaron was already there.  Then around 3 pm I started getting really sick again.  Back to bed, and Aaron took all three kids to the park for a B-Day party for Papa Bill, he's 80.  I slept until 7:30 pm.  When I woke up I thought it was morning I was so rested.  What a foreign feeling!  I haven't felt rested since Lydia was born!  When Aaron walked in with the kids from the park he says, "Don't ever die!"  It makes me feel so good to be needed.  Aaron was awesome today!  Oh, please pray this doesn't go all through my family again. Lydia will be so freaked out because she knows how bad it can be.  This flu is so bad and seems like it will never be gone.  Well, I think I'm going back to bed now.  God bless.

I want to remember things Lydia says.  Here is a sampling:

 

Lasterday = Yesterday

Drawderd = Draw

Channeled = Channel (usually proceeded by Disney)

Next time = Last time

Tavios = We aren't really sure, a silly name she made up

To = At (Next time we were to church = Last time we were at church)

 

I know these probably aren't important to any except me and Aaron and probably our moms, but these little phrases she uses are so cute.  Last night I watched the video of when the twins were born.  What a bittersweet time!  It's precious to see them so tiny, but sad when I think of what we were about to go through.  Lydia has changed so much too.  I feel she has matured a lot, but I know she is pretty major still.  Lasterday, Colleen asked her to clean up Zach's room before she left.  She whines, "Aunt Colleen, I can't help, it's too hard on my knees!"  Oh please!  Where did she get that!  Kelly's bad leg flaring up in my daughter!  

 

I can't believe the twins will be a year at the end of this month.  Looking at that video I feel I have aged so much since then.  Oh I want to look forward.  But I will never forget all the love and support shown to my family during that time.  From our natural family to the entire church.  Those things stretch you.  I remember Kara Schmitt holding one of the babies, she had come to stay the night, and it was just crying away.  She looked up at Amy Pippin and said, "Okay, your turn!"  LOL I will never forget the sight of Heather asleep in my recliner with both babies asleep in either arm.  She was afraid they would wake if she put them down, so she decided to sleep there until they were ready to wake up, no matter when.  I think it ended up being about 3 AM.  I couldn't tell about everything that happened.  I remember Stacie becoming the pro at "The Happiest Baby on the Block" technique that Colleen made fun of.  Then there was Libby asking why it mattered if she put a pink blanket on Elijah.  I guess when someone is taking care of your twins on a Friday night after working all week, you don't point out something like that!  I can't tell you how many people have looked at me in disbelief when I tell them I broke my ankle 6 days after having twins.  They all ask me HOW did you manage.  My church family is the first thing I say.  I would have been lost without you all.  Well, didn't know I would get all into that.  I don't want to offend anyone by not mentioning your name.  I love and appreciate every person that helped us!