A Great Husband and Super Dad!

Happy Father's day Paul! Thanks for being a wonderful husband and super dad! We love you! These are a few of my favorite memories.

Cooper's Big Boy Bed

A few weeks ago we bought Cooper a big boy bed. We decided to get him a twin mattress so he would have plenty of room to move, play, and jump on it. Cooper was very excited about it the day we brought it home. We decided to wait to try his new bed until I was finished with work for the summer.



There is lots of room to jump and lie down.


Ahhh... more room to wiggle around.


Cooper spent most of the afternoon playing on his new bed.

Thursday was the he big night. I was so nervous about how this was going to go and what was going to happen. Was he going to cry? Was he going to stay in his bed? Was he going to ask for his crib back?


Testing out the new bed with his blankets. We decided to put the mattress directly on the floor for awhile until he gets used to sleeping in the big bed. In a few months, Paul may build a storage frame with drawers under neath.


Cooper was excited to sit on the edge of his bed while daddy read him a story.


After daddy read a story mommy read one too. He didn't sit as still and quiet for mommy's story. He was too excited that his feet could kick the wall. I read Cooper one book and then let daddy finish putting Cooper to bed. As Cooper would say it, "daddy rock you day." After Paul read a few books while Cooper was laying down, Paul sang Cooper a few songs. Cooper's song requests are becoming a little more challenging. It's difficult to come up with songs that are new requests by Cooper. His favorite right now is Cooper and his friend Grayson at the zoo. Once the songs were done daddy spend a few minutes laying on the floor next to Cooper's bed. He then kissed Cooper goodnight and left. Then we waited. He never came out or called for daddy. The first night was a big success! Friday night was just as successful as the first night!


Saturday night was a whole different story. Since the weather was still a little cooler at night we had not put away Cooper's winter PJ's yet. So he decided he wanted to wear one of his winter fleece PJ's on Saturday. No big deal, so we thought. The night started out ok. A little struggle brushing teeth and putting on a diaper and PJ's, but that was nothing unusual. After he was a sleep we noticed that he was moving around more than usual. Before bed we went in and check on him and covered him again. About 12:30 am Cooper woke up and began fussing. He had become uncovered and I went in and covered him thinking he would go back to sleep. A few minutes later the fussing continued. Paul went in and tried to sooth Cooper back to sleep. Then it all started. Cooper started crying and screaming saying that he didn't like his bed. He actually never said he wanted his crib, he just kept crying and saying he didn't like his mattress. Paul tried to rock Cooper to sleep, and of course the rocking chair had to be in the living room at this time. Cooper settled down at first but would not get back in his bed. I eventually ended up rocking a screaming Cooper in the kitchen. I don't even remember why he wanted to rocking chair in the kitchen, but at 1:30 A.M. I didn't care. I did what ever he wanted. As I rocked Cooper and tried to settle him down Paul put up Cooper's crib again! I couldn't believe it. We actually put up the crib again, in the middle of the night no less. I think it was about 2 A.M. when I finally put Cooper in his crib a sleep. I think after that he slept the rest of the night until 7 A.M., which is sleeping in for Cooper. The next morning I removed all of Cooper's winter PJ's because we figured out that was the initial problem to begin with. He was way too hot and could not get comfortable.

We weren't quite sure what to do for Sunday nap time, crib, no crib? I voted no crib and he was quite tired and slept pretty good, I think. I don't remember the next day too well since I was so tired from the night before. Since then, we have put in a ceiling fan to help keep Cooper's room cooler. This has helped with keeping him in his bed once he's there. The problem we have is getting him in the bed. Paul seems to have a much easier time than I do. Paul realized that if he uses a calm voice and just puts Cooper back in bed when he gets out there is less of a power struggle. Man, did I have a huge power struggle with Cooper one night. Not since then. Cooper likes to run around his room or hide behind his rocking chair but for the most part he will come right back to bed if I try to get him. He really is a good kid and for the most part well behaved. We did end up putting a door knob cover on the inside of his door so he can't get out after we leave. He has only come out once when he saw the door was open. It was actually kind of funny because he came right up to Paul and said "daddy, you left me." Meaning he wasn't ready for daddy to leave yet. It usually takes an hour and a half to get him to settle down stop hitting (which he has just started last week) and laying down in bed with blankets on. But it's very cute in the morning when Cooper gets out of bed walks in to our bedroom taps on our bed and says "stand up daddy. " Then walks over to me and says "get up mommy." It's a great way to start the morning, even if it is at 6 A.M.

Cooper is a great little boy who is fun, loving, kind, funny, and a joy to have in our lives. As we reach each new milestone it makes me love this cute little boy even more. He's growing up way too fast!