Update

My sweet Xander had his first taste of banana baby food today~ not sure if he liked it. He would spit 1/2 out and swallow the other half. This should be very interesting. We know that he likes the wheat cereal and the oatmeal cereal. He does really like green beans. Maybe we should stick to veggies for awhile longer?

Today is the 11th of January and we just got a light frosting of snow~ second time this season. I don't want snow but if we don't have a decent winter I fear what will happen in the summer.

Rose is bringing Sierra over today to get to know the kids. Sierra will be here on Monday. Clark will be here on Friday. Then the 25th I will finally have the state here to give me a check up and license me.

Week 27

Sweet Xander is finally feeling better. Poor little one has had a rough week. He started to get an ear infection but it was caught in time, thank goodness. He is slowly getting his voice back.

Scott and I took advantage of a Christmas gift we received from Sarah and went out to a movie (Mission Impossible 4) and dinner at the Olive Garden. Dan and Jackie watched Xander as we spent the night out as a married couple. It felt like a first date~ loved it!

Xander is heading into his 6th month and has already been eating wheat cereal. Last night he tried green beans for the first time and he loved it. Tonight he tried oatmeal. He ate it but was not completely in love with the change in flavor. I can't wait to start him on a variety of fruits and vegetables.

We are attempting to help him sit on his own. He's not there yet but, with time... He is playing more and more with his toys and, when I lay him down the other day, went to get a bottle ready for him. When I came back he was on his back hugging the butterfly that his Aunt Toni and kids sent him. It was the cutest thing ever. Sometimes I wish that I had a camera attached. By the time I returned with a camera he was done hugging and on to other things. Oh, what a joy it is to watch him grow and change and learn. What an amazing adventure we are all able to live.

Eating green beans...

Sitting up...

With daddy...

I'm always excited for the next week and the growth that will come with that.

Big Day

So, we got a letter from our attorney today and we sat together and ripped the envelope open. It's official~ Xander is now adopted into the Cook family!! We are so excited for all the legal/social worker stuff to be done. We are so excited that we have such a sweet, beautiful, wonderful son. He is everything to us and we have been so very blessed with his sweet little spirit.

So, as of Dec 29, 2011, Xander Scott Cook is legally ours.

Week 26

Wow! What a start to a new year. Xander got a tooth so he was sick. Then he got more sick. Then he stayed up for 24 hours straight- that was New Years Eve~ that is NO SLEEP!! My poor little boy finally slept a little on Sunday (the 1st) and then he crashed Sunday night. Monday we woke to a high pitched squeaking~ like the kind you hear when someone steps on one of those soft squeaky toys. We looked at each other and then realized that the strange sound was coming from Xander's room. He had lost his voice. Poor little man.

He has my heart and is the best part of our lives. He loved being with his cousins and especially loved being loved and held and have all those little hands love him and play with him. He's just so very loved and so very much the greatest part of our family!

Birth of James Nolan Cook

New nephew born at 6:46 pm at 9lbs 7.3 oz 21.5" long. Lots of hair on his head and on his back. Jemile went through childbirth without drugs. Both mom and baby are healthy and good. James is the first baby born of the year in that hospital...

Week 25

Xander has his first tooth (lower central incisor~ his left) !! He got sick over Christmas~ throwing up and just wanting to be held. He wasn't sleeping so well and we just thought it was because of the change in elevation and that he was missing his home and his own bed. He was still trying to eat mommy and daddy's fingers. Well, he grabbed my hand again and stuck it into his mouth and~ walla~ something pointy and sharp. A tooth! A tooth! My poor little man is so miserable.

We did have fun while we were there, though. There was sledding and snow mobile rides and hot chocolate and food, games and fun around the fire and lots of family. Xander especially loved spending time with some of his cousins.

Isabel gets to feed Xander...

Grandma's painting Izzy's nails~

Cuddling with Uncle Michael...

Mom painting Cole's nails...

Cousins Isaac and Ethan loved playing with Xander...

Say hello to my little hand...

Cousin love...

Daddy, I'm sick...

Watching Dad and Jodi dance...

Michael makes fried ice cream...

Michael, the chef...

And the cheesecake...

Finally home~ It was a fun trip but so glad to be home...

It was fun seeing family. Wish we could have spent more time with the Dodges. Really missed the Barneys....

Week 24

Dear Jennifer,

Life gets so busy and we get sidetracked with the everyday "things" that build up. Last night as I was feeding my beautiful baby boy I was reminded of how and why we got to this point. I don't think there's ever really a way to say thank you.

We have so much to be grateful for in life. This year we are especially grateful for our beautiful son. He is so happy and wonderful. His giggle lights our day and his little smiles make us laugh. We can't wait to teach him and show him all that life can offer him. He grows so fast and changes so much and we just love to watch him grow and change. He has been blessed with so many wonderful talents and we can't wait to help him find each and every one and develop them.

So, with that said, how do we show gratitude to the person who made this all possible? How do we say thank you. Without you I would still be begging my Father in Heaven and crying on my husbands shoulder for the one blessing in our lives that seems to come so easy for others. You are as much of a gift as he is in our lives. We are so blessed that you had the strength to let him go.

It's easy to get overwhelmed with emotion when we think about where we are and where we were less than a year ago. Thank you so much for loving Xander ~ and us.

This week Xander got to be blessed. Some of his family was here and we have loved spending time with everyone. He's so special. He and his daddy are inseparable and it's all because of you.

Life is what we make of it. You have been a hero to so many, I don't think you even realize the love we have for you.

Thank you for being so wonderful. Thank you for being so selfless and so very wonderful. We love you and are excited for the future and where it will take us.

Love to you, always. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year