Month 6

Weighs: 20.5 lbs.
Length: 28 Inches
Status: Moving Moving Moving!

Firsts:
Tooth! We felt his first tooth coming in on New Years Eve! That explains the drool!
Being held by Joe! Joe was so cute with Cooper and we were glad he could come!
Crawling forward! He moves his arms forward at the same time so it looks more like a gallop but he's getting pretty fast! Time to baby proof!
Getting himself to sleep- He's getting better at not relying on a bottle to get himself to sleep and he's able to calm himself when he wakes up at night.
Pulling himself up on his toy box to standing position.
Goes from sitting to crawling position
Eating mangoes, strawberries, puff cereal, cheerios, bread, turkey and ham with gravy, potatoes and gravy, jello (thanks to grandma) and bananas. He still prefers the bottle but he loves food!
Christmas! He got spoiled of course! He says thanks for all the presents!
New Year- Even though he went to bed at 8:00.
First time in a court room (hopefully the last)!
First time in the Salt Lake Temple
He likes to roll over in his crib and explore things in the morning when he wakes up.
Understands object permanence. He looks for things that are hidden.
He's catching on to "Cause and Effect"- He will drop or pushes things to see what happens.
He doesn't stop moving and loves to touch, taste and play with everything!

Favorites:
Being able to move around independently.
Trying to keep up with the remote control car
He loves to walk everywhere while we hold his hands.
Holding himself up against his toy box, or furniture
Seeing his bottle or any food he knows is for him. All we have to do is show him his bottle and he will start giggling and kicking his legs with his mouth wide open. He knows what his bottle is for now!
Exploring his environment- He is starting to try to open drawers, and he is content to scoot around the room to find things to play with.
He loves to play with our hair and faces while we feed him.
Giving open mouthed slobbery kisses
His new Christmas Toys!
Being tickled and snuggled
Watching clocks
His toy Airplanes
Loves shopping and riding in the cart
Playing with Britt's dog Jyun even though Jyun doesn't like him. : )
Playing and splashing in the bathtub
Trying to feed himself with his spoon
Sleeping on his side
Moving Moving Moving
Trying things on his own and being independent

Memorable Moments:

We all really enjoyed having Debbie, Avery, Jordan, and Joe here for court, blessing and temple! It is obvious how much they love Cooper and he is such a lucky baby to be so loved. Even though the weekend started out rough during court it ended on a happy note and we created some great memories!

We enjoyed having Joe and Jordan at our home for dinner! We loved catching up with how they are doing and to see them with Cooper. They gave him a bath, read him stories and played with him. We had so much fun with them and love them very much!

Our temple sealing was such an incredible experience! We were as excited for this day as we were for our wedding day and we were treated and felt that special. Mike and I were able to sit in the Celestial Room for about 30 minutes before the sealing while the temple matrons dressed Cooper in his white clothes. It was amazing to be there together to think about the importance of what was about to happen. When Cooper came in the sealing room with his little white temple outfit on we both felt overwhelmed with happiness and he looked so handsome. He was so good during the sealing and just smiled and made baby noises. It was a very memorable experience!

It was so fun having most of our family come to our home in support of Cooper's blessing. Mike gave a beautiful blessing and we appreciate everyone who contributed to the meal afterward. It was great company and great food!

Cooper's Blessing:
Cooper, at this time we bless you to lead a successful and happy life knowing of the love that surrounds you. You will grow up knowing the dear people who love you and placed you in our home and in our arms. You will know of the love your parents have for you. You will have the ability to find good friends, grow up in the gospel and learn things of a spiritual nature. When the time comes you will serve a successful mission if you choose and find a sweet bride to marry in the temple.....I didn't catch it all because Stefan thought as I was writing the blessing into my iPhone that I was texting so he walked across the room and attempted to take my phone away! Ha Ha. As funny as that is, if you have any more details toward the end of the blessing, please let me know! : )

Our first Christmas with Cooper was really fun. Cooper was actually pretty good at ripping the wrapping paper off his gifts but we did have to help him a lot. We enjoyed celebrating with family and having Christmas Morning with the Moons.

With the New Year upon us we couldn't help but reflect on all the changes that occurred in our lives this year. Pretty much every aspect of our lives did a 180 and we wouldn't have predicted any of it last January. It's amazing how fast life can change and we are happy all the changes have been positive for us. We are aware, on the other hand, of the sacrifice and selfless acts of love from other people and we hope 2012 will bring happiness, peace and healing to them. We love you!

Things that Make Cooper Cry:
When he has a cold and can't breath : ( Yes, he has a cold again. He has been around a lot of people lately and he caught a pretty nasty cold but he is getting better now. He is such a trooper!
If we put him on the ground and he wants to be held
Sometimes strangers
Overstimulation- He likes quiet time sometimes
If we leave the room and he wants to come with us
When he's hungry
If he is having fun and the fun stops
When he's not in bed by bedtime or doesn't want to go to bed yet
If he gets woken up early
If we stop his feeding before he is full
When he needs a change of scenery


Things that Make Cooper Smile and Laugh:
Being tossed in the air
When we pretend he is a rocket going up or down the stairs
Doing tick-tock- Being held by his feet upside-down like a clock
Certain statements like "Ahh, that was good!" or "I'm serious Cooper"
Dancing to music
When mom and dad dance goofy
Being upside-down and getting tickled
Bath Time
Seeing his bottle and knowing it's time to eat!
Getting startled or surprised
When we imitate his baby language
His Johnny Jump Up toy
When mom tickles him with her hair
When he sees something he wants he will bounce up and down, smile and reach for it
When he is proud of himself for doing something new
Seeing us first thing in the morning or after a good nap
He will smile at anyone who will give him attention.