11/17/06

Jogger

We have a double jogger and I take the kids running four days a week. they love to look for dogs and cats. Well, Cooper loves to look for garbage cans. It is my stress relief. Yesterday it was raining so I did "step" aerobics on our stairs and they loved watching. Karina started doing what I was doing on the stairs. I have to work out for my mental stability. I still go to weight watchers every weeks as well. I worked so hard to lose all my weight and I don't want to go thru feeling like that about myself again. For me....keeping in shape helps my self confidence.

9/13/06

After birthdays..

Karina loved her birthday gifts! She and I have worked on the sewing cards Grandma sent...of course she wants to do it all by herself. Grandma Hoff made her a book of buttons, zippers, etc and she LOVES to work on it. Cooper actually likes it too! She was working on the zipper page of the book with Jason and got so excited that she could zip it all by herself. Cooper has really begun to play with cars he was given for his birthday. He gets SO mad if he can't make it roll and throws a pure tantrum! He is better at tantrums than Karina every was! He has also gotten aggressive with Karina. He loves hitting her and pulling her hair. Of course she is becoming a typical girl and is so DRAMATIC when he does this. She boo-hoos like she never did it to him.

I took Cooper for his evaluation for his circumcision. They scheduled it for Oct. 5th but not sure what time. Jason isn't sure if he can take time off work that day, so my niece is going to make sure to be here by Wed. night. He could be the first surgery at 6:00 am so we will have to be there at 4:30. I really hate this for him. The doctor said he would be in a fair amount of pain afterwards.

Both have had really bad colds the past week which they gave to us. Cooper hasn't been sleeping well with his. We bought humidifiers for both rooms and rub them down with Vicks at night. I hope this isn't a sign for this winter.

Pre-school is going well for both. Cooper colored his first picture Tuesday! Karina's teacher said she was so well behaved. I took Cookies to her school for her birthday and she didn't like that the other children in her class wanted me to hold them.

Cooper still isn't walking. He is using any and everything to help him walk. I really hope he is walking prior to our beach trip. His new things are: giving kisses ...I see him crawling over to hoops and giving him kisses too! Saying "tractor", "oh-uh" and he is into throwing things.

9/12/06

where did the energy go?

Seems like I just don't seem to have the energy I used too (wonder why?) They have started pre-school. Karina was so excited about her Winnie the Poohbackpack. Karina seems to love going. Her teacher says she smiles and shares with all the children. Cooper has cried everyday. They said he did better Thursday. BUT...he cries here all the time now too. He wants to be held constantly. Jason and I just don't know what to do because nothing seems to make him happy. His teachers at school said he will get more comfortable at school each day he came. Cooper has been like this at home for about a month now! He is trying hard to start talking....he says "ah-oh" and ruf-ruf now. I swear he tries to say "tractor" in the car when Karina does. He still isn't walking..but wants too. He uses that little walker car thing to go everywhere in the house. He is so funny turning it! and boy does he get MAD if something gets in his way.Karina is doing good. she is also trying so hard to add vocabulary. We gave her an outfit for her American Girl Bitty Baby. She LOVES it. It is the little birthday dress, bloomer, hat and shoes. She has been pretty independent lately except in the evenings. They both go into a full force "I want to be held mode" right at 4:30! I got the invitations for the Baptism. I just havent'had the time to print and mail yet. Then I am going to start looking for outfits for them. So far the days they have been in school I have had doctor apt.etc.

8/22/06

Check-up

We had Karina and Cooper's check-up and shots yesterday....Karina is still low on the charts (weight 25.4 lbs- 30%, length 32 inches-10%, and Hc -18-10%) Cooper was weight-19.3 lbs- 10%, height- 29.5 inches- 40% and hc-18- 25%) We may start cooper on some Pedi-sure (like ensure) for additional calories. He is real long and lean and very active. He said most adopted children aren't even on the charts the first few years...so I am not going to worry. He said Cooper was ahead developmentally. He can on command-(which he did all for the doctor)-----bark like a dog when you ask "what does the dog say", wave bye, wave "hi", point out his ears and belly button, say and nod "no-no" and Best of all developmentally (according to the doctor).....THROW TANTRUMS!!! He said actually that was a good sign that he was developing and was ahead on all of these things. ....so I am not worrying about anything at this point except how to discipline him and how to keep him from having to get stitches since he is into everything. He is now fully on sippie cups (we switched Karina to straw cups because cooper would only drink out of Karina's sippies...so we gave him those) and all of a sudden loves whole milk and PB and J sandwiches!!He said Karina did great during the apt. for a 2 year old and we must be doing something right (I guess it was the spankings she was starting to get...things have done a big turn around with her behavior. We can now put her on skim milk. She is doing well too...everyday is trying to say new words and still loves books. Her favorite thing right now is to look for "tractors and horses" when we are driving. She also LOVES Barney...music we have and the dvd. She loves for the three of us to sing "the wheels on the bus and "the ants go marching". ....yes the three of us...cooper tries to join in the singing and hand motions too!!! She is now calling Jason "DA-DEEEEE" sounds almost french or somethingThe shots were heartbreaking for both. Jason held Cooper down for his 3 and I held Karina for her three. Both felt pretty crummy yesterday afternoon.

The kids still like to go in the stroller when I run. This morning we found a cat that will let me pick him up and put him in the stroller so Karina and Cooper can pet him. Karina CRIES when we leave him. Karina still doesn't feel well from the shots. She wouldn't eat at all tonight. Of course Cooper ate everything in site!

About Me

My photo
Stuttgart, Germany, Germany
We are living as non-military expats for a second time in Stuttgart Germany. The first time, we moved from Alabama to Stuttgart, Germany in December 2010 for three years and now are back after six years.. This is a great adventure for our whole family that we enjoy sharing.
>