Dear Cooper

Words can not express how quickly this year has passed! I absolutely can NOT believe that you are 12 months old - 1 year old. Wow.

You are obviously not as easy to get a picture of with our little sign these days! :)

This year has brought MANY changes to our family - all of which are totally worth while, just some are harder to get used to than others. You were such a wonderful infant. You rarely cried, you slept great, and you were laid back and just watched things. In the last couple of months you have taken that persona and turned it upside down! You are WIDE OPEN all the time!

You have such a personality. You laugh when other people are laughing and you love to SCREAM and GROWL when you want something. You also have this "ugly" face that you give us when you are not quite getting your way.

I really feel sorry for you in a way. When Colby was a baby we wouldn't dare let him fuss or cry. You on the other had have such elaborate fits that we just stand back and let you have at it! You HEAD BUTT like CRAZY! When you are in the throws of a good fit, you head butt the floor! Apparently you decided the other day also that the floor was too soft because Daddy caught you hit the floor, scream, stand up and head butt the wall!

You aren't walking - you are RUNNING! You get so tickled when you walk and we can hear your laughter all over the house as you run from one room to the next.

Colby is so patient with you. He loves you and does a great job helping out with you. There is nothing that makes your Daddy and I any prouder than when we watch the two of you play and love on each other. It takes our breathes away (sometimes with sweetness and others with laughter! Ha!)

You have found a new word. "No" You say it pretty much all day long, but that's okay!

We have gotten to spend loads of time together lately and I have LOVED it! Thanks to Christmas break and snow days you have only been at the sitters 6 days so the rest of the time has been great fun at home!

You love to play ball. You roll them and throw them.

You have decided that you like to kick back and give yourself your bottle. Sometimes I go with it, but at bedtime I still get to snuggle and rock you while you take your bottle. I don't plan on giving this time up any time soon!

It truly seems like it was only yesterday that I looked at your for the first time. You had my heart the moment we met and there is nothing in this world that I cherish more than my job as your and Colby's mom.

You have grown into such a funny, sweet, wild, and fearless little boy and I can't wait to see what the future brings. I hate that time has passed so quickly because you have grown from a 7 1/2 lb miracle