A Cooper Report

It's been a while since I have done an update on how Cooper is doing and what he's been up to. October was a really busy month for him, it seems like he has grown up a lot over the month!

At the beginning of October my mom was here to visit and we decided to see how he would do with potty training while he was out of daycare for a week. I assumed he would be one to wait until 3 or 3 1/2 to be out of diapers, so I had no goals that this would work, or that he was even ready for it, but he took to it very well. I have to say it's been the least amount of struggle to get him potty trained than anything else we've done so far. Potty training at daycare took a little longer, but he's pretty much got it down now. He is still wearing Pull Ups for nap and night time, but generally he's dry when he wakes up anyway so he'll be out of those soon too.

Also in October Cooper transitioned from his crib to a "big boy" bed- his crib converted to a daybed. It seemed like when we were crib shopping that this was a big deal to have a convertible crib, but I wonder if when the time comes that most people just get a twin or full size bed? Finding sheets for a toddler size bed was hard- we ended up all over northern MA looking for sheets and we finally found some at the second Target location of the day. Cooper picked Thomas and we decided a backup set was necessary so we also have Cars/Lightning McQueen. He loves his new sheets and pillows and has also done well with this transition for the most part. I was worried he would always be jumping out of bed and getting out of his room, but so far that has not been the problem- his problem is just going to sleep. For some reason since he's been in his 'big boy' bed he feels the need to sing AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE once we have left his room. Right now he is doing a 'farm' unit at daycare, so Farmer in the Dell and Old McDonald are the current favorites along with his ABCs. Until one of us goes back in to tell him it's time to be quiet we get quite the concert over the monitor each night.

A new favorite thing of Cooper's is to use his new blanket to roll up in a 'taco'


This fall Cooper has been attending two music classes- one offered through his daycare that is a Kindermusik based class and another that I go to with him with our playgroup. He has had lots of fun with these classes this fall and we get new CD's of music each month and an instrument to take home for him to play too.

Playing the cymbals during music class with playgroup at Itsy Bisty Zone

Cooper is also extremly interested in learning his ABCs. My sister told me about Starfall.com and since I showed it to Cooper all he wants to do is "work on the 'puter and do alphabet". It has seriously become his obession, to the point that each time it's time to put the alphabet away it leads to tears and requests for 'just one more letter!'. I'm all for him learning, but we need to find a new solution for his alphbet obsession! Anyone have any experience with the Vtech computers?

He can work the memory game for the letter H all by himself on the laptop

I have to be very cautious about these next items. I feel like if I write too much about it I will somehow jinx the good experiences we have had lately in the departments of Eating and Health. Cooper has been relatively illness free since his tubes surgery in May. Since that time he has had one ear infection and a cold and that's about it. Also, since May, but more so recently he has decreased his milk and increased his regular food intake which has been a good thing too. He is still toddler picky about what he eats, but it's not as much of a struggle to actually get him to eat food these days. Do I dare hope for him to sleep in some day?

Last, we've joined the Y in town -- both so that Ben and I can go to the gym again, but also because they have open swim during the week that we can bring Cooper to as an out of the house activity now that it's getting colder. So far so good there and Cooper is warming up to the pool again.

We're gearing up for holiday time- lots of travel and fun ahead with a week with Grandma and Papa O and Kimi coming up, then a week with Grandma and Papa D, Karen, Mark and Natalie at Christmas. Cooper is excited, but each time we mention flying on the airplane he talks about the 'scary' plane ride (which he slept though--how does he remember that it was scary?). Hopefully he does OK on the upcoming holiday flights!