Sir Crabby Pants

So, I'm irritated.  No wait.  I'm happy.  No wait.  I'm Hungry.  Wait.  No....I don't want that stinking bottle!  Get it out of here!  Wait...

I don't know what I am.  I've been crabby for days.  Even Mommy can't console me sometimes.  She keeps saying something about teething.  I don't know.  Maybe.  I know that my new favorite thing to do is cry and try to eat Mommy's face. 

Other updates:  I can sit on my own now for about 5 minutes before falling over.  Sometimes I even bend myself completely in half,  face down.  It doesn't bother me but it seems to freak out other people.  I think Mommy is just jealous because she used to be a dancer and now she can't even touch her toes.  Oh.  Sorry.  I guess she can if she really tries.   

All my clothes are shrinking.  None of them seem to fit right anymore.  Maybe it has something to do with "Oh my goodness!  He's getting so big!"  I hear that a lot. 

grumble, grumble, grumble.  I'm too crabby to write anymore so I will attach some pictures.  Enjoy, don't enjoy.  Do what you will.

The Fortune Cookie Letter

Yesterday I got a fortune cookie and inside it read: "You are good with words.  Write a letter."  My mama ate the cookie and told me that I needed to write a letter.  I don't think that's exactly fair but here goes.

Dear Everyone,
Hello.  How are you?  I am great!  I went to the ENT last week and found out that I can hear!  Oh, wait.  I always knew that I could hear but apparently my mom didn't and this news made her very happy and relieved.  I might have some issues with my right ear.  The Dr. still can't see my ear drum because that ear canal is so small but I'm all good on the left side.  We have to go back in a couple of months to have that right ear checked again.  But I think I hear just fine.

I'm still not rolling over any more.  I did it a few times and I just don't see the big deal.  It's making mama unhappy because she has to fight with the physical therapist.  I think it's kind of fun to watch her get all worked up when the PT tells her that she's not motivating me enough.  When I heard her say "Well, obviously you're not motivating him enough or he would roll over." I thought "Uh-oh, lady.  You better watch out.  She might look all nice but she might cut you."  It was funny.  Her face was really red. Hahaha.

I've become quite the talker and funny man.  In fact, 4 am is the most funny time ever.  It's one of my favorite things to do, wake up telling jokes in the middle of the night.  I used to sleep through the night but once I discovered how funny everything is at night, there's just no going back.  For whatever reason though, no one else thinks my jokes are that good.  I don't get it.  Sleep is for losers.

We're looking for a new place to live.  Time is almost up at the little pink house by the lake.  It was kind of lucky that we got those really hot days to enjoy what it would be like if we really lived here.  We're going to look at houses in Grand Rapids this weekend.  It's so much closer to where mama works and I hear all kinds of talk about saving money on gas not having to drive from Holland to Grand Rapids every day.  I'm sad to leave this house.  It's cozy and was my very first house.  I'm sure mama and daddy will find me an even nicer place though so it will be ok.

I am looking forward to spending spring break with my brother and sister from Chicago.  They are coming up this weekend and spending the whole week (never done that)!  We are going to decorate eggs (never done that) and go on an Easter Egg Hunt (never done that) and go to Great Wolf Lodge for a couple of days (never done that either and it sounds a little dangerous with all those wolves!)  So as you can see, next week is going to be an awesome week filled with all kinds of stuff I've never done.

I hope you have as good a time as me.

Sincerely,
Cooper

P.S.
If you missed it when I did my dramatic reading of Elmo & Cookie Monster, I present to you an encore performance.

Links

If you are friends with my Mom on Facebook you will see that she keeps posting all these links to stories about kids with Down syndrome.  It's kind of annoying.  Yeah, yeah, Mom.  We get it.  Kids with Down syndrome can do everything that every other kid can do.  But I guess I will let it go for now because she explained it to me like this,

"Cooper, when I was growing up, you never saw kids with Down syndrome in school with other kids or on teams or doing anything other than riding around in vans with other kids with Down syndrome.   They went to special schools and people called them retarded and made fun of them for being stupid.  It's only been recently that I've started seeing these adults in the community working, playing, eating out with friends and families, and generally being ordinary citizens.  And it's only been since having you that I even recognized my own prejudices, stereotypes and hurtful words.  I have a lot of atonement to do and the best way I can think to do that right now is to share the stories of you and people like you.  So, you'll just have to get over your embarrassment.  I'm sure it won't be the last time I embarrass you :) "

I guess that's it.  She's determined to do it so we'll all just have to endure.  She means well.  And who knows, maybe someone will understand a little more by what she shares and will learn that I am not stupid because I have Down syndrome.  And maybe she can teach one person that calling someone "retarded" is a terrible word of the past just like other hurtful words we have removed from our daily language.

In other news.  If you rub my belly and make a wish, I think it might come true.  See below.

Hangin' with the Mama

The photo above tells the story of the day.  We spent the day in our jammies doing a lot of napping.  It's nice to be home.  We've been running crazy for about a month and spending a lot of time everywhere but home.  Mama says today is about resting and healing so that's what we're doing.  

New Word

Today I learned a new word...Generosity.  My mom can't stop using it.  I overheard her talking so many times today about how generous the people in our lives are.  Here is but a small sampling of what I heard:

"Betsy (that's Momma's best friend since the time of the dinosaurs) organized all of the food for the funeral through her brother Steve (a chef) and her sister Becky brought it up from Battle Creek.  Her whole family is so amazingly generous!  Her mom found and purchased dress clothes for Cooper. and Becky is helping me deliver a very important work piece to Grand Rapids so that I don't have to drive out there in the morning.  This is just the beginning of the kind of love and generosity that Betsy and her family have shown us during this horrible time.  I can never thank them enough."


"People from the Red Cross (Grandma was a big volunteer for them) organized a lunch for the family in between visitations today.  What a generous act from an organization my Mom was proud to be a part of.  Thank you for thinking of us today."


"Rosalynn Bliss (Momma's boss) and the leadership team at work have been so generous in their willingness to work with my crazy life over the last few months.  They have been a constant source of support and encouragement for me.  I can't believe how lucky I am to work for such a wonderful group of people at a place that does such good."

As you can see, I've heard this word, generosity, so many times...and this doesn't even begin to cover all the little and big things that people have done for me and my Mom during this time.  Oh, Momma asked me to make sure to include how generous Aunt Annie has been in giving up her life to help care for Grandma and how Aunt Becki had to generously take on the extra work with Aunt Annie being away.  Also, Aunt Valy bought me an awesome outfit and shoes to wear to the funeral....I think that's pretty generous...plus got Grandma's house cleaned for Grandpa.  There are so many people who have done countless acts of kindness for my Mom and our family that their generosity can never be thanked enough.  But I will try.

THANK YOU.

Me and My Grandma

I spent the night with Grandma last night.  We're at this place called The Hospice House of Holland.  Grandma isn't awake anymore and that's really hard on my Momma.  She says that Grandma will just drift off soon and she won't be in anymore pain or have anymore fear.  I'm glad for that but I will miss her very much.  I don't understand why she can't be with us but Momma says we'll get through it and we just have to love her for as long as we have her.  She sang me my first song and I will try to remember that.  I will remember how she rocked me to sleep and our "Grandma Naps."  I will remember that she smelled nice and held me close for as long as she could.  I will remember that I have the best Grandma ever.  But, she told me that she will be watching over me so I guess I don't have to worry that she's too far away.  Get some rest, Grandma because it's going to be hard work keeping up with me!  I love you.

I've been a busy boy

There has been a lot going on since I posted last.  Mommy has been having a hard time with Grandma in the hospital but she told me to stop using that as an excuse and let you all know what's been going on.

As I told you in my last post, I caught my first cold.  I'm still fighting it a little and it didn't help that I got my immunization a few days ago and haven't felt quite right since.  Mamma's arms are getting really strong because I'm not feeling much like sitting by myself these days.  It just feels better to sit with her when I feel bad.   But don't get the wrong idea about me.  I'm no crybaby.  I got my shots and didn't shed a tear when they attacked me with those needles.  Mamma was all worked up and ready for me to scream and cry.  Instead I looked right at her and smiled...I mean, there was this brief second where I thought I might lose it but for Mamma's sake I stayed strong.

We've been at the hospital every day for the last week.  You should see these nurses!  They just won't leave me alone.  Everyone knows my name and when a new nurse comes on who hasn't met me yet, I hear "Is this Cooper that I've been hearing so much about?"  I guess I'm kind of a big deal.  I've been getting to spend lots of time with my Aunt Annie and Aunt Renee.  That's pretty cool but hopefully Grandma will get to go home soon because the hospital is getting old.  We got to change floors yesterday so that was a nice change in scenery.  There are rocking chairs on the second floor and I love to rock. Mom says we try to find the small things to be happy about these days...even if it's just that there are rocking chairs in the waiting room.

I better get going.  Grandma awaits!  Sorry for the delay in the update.  I know this one is not up to my usual standards but I needed to just get it done so I didn't stop all together and ruin Mamma's New Year's resolution.