Welcome, Megan Faye!

On July 27, 2011, we welcomed Megan Faye Cooper to our family! She weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 20 inches. She was scheduled to arrive on August 1st, but decided to come early--thank goodness, I was ready! I woke up around 12:30am on the 27th to some pretty strong contractions. I had never been in labor before, as Ava was a scheduled c-section as well (breech baby!). I went out to the living room and sat there for about 2 hours, timing the contractions and trying to figure out if I was really in labor. Everytime I had a contraction, I felt like, for sure, this was it. But in the 5-6 minute breaks that I would get, I felt fine and figured I was being too cautious. Is this labor? Or am I just imagining it? For 2 hours I felt like that. Finally, around 2:30am, I called my sister, who works nights at the hospital and happened to be working that night. She answered the phone and when I said "I think I'm in labor", she started cracking up! She walked to the maternity wing and talked to the nurses on duty. They told me to drink lots of water and lay down for a bit. Once I got comfortable on the couch, Lisa called me back and said that one of my doctors was actually on her way to the hospital for another patient. Lisa suggested that I just come in and get checked out--if I needed to have a c-section, at least my doctor would be there. So, I went in and woke Mark up and told him that I thought we should go to the hospital. I already had my bag packed, so I was ready! Mark, on the other hand, didn't have anything ready--I think he was still in denial at this point! LOL At 3am, I went into Ava's room and woke her up. I felt so bad--she was sound asleep and looked so comfy in her bed. This better be the real thing, I thought. Otherwise, I was going to feel so bad waking everyone up at o'dark hundred! It took a minute to get Ava up and going but by the time we were in the car, she was chattin' up a storm! She was in such a good mood at 3:30 in the morning! On the way to the hospital I had several very strong contractions--the kind you can't even talk yourself through. I was pretty sure this was the real thing.

We got to the hospital around 4am and met my sister outside. She took Ava to her office so they could color and hang out for a bit. They hooked me up to the monitors to see how strong my contractions were and said it was going to be about an hour for them to decide if they were going to keep me and do a c-section that day, or not. My only thought was, "I'm going to have to have these contractions for another hour???" I know now, that I am definitely not a fan of labor--bring on the c-section!!! They decided around 5:15am they were going to perform a c-section at 6:30am. Again, my first thought was, "I'm going to have to have these contractions for another hour and 15 minutes???" Good thing, the time flew by and before we knew it, I was walking myself into the operating room. Megan was born 25 mintues later and, as you can see, is perfect! :) My parents arrived just 10 minutes after I was wheeled into the recovery room (my sister didn't call them until 5:15am when the decision was made to keep me and take the baby that day. They loaded the car up and made the 1.5 hour drive to Chico in record time!).

My mom stayed the 3 nights in the hospital with me so Mark could provide Ava with some "normalcy" at home. The nurses at the hospital were fabulous and my stay, other than the very uncomfortable beds, was great! We were able to go home that Saturday to start our lives as a family of four!

In the recovery room.


Hello Grandma!

Hello Grandpa!

Meeting Big Sister!

Ava couldn't wait to hold Megan.

Hi Opa!

Meeting cousins Macy and Ben.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

Kisses.

Hi Omi!

Ava singing Rock-a-Bye Baby to calm Megan down.

My sister and Chris bought this cake for us--we went over to their house on Sunday after Megan was born for a BBQ.

Chillin' during the festivities at the Denlay's.

Morning bliss.

My Princess on Parade

Ava went to ballet camp for two weeks at Chico Creek Dance Centre, where she has taken ballet classes before. She was very excited to go, because she knew 'Miss Melinda' was going to be the teacher, whom she adores! They worked very hard for 3 hours a day for 2 weeks. They also did arts and crafts to decorate the room for the performance and the programs for the parents. Ava's friend, Olivia, also did the camp, but Ava made a few new friends too. It was very cute to see them encourage each other and give each other hugs at the end of the day. The performances were on Thursday and Friday of the last week of camp, to allow for the many friends and family who all wanted to see their "Princesses". They danced to songs from the movies 'Tangled' and 'Princess and the Frog'. Ava discovered tap shoes and did a fantastic job! :) She did great with all of her dances.

Enjoy the pictures of Ava dancin', twistin', jumpin', hula-hoopin', and shakin' her groove thing. :)

3rd Annual Father's Day Weekend Camping Trip to Butt Lake!

It was our 3rd annual camping trip for the Coopers to Butt Lake. At first, I tried to get out of it. I was not looking forward to sleeping in a tent, in a sleeping bag, on the ground, 34 weeks pregnant! My mother-in-law and father-in-law were very generous, however, and let me sleep in their camping trailer. It actually ended up being pretty fun--my mother-in-law, Macy, Ava and I all had a 'sleepover' in the trailer. I don't think I could have done it any other way this year...

We only stayed one night this year. I knew I was going to be wiped out, but we wanted to go for a little bit anyway. We looked like we had enough stuff to stay for a whole week though! We had a lot on our agenda for the short time we were there! We wanted to go in the lake, take a ride in the canoe, make s'mores by the campfire (of course!), go fishing, and fit in a bit of relaxation too (I think that was mainly on my agenda!).

Ava and Macy taking a dip in the freezing water! You could walk out forever and it was really shallow-the kids loved it!

Mark taking the girls for a canoe ride

Ava caught a fish with her Barbie fishing pole!!!




Opa caught a fish with his pole too, and he let Ava reel it in-she did it all by herself!

Concentrating...

Omi and Opa and the grandkids

Mark swinging in the hammock

They don't call it Butt Lake for nothin'!!! :)

Ron pretending to throw Ava in the water

After a very long walk, Ava and I enjoying some cuddle time. Is that a beachball under my sweatshirt?? :)

There's a piece of wood all the way at the end of the lake that looks like a sasquatch. Ava wanted to go see it up close.

The kids swinging--they got pretty high!

Saturday morning breakfast- buttermilk pancakes and sausages for the kids. The good stuff came later--Ron always takes eggs, potatoes, bacon, and onion and cooks them in a cast iron pot to perfection. Yum!

Ava and Macy-watching the cooks and zoning out...looks like Ava is enjoying her cup of morning coffee. I think it was just water.... :)

In Omi and Opa's trailer-the girls had enjoyed telling ghost stories at the campfire so much, they continued to do so inside where it was nice and warm. Ava kept telling the 'Legend of Pinkfoot'-you'll have to ask her sometime. :) We also played a hilarious game of 'Telephone'-the message mysteriously changed to the same thing over and over again once it reached Ben. Hmmmm...

Macy eating s'mores. Photo courtesy of Ava.

Ava and Macy in the water...again.

I was watching the girls and taking pictures and I turned to see my shadow--had to take the picture!

Mother's Day 2011

It was my fifth Mother's Day!! I can't believe the time is going by so quickly. I got to sleep in until 9am (mainly because Ava slept until 9am...)!! Then I was told to stay in bed until they came to get me. Ava came in about 15 minutes later and wanted me to close my eyes as she led me into the kitchen. I was pleasantly surprised to find a vase full of beautiful roses, some cards, heart-shaped pancake molds, and a sandwich that Ava made me out of her 'play' kitchen supplies. It was so sweet! I got gift cards to Starbucks, McDonald's and Motherhood Maternity--the perfect 'Preggo Trio' :)!

Like I said, I can't believe it was my fifth Mother's Day! I am so lucky to be Ava's Mommy. :) These past 4 years have gone by way too fast-now I know what everyone means when they say to 'enjoy it while it lasts'. Although she can be trying at times, she is 4 after all...right? Soon to be a big sister, Ava's world is going to change completely in a few short months. I'm excited, nervous, and terrified all at the same time. She is used to being the center of attention, as the case with any only child. I know having a sibling will be a good change for her. She is really looking forward to being a Big Sister, and I'm hoping the two girls have a special bond. I know it will take some getting used to, going from a family of 3 to a family of 4, but I can't wait for the newest addition to our family to arrive.

At the restaurant on Mother's Day, waiting for our dinner.

Trying to capture Ava's 'sweetness' on camera...


My Mother's Day gifts.

We're Back!!

Wow! Has it been over a year since I've posted anything!! Here are some pictures from the last couple of months.

Easter 2010

Walking home

Chubby cheeks!

Our 3 year old!

Happy Birthday!

Time certainly does fly. I have been "addicted" to Facebook and have neglected this family blog. I realized, many of our family and friends don't have Facebook, so I've decided to start back up with the blog. While Facebook is nice, this blog allows us to tell "our story" and show many pictures of our daily adventures. Plus, Ava likes looking at it, so I figured I should keep it up to date.

Since it's been so long, I will have to catch up. Ava turned 3 in May and we celebrated by taking a trip to Disneyland, just the 3 of us. She absolutely loved it and enjoyed meeting the princesses. She started taking ballet last fall and loved it, she continues to take dance class at a local studio and is not afraid to break into some moves in the middle of the grocery store! Ava has also made a lot of friends through playgroups, child care, and through other friends. We are always on the move, going to birthday parties, BBQs, and get-togethers. This fall, we are planning trips to the pumpkin patch, Apple Hill, Portland, OR, and lots of playtime!

Mark is still working at CSU, Chico in Facilities Management. He was certainly lucky to be part of the only union that did not elect to take furloughs (knock on wood!!!). His co-workers are great, and he loves his job. This week (Sept. 8th-11th) is quite possibly Mark's favorite week of the year. Gold Cup (sprint cars) starts on Wed. and there are races every night through Sat. I usually go one night, but I might pass this year to take Ava on a weekend "girls" trip.

I'm in my third year of selling real estate. I am really enjoying working for my broker and I have met some great clients!!! I help both buyers and sellers, and it seems my business is evenly split between the two. I had a great year last year and am working towards my goal of beating last year's sales. The market is tough and challenging, but I am just trying to stay busy as best I can. I am also involved as the Treasurer for the NorCal chapter of Women's Council of Realtors. I have met many people I wouldn't have otherwise, and am learning a lot.

All in all, we are healthy and happy and looking forward to our next adventure.