July is already here???

Well it is already the middle of July and I have not blogged in over a month:( SORRY! Things that have been going on.... we have all been sick:( It started with BJ, he was sick for almost 3 weeks. During his 3 weeks, he did however win his first volleyball tournament of the summer and he did finally get some anti-botics for and URI and Sinus Infection. Then he passed it on to me the day we were leaving on VACATION! So I was sick through out our trip and have been under the weather since we have returned! I have horrible allergies, so I do attribute most of my symptoms to that. However it has know been 2 weeks, of stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, ringing ears and MIGRAINES! Oh well, life goes on :)

So in the last month, I celebrated my 28th birthday. Which was a great day, I spent the day with Helena. BJ got me an amazing handbag that is big enough to carry all of Helena's stuff and Helena got me some personalized picture coffee mugs:) We enjoyed a family dinner and I got to come home and watch movies in bed! For the 4th we were just getting ready for our trip, so we had a relaxing weekend of beaching it and packing.
We left for vacation on July 6th, it was a red eye flight, which was very interesting with Helena, all and all she did great, she stayed up 3 hours past her bed time and passed out during the take off. She had a few outburst throughout the flight, and she really melted down during the landing, it was 3am CA time and 6am East coast time. I would have melted down too! She was attached to my BOOB for a majority of the flight I think for comfort, the negative part of this was that the plane was 1000 degrees and we were all sweating. We slept off and on the first day of vacation to try to catch up on sleep and get adjusted to the time. BJ's mom made the most amazing soup and also a fish dish for dinner!
Our vacation was based on spending time with family, which we did and we loved it! We got to see our niece and nephew a lot and BJ's sister, her husband, and mom. It was so great to spend time with them since we only see them a few times a year. We also got to have Dunkin Dounut's coffee, Water Ice, and East Coast pizza. BJ, Helena, and I also went in to Philly for a day and did some historic site seeing. It was a quick trip since Helena's attention span is a little shorter then ours.
Helena also had a little birthday party that Mimi and Aunt Nicki through her. They had some of BJ's oldest friends surprise him. She had a great day with everyone, she got some fun gifts and also got to taste her first ICE CREAM CAKE! Helena had many food firsts on her trip, Water Ice, Pizza, Ice Cream Cake, Fish,Spinach. It is good to know that she will pretty much try anything:) Helena also was practicing climbing the stairs. She only did that a few times, but she did a great job! Helena also got to meet her Great Great Mum Mum, she is 90. It was fun visiting with her, I am glad that we got to spend sometime with her! Vacation was amazing, I wish we could have had a few more days.
So we have not even been back a week and most of you know that our lease on our apartment is coming up and we have had some issues here so we are MOVING! We looked earlier this year and have been looking for this last month. There have been somethings we have been interested in, however there is always a catch.... so I called the place we were interested in before and it seems that the price is doable and I will have a washer/dryer, nice heated pool, and gym. We are happy to have this crossed off our list. Now it is time to pack.... we have less then a months time to get everything ready! Good thing is though that my parent will be here help with Helena and to get situated!
I think the last really cool thing that has happened since we got home.... I took Helena to swimming this week. She has not been for 3 weeks and I was so amazed how much she REMEMBERED! She is jumping in on her own, kicking like a champ, back floating, she also blew bubbles..... and the coolest thing was that I got to wear goggles while Helena swam to me under water. She did everything perfect, she was holding her breath with her EYES wide open:) It was so cool to see her kicking her way to me. I was so proud of her! She is really is turning into a fish! I hope everyone's summer is going well. The next month for us is going to be crazy, getting ready to move. I am training for my RKC, planning Helena's 1st birthday! Lots of fun and exciting things happen with the COOKS!

This is a picture of Helena on the way home! She never once fussed for the 5.5 hour trip home, she napped and read and played with us and DID AWESOME! We are very lucky parents to have such a good little girl on our hands!

Crazy Weekend!

So Helena has jumped on the I am going to be 1 ban wagon and has changed over night! She use to be totally content sitting and playing with her toys, she was the kid that never wanted to roll over. She also did not want to acknowledge that you were teaching her something, she would give you the look like DUH I know that already:) Well man in 2 days things have totally changed....
So like I have said before Helena has been standing and walking around things, chair, toys, sofa.... and just last week she started to crawl. While over night she taught herself to pull up on anything, including her crib which now she is EATING. Yes I am aware I have given birth to a beaver:)
She is moving like a champ and is very brave, we are making bets here in the Cook apt. to see when this lady walks. I am saying by the end of July.... please let me know if you would like to take part in these shenanigans, the pot is going to get hot I can feel it.
Now because Helena is moving she seems to be getting into trouble, this is not her fault since we still have stuff in her reach. We are moving in 45 days somewhere so why move it now. Well this leads to us distracting her and teaching what she can play with and not. I told her no, and well she now fakes a sad face and pretends to cry. Yes again I know I not only gave birth to a beaver, it is a beaver who is nominated for an Oscar.
Well since Helena has been moving she is a lot happier, which means she seems to be more into learning things. We do lessons everyday, from clapping, touching our nose, eyes, ears, hair. I am teaching her to plug her nose and say "PHEW" her daddy stinks sometimes... we love you Daddy:) She is also signing a little more, she now signs, MILK, Drink, Eat, and More. 3 more then she would do a month ago. She is also babbling up a storm and its so funny... when BJ comes home or into a room she says HEY..... that's what it sounds like and it is every single time. So cute and sweet it is something she really only does for him... it like she is on of his buddies just hanging out saying HEY!
Helena has also been getting her appetite back, she has been eating more solid food, eggs, bananas, cheerios, grapes, blueberries, bagels. I have yet to really give her meat, however she really love beans and that to me is a good start. I took Helena to the Baby Time Expo this weekend with her friend Emma and they did so well. I got Helena some Baby Legs. THESE are genius... I have never heard of them or seen them and I am in love with them.... BABY LEGS you are amazing. I also go these really awesome utensils for free from always learning. They are also amazing and Helena loves feeding herself with them!
All in all a very busy weekend of change....She really has changed to me over night. She is such a little lady, I love being able to spend every day with her and I feel so blessed and lucky. Thank you Helena James for letting me be the best mommy I can be!

A terror on the loose! Mr Jones WATCH OUT!

Helena is moving and it is very funny she will go a little then rest, with a big breath! Its so funny. She is also sitting up from laying now and when we go to get her from her crib she is either sitting, kneeling or standing! Good thing I dropped it down a few weeks ago. We had an incident the other night, she started crying and we went in to check on her and she was "SLEEP CRAWLING" she was on all fours moving around her crib with her eyes totally closed! They say the practice what they learn during the day.... IT IS TRUE! Enjoy the video:)

We have a mover and a shaker people!

Lots going on in the Cook house.... Helena unfortunately got a stomach bug last week, Thursday night she woke up with a low grade fever and the fever just kept getting higher. We ended up bringing her in and found out she probably had a stomach bug. She got to sleep with me for a few nights so she got some rest and by Sunday her fever had broke and she was getting back to normal. She is also cutting 4 more teeth so she has been a little more irritable.
But the good news is that HELENA is crawling all over the house! It is so exciting for all of us. She is leaving no spot unturned. She is also pulling herself up onto things and walking around anything she can get her hands on. I do not think we have very long before she is running around the house!!!
Helena is 10 months old today. I look at her and am amazed, she is not my baby anymore she is such a little lady. She is saying MA MA and knows that it is me. She is also very close to telling us NO. When she does not want something or is done she yells and it sounds a little like NO or she shakes her head NO, can we say SMARTIE PANTS. She also is pointing to Nose when she is asked and we working on mouth, ears, and eyes. She loves reading her books everyday we read before her naps and she very patiently waits to turn every page. She is just really starting to be a sponge absorbing and taking everything in! Our days are truly becoming an adventure!

Walking..... OH MY!

So we have bought Helena a push walker.....she does not necessarily push it. However she does walk around it!


" See Mom one handed...." and she is at her starting position.






And she is rounding the corner....






Her last leg....







As you can see she is really starting to move.... I think it is only a matter of time before we are in for some real trouble!!!

The Month of May

So this is a little late, but Happy Mother's Day to all of your beautiful mothers out there! I hope you enjoyed your day:) I know I did... I got to spend my first mothers day with my mom:) My mom flew in and we all headed to Palm Springs for the weekend! SO MUCH FUN! Lots of swimming and relaxing, good food and Margaritas!
I feel like so much has been going on let me see if I can blog it all....
Miss Helena James is just getting so big, she is now 9 months. She has her 4 teeth and 2 more coming. She is getting more beautiful red hair, it is the most amazing shade of copper you have ever seen.
* Helena is still saying, Mama, Dada, Ya Ya, MMMMMMMMM, and Yea!
* She is walking along all the furniture and pulling herself up with a little help
* Today she actually got up on all fours and flew herself forward in to the carpet! SHE GOT PISSED:( Ok is was a little funny....
*She is wanting to do everything by herself.... she is 9.75 months going on 3!!!
* She is now loving swimming lessons and really learning... when we count 123 she jumps off the edge to us. She also is very close to swimming underwater by herself instead of us diving her!
*Helena is also finally getting better about sleeping ( knock on wood) She is almost sleeping thru the night... she sleeps from 7:30ish to between 2:30am and 4:00am!!! She eats and goes back to sleep until 645ish.... now if we could get her to sleep until 10am:) Just Kidding
* Helena is an amazing dancer and singer, she hears music and starts to raise her hands, like she is raising the roof. She also yells out AHHHHHH AHHHH OOOOOOO in harmony to must tunes, it use to be when we sang to her, now it is also in the car.... it is so cute I just smile while I am driving, I have a personal concert everyday!

I am sure most of you that read this have had kids, so you will understand what I am talking about. This last month has been the most trying month with Helena, she spends so much of the day frustrated between trying to move and communicate what she would like. It is a test of patience and it has shown me that I actually have some! I have been trying to sign with her, say all the words that she may want or need and also pointing at things.... she is just so stubborn she looks at me like I am CRAZY.... and then gets bright red, tenses up, and arches her back in ANGER! ( I know some of you are saying pay back is a B&^%$ .... I know I was not that bad of a kid) HA HA.... I just hope that soon enough everything will come together for her and we can talk, walk, and laugh!
We brought Helena to her first kids movie UP.... needless to say we did not make it thru the end. She was so restless and babbled the whole time so we needed to leave so close to the end. She has been to 3 mommy matinees and done well, but now that she can move, I do not think movies are in our cards.
More fun and exciting things the little girls I nannied were in town so we got to spend the day with them. It was so much fun. They are now 7 and almost 11.... they are such great girls and are turning out into beautiful young ladies!
I am sure there is so much more..... BIG news.... our nephew was born on Friday May 29th, 2009 Evan Patrick McGann. We are very excited for the McGann clan and can not to get out there in 6 weeks! We have a busy summer ahead of us.... between, birthdays, vacation, moving, and my RKC course. By September we will be ready for another vacation, but instead we will be planning BJ's 30th birthday bash! Well I hope every ones May was great! I will do better this next month with blogging. When I do not do it every week, I know I am missing out on things....oh something funny.... BJ dressed Helena the other day and this is what he came up with.... its a new style and I think it is pretty cute!!!

The Busy Cooks!

Wow, it has been a while since we have written and of course there is so much going on! We have all been sick here in the Cook house so things have been a little chaotic. BJ was getting random fevers and feeling run down, I started to get a fever, body aches, and fatigue and poor baby Helena is cutting another top and every time she cuts a tooth she gets a NASTY COLD! So all of us have been to the doctors and we are all going to LIVE!
There is so much going on.... I am starting to work sort-0f.... it is a top secret project that I can not talk about. But when I can I will and it will be BIG!!! I can say that I am very excited to be working on something I am passionate about and to be able to do with Helena. So I am sure in the next few months I will fill you in on everything!!!
As for BJ, his business is booming and I am so proud of him! He is doing an awesome job at balancing everything, from work, to home, and he is even getting in some V-ball from time to time! We both try to stay active so we can be a positive example for Helena as she grows!
As for the little stinker herself, we have figured out that she loves to sleep on her stomach, now if I could only find a diaper that holds thru the night. She wakes up soaked all the time! I have tried the Pamper Night-Time Diapers, however she is so sensitive she has gotten her first diaper rash:( So thank god I bought 6 sets of sheets and crib saver pads!!! Since she has been sleeping on her stomach she has been getting up less thru out the night. It is very nice to actually get a little bit of sleep. Other things Helena is doing...

* She is saying "Mama" and "YA YA DA DA"
* She is really good at feeding herself things.... and we are getting more adventurous about what types of food we feed her since she can eat some of what we eat:)
* She is still butt scooting
* She loves to stand and walk with us. (We got her a walking push toy and are very excited to see how she does with it.)
* She also loves reading and turning the pages. We read 3 to 5 books a day, and most of them we read at least 2 times!
* Helena loves playing with the grass and flowers, she got to experience mud for the first time this weekend and of course I did not have the camera!!!
* Helena has been enjoying wearing her sunglasses like her mommy, she thinks she is sooooo cool.
* Helena also really enjoys playing with her friends, she has a couple of friends her age and she loves to scream at them, pull their hair, and also hold their hands:) Over all it sounds kind of rough, however they have a way of being gentle to each other.
Here are some pictures of what has been going on over the past couple of weeks!







Helena feeding herself puffs.... (Good pinching skills)








Helena realized she could dump them in her mouth!
Ooops she is missing her mouth and feeding the sofa...









She decided that the sofa was REALLY hungry too, so she shared all of her puffs!!! HA HA