I've become an imaginary blogger. I have a million posts written up, all set out, pictures picked...problem is they are all in my head. I keep thinking of making some commitment like blog everyday for 2 weeks or something to get myself back into it but I hate failing( one of my little dark secrets) and I'm pretty sure I'd fail at that!!!
I've already posted Cohen's 1 year post and his actual birthday stuff but we had a family party too over the weekend and it was just too fun not to post those pictures too!!
Since all the family was already in town for the concert, we just sort of started the party when Cohen got up from his nap. All the usual ensued...presents, food, cake, balloons....
Cohen enjoyed all his presents...I think he got his whole spring and summer wardrobe in one fell swoop!! Plus, grandmommie got his some adorable shorts that actually fit him(with a minor flip of the waistband of course:)) and look super cute on him.. I really didn't think he'd really be able to wear shorts this summer very well so that was a pleasant surprise. I'm not sure I've mentioned the whole high chair thing... but we are now using the high chair that my mom used with all of us( me and my siblings) because it works great for Cohen. Our high chair, which i loved with Cort, just wasn't working for Cohen. The back leaned back too far and he couldn't reach the tray well, the lip on the tray was too big and was hard for Cohen to reach over. After a visit home, he did really well in my mom's(it sits straight up and is all around smaller), we stole it from her and gaver her ours to use in her house. All that to say, my mom got us the cutest little highchair cover for it.. you can see it in all the cake pictures.
We were planning on making these super cute monkey cupcakes for the Saturday party but we ended up with a whole extra cake from the concert so just used that instead. Cohen seemed to enjoy the HUGE cake and dug into it while we were singing to him. He didn't eat as much as he did on his actual birthday but he made a thorough mess!! laughing at GPOP( Chris' dad) and playing with his prized lobster( one of his bday presents he really likes)
With my parents - Grammie and PaPa
With Chris' parents - Grandmommie and GpopWith Mommy and Daddy
We took Cort to Frankie's to play putt-putt on Saturday afternoon. While we were that Chris discovered that Cort was tall enough to ride as a passenger in a go cart with him. Using the argument that Cort would love it, Chris got to ride the go carts!!
Cort did love it. He was so excited and promptly waved to Cohen and I each time he passed. Three times while they were riding, cars somewhere on the track bumbed into each other hard enough to turn one of the cars around so they would slow all the cars down and make them stop to get the cars back on track. Chris told Cort that someone had an accident so that is why they had to stop...
...fast forward to getting ready for bed several hour later...
Cort: "why did those girls pee, pee?"
Chris:" girls? what girls?"
Cort: "those three girls, why did they pee pee?
Chris: " i don't know what girls you are talking about Cort."
Cort: "those girls that had the accidents and pee pee'd in the cars!"
After explaining to Cort that wasn't the type of accidents we meant the go carts had and giving some examples like:
"when you accidentally bump in to mommy when your dancing." or if "we accidentally drop something," or if we "accidentally hurt someone"
I asked him what we say " when accidents happen.
Cort quicly replied:
"We say we're sorry but if we have an accident in the carseat we just get out."
Cort's never even had an accident in his carseat....
Happy Birthday to a great husband, friend, and father!! Love celebrating all your years with you!! It's crazy to think of how many birthdays we've celebrated together!!
Last year we celebrated Chris' birthday by bringing Cohen home from the NICU!! Needless to say, most of the celebrating wasn't surrounding the birthday and although we celebrated Cohen's birthday 2.5weeks ago, I guess today marks his one year anniversary of living in our house!!
This year, we simply celebrate you!! We are blessed beyond words to have you in our lives. The boys could not possibly have a better father and there is no one I'd rather go though this life with than you!! Hoping you know your loved today and everyday!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
I know it's sad that this is best pic I have recently of Chris and both boys( and you can barely count Cohen as being in it...I'll have to work on that at the birthday party tonight)
So I'm finally getting around to Cohen's one year post. I've started it several times but have scratched it each time. Multiple reasons - 1) just trying to put other family things ahead of blogging 2) really wanted to devote last week to making sure people knew and could be praying for the tipping family 3) In case you haven't noticed I totally have a case of blogging writers block...
...all that said, I'm finally finding time for it, I still ask for your prayers for the Tipping family, and sorry for the lame writing...
My little baby is one year old. I mean, really, it still seems surreal to say it, 365 days later I still sometimes feel like I'm waiting for the dream to end. I spend much of his birthday week reflecting on my pregnancy with Cohen....the sheer desperation of it, the quiet peace in it, the overwhelming fear, the incredible hope, the sweet dependence, and the undeniable love we felt for our unborn son. And here we are living the nitty gritty details of life with Cohen. Sometimes, I feel like that little baby on the ultrasound pictures and videos is an entirely different child than the Cohen we hold in our hands. It felt so many times that those hour long ultrasounds were all I would ever get with my son and it sometimes hits me hard that that little wiggly baby in my belly is the same one yelling at me in the highchair for more food. I spent much of his actual birthday thinking of how I thought we would spend his first birthday...of the mothers I have met who celebrate Happy Heaven days instead of actually first birthdays...and grateful, thankful, humbled, and undeserving, does not even begin to cover the emotions that brings up for me. We were buying balloons for the high chair and mailbox instead of releasing them, we were singing happy birthday to a little boy in said high chair(who just loved the balloons by the way), We had cake in our home instead of at a cemetary( which I still don't drive by without my heart racing a little), and I tucked him into his crib that night. I don't take these things for granted. I also spent time just reflecting on the day of his birth - it's a day that in some ways I would never want to live through again and sometimes I wish life could just slow down so I can really relish in all that God did for us that day.
Cohen's 3 days of birthday celebrations( birthday, concert, family party) were not without it's stresses and disappointments - just happens when you have 3 busy days and you want things to be perfect for something that's such a bid deal to you, but oh how sweet for those to be able to be the things that made those days hard...instead of where we could have been. It's hard to not lose sight of that sometimes, the new perspective we've been given, I pray( though sometimes relunctantly) that God will continue to give us those reminders as we need them.
The morning started with our traditional birthday morning blaring of the Beatle's, "Happy Birthday" song. Cohen quite enjoyed the three of us dancing around like we'd lost our minds to it to kick off is birthday day. Cohen did have to go to a doctor on his birthday - I know no fun - but when you're trying to fit 7 doc appointments in - you take what you can get. Thankfully, it was just the ENT which is by far the quickest and least invasive dr. appointments we have. After that it was off to meet Chris for lunch at church and to meet with a writer for a newspaper article. It's been published but no online yet - I'll post it when it is.
We needed to keep Cohen's bday smaller to not have so many kiddos in the house as there were lots of germs going around but wanted him to have a little bit of that birthday fun. For Cohen's actually birthday, we grilled out some burgers with some friends on thursday night. The Haff's and The Burn's joined us and it was so fun to have little ones there with us to celebrate Cohen's birthday. It brought an energy to the night that was so refreshing. Cohen loved all the activity and just so special to have a LOUD, ACTIVE, birthday party for him. Again, things we don't take for granted. Cohen kept leaning up in his highchair trying too look around the half-wall between our kitchen and dining room to see the kids at the little table. His favorite part of the night was when the four older kiddos kept running up to his highchair from across the kitchen squealing at unnerving volume levels. He laughed so hard he kept choking himself!!! laughing at the big kids...
We went with a monkey theme to go along with his monthly monkey pictures. I found these adorable little plates and matching balloons, AND very randomly this lady on Etsy who made coordinating shirts for the party supplies for a great price. ( she let me send her a shirt that would fit Cohen and customized it for me - she did a great job and has some other cute stuff - check her out!!) So Cute!!!
I made my traditional themed birthday cake for Cohen. This was super fun for me because it was one of those things I thought about a lot before he was born, especially as we celebrated Cort's birthday last year... if I would ever get to make a cake for Cohen? And I loved making it. This cake was harder for me then ones in the past because I had to adapt it from a bear pan and the chocolate butter cream icing was softer to work with for some reason.
The finished project... I was pleased enough with it... Cort wanted to make a cake for Cohen too so I put a little batter in a mini bundt pan and let him decorate it....then we let this be Cohen's cake to dig into.... I was a little nervous about the whole cake thing, as it's sort of the monumental 1st birthday thing and Cohen doesn't really finger feed or eat a ton of table food but he had such a blast with it and it warmed my heart. I have to show it in pictures...
Singing Happy Birthday...
When we took the big cake away... Cohen DUG into the little cake. His little hands could not have been fisting the cake any faster!! And he even put a little in his mouth at first. Somehow or another even with three of us taking pictures, we all missed a picture and video that seemed to really captured that moment!! So sad but not something I'll easily forget. Here's some good pictures and video though...
Letting mommy and Daddy feed him his cake...
Messy face....
Cohen enjoyed the tissue paper the best from opening presents!!! We got him a chair like Cort's with his name on it and some stacking cups. His friends gave sweet presents of books, balls, and coloring supplies along with a super thoughtful and very appreciated gift of money to help us join Little People Of America. My favorite were the sweet letters they wrote us to go along with. Gotta love great friends!!!
Oh sweet, Cohen. A whole year old!! This last month has brought with it lots of new things. You are beginning to sit for longer periods of time without support and in fact on the morning of your birthday you sat for the longest time ever up to that point.... a full minute or two.. enough for us to actually leave your side and snap a few pictures!!! We say it was his birthday present to us!!!
Your personality has come through so much more and I have to say you are a bit of a conundrum. In many ways you are very passive and laid back, when content you will sit, lay in one spot for a good while playing with a toy and just watching the environment around you. You have to be pretty strongly motivated to do things and take action. But boy, when you are motivated, there is no joking around or passivity about it. You let it be known that you want something, and you want it now. When you decide, you're passion for trying to do something that you can't do is so fun to see and makes me proud of you.( though a little sad too when you get frustrated). As of your birthday, you were still getting 4 bottles a day. Something mommy planned on tackling after all the festivities were over. But drum roll please....
YOU ARE SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!
You started to do it about 2-3 weeks before your birthday. You basically just decided one night to do it and have never looked back. I love that you knew what you needed. I kept debating about rather or not to force you to drop it but with being so little I just always felt like you needed it. Without any coaxing on our part, you gave it up willingly.
At your one year check up you were...
13 lbs 23 3/4 inches long
You wear 0-3 month outfits, onesies, and pajamas, and newborn size pants. I think you are starting to get in to some 3-6 months things now.
You are much more cuddly that you used to be. At night time, you love your blanket and smile and cuddle up on my shoulder when I hand it to you. You take 2 naps a day and you are such a great napper. Both naps are usually at least 1. 5 hours and often the afternoon is between 2-3 hours.
You are getting better about solids. You still aren't a fan of picking up food, though you can when you want to, but I really think you just like to make your mommy do all the work. You've recently really found a love for fruit and yogurt. You'll gobble these two things up any time of day. You still seem to enjoy meat and your favorite vegetables are peas, carrots, and squash, I think.
You have been so interested in your toys - trying to figure out how they work more and more. You still love books and have started to enjoy it when I occasionally let you watch a video before bed with Cort. You still prefer small toys that you can hold and manipulate well but have taken more interest in larger cause and effect toys. You really seem to enjoy your Fisher Price Little rockstar toy, especially now that you are sitting up more. You tolerate your exersaucer for longer periods of time and will even turn in it now to reach other toys. You also have begun to bear a little bit of weight on you legs and will occasionally bounce or push off with one or both legs.
You continue to babble a lot and have added t's and c's to your list of sounds. You've started to indicate more about what you want, mainly by fussing(we're working on that :)) or using eye gaze for specific toys, foods, etc.
You love going outside and you love your baths.
You've been a bit or a mommy's boy but recently have taken a liking to Daddy a little more. You still adore Cort and as you grow older it has been such a blessing to see how Cort takes care of you and cheers you on.
Your smile lights up your whole face and I love sometimes how your face will smile without your lips smiling.
The older you get, the more questions I get about your size and age. I pray I tell your story in a way that makes you feel loved. I pray as you get older, that you will be strong in where your identity truly lies and that you will be proud of how God made you. Your story is an amazing one, little monkey, and we look forward to the day you are old enough to hear it..... to know exactly how God began a work in you and that you will one day continue to live out that work by choosing to follow Him.
We love you. You are truly a blessing in our life!!! Can't wait for the next minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and year with you!!! _____________________________________________________________________________
Concert, monkey pictures through the year, and Doctor updates coming soon... I think!!! :)
It seems that Baby B is on his way as well. PLEASE pray for this sweet family as they endure all of this. Pray for the safety and health of their other 4 children.
I really am at a lost for words and my heart just hurts for them.
Sadly, Allen and Courtney lost one of their sweet children this morning. His water broke and he was delivered around 4am this morning. So far, they have been able to stop the delivery of the other 5 babies.
Please pray for them as they go through this loss and are still having to keep strong for their other children.
Hi, I know I owe you all a lot of pictures and updates from Cohen's birthday, I am working on it but first I need to ask for you prayers for some more friends of ours.
Allen and Courtney are not only expecting their first child, but their first SIX children. That's right, you read it correctly. I many not have all my facts perfectly straight, but Courtney went into preterm labor on Sunday - I believe she is around 19-20 weeks. They have stopped the contractions but Courtney will most likely remain in the hospital until the babies are born. Their first goal is to get to 26 weeks but their ultimate goal is between 28-32 weeks.
Please pray that her contractions will remain under control, that the babies will remain safe and continue to develop for many more weeks, for Allen as he leads his family, and Courtney as she tries her best to do what is best for the babies even though the pain and the discomfort. Pray that their fears would be calmed and that their doctors will be wise.
Keep checking in on my friends, Brenna and Geoff, too, as they continue to need your prayers as they await their babies being discharged from the NICU. Lots of praises there.
A year ago today I had no idea if Cohen's birthday would also be the day that God took him home. We celebrate today still in awe of what God did for Cohen. Logic and statistics said we'd maybe have a few minutes to hours with our son. God knew that on this day we would celebrate....
525,600 minutes
8, 760 hours
365 days
52 weeks
12 months
1 YEAR !!!!!
We love you baby Cohen!!! You are such a blessing in our life.
Still working on his one year post - hopefully will get it up later today with pictures....and a little birthday present that Cohen decided to give us for his birthday!!!
So many people have supported and loved us during this time. We would love for Cohen to get to see all who have been touched by his life and have loved and prayed for him. If you get a chance, leave him a birthday message, comment, or email.
I really could not of wished for a better a way for Cohen's birthday week to start out than with snow. It's not because we had an amazing time playing in the snow with our boys( which we did) but because a little over a year ago, Chris and I stood outside one night as the snow started coming down and my heart ached. All I could think was that we had one little boy in bed that would be so excited to see the snow in the morning and one little boy in my belly who might never experience that with us - Cohen would never see the snow. Chris' response at first was that of our heart's longing, "maybe he will," and then seconds letter almost as if taking back the first statement back - "what Cohen may see will be far greater than this." And I got it. For the first time in our pregnancy with Cohen, I fully got it - the peace that comes when you let God have it all. When you hand to him the biggest thing you're holding on to. For the first time, as much as I longed to hold my sweet boy, to experience all the moments with him that a mother should get to, I longed more for my son see Heaven. Not that I wished for him not to be with us here, but just the realization that my true prayer for both my boys is that when it's their time, they'll see heaven on the other side. And for the first time in a long time, I longed for Heaven like I should. That peace didn't tell me with certainty that Cohen would live, but it told me that what God had for us, for Cohen, was, is, and will always be best. That's an easier pill to swallow when he's in my arms than it was then. But circumstances don't change that truth.
On Sunday night, as the snow began to fall and I was able to live that out with both of my boys - I felt humbled beyond words to be their mother. Humbled beyond words that God gave us this gift in Cohen. Going to bed, and knowing that I had two little boys to bundle up in the morning was just such a picture of redemption to me. To be where we were last year, in such a dark and lonely place, and then to be here, days away from celebrating Cohen's first year of life.... I don't have words for it.
And the thing is - this is so small for God. A few weeks ago, in church, our pastor said that the worse things can often be the best things - look at the Jesus on the Cross. Such a simple truth - that we all know - but for some reason that has just really stuck with me. What's big is God giving HIS son to die - and not just die but to be killed as if a criminal -to save us. To bring us into communion with him. That's big. That's redemption. And it's the only redemption we need.
Tomorrow, March 5th, our sweet Cohen turns one!! I really feel like I keep needing someone to pinch me. This little life that we began celebrating and praying for over a year ago has played itself out before our eyes over the past year. This little boy that I longed to just hold for at least a few minutes rests in my arms daily. We are so undeserving. We are so blessed.
This week is super busy as we prepare for the concert - which we are beyond excited about. I hope all those who can will join us to glorify God for all he has done. The passion behind the support we received as we awaited Cohen's birth was incredible and we hope on Friday to extend that same passion on praising God for his miracles, for our salvation, and for who He is.
As we celebrate God's work in our lives, we are not unaware of the heartache that daily falls on others. And there our times I really wrestle with this. But we are called to praise God in all things and we are certainly called to give him the glory for all things. In the midst of this fallen world, we are beyond thankful for how God saved our sweet boy.
We have a lot of doctors appointments this week as well - pulmonology, shriners(orthopedic), ENT, one- year well check. And next week - developmental peds and geneticist. If you get a chance to say a little prayer for the Shriners appointment this afternoon that would be great. I guess in a nutshell just pray that the doctors would be thorough and that it will be clear to us if they are going to be able to provide Cohen with the orthopedic care and direction that we need. I'll plan on updating you on the doctors appointments probably next week since the rest of this week is about PARTYING!!! ____________________________________________________________________
Enjoy the fun pics in the snow...... there's also some new posts below the concert invite below. Quick update on my grandfather - he's doing ok and is in the rehabilitation center. He's been a bit confused since the surgery but that seems to be getting better. The babies are also doing really well - click on their link in the sidebar - Brenna and BabieS to check in on them, As always, thanks for your prayers.
cort having milk and cookies while watching the snow( this was at about 9 at night because he was terrified of the thunder( yes, thunder) in the middle of the snowstorm...nothing a little milk and cookies won't cure:))
Feb 28, 2009
New posts below...I've put the concert info back at the top....scroll down past it to get all the new posts and pictures including an update on my grandfather, the babies, and new pics from some babysitting and zoo adventures.
Some of you may remember the Concert for Cohen last year( go check it out if not)... and it thrills us to no end to have a Concert with Cohen to celebrate his one year birthday. We have wanted to corporately celebrate God's work since Cohen was born and felt like his birthday was a great time to do it. Nothing we could ever do could thank everyone enough. Everyone's love, prayers, and support has meant so much to us over the past year and a half and we would love for all of you to celebrate with us. We will also use part of this time for Cohen's "baby dedication" ( so yes, he'll make an appearance!!) Please feel free to join us as we look back over this year, praise and worship God for all that He has done.....and eat cake!! Everyone is welcome!!
* I'll leave this post up until the day of the concert so scroll down to see new posts from now until then.
Welcome to our blog, take a look around. What you see is just a typical family trying our best to enjoy all the blessings God has given us in the midst of everyday life! Two of our favorite little blessings will fill most of the posts of this blog, our 4 year old first born, Cort, and our almost 2 year old, 2nd born, Cohen. Cohen was diagnosed with a fatal form of dwarfism at our 20 week ultrasound and we were told he had no chance of living more than a few minutes to hours at birth. He is a true miracle, a daily reminder of God's power and glory. Pull up a chair, enjoy the ride...we are!!
With my parents - Grammie and PaPa
With Mommy and Daddy
