Ok, here is our REAL new blog address

http://ericacope.blogspot.com/
For real this time : )

Jack is 5 months

He technically turned 5 months yesterday.  Since I can't upload pictures yet, I figured I would just give you and update of all his milestones and what he is like at 5 months:
He sleeps awesome at night.  If he does wake up, it's usually just once around 4 and he'll go back to sleep if you give him his paci. But most times I bring him into bed with us anyway because 1) I like to snuggle and 2) He usually wakes up around the same time Zach is getting ready for work and since Jack is just like his daddy and just radiates heat, he helps keep the bed warm when Zach leaves! LOL I'm not selfish or anything :)
He can sit up pretty well and for very long periods of time now.  He falls over when he tries to reach something though.
He is REALLY trying to move.  He pushes super hard with his legs and his butt sticks way up in the air and it looks like he is trying to fly! I give him a month before he officially starts crawling. He is already pulling his knees up underneath him and moving them back and forth, he just hasn't figured out how to use his arms yet.  He is very busy and practices quite a bit so I know it will be soon.  The girls both crawled at 6 months and I don't remember them ever trying this hard to move.  He gets sooo upset over it! He may take after his daddy as far as his patience goes....
He is still nursing on demand and eats baby food every so often but I am really in no rush yet.  I think after he turns 6 months is when I will start giving him "meals" during the day with us.  He already sits at the table with us of course, I just have been nursing him before we sit down to eat so he isn't hungry.  He is more interested in watching us eat, then actually eating baby food!
He is constantly "talking" to us.  We are working on "Mama" : )
He ADORES his sisters....especially Addie but I think that is mostly because Addie is more interested in him than Mia is.  Addie likes to play Mommy so she talks to Jack alot and is always wanting to take care of him. 
He is still as happy as can be 99% of the time but he is cutting his first teeth (you can feel them and everything!) so he has his moments where he is not very happy but luckily, he is very easy to console.  Usually all it takes is me singing to him.  He really likes Taylor Swift songs : )

Boo!

I am so irritated! I thought I was so clever starting a new blog....turns out not so much! I should've known better.  BOO! Luckily, I looked it up to see how much it was going to cost exactly, and it's only $5 so I guess it's not too bad......I am still not happy about it though!

Purchase more space? Seriously??

So apparently I have used up all my photo space and have to purchase additional space if I want to post any more pictures......I think that is the stupidest thing ever and I am really considering starting a new blog just so I don't have to!!!!!!!

All About Addie

Addie will be 4 in a few months.  FOUR.  That means in a year and a half my little baby will be starting kindergarten.  How did we go from this...

...to this so quickly:

And just to prove how big she is getting....look what she can do:

She has been able to identify her shapes and colors since she was two but now she can also identify patterns, letters and numbers.  She knows everything that she has to know before kindergarten with the exception of our address and phone number which we will be starting on very soon.  Lately, she is really acting like a big girl too.  She has been exceptionally sweet and kind to Mia (and Jack of course but she has always been sweet to Jack.....Mia on the other hand, she has always had a love-hate relationship with!)  I've been really impressed with her lately.  She hasn't even thrown one of her divalicious tantrums she is famous for!  She is quite the story teller, remembers everything (just like her momma) and has an awesome imagination. 
I am really enjoying watching my firstborn grow up.  Sure, it makes me a little sad (you won't believe the on-going war in my head I am constantly having over whether or not I want to send her to preschool.  She really wants to go, but I keep coming up with reasons to postpone. I only have one more year of her all to myself!) but I do enjoy watching her turning into such a big kid! I love you so much Addie-cakes!

Birthday Parties!

So it's that time of year again where I start getting excited to start planning the kids' birthday parties!
First up, Addie!
She has requested a Tangled theme birthday party and while I was browsing party ideas I found the perfect cake:

She loves it and I can't wait to make it! I have a bunch of really fun ideas for her 4th birthday party!


Last year for Addie's 3rd birthday, we took her to the Wizard of Oz museum. I made her this cake to go with the theme:

She was super excited, can you tell??

We didn't really have a "party", just did something fun with the family.  So this year for Mia's 3rd birthday, I want to do something similar.  We have decided to spend Mia's birthday weekend at the Great Wolf Lodge in KC.  Neither of us has ever been and we are anxious to go to the indoor water park....which would  kinda "go" with Mia's Little Mermaid theme! (you know, "Under the Sea" LOL) I am thinking about making her this cake:

Mia LOVES the pool! She is such a little fish! And right now Mermaids are her favorite so I think this plan is perfect for her!

And of course I have also started thinking about Jack's FIRST birthday party already! : ) We know it's going to be an airplane themed party since that is what Daddy picked out (he also picked that theme for Jack's room! I am thinking the introductory flight lesson I got him for Christmas could not have been more perfect for my airplane obsessed husband). I have found several different cake ideas for Jack's but these two are my favorites so far:

I like fondant so I am excited to play with it again.  I have a folder on my desktop completely dedicated to the party ideas I have (party favors, games, crafts, decorations, food, etc).  My husband thinks I am crazy but he humors me anyway! Can't wait to get started!

Sometimes I can't believe how fast my kiddos are growing up!

Addie will be FOUR in a few months.  She is very excited to be starting school and she talks about it all the time.  We are currently working on letter and number recognition since she can already do everything else required before entering kindergarten including writing her name (which she has been doing for MONTHS now). I am very proud of how smart my little girl is! Her temper tantrums seem like they are occurring less and definitely with  less intensity so I would say that is progress! LOL She is a little diva, you know!

Mia will be 3 this year and I can hardly believe it! She is SOOOO smart for her age! I am amazed at everything she says and does. She says her ABCs, counts to ten (in english and spanish by the way), knows all her colors and shapes as well. She is potty trained during the day but still wears a diaper at night.  She says some really funny things and is still the sweetest little 2 year old I know.  No terrible twos for Miss Mia! She is a little doll!

Sorry for the poor quality of this picture, it's from my cell phone But look at my little FOUR month old son sitting up all by himself! Told you he was freakishly strong

Jack has had squash, applesauce, sweet potatoes and pears so far.  Sweet Potatoes are his favorite

This was Jack on 1-11-11 (the first day he sat by himself long enough for me to take his picture) He is such a big boy! He slept his first 9 hour stretch last night which was super exciting but didn't matter to me because I woke up automatically around the time he usually wakes up to check on him because I hadn't heard him crying yet.   He slept from 8pm-5am, nursed and went right back to sleep until his sisters woke him up around 7:30am.  Before this he usually slept 6 hour stretches which is great for a strictly breastfed baby at this age but if he keeps up the 9 hour stretches I definitely won't complain. : )