Transitions & Transformations

It’s been a very distant Spring & Summer as we’ve been Missing In Action with posts of what’s going on with Chloe & Chloe’s mommy! Since her birthday, we are now walking, talking, singing, running and singing our ABC’s.

There is a strong admiration for Elmo & Dora. Although Mommy attempted to shower her room with the Disney Princesses, I realize that she often looks at Belle, Cinderalla and the rest of them just as she would with GI Joe…no interest at all! However, she loves her bedroom, and her sofa chair and bean bag. We’ve created a reading corner for her that she loves to go sit and read at. It’s an awesome sight to see her adore books.

We are now residents of Memphis, Tennessee (Cordova) to be exact, but our relocation has been a very pleasant one.

I will do better with posting updates on her so that the family can enjoy seeing her grow as much as we are!

1 & Ready to Rule The World!

February 26, 2008 at 8:38pm, Chloe Imaan Cooper entered the world. We celebrate her bday on 2/15 with our Atlanta family and friends. It was so exciting to celebrate as she didn’t deny the opportunity to indulge in a cake and icing celebration.

With Dad working so much, we weren’t sure if he would be able to partake in the celebration. With a miraculous day off, we all celebrated to bring in the first year of our baby girl.

She got gifts galore and was lovingly embraced by everyone as they sang along with songs of “happy birthday”. Daddy took the honors of helping her to indulge in her beautiful cake, while painting her clothes and the tablecloth with icing.

The guests enjoyed some good soul food and delicious dessert, while the kids didn’t deny the opportunity to run carelessly on the playground. It was a beautiful sunny day, with a 70 degree temperature and our amazing family and friends didn’t hesitate to make the commitment to attend with us.

It was so delightful and definitely memorable for Mommy & Daddy, even if Chloe won’t remember…and we appreciate the chance to be blessed with our 1 year old bundle of joy!

Happy 1st Birthday Chloe!

“I’m Tired!”

The first words uttered out of my precious Chloes mouth this past Tuesday after much practice from her amazing teachers.  When I went to pick her up, they pulled out a tape recorder and replayed her saying “I’m Tired”, as opposed to whining uncontrollably to get her point across.  I was so ecstatic and impressed with her growth thanks to the school, that I sheded tears.

Now she’s learned to say it repeatedly until I get the point. On Friday, she wasn’t feeling well so she stayed home.  On the way home from the Dr’s office, I stopped at Marshalls just to browse around and get out the house.  After about 20 minutes of browsing, Chloe said “I’m Tired”…I said “okay, we’re going to go home soon”, and kept shopping.  Chloe then attempted to let me know again “I’m tired”….and like the impressed, proud, ecstatic mom that I am I continued to coax her with the words “okay baby, we’re leaving soon!”….Gleaming with joy from her “big girl” abilities, I kept shopping as usual until all of a sudden she started screaming uncontrollably, and folks in the aisles around us began to clear out…

I finally got the point that she really knows what she’s talking about and she’s ready to go home.  Not even 2 minutes after I buckled her in her seat belt, Ms. “I’m tired” was fast asleep.  All I saw in my rear view mirror was a slumped over head that silently chastised me to learn to respect the requests of a growing girl…………….Uh oh…looks like my life is about to change BIG TIME when she starts talking……Let’s get ready!

"I'm Tired!"

Ms. Independent

To see my little muffin grow to become an upright standing, quick hands snatching, speedy daytona 500 racer –  crawling around the house , it amuses me. 

It’s so funny because I see that consistency is the greatest teacher. Now when I try to do anything that we’ve been doing on a daily basis, she attempts to help or just downright take over. For example, when I try to feed her now, she wants the spoon and tries to feed herself. Then, if I try to dress or undress her, she’s trying to help me by putting her own hands in her jacket and brushing her own hair. She even refuses to allow me to put her Dora skully on. Instead, if I put it on, she snatches it off and tries to put it back on “by myself!”….It’s so cute.

I'm ready to eat...give me the spoon mommy!

I have truly come to love motherhood. It is such a joy. I can’t imagine my life without her. I’d probably still be a compulsive work aholic, often sifting around looking for anything to do that catered to my “million dollar ideas”. It doesn’t sound too shabby, but the fulfillment of still pursuing those things with her in my life is a much greater feeling.

I’ve decided to go back to work and I often wondered what I would feel like when this day came.  I’m a bit nervous for balancing out family and work, but I’m pretty excited to get back into the swing of things.  I was reminded of why having a child in my life balances out everything because when I went to pick Chloe up from school today, they were playing in the playground. The minute she saw me she started fussing so I took her out of the exersaucer and put her in the swing.  She thoroughly enjoyed the swing to the point where I probably pushed her and her classmates for nearly 20-30 minutes.

The joy of family!

After the swing, we went for a ride in the “kiddie car”, where I steered her around the grass filled yard in an attempt to give her a “smooth ride”. it was bumpy, but she really enjoyed it.  Before picking her up, I laid numb, thinking about the huge transition taking place in my home/work life.  I must say that I was pretty spacey and blank…..but after playing with her and the other kids,  the kid in me came out as I played in the world of “no worries” for all of the time spent in the playground…..

The joys of being a child;)

Oh No….Where has Chloes Mommy Gone????

Check me out!

Wow…to think that I haven’t written a post since October….Yes, I did fall off the face of the earth but I’m back now. I’m so ashamed. I started blogging, thinking that it is a much simpler way to journal Chloes life, but here it is, 3 months later and “no posts”. Oh well, I’ve confessed my sins, so let’s move on!

Where do we start…..Hmm??? As of last Friday, January 16th, Chloe turned “11 months”. We are now counting down the days til her 1st birthday.  I can’t believe how fast time flies when your having fun, but I look at her everyday in amazement that she is mine;)

Her quest of discovery is one of pure satisfaction. I find everything she does to be amusing at it’s best. Her chuckles and smiles, her desperate attempt to crawl fastly away from us when we chase her, the snatching off of my glasses despite my many attempts to tell her “no”, the intense focus of reading her books (at least she acts like she’s reading)…..are all so exciting.  I find such joy, grattitude, fulfillment and completion with being a mom. To know that God has intrusted me (us…my hubby included) which such a precious soul makes me proud.

 

We’ve been on many trips since our last “blog”. For her first Christmas, we went to Ft. Myers for my husbands family reunion breakfast. It was interesting to see how “anti-social” she was, completely overwhelmed by the flood of hands reaching out for her.  I was deeply saddened by the fact that we have “no family” around and the only family she’s come to know is her teacher at school. It’s been a big challenge being away from family, and I often wonder is it the right thing for her. Considering that I’m now a Mocha Mom, I have hopes that she can build great relationships with the other kids while I build some form of relationship with the other Moms.

Chloes First Christmas

As for her progress, she is attempting to walk as she holds on to anything she can get her hands on for dear life. When we try to stand her up, she flops to the ground, but nonetheless, she’s getting the understanding that she can use her legs.  One thing she loves to do is bounce up and down. She finds it to be so hysterial and cracks up while she’s bouncing.

Another thing she’s doing now is trying to say words.  Last night, daddy and I were singing “Old MacDonald had a farm”, and she got a kick out of the “Eee I Eee I Ooo” part. After mimicking us with her mouth a time or two, she finally uttered out “EEE OOOO”, we were so ecstatic that we both jumped up clapping, and scared her quite a bit, but she figured out that we were very proud of her.

One thing I love about this age is that they are fearless. She is never afraid to try or pursue anything, and I want to savor that. I realize now why God often used parables of children to teach us about the purity and non-conformed ways of thinking that I child has.  A child is very receptive, attentive and willing to do whatever is necessary but the older we become, the more tainted our views are and the greater our fears and insecurities win over in our actions and decision making.

Her beautiful Christmas Dress From Auntie Teshana;)

Her purity is one that I’d like to bottle up and give to her as a reminder to never live in fear. I look at her and want to be sure to never place limitations that will create that fear.

Mommy & Her Precious;)

Daddy on the other hand….hmm, he’s all about protection so I’m not sure how we’ll balance it all out but til then, we are loving our venture as parents. Chloe is truly a gift from God and we couldn’t have asked for better timing to have her here with us!

Until next time, and I promise, it won’t be 3 months from now;)

Daycare, Pumpkin Patch….”I’m 8 months old!”…(Chloe)

I’ve been so slack on keeping up with my Chlo Chlo’s progress on the blog, due to my “many projects” that I’m working on. Although I am a SAHM, and always seem to be around the house, It seems like I never have a spare moment to get things done.

I’ve learned to discipline myself on the clock during the day to ensure that I am working on my clients projects along with my personal projects. And add in the house cleaning, cooking, washing, organizing, running errands, paying bills, following up with family and friends, and the occasional, sit back and relax for a good 30 minutes………….it’s a wonder I get anything done.

I did put Chloe in daycare to ensure that I get stuff done, and contrary to popular belief, I highly recommend SAHM’s do the same a couple days a week to get things done. For those of us striving to be a good mommy, we devote every moment we have to our children making sure that we give them our undivided attention and spend quality time with them. With that said, we tend to neglect other areas when we are with our kids, so putting them in high quality, safe, secure and trustworthy daycare for a few days a week is a great opportunity to get a break and get things done. Especially for those of us that have ABSOLUTELY NO HELP due to our not living near family.

For me, daycare has been a great support for my mental health.  It allows me to bask in every second when Chloe is with me, knowing that I have taken care of my other responsibilities.

Recently, Chloe went on her first field trip with her school…..It was sooooooooo exciting.

Field Trip to Pumpkin Patch

Enjoy…………

Mama…I want to see the world!

I’ve been working on a project for the past two months, ghostwriting a book for someone.  It’s amazing what we discover we can do when desperate for work and steady income.  Having been converted to the critically acclaimed life of SAHM (Stay At Home Mom), I’ve become hungry for a change and a new challenge. Before Chloe, I was this ambitious, hungry, driven, self-motivated, visionary that would stop at nothing to conquer the mountain of success. Once the belly grew, it seems as though I was dropped into the ocean of uncertainty, no longer clear on what I wanted out of life.

Chloe kissing mommy to say

Fast forward seventeen months (10 of being pregnant, and 7 of Chloes life here on earth), and I am now back on track with my goals in hand. I was reminded of an article that I read back in the 12th grade, of an affluent family that boasted about their unique educational experiences that they incorporated for their children.  They boasted about the children not being in a “traditional school”, instead, having the world as their school. 

Chloes first Road Trip in a luxurious RV.....to Orlando

When the children were to learn spanish, the family traveled to Spain. When they wanted to teach them social studies, they traveled to Africa, going on Safari’s to teach them of the other species that resided on earth with us. They then went on, giving several examples of how they used the wonders of the world to captivate and educate their children.

After sharing this with many people, I realized that this was one of my ambitions for becoming “wealthy”. I always talked about doing this with my kids (during my high school years) after reading this article.  But somewhere down the line, this ambition was buried.

Now that it has re-surfaced, I constantly dream of the day when Chloe would take her first international trip, and socialize with children of other cultures that speak other languages.  I look forward to the day where she can bask in the beauty of Australia, and the mountains of New Zealand, while trying to adopt the accents of the french and conversing with the locals in Brazil.

Meeting family in Orlando....Meet my Cousins Johnny and Kalei Nash

My dream is to live a life without limits that exposes Chloe to all that God has created in the Universe. I want her to naturally learn five different languages and think of her home being more than just one continent. Instead of her pointing to a map to identify specific regions, I want her to share pictures from her visits to one of the seven continents. I want her to have sailed the seven seas, and immersed herself in the culture of all the earth.

Her race would not be black, neither her only language english. Instead, she will be known as a child of God that has made all the world her home. She will be able to blend in with anyone, never shy about who she is. She will be loved by all and embraced by many as she shares her learnings with each person that she comes into contact with.

I returned to my old company to introduce Chloe to previous co-workers...they loved her!

She will not be limited by anyones opinions, views or beliefs, but will live a life in reverence of her Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, while being guided by God to explore all of his creation. The word can’t will not be an option. Rather, it will be a reference word that is erased and replaced with CAN, living a life that all things are possible.

Her photos will expand beyond any library, sharing visuals that document the writings of the world. She will be a journalist for her vision, giving life to her experiences, one by one.

We stayed at the luxurious Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando....intro to the good life!

I look forward to that day as I too live by the same rules. I’ve never blended into the “norm”, and neither am I an endorser for those who dare not to dream in the same manner. We are and we will be world travelers. We will see and know the world.

I read a story today that reminded me of this dream, and I’d like to share it with you, that you too will begin to dream again, not allowing any of your limitations and challenges to be adopted and forced upon your children!

Chloe and Mommy in Orlando for the first Family Vacation!

Days are passing by so fast……….6 months 3 weeks

I have been slacking big time on sharing the awesome progress of our dear Chloe so you will see many blogs updating Chloes growth over the next few days.

Where do I start……at 6 months and 3 weeks, we went to the Dr. yesterday as our little Chlo Chlo has been struggling with the runny nose and congestion. She started daycare about 2 weeks ago, and that may have been a contributing factor along with her two bottom front teeth growing in. 

At 27 weeks, Miss Chloe weighs 21.2 lbs and is 28 inches long…..she is in the 95% in both weight and height, Wow…….our baby girl is growing fast. Here are a few picks that I wanted to share with you:

 

Spoon me some more mommy!

To highlight what she is doing now:

• She is now saying “Da Da”……..making her proud papa so happy and pleased that she is asking for him FIRST…..
• She is holding her spoon and trying to feed herself
• She is smiling non-stop as she cackles when you make funny faces at her
• She is rolling over like a rolling stone………..she gets all over the place by rolling. Love it!
• She understands the power of the camera, so she is already starting to pose for the next shot;)
• She is able to sit up alllll by herself;)

We have so much more to share but the photos tell enough in itself. our pictures are worth a thousand words, but our little Chloes photos are worth a Million Dollars;)………..see for yourself!

Explorations and Adventures

Chloe is nearing her 5 month mark, celebrating her existence since February 16, 2008. Watching her discover the world and herself is an amazing experience. I’ve learn to celebrate every single milestone she accomplishes, knowing that it is a gift from God to have her in position to progress so rapidly. I often am ashamed when I think about how I used to think being a mommy would be. Considering that I was such a work-a-holic, I often worried that a child would be burdensome………shame on those thoughts of selfishness, and lack of innovation to believe that a child add’s to our quality of life, not take anything from it.

She is able to do so many things now. Her hand-eye coordination skills are great and I experienced her rolling completely over on her own this morning. That was exciting! However, she was gripping very tightly on to my hair while doing so, but mommy can handle a little hair pull every now and then.

Her grandma has been in town for the past month and is scheduled to leave next Weds……”woe is me!”. She has been so amazing with Chloe and I know that Chloe will miss her so much. Grandma would spend the entire day with her from the moment she woke up until she laid down to sleep. They cherished moments of singing songs, reading books, excercising on grandma’s lap and just plain ol’ face time.

Seeing someone else spend time with her who loves her just as much as I do is heart-filling. It is very hard to find others who have as much of an interest in your child as you do, and having been the “Auntie of the Year”, I guess I thought I would experience having others around me who were like “Auntie Nikki”! Unfortunately, I’m too far away from home for that verdict to be determined, but I must say that having grandma here with us in this new city has been a god-send.

I just love my grandma!

I just love my grandma!

Hey Mama….pictures already?

First Flight Out!

It’s been ages since I’ve blogged, but Miss Chloe and I just recently returned from her first trip to visit our family in Los Angeles. It was an amazing trip, and she did extremely well. I could not believe how great she did. Our family was overjoyed with seeing her, but what sucks is that my camera broke right before I left for LA, so I don’t have many photos to display the experience.

However, the family embraced her more than I imagined, and just like I wanted…they were just as excited to see her every day as I was. I truly do miss that family culture and wish we could be closer to them. The family threw Chloe a “Welcome Shower”, which is a substitute for a baby shower considering that we were unable to fly out before she was born for the original shower.

We had over 100 family and friends show up to shower Chloe with their love. I had gotten so sick during the shower, due to running around and not eating for days….and not even realizing that I hadn’t eaten. I spent about 2 hours locked up in the bathroom with seveal folks coming in trying to console me  and assist me to build my strength back up……finally, after tearing off 2 pieces of bread, I was right back on my feet.

We had an overall blast at the shower considering my 2 hour run off, but everyone got to see Miss Chloe and get to know her. Chloe is now 3 months and 3 weeks, and boy has her progress increased so swiftly.  She has progressed in ways such as:

• Increased head control
• Ability to hold her own bottle
• Turns her head when we call her name
• Follows us around the room with her eyes
• Pulls her pacifier out of her mouth and I witnessed her put it back in this morning on her own
• She started eating cereal……and solid foods (applesauce)
• She lets us know when she doesn’t like us holding her a certain way

And she has grown so much to the point where she is now wearing size 12 months….unbelievable. But I love every ounce of my chunky baby girl…….She is so amazing and so beautiful.

I just adore motherhood more and more.

There’s so much more that I can share but one great last bit of info to boast about Miss Chloe is that she had the opportunity to ride in First Class for the flight home, and boy did she enjoy it. She slept the entire time…only waking up when the staff spoke on the intercom. I took her car seat with us, and sat right next to her, but the beauty about it was that my hands were free to do whatever I needed to without being bunched up in economy seating while holding her in my hand……that is such a challenge!