playing in the "IKE" rain

saturday it rained ALL day...being in the indirect path of hurricane IKE...we got tons of rain this weekend...but the good thing was there was no lightening or thunder...and it was relatively warm.  so, coop and i took full advantage of the perfect "play in the rain" opportunity.  i remembered cooper had a raincoat which fit perfectly.  Cooper at first didn't know what to think...and for a time...just stood there frozen like a statue...but once i got out there with him...he started having a blast. 

Housley Family Pics

Just have to share the slideshow for our latest Housley Family Pics here.

Brooke Jared was amazing...if you are looking for a great photographer...I would recommend her in a heartbeat!!!

the zoo

we went to the zoo on thursday...it was fun...but it was sweltering HOT...by the time we were ready to leave all three of us were hot sweaty messes.  it was so fun now that cooper knows many of the animals and can actually follow them.  he loved the monkeys...that's no surprise.

thanks lindsey, james and kinley for going to the zoo with us.

i was afraid that cooper was going to attack all the animals in the petting zoo...he actually was pretty reserved...but unfortunately, this unsuspecting goat got attacked...while eating 

james is going to be a great big brother...he kept an eye on cooper and made sure he didn't climb the fence.  ;)

the baby monkey was so cute...he would come to the window and "show off" for the kids. cooper loved it!!!

thanks lindsey, james and kinley for going to the zoo with us.

4 weeks with our tennyson blu

miss tennyson is 4 weeks old...and what a 4 weeks its been.  

the last week has been a crazy one...tennyson hasn't been all that happy...crying hours at a time each day.  so, after changing formula from regular...to gentle...and then to lactose free...we finally went to see the doctor today...and the doc thinks she has severe reflux...so, she is now on alimentum.  (i'll just say its "gold" in powder form.)  also, she saw that i use dr. brown's bottles and suggested to change bottles as well...as she has seen more babies that experience reflux using those bottles...even though their the most expensive and says that it reduces colic.  good thing no one bought all the avent bottles that i tried to sell on craigslist...(guess God knew i would need them.)

other than that...life with 2 kids is going good.  we've gotten into a great routine...and cooper is doing so well with having a "tee-tee".  when she isn't screaming in pain...tennyson is such a joy and becoming such a beautiful little girl.  i really hope her eyes stay blue like her daddy's...but i also hope her skin gets a little color in the future...she's as white as her daddy too.  ;)

we love you tennyson blu!!   happy 1 month birthday!

Coop's Birthday Bash

Here are some pics of Cooper's 1st Birthday Party...Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of his cute cake...I'm so bummed!

He wasn't diggin' the cake...i pretty much had to feed it to him...but still he didn't really like it...as you can see from his reaction.
It was great to have Grandpa and JuJu for the celebration.  (Cooper loves having them stay with us...as does MOM...it was a nice weekend with lots of help...from shopping, cooking and babysitting...Thanks Mom and Scott!!!)

Miss Tennyson pretty much slept through the whole party.

Cooper had a blast and loves all his toys!  What a blessing our friends and family are to ALL of us!

Happy Birthday Cooper Monkey!!!!

One year ago we were blessed with the arrival of Cooper Owen Housley!  How wonderful this past year has been.  We celebrate your life and the joy you bring to our lives each and every day.

We can't believe how much Cooper has grown.  We look forward to watching him grow into a mighty man of God!!  Cooper is walking...wait...rather running.  He loves balls and animals...if you know us...we have quite the zoo here.  He seems to like "his baby" sister...but I think he likes her bows, socks, and room decorations a lot more than her right now  ;)  He loves blueberries, grandma's roast, and can you believe it...spicy hot sauce from Taco Bell.  (i'm sure that stems from being in my womb and getting pumped with mexican food/spicy stuff non-stop.)

We LOVE YOU COOPER OWEN!!!

life with 2 kids...

i can't believe its been 2 weeks with 2 kids!!!!  everything is going really well...there have been moments...but all in all the transition is going great.

apparently tennyson's tummy doesn't like mama's milk...so after 1.5 weeks of tummy ache/gas/unhappiness...we have switched to formula.  the switch was sooooo much harder on mama than on tennyson...but after seeing the immediate change in her mood...mama has decided this is the best thing...and i would have to say so much more convenient!!!  she doesn't scream after each meal...and is so much more content.  the good thing...cooper will be weaning off formula in the next week...so the formula bill shouldn't increase too much!

so...tomorrow...cooper turns 1!  i can't believe a year ago we were welcoming our first son...who would have thought a year from then...we would have already welcomed our second child!  he is transitioning well...we've only had a few "jealous" moments...but i'm learning how to handle them both.

thanks to all who have brought us meals...who have stopped by to say hey...and who have prayed for our family...we have the greatest friends and family!