Day One as the Rowell Family

Ok, now I know most of you are thinking why is this chic blogging? Well, Cope is working on getting his laptop on the Internet here at the house and Ramsey is napping so I thought I would take a minute to share some of yesterday with our friends who have sent so many warm wishes our way. We are having a wonderful time thus far. Cope is a natural at parenting. I sure wish it came as easy to me. Ramsey hasn't skipped a beat as far as schedule or eating. I was telling Cope that it just seems so natural to have him here. He is definitely the missing piece and now suddenly I find myself not feeling like an octopus having to do a million things at once. Cope was definitely worth the wait! We're off to the beach tomorrow. We haven't been in nearly 5 years. I can't wait to see how we get the car packed with all the stuff for Ramsey, but thank God I'm not going at it alone. I have my best team mate here to help and so far it has made all the difference in the world to me.



Ramsey ready at the airport. He did great! I woke him up early and he finished sleeping on the way, ate a good meal, and was just as pleasant as could be: Ok, so maybe he didn't finish sleeping on the way because he fell asleep again waiting at the escalators:Now were ready! Could I be smiling any bigger? :He's Here! Our first family photo EVER! :Another Family Pic:The boys playing at home:
Cope modeling his new Braves hat:

Ramsey helping Dad open some presents:

Needless to say it was a GREAT day and more than I even hoped for. Oh, and the dogs are in

L-O-V-E. We have all been missing him pretty badly.

FINALLY!!!

He's Here!!!! Yep, Cope made it into our arms about 9:30 this morning. He is in the shower so I have a quick minute for an update. Ramsey did super and already they both seem very enamoured with each other. Our reunion was sheer PERFECTION! We're off to catch up and have some fun. I'm not sure how much blogging I'll be doing in the next 18 days but I promise to keep good notes and take lots of pictures for future post. Thank you to all for your well wishes as this is truly a dream come true for us.

Daddy here I come!!!

I'm going to get my Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you think he will recognize me???

Mommy says this is better than Christmas! Well then, I'm certainly in!

Wish us luck. We're off to get our guy! Yes!!!

More Than Excited

Quick Update: Cope is on the way! YES! He has is in Kuwait and hoping to get a flight out of there tomorrow afternoon and then he is hoping to arrive in the ATL on Thursday.


Lots of people have asked me lately if I am excited to see Cope. I say "yes" but to sum it up as simply excitement would be the understatement of the year. My heart is on the verge of leaping out of my chest. It is the culmination of so much for us both. Cope is finally coming home. Home to that place where he can finally let his guard down. That place where having him here I can finally come unglued. For a brief period I don't have to pretend to have it all together or have all the answers. We can do this parenting thing together. I am so proud of Cope. He makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world just to know him much less get the privileged of being his wife. I can't wait to touch his face, hold his hand, and watch him transform from the man I've known into the father of our child. I simply can't wait! It has been just over 300 days since I have woken up next to my husband. Thank God the wait is almost over for us both and most of all for our sweet little boy who gets to know what fun it is to have Cope for his Daddy. Yep, excitement just doesn't even begin to cover it.

Come Home Cope

Can't believe it!

Every time I look at the count down on our blog I seriously can't believe we are so close to having Cope home. We have both worked extremely hard (in different ways of course) to get us to this place. We both deserve this so much. I am so looking forward to him just playing with Ramsey and being able to see what joy he has brought into our lives. I am saying my prayers that Cope will be getting on that plane in the next day or so and begin his journey home to us. We are certainly ready on our end!

Begining Stages

This is my first attempt at putting a video on this here blog so I promise to try to get better in time. I just had to get this on video. As of this morning Ramsey is officially on the move. Actually it is just sort of like an army low crawl but I think he is totally going to get the hang of crawling soon. By the end of the day he was able to go much farther. I put of lots of neat and colorful toys for him to go to but he really prefers the phone or remote control. Guess he's a man that likes his gadgets? Cope sure is coming home at a very fun stage.

I think it's time

Last night I went out to dinner with my friend Katie and my Mom and Morgan (my wonderful step-Dad) watched Ramsey for me. I was only gone about an hour and a half and when I returned they said he had been quite a WILD MAN! In a good way of course but the said he was everywhere in his little walker. He suddenly (in the 1.5 hours I was gone) discovered how to pull out drawers, pull leaves off plants, pick flowers, and basically explore everything within possible reach. I think I'll go to the wonderful world that is Target tomorrow and stock up on baby proofing items. I am so thankful to my Mom and Morgan for letting me "redo" their home in a nice baby proof motif for the remainder of our time living here. I have a sneaking suspicion we are definitely in for much more "wild man" times to come.

Back on Solids

Ramsey is back to liking his solid food choices these days. He finished off his entire container of carrots yesterday and that is the most he's eaten at one time thus far. He tends to wear about as much as he eats. I've decided since I had to use about a half of a stain stick on this outfit that from here on out he'll be wearing a diaper only at meal time. Of all his food choices though he still seems to like the carrots the most. Can you tell?

The Little Things

I went grocery shopping yesterday in my over anxiousness for Cope to come home. It was the first time in 10 months that I've bought groceries for my husband. Now some people would not consider that a big deal but I found myself really pumped up over this minor event. I absolutely love to cook for Cope. I love that when I make his favorite things he often does a little dance of excitement to show his appreciation. I miss a million things about Cope. I miss laughing with him at the little things that only he and I think are hilarious. I miss holding his hand and feeling that ALL is right in our little world. I miss touching his face and seeing in his eyes that the love we have for each other is made stronger each day we're together. I even miss the petty disagreements over the dumbest things. I miss the basics of simply being present in each others daily lives. Needless to say I miss it ALL. Hopefully in just a few short days we'll get to experience what we have both been badly missing these past 10 months. Also, to top it off we now have Ramsey to share our love with. A little guy who is an example to me everyday of what our love created. It has been quite a journey thus far but we have been very rewarded and blessed in our efforts and I am thankful for it every single day.

Ramsey's First Set of Wheels

My mom asked me the other day if I was going to get Ramsey a baby walker. I asked her if they even made such things anymore? She thought they did, so Saturday night we went to dinner in Kennesaw and afterwards we went to the Mecca of baby stuff (Babies R Us). They had a whole aisle of them. Who knew? They had super fancy ones and basic ones so I went with the budget friendly version and thought we'd see how it was. We arrived home about 30 minutes before Ramsey's bedtime and rushed to put it together. A few minutes later we sat him in it and he TOOK OFF! It was like he was just waiting for some wheels to aid him in his adventures. At first he only went backwards but by Monday he was pretty much going in ALL directions. It reminds me of bumper cars. He'll get stuck behind the couch, in doorways, etc. He takes a few minutes and evaluates the situation and figures out how to get it turned around and going again. My Mom's home is perfect for a baby walker in that it has tons of open hardwood floor space. He seems so proud of his independence. We can call him to come to us and he'll get a grin and move his little legs right toward us. Guess we'll start baby proofing sooner than we thought. ( oh, and yes, that is drool all over his shirt. I'm constantly checking for new teeth but not yet...)

We're in the single digits!!!

We're in the final countdown to Cope coming home!!! He is scheduled to leave Iraq in 1 week. It takes a few days of travel to make it to the ATL but that is cool because we'll we waiting with open arms. I honestly can't really wrap my brain around the magnitude of what is about to unfold for us. We are finally going to be a little family, an entity unto ourselves. It has been quite a journey which will make our reunion that much sweeter. I am busy getting things marked off my to-do list so things will be all done and Ramsey and I can just focus on Cope. We're trying not to plan too much and see where the days take us. We plan to really try to live a "normal" family life ( if you consider only seeing your husband for 2 and 1/2 weeks out of 15 months "normal") and not be on the go the whole time. I am giddy with excitement that I will finally see my husband, my best friend, and most of all the father of our child. We have so much to celebrate.

Picture Post

Ramsey posing in his Hawiian outfit:


This kid is a big fan of the camera:

He loves Bentley's toys even more than his own. I've even caught him chewing on them a few times, oops:

Working on his new teeth?:

Trying out his new walker:

Father's day dinner with Grandpa:

Could he possible cheese any more?:

Dear Daddy...

DEar dADDy,

i aM sO ExCiTeD fOr yOU tO sEE mE sOOn. i THinK we'LL bE tHE bEStesT BuDDiEs eVeR!

i lOve U VErY mUcH,

rAMsEy

pS- haPpY 1st dADDy'S dAY

Rescue Me!

So this is how Ramsey wakes up every time from his naps and night time sleep now. He started doing this a few weeks ago and now it seems to have stuck. He is so cute when I go to get him he is patiently waiting (most of the time) on me to come in a greet him. He just hangs onto the bumper and looks out waiting for someone to rescue him form his baby jail. Even if he has taken too short of a nap (and I had a million things planned to do for that time he was asleep) I can't help but laugh at his new trick.

6 Month Check Up

Ramsey had his 6 month check up today. I was going to wait until after Cope left to take him back to the pediatrician but since he hasn't been in a while and since he has been a bit out of sorts this week I thought I'd take him to have his weight checked and talk with the Doctor about why he sometimes doesn't want to eat very much. I'm happy to report he is doing just fine. We are still planning to wait another month or so on vaccines. His weight is 17.0 Lbs and he is still right in the average category for his weight. She told me he is probably working on some new teeth and that could explain the fussiness( that or he is just an opinionated 6 month old). Since he got his first two teeth with no problems I guess I was hoping the rest of them would come in just as smoothly. She said developmentally he is doing great! As far as solids he was getting the hang of them but this week is just not interested. She just suggested to keep trying each day and he'll eventually get it and that some kids just don't like baby food and in a few months he might go strait to people food. We did let him have a bite of watermelon the other day and it was the first time he has seemed to want more of something by opening his little mouth. So we went with it and a few minutes later he threw up. Well, at least I know he is interested in something other than formula. Anyway, he's just great! I thought so, but peace of mind as a first time Mom isn't a bad thing to have

Due Date

Lots of people have been asking me exactly when Cope will be home and I know they genuinely care but I have to explain that it is sort of like having a baby. His due date to arrive is the 27th of this month but as with child birth it can always vary as to exactly what day or time he'll arrive. Of course his arrival is long overdue so I hope he gets here with no delays, but we have done this Army thing long enough to know it can be a little less than desirable at times ( a good example being a 15 month deployment to Iraq). Either way my man is coming home!!!! Yes, it is true!!! I am so excited!!! I feel like a giddy school girl waiting to show off my best project ever AKA Ramsey. I am so looking forward to finally being a family and Cope getting to see this little wonder I have been gabbing about each time we talk. As excited as I am I simply can not imagine what it will be like for Cope to finally be "home". To come up those long escalators at the airport and see me holding our son. It is the stuff my dreams are made of.

One of those days

So today was just one of those days. Ramsey is so good most all of the time that when he does have an off day I feel like someone might have switched my child while I wasn't looking. I'm not sure if he is getting a new tooth (can't feel one) or what, but he was somewhat fractious a good part of the day. He woke out of his naps screaming, which to me is never a good sign and indicates that he is still in need of more rest. During feeding solids today he would put his hands in it and then rub his eyes and make a total mess. When I would go to wipe his face he hated it. We went out to dinner and usually he plays fairly good in his high chair while we have adult conversation but not tonight. As soon as I sat him in his seat he proceed to cry. Maybe he is trying to let me know just how really good he did this past weekend in New York and that he now needs to really let it all out. Whatever it is I am saying my prayers tonight that he gets a good nights rest so we both can have a happier and more fun day tomorrow. I will say too that I certainly have my "off" days occasionally and I'm a grown adult so I think a 6 month old is entitled to one occasionally too.

Happy to be home

I think Ramsey is happy to be home from his trip to the Big Apple. He slept 12 hours strait on Sunday night and took two 2 hour naps during the day on Monday. He was also happy to see his little pool, bouncing gym, and of course his puppies.

NYC Weekend Recap

Well, we did it! We mastered Manhattan. We had a very busy but much accomplished weekend. Starting the trip my stress level was definitely in the red zone. Throughout the weekend it got better and now being home and looking back I think we did pretty darn good with all things considered. There is quite a bit to write so for the readers that want to skip parts I'll try to categorize as best I can so you can pick and choose what you'd like to read. So here goes...

Ramsey's first flight:

He did really well. I am so proud of him. He was fussy both times we got on and sat down but after a bit of light motion he dozed off. He slept about 1-1.5 hours of the 2 hour flight. I can't tell you how stressed out I was that I would be that person that EVERYONE dreaded walking on the plane seeing an infant in my arms. I wasn't sure what the pressure would do to his little ears and if he would cry the whole time or not. Well, thankfully none of my stress came to fruition. He really did great! I wanted everyone to get up and clap for my little boy who had just had his first flight flawlessly. I guess they were too busy to notice but I cheered him anyway. I honestly can't tell you how proud I am of him for this small miracle on the to and from flights. We also used these things called "ear planes" that just fit in his ears to help with the ear popping. They seemed to work because he did not fuss once.

Logistics of a baby in the city:

I wasn't quite sure how every aspect of bringing Ramsey into the city would be. You have to use a car seat (you bring your own, including the base) in the cabs, and an umbrella stroller for space purposes. My step-Dad Morgan and I have mastered quickly installing the car seat in less than a minute. Seriously, we did it at least a dozen times. The umbrella stroller was great and I am super glad I decided to bring that one instead of the "SUV" version that is part of the travel system. Though I will say I was totally out of style with my Chicco stroller. All other kids had fancy McClaren ones. Who cares. I like ours and it serves the intended purpose.

NY Partys:

On Friday we had a get together at Josh's (my sister's fiance) Step-moms apartment. She lives in some art museum which is weird in itself and the apartment is even weirder. We got to meet Josh's Dad and his sister, brother-in-law, and 15 month old nephew Luke. He was really cute and he seemed to like Ramsey's toys a lot. I used to not really be into kids but now having my own and understanding just how special each one truly is I love to just watch them. I like to see what kids are doing at different stages so I can can get some insight as to what I might expect from Ramsey.

On Saturday night was the engagement party at Josh's mom's apartment. She has a huge apartment by most NY standards at probably about 1000 square feet. She had great views of the city from 3 balconies. I find most NYC apartments fascinating at how small the spaces are for how much they cost. It is truly mind blowing. Anyway, the party was nice with champagne or wine at every turn and butlers with trays. Pretty fancy. Oh, and yes, I had a 6 month old on my hip the whole time. Was it really appropriate to bring a baby to a party like this? Nope, but my sister wanted us there so there we were. I could tell the night would be a bit off when Ramsey spit up on his freshly ironed white oxford right before we left for the party. That was just the beginning. At the party I was being introduced to someone and he proceeded to vomit all over me and himself. At this point the oxford was total disaster. Though one party guest did say Ramsey was great dresser in his sear sucker pants. The party did not start till 7:30pm so by 9:00 (Ramsey's usual bedtime) he was in full meltdown mode. Needless to say after holding a 6 month old on my hip for an hour and a half in a hot, standing room only party I was ready for a meltdown too. I wanted so badly to be there for my sister late into the night but I was content to take care of Ramsey's needs and I feel like we did the best we could do all things considered. So we dipped out of the party a little after 9:00 and off to get Ramsey to bed we went. I will say too that I was offered the option of getting baby sitter for him but I just did not feel comfortable with that idea. It is funny that now usually my thoughts are focused on what is truly best for my little guy.

Overall the weekend was super fast paced and I tried to keep up with it all the best I could. We did accomplish helping my sister find a really great wedding dress!!! She looked great in it and I hope she is able to get it. We stayed at Paige's apartment which is "cozy". Ramsey had a port a crib which he slept really well in. We did not really do any tourist stuff as that was not the mission on this trip. I feel like we definitely do more actual NY living when we visit now. The city does make for really good people watching and as I evaluated I wondered what all the hustle and bustle is really about? Why are so many people drawn to the city life? All I can really figure is that it makes sense to them. Some people live a more quite, less congested life and some people absolutely thrive on the big city thing. I think the one thing that we as human beings all have in common is that we are all just trying to live a life that at the end of the day simply matters. So Ramsey has his first flight and major trip under his belt. Now we can move on to getting him ready for his greatest adventure of all...meeting his Daddy.

Ramsey playing with his duck from Paige and Josh:

Ramsey pretending he is camera shy:

Ramsey enjoying eating out in his big boy chair:

We found swings!:

He made a new friend: Ramsey (6 months on right) Andrew (5.5 months on left)

Trying out different things on the playground: