Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Little Things

Today has been a great day for me and it's been a day where I have thought about the little things that get me through each day.
Here's a few.....
* A stranger walking up to me at the post office and saying, "Your children are beautiful." She was a blog reader.
* Having a blog post all ready to press publish about who the crawler was, just waiting for him to actually do it and walking out of the room and a little Miss Someone following me out on all fours!! Proving never assume you know what's going to happen!
* The day several years ago when I was working on a transcript and something happened, my computer went blank and I lost everything. It was at that very moment I realized I could get mad, walk away screaming or use my frustration to work harder and get it done. (Don't get me wrong, I still get mad at things, just learned it really doesn't do too much good!)
* When Hannah Noelle runs up and tells me I'm the Bestest Mommy in the whole wide house! (That's huge to her!)
* When I'm walking across the baseball field hot and frustrated and my husband says, hey, you're getting your figure back! (I smiled for a few hours!)
* People that pretend life is all roses and sunshine. (This is one that makes me happy and sad) It makes me happy because I know that I have accepted that it's not all roses and sunshine, it is what it is, we just all deal with it differently. It makes me sad that they feel they must make their lives seem perfect so they won't be judged.
* The random man in line at the concession stand who said, ma'am, I didn't turn around, ma'am, I didn't turn around, ma'am, yes, sir, Just wanted to tell you your hair is beautiful!
* Lauren's little tiny bootie!
* Avery's new since of security in life.
* The way Cannon stares at me like I am the only one in the whole world!
* Gunner's never ending smile!
* The fact that there will always be at least one cup of coffee left in the pot every morning when I wake up! (Thanks Andrea & Matt)
* True Friends!!
* The way people looked puzzled at my Kokomo Joe Rat license plate on the front of the mini van!
* The mail lady who often drives up to the door and honks just so she can ask how the babies are!
* The excitement on Hannah Noelle's face when she receives mail.
* My date nights with Hannah Noelle.
* Hearing my cell phone ringing Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch and seeing a text from Matt saying our hand was pained out, we homma still practice though. (I interpret his great texting to say, our game got rained out, we're gonna still practice though.)
* And last but not least, the fact that God decided I was woman enough to be the mother to 5 children under the age of 4. I love my children dearly, would have never expected this life, sometimes wonder if I really can do it, yet wouldn't trade it for the world!!
What's something that makes you smile?
Have a GREAT DAY!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Whatcha Think???

In the next few weeks we're going to have a crawler!
One of the babies, well, two really,
are gearing up, got a little rug burn
and a whole lot of ambition!!
Cannon's Sweet Smile and Baby Blues
Will I be first?
Gunner and his famous Spikey Doo!
Or do you think it will be me?
Lauren's Sweet Self and GINORMOUS bow!
Will the tiniest be the first?
Avery's Spirited Smile and Baby Blues!
Or maybe, just maybe it'll be ME!


Leave a comment on who you think will be the first crawler.
I'm pretty sure by the end of the week we'll have a winner!
If they were crawling towards me, Cannon would win.
Crawling towards food, Gunner would win!
Crawling towards anything silk, Lauren would be our winner!
Crawling towards a magazine to SHRED, Avery would be the winner!
Hannah Noelle had her first T-Ball game yesterday.
LOVE this action shot!! She nailed it!

Here Batter, Batter!!
Hope everyone has a GREAT week!!
I hope to post the 1st crawler this week.
Remind me in a few months when I'm complaining about
them getting into everything that I was excited before it happened!!
Love, The Cochran Crew

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Parties & Sharing & Eye Docs, Oh My

Sit back and get comfy, this is going to be a Long One!!
Saturday we celebrated my former boss' 70th Birthday!
He was so surprised by the over 60 guest that showed up!!
It was AWESOME to see everyone!
Thanks Marjorie and Hampton for making it so wonderful!
Above: DeeDee and Leighann
Leighann is my inspiration in more ways than one!
We were co-workers and became the best of friends!
Below: George or as we say, Georgie Porgie!
Love Ya Georgie, here's to many more birthdays!
Now, all about the sharing!!
We had our first fight today over a toy and it was HILARIOUS!
There was a rattle type snake thingy a few scoots away from Lauren and Cannon. They looked at each other with that, I'm going to beat you face and the race was on! Lauren can roll anywhere she wants to go and Cannon does the swimming, nose dive type crawling. Lauren has extremely long arms and fingers and Cannon is -- well, Cannon is kind of a wienie!
After a few shirt pullings, ear grabbings, toe suckings, Lauren got the toy. Cannon immediately starting crying! Lauren held it tight and rolled away in victory! As soon as she reached her Lovie, which is anything silky, she dropped the toy and went on about her business! She is going to be the playground bully I tell ya!!
Their new favorite toy is pictured below. Our friend Denise let us borrow this because her daughter, Sara Kate, had outgrown it. The Kids love it! They bounce, turn, slobber on themselves in the mirror and bite the frog! Thanks so much Denise!

Now, all about the eye doctor!
It was our scheduled 6 month follow-up, you know, at 7 months! And off we went. Matt took the day off work, Andrea took Hannah Noelle to school and God decided it was a good day to water his flowers!! Needless to say, we were in for a trip!!
First stop, Kinko's to copy the Patient Info Pack. I always have them mail me one, I fill in all the generics, last name, parent's names, birth date, general questions that apply to all their health and then I copy that 3 more times and go back and fill in the questions that are kid specific! It saves LOTS of time!! We arrived at the doctor in Mobile, on time, whew, but it was raining hard! Thank goodness they had a canopy! I got out the mammoth stroller and Matt started heaving kids over the back seat! We were locked and loaded and rolling in within 6 minutes! After answering 7 ga-zillion questions we sat and waited our turn. I had two in my lap and Matt had the other two. Finally they called us back and the sweet lady pushed the stroller and we just walked back each with two kids in tow! We were strategic in our dilating process knowing that once Gunner was dilated, everyone would be scared because he gives out that warning cry to let everyone know what's happening is NO GOOD! Avery first, who to my surprise was pretty tolerant, Cannon, wimpy as usual, Lauren, never knew anything happened and then G-Man's turn. He must have liked the nurse because he never made a sound! Then we got escorted back out to the waiting room to wait for 30 minutes to let the drops do their magic. Gunner never made it back in the stroller, but daddy pushed the other three around and around just to keep the peace!

Cannon with his, What you talking about Willis face!

The girls got tired of the riding and decided to take a nap!
So Sweet!

Daddy, still going round and round trying to make Cannon happy!

Mommy and Gunner Chillin on the sidelines!
And just in case I didn't tell you it was raining,
look at the massive amounts of curls on my head!
The more it rains, the more it curls!

Whew, they're all asleep!!


Avery so asleep she quit sucking her thumb.

Lauren so asleep she quit sucking her fingers!

And, of course, as soon as they were all asleep, including Gunner, we got called back!
Gunner was first and he got a great report! He does not have to go back for 2 years.
Cannon was second. He has astigmatism in both eyes and both eyes are pretty weak.
He will go back in a year and will most likely need glasses!
Next was Avery and she also has astigmatism. Her eyes are a little stronger than Cannon's and we will hopefully be able to avoid glasses with her.
I then shipped those three out the door with Matt because they were getting LOUD!
Lauren was the last to be checked and her visit took the longest.
Lauren has different degrees of astigmatism and vision in her eyes which can make her tend to use one over the other and lead to future problems.
Right now they're all scheduled to go back in one year, except for Gunner. We will go back sooner if we notice anything that is alarming to us. Matt and I both have bad vision and I have astigmatism as well, so, we weren't expecting great results anyway, but at least it's not anything we have to worry about today!
Have any of you had Lasik Surgery? I need to hear some views on it!!
Have a great week!!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

New Doo's

I Love Feet Shots!!!Holy Cow, They're all looking and two are smiling!
Can-Man
Love This Close Up!!
G-Man
I still have my Spikey-Doo. Jillian!!
Smiling Lauren!
(You'd never know she has the flu!)
Laughing Laura-Kate
Ava-Ave
Two Smiles in a row!!
Close your eyes for this one Cullen!!
I already gave you two smiles, mom, BACK OFF
~ Punk-A-Rella~
Hope you like every one's New Doo!!
HAPPY ALMOST FRIDAY!!!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Get A Haircut And Daddy's Real Job!

In true George Thorogood fashion, we got a hair cut and went to daddy's real job!
Our Tuesday volunteers that started about three weeks ago turned out to both be hairstylist!!Lucky Us!!! No going to the salon, they came to us!!
Cannon needed some upkeep on his NICU shave, Gunner needed a little shaping up around his spikey doo, Avery needed to be de-mulla-tized and Lauren, well, we just did hers so she wouldn't feel left out! Thanks Mrs. Verna and Mrs. Rosalene!Hannah Noelle's First Haircut!
(I think this was about 18 months ago!!) Mom, you promise this won't hurt? ~ Cannon Mommy, you really don't have to do mine
just so we have the same 1st Haircut Date!! ~ Lauren
I think I like this cape! Very Punkarella!!!
~ Avery
I enjoy this so much, I'll eat it!!! ~ Avery
But Avery said it was good Mom!! ~ Gunner
NOT my Spikey-Doo Mom, Jillian loves it!!! ~ Gunner
Matt's team played about 7 minutes away from the house and since it was so close, in the open air, etc., we decided to give it a whirl!! Thanks for the help Pae Pae and thanks to my Quad Sistas' for the vote of confidence that, yes, you can do this!!
Back
Avery & Cannon
Front
Hannah Noelle, Lauren & Gunner
This is the back of their outfits!
Matt is #32! Hannah Noelle and Mommy at her pageant!
She's been dying to be in a pageant and this was the PERFECT one!
Everyone wins something and you can wear a church dress!!
Congrats to the Prettiest Smile Winner!!!
(Not that you can see that smile in this pic!!)
Special Thanks to Paw-Paw Bruce and Be-Be
for watching the Babes while I did this post!!
Happy St. Patrick's Day to Everyone and
Happy #$th Birthday to my Mommy,
Hannah Noelle and the Muffins Me-Mom!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
Tomorrow the babies turn 7 months!!
Thursday Pae-Pae will be 32!
Have a GREAT WEEK!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

It's a Beautiful Morning!

I just hope it's going to be a Beautiful Day!!
Just wanted you to see what I wake up to every day!
Good Morning Mommy ~ Cannon
You're here, you're here!! I've been waiting! ~ Gunner
I was SO good last night wasn't I? ~ Lauren
This is how you always

hope to see Avery, still SLEEPING!!The group shot gone BAD!
I had to make a quick dive for Gunner who
decided to push up off of Cannon and Avery!
Cannon, Gunner, Avery, LaurenGunner and Cannon
Bad & Good, I mean, Avery & Lauren
Pius, thanks for the BLING!
(Check out the Pebbles Pony Tail!!)

I think Avery has watched Madagascar too many times!
Lauren is saying, Avery, are you biting my butt?


I hope everyone has a Great Day!
Happy 9 years Matt, I love you!!!
Brad & Bridgette, Happy 9 years to you, as well!!