COOPER DRINKS AND DRINKS AND DRINKS.....

As of Friday we were out of NG Tubes and I had made several calls trying to figure out where the ones I had ordered were. Finally we found them in Topeka and this really sweet respiratory therapist brought them to me at work. Luckily because Friday afternoon Cooper's feeding tube got plugged. I got it to work for his 3pm feeding but by the 6pm feeding it was blocked again and there was no fixing it so I pulled out. Terry was reffing football so Cooper was without his tube until Terry got home. As the night went on Cooper would take drinks of my water every time I got a drink myself. So we tried other things; milk, OJ, Yogurt Drinks and he was drinking them all. I was so excited. Terry got home around 12am and I didn't want to wake Cooper to do something as cruel as put in a feeding tube so we waiting until morning. Saturday morning Cooper continued to drink. He drank so much and so well. I called Dr. Kelley and he wasn't working but luckily our wonderful nurse Jill was. I told her what was going on and asked permission to leave the tube out until afternoon just to see what would happen. She agreed to that. Cooper drank all day long, anything and everything I gave him. It was great! He didn't really eat anything but he chewed on pretzels and licorice and did eat a little yogurt. He was so good and acted so happy all day. I wish I had video him drinking. He just drank it right down. We put the feeding tube back in Saturday evening and since then........no drinking! I don't know what this means but that tube must irritate him. He has taken a couple little drinks today but nothing much. He has thrown up some today too. I think it takes him a couple feedings to get used to it again because every time he goes without the tube the first few feeding don't go so well. Anyway, I am just so happy at how well he did but don't know what we can do to keep it going.

Back to Friday night, the kids and I are at Walmart and my phone rings. It says it's Terry. He should have been at his game and should not have been calling. I answered. "Kristi, I just thought I would let you know we just got rear ended!" Now you would think that since he was calling me and I could hear he was ok it would be no big deal but my heart dropped. He was fine and so was everyone else. I guess he was stopped in traffic and a girl behind him just wasn't paying attention and did not stop. It really didn't do too much visual damage to the truck but I guess the girls car was in really bad shape. Again, the important thing is no one got hurt but it sure makes you realize how much you love someone when you get the call all the same.

Saturday morning we met with our attorney about Cooper's Cause Foundation. I really cannot tell you how crazy it is to set up a foundation so that it is truly our foundation and not linked to another. It is just like setting up a corporation. It is going to be so great when it is done but it is definitely more than I had imagined. It is also difficult because since we are currently still benefiting from it, we really can't have anything to do with it. Therefore, we have to find a board of directors that we can trust to carry it in the manner we want. These people cannot be related to us or have any other business relationship to us. That pretty much eliminates most of the people I trust most. The attorney we are working with is holding our hand through everything and being great about it. I have to set up a meeting with our accountant this week and with the president of our board. He was the only board member we were able to actually keep. He is a long time friend of Terry's and we both feel very comfortable with him and are also thankful for the knowledge he already has about organizations in general. The other members we had chosen were all either relatives or business partners and therefore we were not allowed to use them. It will take some thinking but I know we will fill the positions. Once the foundation is established, then we can pursue what it is we really are looking to do, help someone else. I can't wait for that day!

All in all the weekend was great. I love having time with my family. The kids are so great and every weekend with them makes me miss them even more on Monday. Cooper is getting to the stage that he cries when I leave and as bad as it sounds there is a little part of me that loves that. It means he recognizes me and knows me and knows I will always take care of him. It also makes me feel horrible for leaving him. He is just such a cute little boy and his laugh is so funny because he tries to hold it in. You really have to get him going for him to laugh out loud! Raelynn continues to amuze us and teach us. Learning things all over again with her is so much fun. Today she was playing with her long time imaginary friend, Kendra. I am not sure what they were playing but I heard Raelynn say, "I have a very good Mommy, the best Mommy in the whole world." That right there was better than any praise I had ever received, any award I had ever won.