Dear Cooper

My sweet Cooper,

     Right now you are in my arms cuddling with Lamby and your blanket groaning. You always groan before you fall asleep.. It's like sleep is painful or you just have really bad F.O.M.O. We joke about it hoping you'll grow out of it before the kids can make fun of you. It's actually pretty adorable though. And snuggling with you right before you fall asleep is about the best thing in the world. Today I've had trouble moving you to your crib. My chances to snuggle with you while you sleep are limited.. Our summer together is coming to an end in just a couple days. And I can't believe how quickly my eyes fill with tears everytime I think about leaving you.

This summer with you has been such an incredible gift. And I feel the luckiest to have spent three months going for long walks, watching you grow and rolling around with you on the floor. When you were born in time for me to meet you before going back to El Salvador I was over the moon.. I needed to know you before leaving for four months. And before going to grad school for three years this summer has given me the chance to really get to know all your quirks and the complete joy that you are for this family. You are so perfect- funny, curious, inquisitive, joyful, smart, brave and charismatic as mama said a while ago. And you have filled my heart with so so much joy these past three months.

Watching you grow and learn has been so neat. When I first got here you were a completely different boy. Still a baby.. Now you are a little boy. This summer I have watched you learn to roll both ways. Take long naps in your crib. Sit up. Eat solid food. Start to babble your heart out. Fall in love with your Lamby. Give out endless smiles to everyone you meet. Giggle. Recognize people. And just recently pull yourself up to stand!  Your mommy and I talk about how you are the only baby we can both just watch for hours and hours and never get bored. Every facial expression, sound, movement and moment with you is mesmerizing, interesting and hillarious. I can't tell you how much joy you bring to our lives.

Some of my favorite Cooperisms are the way you will raise your eyebrows and smile when I look at you. The grin you greet me with every morning when mommy and daddy bring you out to me. Your giggle. The way you jump at every chance you can. In anyone's arms, on laps, when I hold your hands and you stand on the floor and in your jumpers. This new hilllarious thing you do when you puff out your cheeks, purse your lips and blow air out your nose- you look completely ridiculous and I laugh so hard everytime you do it. The huge grins you give me when we go for runs and I stop to check in on you and how very much you love to be outside. I love how cute you are in your footy pajamas and when your sleeves are rolled up and you look like a little man. The big grin you get when you swing. And lately how active, brave, and curious you are in crawling and pulling yourself up on things.

Another amazing part of this summer has been seeing how very very much your mommy and daddy love you. You are their whole wide world and they would give everything to make sure you are happy and healthy. Both of them were made to be parents and watching them with you has been so neat. Your daddy loves to take you outside with him, snuggle with you, watch you grow and learn and thinks you are so funny. Daddy gets to work from home a lot and loves coming out to hang out with you for a few minutes or having you come in and help him work. As you grow up he will have so many important things to teach you. He is the wisest most loving man I know and we are both so lucky to have him to look up to. Your mommy has the biggest soft spot in her heart for you and leaving you to go back to work was so so hard. She wants to be with you every minute and is spending lots of time trying to figure out the best way to do it. She too thinks you are so so funny. Snuggling with you is one of her favorite things and watching you jump, crawl and play too. I love to see you two reading books together when she comes home from work and when she gives you a bath you just love it. Both of them want to let you see the whole world, take you with them to the beach and the mountains and to play with friends. Your life will not have a lack of love and fun in it. But they also will have important rules to keep you safe. They both worry about you a lot and will always have your happiness and health as their first priority, I can see how deeply they love you everytime they look at you. You are really lucky to have absolutely incredible parents. They really wanna be the best parents possible and are so ready to learn and grow with you. They also make the best team and always take turns with you even though they both want every minute with you. Most the time they agree on exactly how to be your parents and when they don't they compromise and each of their opinions creates the perfect balance. They are the best!

There are so many people in this world that love you Coop. You have a big family of cousins and aunts and uncles on both sides who just wanna squeeze you. You are lucky you get to spend so much time with family and with all of mommy and daddy's awesome friends. You stole the hearts of all my friends too and everyone loves following #onedaywewillrootforcoop.The hashtag that mommy and daddy's friend Emily came up with and is full of cute pictures of you.

Sometimes I see your uncle Eric in you. I don't have my own memories of him but I think you look like his baby pictures. Mama says sometimes she catches you talking to him. I think he's probably a part of you and always there watching out for you just like your Grampy Skip.

We have taken a few trips to Tenesse Valley beach where you like to play with the dark pebbly sand and watched a kite fly the other day. We go to the library sometime for story time where you are so curious about the other kids. We pretty much always stay in our pajamas longer than is socially acceptable but we love our cozy mornings. You have made my runs much more enjoyable and know the Mill Valley path so well- even though lots of times you like to nap while we run. More than anything else we have spent hours waking down Sycamore into downtown where we go to the depot or window shop, go to Old Mill park and meet lots of friends. Everyone thinks you are the cutest baby ever especially when you flash them your award winning grin. We've had a really relaxing summer which has been so special for your Aunt Shelly. And is good for both of us cause next week we both start a new chapter! You will go to daycare a couple doors down and I'm flying far far away to Boston. 

I wish I was going to be closer and am so heart broken to leave you. But am so grateful for our time together, the special bond we have created and to be your Aunty. I promise I will be back in three years to be close to you. And until then just tell mommy and daddy you want to face time everyday and come visit your Aunt Shelly.

I love you forever and ever Coop and will miss you so much. Sorry about all the tears that will probably land on you when we are saying goodbye. You have completely stolen my heart and I don't want to miss a moment. You change so fast and I know when I see you next you will be walking and talking. Thanks for giving me the best love ever and filling my transition home with love and joy. You are the sweetest, cutest, happiest boy that ever lived and I love you so much!

With all my love,

Aunt Shelly