It baffles me to say this–my mind literally cannot grasp how this happened–but today, dear Cooper, you turn six.
It was, like, last year that you were this size, right?
But, nope. Somehow you’ve gone from this:
To this:
LOOK AT YOUR GRAY WHISKERS, COOPER! Stop that right this instant!
You’ve been through a lot in these six years… you’ve moved three times, gotten a cat, gotten a foster puppy and a foster kitten, said goodbye to the fosters, said goodbye to your best friend in the entire world, given us a serious run for our money figuring out your allergies, terrifying us with your tremors, and you outsmarted us around every turn.
You and I, Coop, we have a bond. I’m sure it came from when I was sick and you dubbed yourself my protector. And it’s stuck. You follow me around and stare and stare and stare at me. You cuddle me and bark when you can’t find me. It’s endearing, but it’s also a symptom of your biggest personality trait: your intensity.
Cooper, you are intense. You are a serious fellow who is completely in tune with the people around you. For better or worse, you read people with perfect clarity, and you react to whatever energy you sense. It makes you a little tightly wound, my dear, to be watching everyone around you that closely all the time. I never wrote about the day we lost Lucas–maybe the day will come when I’m able to, but it hasn’t come yet–but you were unbelievable that day. You knew. You behaved stoically until the very end, when you curled up with your biggest brother.
You just know.
You always have. You are utterly sensitive, which makes you incredibly anxious since you tend to assume the worst about what you don’t understand. (The polar opposite of Emmett who understands very little and assumes the best about everything!)
But, thankfully (in some regards, anyway) you’re brilliant and learn quickly. The house is getting painted this week, and the house painter, Salvador, has heard you barking at him through the window for days now. Well, until yesterday when I decided to play the “Look at Salvador, get a sweet potato chip” game. Within minutes you were just staring at Salvador out the window until I said “yes!” then you’d collect your chip and swivel your head right back to the window.
Whatever we can figure out to teach you, you learn. You also learn lots of things we don’t teach you and lots of things we didn’t really intend for you to learn, but your brilliance is just part of the overall package.
At six you are still so much of a young man, even though you’re starting to show a smidge of maturity here and there.
You still destroy every toy you can get your teeth around.
You love to chase the tennis ball in the backyard.
You’re warming up to swimming, particularly when there’s a squeaky ball involved.
You’ve learned to stick your face under the covers just so and crawl all the way under for a late-night snuggle.
You’re a running machine… you would go and go and go until you dropped, if we let you. But I still kinda hate running, so we’d never go that long anyway, but having you as my running partner has kept me motivated to stick with it even though, as I said, I pretty much still hate it.
You and Emmett have become practically inseparable, and Newt rounds out your little triumvirate. The three of you are always near one another, if not touching.
You are, in fact, the one Newt likes best out of all of us. You two wrestle and chase and play. She doesn’t bite you when you lick her face, which you do every single time you see her. She’s not quite as kind to the rest of us…
In the end, Cooper, we weren’t supposed to adopt you. You were our foster. We failed, but of course we won. You are an infuriating, frustrating, destructive, devious, live wire, and you are perfect.
We love you, little bean. Happy sixth birthday!
What a sweet, loving tribute to your “little” boy!! Yes, he is perfect! We all think our dogs are the best dogs in the world, and we’re all right!
Happy Birthday, Cooper!!! And we love you, too!
YES! I love that sentiment so much. Thank you for sharing that!
SIX?! I realized this morning that we’re at four right now, and I will probably cry at six. Because six is distinctly middle aged!! How can such a sweet puppers be MIDDLE AGED?!?! It is an insult not to be borne. Happy birthday, Coop. It seems like I know you well, following your Lady’s blog as I have for years.
You are so right. It is distinctly middle age. I can’t believe that. The day AFTER his sixth birthday I told him he’s officially OVER the hill. How is that even possible?!?! Scritches to your sweet four-year-old. 🙂
Happy Birthday Cooper. I’m mom to 6 precious fur kids and I can’t believe how fast the years have gone for all of my pups. Good Lord, Shelby turned 10 this year. Where did the years go. What a wonderful story of how precious you are to your family and how you have given them therapy every day of your life. Happy Birthday Cooper!
I honestly can’t figure out where the years are going, Robin. It passes so quickly…
Thank you so much for sharing! And happy 10th to Shelby!
Such a wonderful story and SUCH a beautiful boy!
Happy Birthday Cooper, here’s hoping you will be celebrating many, many more years with your family.
PS: LOVE that eyeliner! 😉
HAH! Leslie, I never thought of the eyeliner, but I love that. 🙂 And thank you so much!!
Your letters to your boys make me cry and laugh every time:)
Thanks, Crystle! 🙂 That’s so nice of you to say!!
Happy birthday Cooper! I recognize an inteligence and caring in your eyes that I see in one of my guys too. Six is a good age!
Oh, I love that!! Thank you! 🙂
This letter…love everything about it! Happy Birthday, Coop!
Thank you, Tracey! Hugs to you!
What a great birthday greeting!! The years do pass quickly. My next to the oldest cat is 12 years old. My oldest dog is Milah, and she is 10 years old…..she is pretty much the same dog also, except she has some manners now! Happy Birthday to Cooper!!
HAHA!! Kathy, this: “…she is pretty much the same dog also, except she has some manners now!” Totally cracked me up! 😀
Happy Birthday Coop! It really is hard to believe it’s been six years, give his an extra snuggle from Gammie!
Done! 😉
He sounds absolutely perfect! I hope he had a happy birthday!
Happy belated birthday Cooper.
I love the letters you write to your dogs.
I’m a little late for the party, but happy birthday Cooper! Those pictures of him are absolutely adorable, and it even makes my heart ache a little to see how cute he was as a puppy. Quite the busy year for him.
I stopped at the first pictures for too long, he was so cute I can’t help it. So when you tell us in fact how big he is right now, I drop from my chair.
Still beautiful as always. I’m late but here’s to Cooper!