Baby Jake Cooper "Number Nineteen"

HAPPY DAY! Allison and Jared Cooper had their little boy 3 weeks early, and Jake was 21 inches and weighed in at 8 pounds, 8 ounces. If he would have come on his due date (Feb 20th) he probably would have been over 10 pounds. I love the day he came: one day after great grandmother Darlene's birthday, Groundhog Day and February 2nd. The numbers are fun and should be easy to remember: 02/02/2010. They add up to be a 7. (If you're into numerology, that is his lucky number.)

Allison looks wonderful and is doing great. The labor was shorter than her first (29 hours) but the pushing was a lot harder than Makenna's birth. He was posterior (sunny side up) and it took a toll on the little guy. He was quite swollen and his head was a misshaped and bruised. He also had low blood sugar so he was fed formula and in an incubator for a while. Otherwise, he is a doing great and looks quite healthy. We are all celebrating that he is here. Mike and I now have 19 grandchildren: eleven boys and eight girls.

Pictured above: Allison, newborn Jake , Jared and Makenna (4 years old and not sharing her germs)

'Rocky's Smile' Teaches Children about Dental Health

February is National Children's Dental Health Month sponsored by the American Dental Association. Chair for Provo District’s Dental Health Committee, Sharon Wiest, has organized a puppet show. With the help of many volunteers, the show will be presented at 30 elementary schools in Utah valley during the month. “Rocky’s Smile” was also presented at the Spanish Fork library on February 8th where parents were able to bring their families and enjoy the show together.

"Rocky's Smile” was written by Lisa Arrington and is brought to life by marionette puppets designed and hand made by Ree Roper. This fun and educational puppet show is a great way to entertain children and at the same time teach them about the importance of taking care of their teeth. A demonstration of how to brush and floss is a new addition to the show this year. Children will learn that regular visits to the dentist can help keep their smiles bright and beautiful.

In the picture above from left to right: Sharon Wiest, Ree Roper, Cathy Bennett, Allison Atwood, Elisabeth Oldham and Marilyn Atwood are a few of the volunteers that helped with the puppet show this year.