Halloween

Oh, the things we do for kids! Yesterday, we had Harvest Day at the preschool. My co-teacher, Johnna, had her costume already, and I'm not one to be outdone! Here we are with our kiddos. (This is why God did not make me blonde! May I just say hats off - no pun intended! - to those of you out there who choose to wear wigs on a regular basis. That thing just about drove me nuts!) Cora dressed up as a cat. Mema got her some stockings to go with the kitty cat onesie, but they were a little big on mon petite bébé. Johnna had a cute little tu-tu on baby Anna. And, yes, those are leg-warmers!! William is Ossmus (Optimus) Prime, of course! In spite of the itchy wig and highly unflattering dress, it was actually a lot of fun!

Cora's Lovey

I recently read that starting at 3 months, babies can begin to grow sentimental attachments to objects. So, now whenever Cora is upset, I get her bunny lovey and rub Cora's face and arms with it while I soothe her. I think she's starting to associate it with comfort. I handed it to her today so that I could get dressed. She had a great time talking to it and tasting it. Check it out.Penny wanted to get in on the action, too. She's actually becoming very obedient about not licking the baby. It's going to be so much fun when they can play together.

Success!

I've mentioned before how I desperately hope that Cora will learn to suck her fingers. I think we have success! (Although, this presents a small problem when we are trying to eat cereal!)Incidentally, her eyes appear to be turning green!

There Was One in the Bed. . .

And the little one said, "Roll over!" And, that's what she did. This afternoon she woke up in the middle of her nap. I have been letting her fuss for a few minutes because she is starting to be able to put herself back to sleep. The whole while she is fussing, I'm listening on the baby monitor. Suddenly, I hear golden silence. I turn on the video feed expecting to see my baby sleeping, but instead, I see 2 bright eyes staring at me! It was actually a little unnerving - like she was watching me, too! Turns out she was simply looking at the green light on the camera. But, the point is that suddenly, she's on her back happily sucking on her fingers and watching the pretty light. I was very tempted to run into her room and spank her for growing up too fast! I managed to rein in my emotions, though, at least for the moment. This week, rolling over; next week, college!

Cereal, an Interesting Paradox

We are well into our first week of this exciting culinary adventure. And, let me tell you, it has been an adventure! Little Miss Cora can be quite contrary when it comes to eating cereal. It took a few days for me to figure out how she wanted it done. (I learned from my father's anecdote about force-feeding my brother peas that it is best to work with them rather than against them!) I have learned that Cora must be fully nursed before any attempts at cereal can be made. I have also discovered how the spoon must be placed in her mouth for maximum ingestion. I think she now may be eating more than she ends up wearing - I call that success!

When we were given the green-light to start cereal, Dr. Mitchell gave us the option of beginning with rice or barley. She cautioned us, though. Rice tends to constipate, while barley has a laxative effect. Umm, okay. . . what do I do with those fun little tidbits?! Thankfully, the issue of which one to start with was solved by the store only having rice cereal. Surely Cora will be fine. . . Let's just say that after 2 days of no bowel movements and sweet baby whimpering (technically, screaming and crying), I decided to give barley a try. As much as rice constipates, barley does the opposite. WOW! I'm amazed the diaper was able to contain it all! It seems like you should alternate them. Would that counteract the effects? Anyway, we're in a good rhythm now, so we should see the weight start adding on. I'll keep you posted.

Cereal - Yum!

Last night Cora got to try cereal for the first time. (To call it cereal may be stretching it a bit. This was more like a slightly thickened formula on a spoon.) Thankfully, Cora seemed to like it. Once she kind of got the hang of getting it off of the spoon, she really got after it. At one point Cora began to fuss at me when I would take the spoon out of her mouth to refill it. She managed to eat a couple of ounces of milky cereal. The most fabulous part is that last night she slept from 11:30 until 9 this morning! I could tell it was a much deeper sleep than usual because she was in almost the exact same position this morning that I left her in last night. Here are some pictures of the dining experience.

4 Month Appointment - The Movie

Well, it's over, and it was as bad as I expected. In fact, from the moment I put her on the scale, it was bad. Cora has only gained 5 oz in the last 2 months. She weighs 9lbs, 9oz and is 22 inches long. She's just slightly bigger than your average newborn, and she is 4 months old! Yeesh! I told John that I knew I was going to get in trouble - for what, I don't know. I just knew there was going to be a problem. John, ever the level-headed one to my high-strung self, gently reminded me that I was not in trouble and that this is why we have well checks. I, ever the emotional one, reminded him that they also have well-checks so they can stick poor, screaming babies with really sharp needles!

Anyway, Dr. Mitchell gave me the option of supplementing with either formula or cereal. I was planning on asking about starting cereal anyway. Cora's been showing some signs of being interested in food. So, I chose cereal. We start tonight. I will definitely take pictures. I'm expecting it to be a bit messy to say the least. We go back to the doctor in a month to see if the cereal is fattening her up sufficiently. So you can look for "4 Month Appointment - The Sequel" coming soon to a blog near you!

4 Month Appointment - The Prequel

Tomorrow (Friday) is Cora's 4 month well-check. All you experienced moms know what that means . . . more shots. yippee. All the things that seem so black and white before you have a child suddenly become gray. If you read this before her appointment tomorrow (9 am), please pray that the immunizations do their job and nothing harmful. (On the plus side, Cora will get to have some more of that tasty, grape infant tylenol!)

Potential Husband?

I never thought I believed in arranged marriages until I had a daughter. (And, I also understand why my parents never really minced words when I asked their opinion of a potential suitor!) I won't actually make Cora go through with an arranged marriage, but would it be so wrong if I steered her in a certain direction?! Thankfully Cora is surrounded by many young gentlemen from good Christian families. Here is one of Cora's possible husbands.
Notice how they are wearing coordinating clothing? We did not plan it. . . It's just fate! Tyler's mom and I like to think that they will be quarterback and cheerleader. It will have to be a long distance relationship though because Tyler bleeds purple and orange (Clemson) and Cora bleeds green and gold and a little maroon! I think they are strong enough to make it work!!

Fancy Baby

Cora's best friend is Anna. Anna's mom got super creative over the weekend and fancified some onesies. Here's the one she made for Cora. . .

I found this little jean skirt in her closet and thought it made the perfect little outfit. The only problem is Cora has no "junk in her trunk." (Obviously, she does not get that from me!) It was a bit of a battle to keep the skirt from sliding up and down on her today. But, nobody ever said looking good is easy!

The funny thing is that this is the first time Cora has worn something with pockets. She apparently thinks pockets are quite wonderful. Her teacher, Mrs. Brenda, was holding her while she snuggled her hand down into the depths of the skirt. When Mrs. Brenda would pull her hand out, she would resolutely stick it right back in. I think once Cora may have even stiff-armed her. I really have no idea where she gets that stubborn streak!?! Anyway, I'm thinking she's going to need some snacks, a little cell phone, some keys, or something to store in her new favorite place. Here's a picture of her and her new discovery.

Jacob and Baby Cora

Jacob is Cora's first friend. He used to talk to her while she was still in my tummy. I love how he always calls her "Baby Co-wa." In fact, whenever we are around him, he is always very protective of her. He will ask "Where's Baby Cowa?" or "Why is Baby Cowa crying?" I think he's practicing for when he becomes a big brother. It's going to be so much fun to see them together when Cora is old enough to interact and play.

Daddy Day-Care

On Monday mornings, Cora gets to spend some quality time with her dad while I go out into the schools to observe my interns. (I have a very small part-time job as a field advisor for first year teachers.) After Cora gets up from her morning nap, she and daddy bond. Now you must understand that football is a big thing in our house. . .in fact, football season is year round with an XBox and NCAA '08. Poor John; being surrounded by females, he has no one with whom to share the joy of football. However, today John began the process of conversion on Cora. When I got home, Cora was in her boppy on the bed with John on the laptop beside her. I asked how the morning was going, and I found out what time she got up from her nap and how much she ate. Then John told me that when she began to fuss, he decided to read to her. He chose something they would both enjoy . . . Aggie football news! Yep, John was reading internet articles to her about his alma mater. I'm sure Cora already knows more than I do about the goings-on in Aggieland. She was smiling and doing her best to talk with her daddy. As much as I want Cora to be my little girlie-girl ballerina, I sure hope she will grow up to enjoy football with her proud papa.

Peek-a-boo

Cora has discovered the joys of peek-a-boo. Tonight, daddy had her on the changing table in the nursery - strangely enough, one of her favorite places to be - when he yells for me to come in there. I come running in expecting to find a pox on baby girl or some other horrible malady. He tells me to watch as he throws a burp rag over her face, pulls it down and exclaims "peek-a-boo!" Baby girl got a huge grin on her face, cooed, and then laughed one of those adorable belly laughs. Unfortunately, the game had grown tiresome before we could get it on video, but I'm so excited that Cora at least finds someone other than Penny worthy of her precious laughter. We'll keep trying to get some video of the fun!

Obnoxious, Yet Totally Necessary

I am so thankful that Cora takes a pacifier. It really comes in handy during Cora's "witching hour." Unfortunately, the one that soothes her best is the Super Soothie - the kind you get in the hospital. (Huh, very apropos product naming, wouldn't you say?!) The problem, as I see it, is that they don't stay in her mouth very well, and since she hasn't quite mastered gripping and bringing things to her mouth, this can be a bit of a problem. I'm secretly hoping that she'll suck her fingers like I did. (A gasp rises from the crowd!)

The other problem is the paci clip. I have only found one clip that works with this pacifier. It's huge! It's as big as Cora's face. Cora gets a lot of comments when it's in her mouth. This is mostly because you can hardly see her face. Take a look. . .

Tennis, Anyone?

I LOVE this outfit!

I just had to post pictures of my little tennis tot!

National Day of Remembrance

Many of you may know that October 15th is National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant Loss. When you get a moment, may I encourage you to pray for all the families, but especially the mothers who are grieving for a lost child. In my personal life, I have been touched by several women who bear this burden including Angie Smith of Bring the Rain. Though I do not know her personally, her story resonates with me as my family was touched by tragedy when our precious Benjamin Scott was born into heaven in February of 2004. I encourage you to visit her blog. As of this moment over 500 women have requested prayer on this day as they grieve.

I am acutely conscious of how blessed I am. I type this message as my child lays on my lap. Her hand rests on my chest, and she studies my face intently. I know that I have done nothing to deserve such a precious gift. Yet, I selfishly cling to her and drink every moment in.

I have blogged before about how people often like to start conversations with little mommies out in public. When I was at HEB on Sunday, I ran into a sweet grandmother who struck up a conversation about Cora and her grandbabies. As she left, she commented to me, "You know that they (children) are only on loan to us." I have thought about that statement many times since then. I am so thankful to God for each day that I have with Cora, and my deepest prayer is that she will live a long, happy life.

Sweet Jesus, So many hearts cry out to you. Let Your peace rain over those who are hurting. Let Your healing wash over the hearts that are broken. Let Your presence comfort those who despair.
Amen

Getting A Grasp on Things. . .

Literally! Check out what Cora did today.

She has been grabbing my hair for a while. I just thought it was a coincidence. It is awfully convenient to grasp when being lowered into the crib or onto the changing table especially since my hair is usually hanging in her face. Today, I noticed her intently staring at her fingers and bringing them back and forth in front of her face. So, I took a chance, showed her a toy, and sure enough, she grabbed for it. She even managed to pull the bulky thing up to her mouth for further exploration. Several times today she played with the toy. This was especially helpful while we were at the grocery store. Hopefully, this new skill will foster a little bit of independent play!

Yia Yia's Birthday

After church today John, Cora and I met Yia Yia for her birthday lunch in San Marcos. (Grandpa is still in Houston helping AT&T get everyone back in service after the hurricane.) This just happened to be the perfect opportunity for Cora to wear the little blue ensemble that Yia Yia gave to her. Cora looked very fanciful in her Feltman dress replete with embroidery, smocking, and the sweetest little bloomers ever. She looked like Little Bo Peep - that is, minus the shepherd's crook and the long blonde curls! I have to include a picture of the shoes she is wearing because they are so darn cute! (In case you think they are as fabulous as I do, they come from Gymboree.) I hope her feet stay tiny for a little while longer so she can keep wearing them.

Anywho. . . we ate at Saltgrass Steakhouse which happens to be right on the river and next to the Texas State campus in San Marcos. It was quite picturesque, and the food was very tasty. Despite it being naptime, Cora obliged us with some photos. I thought this photo was spectacular. I wonder who loves whom more?!

Love at First Sight

Today Cora met the newest member of our Sunday School class, Michael Gumpl. Check out his family's blog called The Gumpl Gang. As you can see, it was love at first sight!

Cora's Favorite Family Member

I used to be Cora's favorite. In fact, just last night, I asked John if it bothers him that she likes me best. Then, I smugly announced that she saves her best smiles for me. Inwardly, I pat myself on the back and declare myself "supermom." Obviously God has His hands full keeping my pride in check. Flash forward to today. John has the day off and decided to enjoy his morning coffee in the backyard with Penny. After I dressed Cora, we went outside to join them. It is no secret that Penny is in love with Cora. She constantly wants to be near Cora to give her kisses. Unfortunately, this affection appeared to be unrequited. . .that is, until today.

Keep in mind, Cora has giggled for me before. But, this was practically knee-slapping! It was so much fun to watch. She had shear joy all across her face. Amazing! I can relinquish my crown as favorite family member if I can hear more of that fabulous laughing!

Tiny Fashionista

This past weekend I decided to be really industrious and reorganize Cora's closet. My mom and I did it three months ago when Cora was first born on account of she was so dinky, she didn't fit into any of the clothes I had carefully arranged. This time, I actually had clothes that she had grown out of. May I just say that I felt more than a tiny twinge of sadness looking at the things that she will never wear again. Then, I realized that I may never have another child who wears those teeny clothes again. I had to include this picture of Cora with Mema in those adorable heart pajamas. When I packed them away, I was so sad! Who knew that cleaning and organizing a closet would require so many tissues!

After I tucked away the too small clothes, I got to work organizing Cora's large array of clothes. In addition to the cute little outfits Cora got from friends and family, a mom friend gave me her daughter's entire birth-1 year old wardrobe. I had so much fun getting everything out and hanging it up. I literally get a smile on my face when I see her clothes hanging neatly in her closet. (I am slightly OCD!!) The only problem is that I want her to wear all of her outfits. However, I fear that she will grow out of them or the weather will get cold before she gets to model them all. Maybe we'll have a little fashion parade one day just so I can see them all. Does that make me strange?!

The best part of this is that the sweet heart pajamas are from Carter's (my fave). You can believe that Cora will have another pair of those fleece-y delights come winter!

Three Little Monkeys . . .

But which one is Cora?!

Cora has a strong dislike for her carseat. I thought the strap covers would help (thanks, Mema!). When she falls asleep in it, she kind of nestles her head against one or the other monkey. She still doesn't love the car seat, but I think they definitely help!

Play Time

Cora has become so interactive. She smiles much of the time, now. Yesterday, we had some fun play time in the play gym that Cora has. She's trying very hard to sit up on her own, but usually ends up tipping forward. So, she has to sit in the boppy. If you look closely at the picture, you'll see her trying to pull herself up into a more upright position.
I kept trying to get her to grab for the sunshine rattle, but she really just wanted to grab her pants and show off her cute little gams. Then she would coo, gurgle, and make her signature sound to me. So cute!!

Every Day is a New Day

Well, last night was much better. Cora woke up once, but happily went back to sleep with her pacifier. This afternoon, she took a nice nap after her two o'clock feeding. And, for the first time ever, she had "happy" circled on her daily report from the ladies at school. I felt like I wanted to frame the paper!

To cap off such a great day, I got flowers from my fabulous hubby! I had asked him to stop by HEB to pick up a turkey breast for dinner. (Roasted, pepper-crusted turkey breast from the deli, yum!!) He not only came home with the turkey, but also with the most beautiful bouquet of pink roses! John is such a thoughtful guy. I'm glad Cora has such a strong role model of what a good husband should be. . .I'm pretty sure I'll keep him!

Calling All Moms. . .

Let me throw this query out for all of the experienced moms out there. . . My beautiful sleeper (Believe me, I realize what a blessing it has been to have Cora start sleeping through the night at 10 weeks!) has suddenly started waking up sporadically during the night. By sporadically, I mean, she will wake up and fuss. We put the pacifier back in her mouth. She'll sleep for 20 or so minutes, and then, the process begins again. This could go on for a couple of hours before she really gets to sleep again. Does this sound normal? Is this related to her growth spurt? I'm so tempted to feed her again because I know she'll go back to sleep. However, I've heard you're not supposed to do that once they start sleeping through the night. I've tried letting her cry it out, but she'll cry for over an hour. Poor baby didn't even take a nap this afternoon until I relented to the crying and held her. Then, she fell asleep immediately. Can anyone else relate? Any advice?
**** If you choose to comment, please be constructive. . . Don't forget, I'm still a first time mom. ****

Happy 100th Day!

Today Cora is 100 days old. I can't believe she's been with us that long! She has changed so much over these past months that it's just amazing. She coos and gurgles, blows raspberries, scoots, holds up her head, and tries really hard to roll over and to grasp objects. She's gone from being a dinky 5 pound baby to a (still a little dinky) 11 pound baby. She's had growth spurts, shots, a medical procedure, and her first illness. She has moved from the hospital to our bedroom to a room of her own. She has been to the grandparents' and one set of great-grandparent's houses as well as the beloved (!) beach. She has done all of this in 100 days. I'm just so grateful to God that He shared this beloved child with us. Cora hasn't had it easy with the super intense growth spurts and the ultra uncomfortable acid reflux, but no matter how frustrated I get at the crying, I would rather have the tears and fussing than not have her in my life at all. So, here's to the next 100 days and 100 years and all the surprises to come.