Baby Brunch

These are 7 of the 10 babies who have been born in our Sunday School class since June. Believe it or not, there are still a few babies yet to come! Cora is one of the oldest - just two days younger than Tyler who is in the bottom right corner. You just wouldn't know she's one of the oldest by looking at it! (BTW, Cora is the one with the headband in case all of the girlies are looking a bit alike.) Aidan's (top middle) and Abigail's (bottom middle) moms hosted the brunch, and there was lots of talk of diapers and spit-up and of how another friend, Britney, could carry and birth her 9 pound, 12 ounce boy this past Thursday!

Later in the afternoon, six of us baby-mamas descended upon a cafe in town. I think the people in the cafe got a little scared by the fact that the adults were outnumbered by the babies/kids! Some ladies even asked what kind of group we belong to. . .FLDS, anyone! The array of car seats was quite a sight. Here is a picture of Cora enjoying the outing.

Her head is still just a little small for headbands apparently, but I just had to put something on that sweet little bald head!

Little Miss Sassy Pants

Cora does have some sassy pants, let me say. I am a sucker for pants with ruffles on the toushee! But, I am actually referring to Cora's AT-TI-TUDE. For the past few weeks, her preferred method of communication is through blowing raspberries. It is so cute. She sticks her little tongue slightly out of her mouth and blows. Of course, as doting parents, we have been encouraging this sassy behavior! Lately, I've noticed a bit of a twinkle in her eyes when she's doing it. She'll get a big sassy smile upon her face, stick out that little tongue, and blow! It's the twinkle that worries me. . .I'm predicting lots of spankings in her future!

Why They Call Them "Wienie Dogs"

I Love the Summer Video Baby Monitor!

(Edited to add:  We recently had to switch to a digital monitor.  We  now use the Summer Best View Handheld Digital Monitor.  If you have lots of wireless devices, I recommend getting the digital monitor.  The regular video monitor may not work with all of the wireless interference.)

The video baby monitor is one of the best inventions! Before I had a baby, I thought it seemed a little excessive, but let me just say that I love this thing! Josh and Amy have one, and when they came down to Texas this past January, I came to realize the genius of these fabulous contraptions. I love that you can check on your precious little one without having your child see you (although this did not help me the day of the barking baby. . . see previous post). I am seriously contemplating finding a way to mount the monitor to show the whole room. I have a feeling Cora will need constant supervision. She has a bit of a mischievous smile and a twinkle in her eye. So, I am sure that for the Kemps, it's the Summer Video Baby Monitor!

Dost Mine Ears Deceive Me?

The other morning Cora and I were going through our normal beginning of the day routine. She wakes up at about 7:30 and feeds. Then, she goes back down for her morning nap. On a good day, she'll sleep for almost 3 more hours. (I love Fridays and Saturdays when I get to take that nap, too!) I let Penny out of her kennel and put her outside, then crawled into my nice comfy bed. Just as I get snuggled in and almost asleep, I hear Cora. Up I jump and off I traipse to the nursery to put the pacifier back in her mouth. Hmm. . .pacifier is in mouth; baby appears to be sleeping. I crawl back into bed and get comfortable. Again, I am just about asleep, when I hear the cry. This time, I wait a little while to see if it continues. When it does, I roll over and look at the baby monitor. Baby is stirring. So, again, I jump up and traipse off to the nursery. Hmm. . .pacifier is still in mouth; baby no longer stirring; baby still sleeping. I say a quick prayer over Cora that she will sleep peacefully, and climb back into bed. For the third time I hear her. I run over to the nursery only to find her sleeping peacefully. Now, I have imagined Cora's cries before, but this time, I know that I have been hearing something! I make my way back to my bed thoroughly confused when I hear it again. . .from the backyard. My tired brain has apparently been confusing Penny's bark with Cora's cry. I know that sounds weird, but Cora makes little grunting sounds when she is waking up from her naps. She kind of sounds like a little barking puppy - or at least that is what I will tell myself so that I don't feel as crazy as I apparently am! Can I get an amen from all the mommies out there?!

Check Out My Skills!

This afternoon when I put Cora down for her nap, she decided to squeeze in a quick workout. When I went in to check on her, this is what I saw. . .
Check out her tongue in the second picture. She has her working tongue going! She must have put a lot of effort into her new skill because just a few minutes later, this is what I saw. . .
Doesn't she look sweet! (And a little bald! Good thing winter is coming so she can wear some of those adorable hats that she has!)

Every Dog's Best Friend

Penny believes she is every dog's best friend. A dog could be baring its teeth and growling menacingly, yet Penny will run up, tail a-wagging ready to play. When my brother's family came to visit/escape the hurricane, I was slightly worried at how our dogs would get along. Miles is a rather large dog, and Penny can be overly enthusiastic to put it kindly. However, Miles was so patient with her. Wherever Miles would go, Penny would follow. She was so intent on being near him that she would go so far as to sniff or lick the exact same spot on the ground/tree/(insert random object name here). It was like they were joined at the hip! Penny was absolutely in heaven when they would wrestle. What a sight it was. . . my little 13 pound dog trying to dominate a 60 pound dog! I had to include this picture because my brother and his family look so sweet and fabulous, and then you see Miles with a death grip on Penny. Good times!

Visiting the Great-Grandparents

Not only was this Cora's first trip to Mema and P-pa's house, but also this was her first visit with her great-grandparents, Pa and Gamma. This was a very important visit because Cora is named after Pa's mother, her great-great-grandmother. I never got to meet Ora Bell Lewis as she passed away when my grandfather was a teenager, but I know from Pa that she was a very special woman. (The slight change from Ora to Cora is a nod to Cora's Greek heritage.) My prayer is that Cora can grow to be a Godly woman and live up to the legacy of her name.

We had a lot of fun on our visit to the farm. Pa has promised that when Cora is a little older, she'll get a ride on the tractor. That was always one of the really fun things that Pa would do for us when we were little. He has even rigged a little trailer to haul his great-grandkids. I can't wait to see how much fun Cora has when she is old enough to enjoy the special treats at Pa and Gamma's farm!

Stranded

This weekend, we took Cora on her first trip to Mema and P-pa's house in San Angelo.  We left late on Friday after John got off work and intended to come back on Sunday.  God had other plans. . .  

Here is how a normal brake caliper  should look:  

Here is what our brake caliper looked like:

Notice the gaping hole where the bolt should be.  Yes, that's right!  Somehow, we managed to lose a bolt from the caliper while driving to San Angelo on Friday.  This NEVER happens. . .yet, somehow, there we were with the brake grinding and grabbing on the highway.  Our theory is that when we took our vehicle in for a service recall at the dealership in our town, the mechanics did not properly re-tighten the bolts.  Harumph!  This will be another negative notch in the belt for that dratted place!  (I will not name names, but I assume that if you know where I live and care to figure it out, you will be able to!)

So, we stopped at Auto Zone on the way back from my grandparents only to find out that this part must be ordered.  Ergo, our best bet will be the Toyota dealership.  Is the parts department open on Saturday afternoon?  No.  Will it be open on Sunday?  No.  Can we drive our car any farther?  No! Thank goodness Mema and P-pa let us stay. . .not that they would refuse more time with baby Cora.  And, thank goodness we have a fabulous neighbor who doesn't mind keeping Penny for another day.  I do believe that one day after Linda keeps Penny, we will not get her back.   Penny LOVES Linda, and thankfully, Linda feels the same way about Penny.  

John got up early this morning so that he could go to the Toyota dealership and get the little bolt.  And, drum roll please. . . they do not carry that part.  It must be ordered!  Are ya kiddin' me?!  It's beginning to look like we will need to hitchhike back to our home or catch a ride with Mema when she comes tomorrow.  Our only option appears to be to get a correct size bolt from Home Depot and hope and pray that it does not melt on the drive home.  This is not a great option.  As a last ditch effort, John calls Brake's, Etc.  They have a bolt that is the right grade, just a little shorter.  Bingo!  This should get us back to our town to where my preferred dealership will have the right bolt waiting for us!  

Once we got going, we had an easy drive back.  May I just say that I love Mason!  I had never been there until this weekend.  I will definitely need to go back there to go antiquing.  I'll just make sure I have plenty of tools and bolts available for the trip!

Giggling. . .

Is just about the cutest sound from my child that I have ever heard! (Okay, really all of her sounds are just about the cutest sounds I've ever heard. I'm not kidding!! We've gotten compliments on her cries! Can you believe that?! Random strangers have told me that her cries sound like a little lamb. . . hmm, I guess that's a compliment!?! Whoa, Melissa! All aboard your lost train of thought!)

So tonight Cora and I were playing Pat-a-Cake (thanks, Katherine for the inspiration), and Cora just lit up like a light. Of course, I got more animated as she got happier. Soon enough, we were having not just random laughs, but belly-shaking giggles! It was so exciting! I hope Cora will show off her new skill when we visit P-Pa, Mema, Pa and Gamma this weekend.

Surprise vistors. . .

Or refugees as it may be. Yesterday, my brother and his family got to come up and visit us to escape the hurricane. They were blessed to not have any damage to their property other than downed tree limbs in the yard, but they are without power, an impossible situation in the Houston heat and humidity. So, we get to have special guests for a few days until their power is restored.

It has been so great having them around. Now there are two more eager sets of hands to hold Cora. And, there is also a very precocious 3-year old to keep us all entertained. Hannah has enjoyed playing with all of my jungle stuffed animals. Uncle John even taught her about the elephants "tucks" (tusks).

Celeste and I decided today to visit the outlet malls. (I don't care that I was just there less than 48 hours ago!) We got to visit my favorite place - Carter's! I feel that I showed remarkable restraint because I did not buy anything though there were plenty of tempting possibilities. However, I could not resist this perfect little bib from Gymboree. I'm going to have to find a cute outfit to wear underneath it for school tomorrow!

I love Carters!

For the second installment of the "I Love" series, I would like to comment on how much I love Carter's pajamas. Thank you Carter's for having the sense to make pajamas with a zipper! I do not have the desire to spend the time it takes to snap up a dozen or more individual snaps! Give me a zipper any day! I also love Carter's because they make said pajamas in premie through 12 mos sizes. Know that my child will have a pair of the ADORABLE pink strawberry pajamas until I can no longer find a size to fit her. If it were up to me, she would go to college with a pair of those footed delights! Wouldn't she be cute tromping around the dorm with those cute little strawberries on the bottom of her footed jammies?! Okay, okay, that may be going slightly overboard, but I will say that for footed pajamas this family votes Carter's all the way!

First Cold

Dr. Mitchell told us at our last check-up that since Cora spends some time in daycare, she will probably start getting a cold now and then. Boy was she right! After three days in daycare, 15 hours total, Cora now has her first cold. She was incredibly fussy last night and slightly feverish. May I say again that I love infant tylenol! It is tiny drops of grape bliss! This morning she woke up snorting like a little guinea pig. So, I got to break out the aspirator/bulb syringe/snot sucker. Let me just say that Cora loves it. . . yeah right! Poor baby makes a face like I've tried to suck out her brains. I guess that is probably what it feels like to her. Then, she gets that tragic look on her face. I can just imagine what she's thinking. . . "Mommy, I love you so! Why do you do this to me?! All I want to do is snuggle with you until I feel better. Why do you insist on torturing me?! Wasn't it enough to force me to endure the horror you call the beach?! Now you shove that monstrosity up my nose and try to remove my brain!" I hope she realizes that she feels a bit better after I finish. If you had told me a year ago that I would get excited about picking some one's nose, I don't know that I would have believed you. However, I have found immense satisfaction in ridding my poor baby of the offending mucous. One day Cora will appreciate it!

Diva in Training

The custodian who took care of kindergarten at my old school was fabulous. I say took care of kindergarten because Blanca is like my school mom! In fact, she's the one who predicted that I was having a girl simply by the size of my derriere! She's also the one who constantly threatened to call John and tattle on me for standing on top of my counters in the classroom when I was pregnant. Blanca did not realize what a stubborn girl she was dealing with! At my baby shower, she gave me this cute pink bouncy chair that Cora has started to enjoy sitting in. The other night, I put her in her chair while I ate dinner. When I looked over at her, she was staring at herself in the mirror (the flower has a mirror on the reverse side) and smiling away. She continued this for a good 10 minutes - a long time for a baby! But, I began to wonder. . .if this is what she likes to do as a baby, what will the teen years be like?!?

Ohh, the irony!

***Hint*** Notice the caption on her onesie!

Am I Crazy?!?

Well, Cora has been sleeping through the night for the past 3 weeks. She goes down for the night at about 11:30 and sleeps until sometime between 6:30 and 7:30. This has been marvelous for my preschool job. I can get her up, dressed and fed so that we can be out the door by 8.

When we left the coast on Friday, John packed up the pack'n'play and pointedly said to me, "Aren't you glad we don't have to get this out again?!" He had been asking me when Cora would move into the nursery, and I just kept putting him off. But, I know he's right. . .I mean, cut the cord, Melissa!! I miss her, though! It was kind of nice having her right there, listening to her "talk" in her sleep, waking up and seeing her slumbering peacefully. Yet, Cora has been sleeping in her own room since Saturday, and we've both survived. I think she's handled it better than me, but I'll get there. After all, she won't be a baby forever!

First Day of School

Well, today was the first day of school for Cora and me. School officially started last week, but I have a fabulous boss who was wonderfully understanding and allowed me to still take our beach vacation. So, can I just say what a difference! This job is opposite in every possible way from my last teaching assignment! I had a really fun day with the kiddos. In fact, it just flew by. However, I did miss my old school and teaching team. So, right after preschool, we snuck over to Cook to visit the students and teachers.

I planned ahead for this school visit and put Cora in an outfit that one of my former students gave to me. Many of you have probably heard my story about praying for patience and finding out that Patience lives in Africa and has immigrated to Texas to be in my class. I'll have to tell the rest of you that story one day. It just proves that God has a sense of humor! Anyway, Patience is in 4th grade now, and her teacher let her out of class a little early so we could visit. She was so excited to see Cora. She held her like a little mommy! It blessed me to see her so happy. Of course, I stole a few hugs from Patience before I left. When I went to see my former team mates in kindergarten, they all seemed like they are doing well. The teacher who took my place has a full class of ESL students many of whom are recent refugees. I can't wait to hear how her year goes and all the fun stories she will have to share.

Cora did great at school from what I understand. She seems to be the youngest in her class by several months, but the teachers said she really enjoyed watching the other kids play. She has adjusted very well to her new schedule. In fact, she is slumbering quite peacefully right now during her designated afternoon nap time. I can't believe how much she has grown and changed in just these few short weeks. It's amazing how fast it goes. . .

Last Bit of Fun at the Beach

When you go to he beach, you have to feed the sea gulls. If you've never done it before, it just takes one piece of bread lanched haphazardly into the air to get a flock circling around you. Cora was mostly interested in the floor of the balcony - she was in sack of potatoes mode. However, Dawson seemed amused by the show.

While in Port A, we got to eat at Charlotte Plummer's - Yum!! (Yes, I was the land-lubber who ordered the chipper chicken!) Aunt Amy and Uncle Josh (but mostly Aunt Amy) had purchased Cora a cute little outfit with a hat. I thought it would be the perfect occasion for Cora to model it. Besides, Mema loves to make hats for her grandbabies. I'll start conditioning Cora now!! (I am biased, but I think she looks ADORABLE!)

You can see Dawson in the background of the picture. He would always get so concerned when Cora would cry. That will come in handy when his new baby sister or brother joins the family in March!

True to his Kemp bloodlines, Dawson is also very musical. He really loved when Grandpa played the guitar and sang. He even helped play some of the songs . . .

Dawson would clap and do that cute little baby bounce to the music. I'm proud to say that I taught him some dance moves. He would stand and hold my hands, and I would help him "shake his booty." He would smile and laugh and dance to the beat.

Over all, I can say we had a great time!

Be Careful What You Wish For. . .

After having wrestled our belongings from the sea, I silently hoped for a bit of a calmer surf for the rest of the vacation. Boy, did God answer our prayers!! Look at these pictures of what we dubbed "the lake."

It's too bad that this was the day we decided to take out the boogie boards! Try catching a wave out there! Here is the same view from the condo on Monday with the huge waves.

Fun at the Beach!? Amended

I thought I should include these picture in the blog. I was feeling like a bad mom having abandoned her in my dream and posted pictures of her screaming at the beach! I promise that she did enjoy the beach for a short time. The bottom picture is immediately before the picture of her screaming. About 5 seconds from this picture, a giant wave comes and surprises both of us. We've decided not to torture her further in order to simply to amuse ourselves. She has not had to endure the beach any more. Rather, we've let her lounge around and sun bathe. She seems to quite enjoy the heat of the sun. . .another striking similarity to Penny! I hope that one day she'll be more like her sweet cousin Dawson who took to the beach like a champ. He was so much fun to watch as he crawled and splashed around. Maybe next year?!?