Parties! Presents! and PawPaws! Oh my!

We have certainly had a Merry Christmas this year.  Cora is at a very fun age and has been able to really enjoy some aspects of Christmas.  She's attended several parties, one of which being the youth party held at our house.  This one was especially fun for her as Daddy's white elephant prize was a "kitty kitty" that she went crazy over. (Daddy, not so much, but noone would steal it from him after they saw how much Cora loved it.)  Cheeseballs--cheetoh's type--were also a new thing for her at the party and her body was a little orange for a few days afterward, proving how much she loved them. 

 

Presents--an entirely new experience this year.  Last year, Cora wasn't even sitting up yet at Christmas and seemed to be in a daze from staring at the Christmas tree lights.  This year, she was crazy about presents and was pretty good about keeping her fingers off the tree.  I know, it was an amazing accomplishment on our part!  HA!  Gift bags seemed to be easier for her to tear into--pulling tissue paper out and throwing it over her shoulder seemed to be a very fun game.  Who cares what was underneath it all?  She was also able to rip paper off some packages if someone started it for her.  And the look on her face and "Oooohhhs"  that accompanied her new discoveries were priceless.  Favorite present for Cora?  I would guess her bounce and spin Zebra.  Its also one of my faves to watch her play on. 

 

Finally, Cora spent plenty of time playing with both her PawPaws --PawPaw Brown and Grandpa Meadors.  Christmas Eve and Day were spent visiting the Brown side of the family, eating lots of good food and watching Cora play with new presents and try on new dresses.  I have a feeling she doesn't want to be a model--she wasn't too fond of her wardrobe changes.  My folks and brother came down on Wednesday and stayed til Saturday.  More games with Cora, way too many more presents from people who we rarely get to see but love to spoil our Cora, and more good food. 

It certainly has been a wonderful Christmas.  Here's looking to a Happy New Year!

Mrs.Brown is at the liquor store and her van blew up!

That was word around school the day of our fire. A school bus had passed and Geron motioned them down to relay word to the school that we were stranded. We were parked in a liquor store parking lot which was located at a VERY VERY busy intersection. Lots of children had seen us out in the cold as they rode to school that morning. In fact, that's how my good friend, Laurie, received word of our accident. A student had told her that I was at the liquor store and my van had blown up.

Meanwhile, a good samaritan had driven up in a large SUV, and allowed Cora and I to wait in its warm cab while he remained outside talking to Geron. He'd offered to take us anywhere we needed to go, but I knew my in-laws were on the way, so we decided to wait. And, he let us stay in the vehicle as long as we needed. Within minutes, Laurie showed up and parked her car in front of the store, not in a space--but keep in mind, neither were the van, SUV, FIRE ENGINE, nor my in-laws' van (they'd shown up just after Laurie) parked in one. As Laurie loaded Cora and I into her car, the owner of the liqour store whose lot we occupied came out and asked Laurie to repark her car properly in a space. She was going to hurt his buisness. I don't know what kind of buisness he thought he'd get with the van-shaped inferno and FIRE TRUCK in his lot, but Laurie's small car was certainly going to cost him some sales--GIVE ME A BREAK!

Anyway, we are thankful for God's protection and provision in this time. I am certainly thankful for the good soul who offered us a warm place to wait from the cold, for my friend Laurie who showed up right away and took Cora and me home. For my in-laws who have helped us numerous times and waited with Geron for the tow truck that day, For the children at school who gave me such huge hugs on Friday when I returned to work, telling me they were so glad I was okay. And for my young, hispanic, second grade friend who said "I'm glad you were able to get your baby's things out of the van. That would have cost you a lot of money to have to buy new stuff." I couldn't believe such a young mind understood a problem such as that. Church family who said they were so thankful we were all safe and noone was hurt--friends even willing to loan us their vehicle until we can find another. None of this is about people being nice. GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO US. He uses those who are willing to bring about his good work. And for this I am thankful.

toast

yesterday in the middle of our morning drive the van started smoking...

i pulled over and turned the motor off and it got worse...

i realized sometime shortly later that our van was on fire...

we all got out ok and are fine...

but the van is bad...real bad....it's toast


here's the pics

Geepers' Peepers

We were visiting some good friends and their new baby in the hospital. I think this look says "I hope you don't get one of those fussy things at our house, mom and dad." (You don't have to worry about that happening any time soon, Cora.)

A Rose by any other name would be especially cute if Cora said it...

Forgive the long time between blogging, but having a toddler keeps us much busier than an infant. Cora is practically running these days and into everything and the Christmas tree isn't up yet, so... We're having lots of fun, though, especially now that she is talking more. Lots of jibberjabbering going on here, but everynow and then we hear something that sounds like a real word. There are the obvious: byebye, hey, Dada, PawPaw. Lately, she's been surprising us with some especially cute things. She has decided to call dogs "BayBay" after Bailey, the dog at the sitter's. Sometimes she'll say "Puppa" for puppy, too. She's very fond of "Kikis" or "key kahs" which are kittycats. (Have to get over that one, because a cat we will never have. ) "Baws"(balls) are some of her favorite toys. And, she also enjoys calling her "YaYa", "Gawdy"(granny, as of this morning), Annie and Nanny on the phone to say "Hey!" and "ByeBye!" Recently, the princess changed the queen mum's name and began calling me "Bob". Now, we're getting a more recognizable "Mom-mom". (Thank the Lord!)

We've been working with Cora on calling people by their names. We'll point at ourselves and say "Mommy" or "Daddy" and try to get her to say it. Then, we'll point at her and say "Cora" in hopes she'll say her own name. This morning at breakfast, she showed us some things she'd learned. I started the routine

"Cora, say 'Dada'."

"Dahdah".

"Goood! Say "Mommy".

"Momm mom".

"Goood! Say PawPaw"

"Pahpah".

"Oh, you're so smart! Say Granny."

"Gaw duh".

"Yesss. Say Cora."

She pointed at her chest and said "Cuh duh".

"Good girl!! Say Cora."

She pointed at her nose and said "Cuh duh". She's getting to be such a big girl!!!

We're so proud of you, Cuh duh!

lil' wildcat

Cora's long battle with ear infections will hopefully be vanquished tomorrow. She is gonna have tubes put in her ears. We are a little nervous, but feel this is really the right thing to do.

We spent some time in KY this past weekend with our buddies jeff, holly, and brian. Cora enjoyed chasing sparks the cat around. Sparks didn't particularly enjoy it however.

We picked up a new outfit while we were in the promised land. She wore it today when we went to the doctor. One of the docs is from frankfort and he got a big kick out seeing Cora decked out in her cats gear.

here's a pic

Ham--no, not the food

I see Geron in Cora more and more everyday, specifically this past Sunday.  Some may disagree, but I believe most would say we had a miniature Geron strutting her stuff at our cantata rehearsal Sunday afternoon.  Our regular nursery worker had an emergency, so Cora joined us in the sanctuary for our Christmas cantata rehearsal.  She visited soprano after soprano after alto after alto for the first part of practice.  Then, some innocent bystanders(people waiting on family members who were in the choir) watched her for us.  At some point, Cora escaped their laps and made her way up onto the stage, behind her daddy who was directing.  She walked back and forth across the stage, stopping every once in a while to make faces at different choir members.  Classic moment of the evening--a soft durge suddenly sprang into a bright, lively tempo.  Immediately Cora threw her hands over her ears and stared at everybody. She looked up and saw Geron directing (waving his hands, as far as she was concerned) and started waving both hands as if to the direct the choir as well.  We all cracked up.  At the end of one of the pieces, Geron asked me to go to the keyboard to run parts and saw Cora going there as well and quipped "Cora, will you go to the keyboard?"  I was afraid she was going to try to help me play parts, too, but she was good and walked away.  I think my favorite thing she did that night was during a rhythmic exercise with the men's sections.  Geron said "The-Love-of-God" and Cora repeated loudly "Uh-guh-buh-Dah!"  SHe hasn't quite gotten the consonants down, but her vowel sounds and rhythm matched his perfectly!  We knew before she was born that she loved music.  And now we know she loves to mimic her Daddy, too.  (PRAY FOR ME)

Who is this little girl? And what have you done with our baby?

New Discovery

 

Oh what is this bump on the front of my face? 

Its smells yummy things for which I say Grace.

Mommy says its called a nose. 

Its round and on bottom it has two holes. 

I find a surprise in one of the holes. 

I taste it, its yummy

But daddy says "Gross!"

I like this new thing mommy calls my "nose".

My fingers fit in it.  Now how about my toes?

 

(Any resemblence to the book entitled The Holes In My Nose" is strictly coincidental.

Any resemblence to Cora is strictly intentional.)

Update

Cora got her twelve month--almost 13 month--shots today. Everyone in her doctor's office seems to be crazy about her.  I just assumed they went gaga over all their patients, but the nurse told me today that they actually have some favorites and Cora is one of them. Sweet!  Cora showed off her latest trick today--walking. Everyone cheered for her and she seemed to be pretty proud of herself.  She weighed in at a whopping 25lbs and 4oz and is still 29 inches long. Her nurse said she'll probably start losing some weight now--which means bye-bye cute little pot-belly and roly poly legs.  I hope she keeps her chubby cheeks for awhile.  As for her shots, she took'em like a pro.  Well, she cried about a minute, maybe, but dried up pretty quick and started cutting shines, as my dad would say.  She now has pink eye, too, which came from the same virus that caused her rash and fever earlier in the week.  Doc gave us some drops for her eyes, though, so hopefully it will clear up pretty quickly.  While I don't want to see her doctors and nurses as often as we have been, I really do love them.  They are so good to ALL of us. 

good times

sorry for leaving you hanging there.  For those who asked--we answer "yes, we're feeling better."  For those who prayed,  THANK YOU so much.  My left eye seems to have cleared up and my right eye is almost there.  I've probably got one more day to endure.  Geron seems to be doing well and didn't get the eye crud afterall.  Cora acts like she feels fine, but she has a rash all over her little body.  WHAT ARE WE DOING WRONG HERE?  She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow to get her 12 month immunizations, but I don't know if thats going to happen or not with this rash.  This will be the second time we've missed getting them if they decide not to do it.  Her last appointment for the shots was scheduled the week she ended up in the hospital with the kidney infection. 

 

Good times, though.  We went to a birthday party tonight and everyone had a good time.  Our new pastor's daughter turned 11 today.  We LOVE her!  She's really good with Cora and has such an encouraging heart.  Sweet girl.  Cora had fun.  They have 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys and Cora is crazy about all of them.  Matthew, who's 7, is the coolest in her eyes.  There's just something about a boy with dimples that makes her heart go pitter patter.  ha! 

 

Cute moment of the day:  Cora tried to walk on hardwood floor in socks.  She did the splits.  (Our daughter's a gymnast, who knew?) Yes, she's okay.

an apple a day PLUS 3 bags vitamin C drops, 6 ibuprofen, 2 bottles pedialyte, etc...

Around our house, we like to play a game called "Who's turn is it to be sick?"  This week, everyone wins!!  Cora had been the running champ for awhile with the kidney infection and then ear infections, and we finally got fed up with it.  This past week, my eye started bothering me and I summed it up to allergies.  Yesterday, however, the whole left side of my head began to hurt.  After a lumberjack's night of sleep, I decided to stay home from work and call doc.  "Congratulations" said Doc.  "You have conjunctivitis(pink eye) and your tonsils are swollen."  So, I went back home and slept the rest of the day away.  (z pak and drops were on their way) 

Meanwhile at GCN...
Geron had taken me to the doctor's office, back home, and went back to work.  As he sat in his air-conditioned office, he began to burn up and break out in a sweat.  Walking down the stairs to go home, he began to feel weak in the knees.  He debated going to pick Cora up himself, but did so anyway.  When he returned home, he fell asleep and hasn't awoken since.  I hope he's not waiting for a kiss since we're both contagious. 

 

And to top it all off,  Cora decided she would run a fever and have her belly covered in a rash. 

No news as to what the other two family members are suffering from as of yet, but I'm sure Cora has won once again. 

Walkin'

It finally really happened today, It's like someon flipped a switch or something

Steppin'

FINALLY!  Last night, Cora took her first steps.  Just two, but two steps with no hands.  Then she sat down.  Little booger.  She really doesn't need to hold onto anything or anyone anymore for support, but she THINKS she does.  I'm predicting by the end of this month she'll be walking on her own.  Maybe not as fast as she's crawling right now(roadrunner, I tell you) but walking on her own.  I'm pumped about this new phase!

Sleepless in Chattanooga

Our family has been participating in something called a "Sleep Fast".  Its where you give up sleeping for 3 nights straight and see how many times you can get up and down out of the bed in one evening.  Of course, the whole idea was Cora's.  Except she gets to stay in her bed, if thats what she wants.  About every hour or so, she spits her pacifier out and cries until someone walks in her room and gives her paci back or changes her diaper or picks her up and rocks her or...You get the picture.  Geron and I haven't been doing so hot, needless to say.  And apparently Cora hasn't been either. 

 

When one fasts from sleep one begins to wonder WHY one is fasting from sleep.  They look for signs.  Usually the person who has come up with the idea to fast from sleep is the one showing said signs.  So, we looked to Cora.  This morning, she gave us some very definite signs.  Sign one:  I sat her in the high chair and she threw up what looked like banana pudding BEFORE i could even feed her breakfast.  Sign two:  she threw up apple juice in the van on the way to the sitter's.  So, we went back home.  Sign three: she slept ALL DAY--woke for maybe half an hour, had one poopy diaper and one peepee diaper all day long.  Sign four:  fever.  So, we finally went to the doctor's office this afternoon.  To sum it all up, the reason we've been fasting from sleep is because Cora has two ear infections. 

We're now on meds, well Cora is, but that means we are getting our sleeping pills finally! HA!  Hopefully tonight our fast will be over and perhaps things will start to be back to normal tomorrow.  Please pray for our little girl. 

Baby Sign Language

Experts encourage parents to use simple sign language with their babies as a way to communicate until they learn to SAY real words.  I think its a great idea.  I even have Baby Sign Language for Dummies, or whatever its called.  But, I don't use it.  I'm sure its been successful for many parents and I tried to start with Cora, but just didn't get into it.  I wasn't committed, I confess.  I learned the sign for "More" to use with her as she ate, but having to put the spoon down every time I needed to say "more" became rather frustrating for me AND for Cora.  That girl eats FAST!  My mom tried to use that sign with Cora once after we'd long given up on using it.  We quickly developed a running joke that the sign for "more" actually meant "Granny" in our house. 

 

Cora's been a happy baby without sign language and has been able to communicate her needs by routine.  I would say that I never set a routine for her, but learned to go by her cues.  Her cries were very distinct from early on.  If she was hungry, we'd get a kind of "laaa laaa" sound.  If she was in pain, her cry was piercing.  And if she were wet or dirty, we could tell by the smell. (Ha!)  Her 'schedule' for her meals and naps became predictable.  She'd wake up and want to eat first, play for two hours, have a snack bottle, take a nap, eat lunch, take a nap, have a snack, play a few hours, eat supper, play a few hours, have a bedtime bottle and go to sleep, all about the same time every day. 

 

Now, Cora is able to give us more definite signs of her needs, and my favorite is her "I'm sleepy" sign.  Around 9 / 9:15 she starts to rub her eyes and cry for a cup.  I give her milk and hold her as she drinks it.  Then, she looks around for her paci.  I give it to her and she pops it in her mouth.  She tries to lay down and snuggle in my arms, but can't seem to get comfortable, so I sit her on the floor.  If she goes after a toy, then she's not quite ready for bed--this is obviously not the part I would call my favorite.  What I LOVE is when she finishes the cup, I sit her on the floor, and she lays down on her belly with her bottom up in the air and her legs pulled up underneath her.  This says "I'm sleepy, Mommy.  Please take me to bed."  I pick her up, we go to her room, and turn off all the lights.  I turn her lullabies on and push the ocean sounds button on her alarm clock.  We snuggle just a few moments and I lay her in her crib.  She falls asleep almost instantly as I pray over her.   I turn on her humidifier before leaving the room.  The whole routine takes about 5 minutes.  By the time I walk out and close her door, she's sound asleep.  Sometimes I linger just to watch her sleep. She is so precious. 

 

So, its not that actual sign language didn't work for us.  We just weren't committed to seeing it through.  Cora is a happy and sweet little girl who understands our commands and is learning to obey pretty well.  Her giggles, waves, cries, and laying down in the middle of the floor communicate to us what she needs.  And we are more than happy to give her all the GOOD things she desires! 

A Grand Baby

Celebrating!

A year ago this Thursday, God delivered to us our beautiful daughter, Cora.  As we anticipate the beginning of her second year, we give thanks to God for Cora and his faithfulness to her and to us.  The Lord has brought miraculous healing to Cora's little body.  We thank Him for healing her RSV, hip dysplasia, bronchiolitis, numerous ear infections, and most recently, pneumonia and kidney infection.  We thank Him that she has achieved the common baby milestones:  rolling over, crawling, saying "Mama" and "Dada" and waving bye bye.  We anticipate her first steps any day now.  And eagerly await her first piano recital when she will play a Beethoven Sonata (HA!)  Cora has brought much sunshine into our lives and we thank the Lord for entrusting her to us.  Happy Birthday, Cora!  We love you so much! 

Walking ???

Cora is ALMOST 1 year old and ALMOST walking.  I guess it was Sunday when she performed her newest trick--walking while holding just one hand.  I hadn't even seen her "cruise" yet, and here she was, holding my hand, walking down the hall, through the living room like she was a big girl ready to go do her own thing.  I won't be surprised if she's walking alone by her first birthday.  I'm loving this stage because she understands that we are delighted in her and responds to our encouragement.  BUT, she IS growing up too fast!!  What a darling daughter, though.  Thank you, Jesus, for our precious little girl!

Uh-bye

I love her!  I love her!  I love her!  My baby girl tickles me pink!  Lately, we've been working with Cora on waving and saying bye-bye.  She is finally getting it, although, she chooses to say it under her circumstances and not ours.  For instance, this morning at breakfast, she popped her hand up in the air, waved like a princess and said "Uh-bye  Uh-bye".  When I left for work, I waved and said "Bye bye" to her.  Did she respond in kind?  No, just looked at me as if to say "These blocks are fun, mom.  Do you want to build with me?"  As Geron drove her to TonTon's house, she waved in the van--at noone--and said "Uh-bye Uh-bye  Uh-bye"  to noone in particular but her daddy.  When Geron dropped her off at TonTon's, did Cora wave to him?  Probably not, but I imagine 2-year-old Lucy blew him a kiss.  When I picked her up from TonTon's did she wave then?  No, just gave the look that said "My mommy's here.  I like my mommy.  I wonder what's for dinner."  But today, when we went to the grocery store, she waved at Miss Charlotte, a friendly cashier who we barely know from Adam.  She grinned and waved and said "Uh bye" soooo sweetly.  What the???

Why do babies wave bye-bye to strangers but look at their parents like they're retarded when asked to wave to PawPaw or Granny?  Please explain.

UP! UP! UP!

When you're preparing for parenthood, people often tell you to enjoy the baby years 'they grow up so fast'. They tell you what you'll need for the nursery, sometimes what you WON'T need..Start buying diapers now...Start saving for college now...They tell you when to expect certain milestones to occur---walking, crawling, saying Mama and Dada...BUT noone can even give you an inkling of how to expect to FEEL when your child starts doing those things.

Sunday afternoon, Cora went home with a family from church and came back spoiled :) with new toys, but also with a new trick. One of the toys the family purchased for her was kind of like a baby lawnmower. Samantha put Cora down at the door to the sanctuary (right after church) with the toy and Cora came WALKING in at high speed!!! Yes, she was holding on to the toy, but this was a major fete for her! I wanted to jump up and down, to laugh, to cry---I was in awe of the moment--my BABY was evolving into a Little girl. In the nursery that evening, Samantha also showed me how Cora could now maneuver the riding toys. How did we miss this?? We've worked with her on these things at home, but on Sunday, something just clicked.

Today, I am again amazed at my 'little girl'. If you've ever read to a little one, then you know you have to be really animated to keep their attention or they will start chewing the book and trying to wiggle out of your lap.

So, we were reading a story about Easter and came to the part of God taking Jesus up into Heaven. And the words were something like "God took Jesus up, up, up!" and as I read them I pointed up a little higher each time for emphasis. Cora seemed to like how I'd said them, so I did it again, and then continued reading. The next thing I know, Cora is pointing her little hand up in the air saying "uhpuh! uhpuh! Uh puh! " I wasn't able to read for a little bit after that because my eyes were blurry and we were laughing and saying "Uh puh!"

Like those who tried to prepare me, I, too, will fail at describing to you the joy you will feel watching your child grow and express themselves. All I can say is it is AMAZING and gets better and better every day. And, yes, I have to go back to school this week. Lets not even discuss it.

Vacationing in Gatlinburg

Good Hair

 

How'd she get up there?

While we were on vacation, we stayed in a place with an open stairway.  Everyone was concerned that we'd need a gate to keep Cora from trying to climb the stairs.  However, she attempted and couldn't figure it out, so we didn't worry about the gate. 

 

Since we've been back, we haven't worried about stairs because ours are behind closed doors, which can also be locked. 

 

The stairs at church are another story and haven't been a concern--til today.  On Sunday, Geron worked with Cora on climbing the stairs.  She wasn't able to do it by herself, but they worked on it for awhile.  Today, while waiting for Geron to go to lunch, Cora and I sat at the bottom of the stairs to the office.  She crawled over to them and pulled herself up.  She grabbed a hold of the third step and used it to pull herself up to the next step.  Before I knew it, she was climbing, by herself.  She only made it two steps and I was right behind her, in case she should fall.  Those steps were hardwood.  The stairs about ten feet away, going up to the choir loft, are carpeted.  So, I took her over to them to let her try them out.  She climbed all 5 right into the sanctuary!  Looks like there's no taking your eyes off her for even a second anymore. 

If I'm bald the next time you see me, now you'll understand why. 

Aren't they cute?

I love this picture! I took it right when we came back from camp, so you can still see Cora's "major" booboo on her nose from where she fell off the bed.

Where did she find that brown pool toy?

I guess there's a first time for everything when you have children.  SOME of those firsts sure would be nice to avoid, but you can't pick and chose, so I guess we get to experience them ALL.  Like today's--Cora's first poopie in the pool.  Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as the title.  It stayed in her little swimmer.  But what a mess to clean up!!! 

 

Word of advice:  If you're going to feed your baby prunes for breakfast, don't take her swimming until the prunes have resurfaced.

 

 

 

(Mom, she loves her ducky pool.  Thanks!)

home alone

Ahhhh...a quiet house...baby's with grandparents...husband's working...me-home alone with an almost clean house...time to read...veg out in front of the t.v....check email...blog...take a nap...play the piano...

 

I'M LONELY.

 

 

Gone to her head...

I definitely think everyone telling Cora how beautiful she is has finally gone to her head. Today, she and I had to make a trip to Wally World for some needed items. She'd turned herself sideways in the cart seat so that she could look all around as we shopped. Driving the cart down the middle aisle, I caught her doing the princess wave whether people were looking at her or not. I'm thinking she was practicing for a parade. Lord, help us!

Doggone Crazy!

Cora is crazy about dogs!!  We don't have one, yet.  We'll have to move before we can have one, but in the meantime, Cora is enjoying other people's dogs.  She's basically growing up with her sitter's dog, Bailey.  Bailey is some type of spaniel, I guess maybe Cocker.  She's a beautiful black and white dog and as sweet as can be.  Bailey is around kids every day so she's used to their shenanigans.  When Cora first started going to TonTon's (sitter) she and Bailey developed a very close bond.  Bailey would lay on the bed in the room where Cora napped and wouldn't get up until Cora got up from nap.  Sometimes Bailey would lay her head on Cora while Cora napped.  They're crazy about each other!  Cora, I'm sure, is missing her good pal Bailey this summer. 

 

Another good doggy friend of Cora's is Sugarbear, her YaYa and PawPaw's dog.  Sugarbear is an American Sharpei, you know, a wrinkle dog.  At first I was worried that Sugarbear would be rough with Cora and bite her--she can be a pretty wild dog sometimes--but Sugarbear was and is actually very gently with our girl.  In fact, if Cora is crying, Sugarbear will go to her people and try to get them to check on Cora and make sure she's okay.  Sugarbear knows Cora as "The Baby".  PawPaw can say "Sugarbear, where's the baby?" and Sugarbear will go right to Cora. 

 

Molly is Cora's newest doggy friend.  Molly is a german shepherd mix belonging to Becky andTom, friends of ours from church.  Whenever we go to Becky's, Molly always greets us, tail wagging.  Cora tries to talk to Molly.  She'll yell at her and bounce up and down trying to get at her.  We put her down on the ground and let Molly come over to her.  Molly is always very good with Cora, even when Cora yanks a handful of her fur. 

 

Lots of kids, especially little kids, tend to be afraid of dogs.  They panic if a dog comes near them, even if its a tiny little chahuahua, and if it barks at them, well that means the dog is about to eat them for sure!  Our Cora is not at all this way.  Be it Rottweiler, Great Dane, Old English Sheep Dog, --if it has four legs and barks, no matter how loud, it means our Cora has a friend for life. 

ESPN Baby-style

Cora proved herself quite the athlete at camp this past week.  She could compete in track, hotdog eating contests, swimming and even, diving. 

 

Lets start with track...Cora is really crawling now.  She almost hops--Leapfrog, anyone?  She's developing her skill and will be ready to compete in baby hurdles next summer, I'm sure. 

 

Second, hotdog eating contests.  While Cora didn't have an actual hotdog this past week, she did do a lot of eating.  And with TWO teeth coming in now, she's ready for some real food to break'em in on.  So far her favorites are pickles and lemons, and new today, pineapple.  She tried some potroast, but couldn't get it broken down enough to swallow.  (Let me tell you, when you think your baby is chewing potroast really well and five minutes later, you see it wadded up in between her cheeks and gums, its NASTY!)

 

Swimming Cora has down to a T.  She is ready for the Medley relay!! She loves loves LOVES swimming!! Going under water is no big deal at all for her.  She can tell when she's about to go under--its really cute.  She squints her eyes and closes her mouth, so great.  She also enjoyed the waterslide at the pool which we went down twice. 

 

Finally, diving--No, she didn't go off the diving board.  She didn't even dive in the pool.  Did you know diving is actually a bedroom sport?  It involves a high bed and a stupid mommy.  I put her down on the bed, too close to the edge, just for a second so that I could pick something up.  As soon as I go to pick her back up, she's diving face first off the bed onto the carpeted floor.  I'm talking a three foot diving bed, here.  She hit nose first and flipped over.  Thankfully, she was not injured except for a carpet burn from forehead to tip of nose.  She and I both cried for about 5 minutes and then calmed down.  We won't be participating in any diving for the rest of the summer, though.  Well, I might, off a diving board, but Cora certainly won't. 

 

For now, the only sport we'll be participating in today will be a sleep marathon.  Good night!

There's something in my mouth and its really sharp

Its official! A tooth is on its way in!  So far we can only see a tiny little hole in her bottom gum, but she is definitely teething.  Cora is not too fussy, a little bit more temperamental than usual, but overall still a fun girl who happens to be slobbering liters at a time now.  Currently, there is nothing of picture-quality, but we may post a pic next week when something more substantial comes through.  In the meantime, if you should happen to wake up in the middle of the night, pray for us.

And so it begins...

What begins, you might ask?  Several things, actually.  I think teeth are finally on their way into the part of the world known as Cora's mouth.  I've been saying this for a couple of weeks now--other people have been saying it for MONTHS--but with the day we've had, I think they REALLY are starting to come through.  Cora has been so fussy today and I've chalked it up to teething.  If its not that, then its a sore throat from the cough she's had the last couple of nights.  But I'm hoping its the other.  If a tooth does come through, you'll definitely know right away.  I'm sure we'll post a pic!

 

I mentioned the cough which leads to one of Cora's "beginnings".  We took her to the doctor for the cough yesterday, and while we were there, she showed her first sign of waving bye-bye.  The nurse waved "byebye" as she was walking out, and Cora raised her arm just a little and moved her fingers just a tiny bit--a wave.  We had just told the nurse that she probably wouldn't wave because she hadn't been doing it yet.  But she did and the nurse said it gave her warm fuzzies.  Geron also tried to get her to say "Byebye" and she said it very clearly.  No one was around for that one but us. 

 

Other things beginning to finally take root in Cora's life--crawling, REAL crawling.  For a few months she's been scooting backwards, and getting faster and faster at it.  And lately, she's been doing what I believe is called the Monkey crawl.  It involves pulling yourself around with your arms and one leg, while the other stays in a sitting position.  But she's finally beginning to get the knack of this going forward business.  And she's so ready for it!  Today, I sat her down on the kitchen floor and turned my back to fix her cup.  When I turned around, she was up on all fours, hands and FEET, that is, ready to go.  She stayed in that position for almost a minute, seemed like 10, and then sat down.  I think she realized she'd accomplished a great feat and threw her arms up in victory and grinned.  She may just skip this crawling buisness and just take off walking.  I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. 

 

Speaking of walking, Cora is showing some signs she's ready to go.  She'll stand with support for a minute or so and then let go and balance herself for several seconds, nothing touching her to keep her up.  Usually, when she does this and she starts to lose her balance, she'll lean down and put her hands on the ground and then sit.  She so desperately wants to be on the move.  Her favorite thing that she's dying to get into right now is the cabinet at the bottom of the entertainment center.  I wonder if when she opens that door, she thinks to herself "Is this how I get to Narnia...If I could just crawl in and shut the door, I'm sure I could find Aslan and Lucy and all those other interesting people.  Darn it! Why can't I crawl?" or maybe she's thinking "door. crawl. sit. dark. hide. no mommy. Whew, I needed a break from that crazy lady!" 

Finally, the girl is doing a lot of talking.  Most of it I haven't deciphered yet.  BUT the words "Dada" and "Mama" have finally come out of her mouth and they are music to my ears!!  She often says what seem to be sentences and mentions things in those sentences about Dada.  I hope she's saying nice things.  Mama is usually used when she's frustrated about something.  Its probably not "mama" in the sense of "mommy" yet, or maybe it is and she's just trying to tell me what's bothering her at the moment.  Whatever the case, sure sounds good. 

 

And so it begins...our baby is turning into an individual whose ready to tackle the world and all its challenges.  Tonight, I was thinking, Lord, please let her teeth come in quickly.  And then I thought, after reading this post, No, Lord, its okay if they come in slowly.  I can handle the whining without words.  I'll pray a prayer for time to fly when we hit the pubescent years. 

How Cora is like Ralphie

Most of you who know me from way back when know that Ralphie was my pet lop-eared rabbit.  He went on to bunny heaven during my third year of college.

 

And now, how Cora and Ralphie are alike.

 

• They both love to jump--Cora more specifically in a johnny jumper or while being held on someone's knee. She hasn't mastered the "jump as high as you can in the  air, twitch your whole body and then hop on down the hall" trick yet.  It has a degree of difficulty of 9.6. 

 

• They poop anywhere they please.  Although we haven't found any "Cora bean-bean" behind the recliner yet.  MOST of it stays in her diaper.

 

• They don't want to sit in your lap too long.  While Ralphie preferred laying beside you on the couch, Cora prefers jumping up and down on your legs for a few minutes and then being put down on the floor to go wherever she pleases.  Watch out! She's on the move!

 

• They love the outdoors.  If we'd taken Ralphie outside for just a minute and let him hop wherever he pleased he'd be gone!  I learned later, from Holly, that I could have put him on a leash and he would've done well.  Cora's not quite as fast as Ralphie was, yet, but I will probably have to put her on a leash in a couple of months.

 

• They both love carrots.  Cora's are still mashed, of course.  I can't compare the two in the teeth department yet as Cora has NONE.  I'm sure it won't be long, though, before I walk into the kitchen, see the refridgerator door open and find Cora behind it, gnawing on a carrot from the bottom shelf.  Ralphie loved this treat!

 

• They both have cages...Cora's is called a "Pack and Play".  Unlike Ralphie, though, she enjoys being in her "cage".  Ralphie only stayed in his at night.  Thus, the bean bean behind dad's chair. 

 

• They both enjoy eating the binding off books.  I know people say board books are good for kids while they're teething, but are they actually meant to be consumed?  Ralphie, on the other hand, had much finer tastes as he preferred to eat certain movements of my piano music that was left on the floor.  Now that Cora is crawling, I keep music in the bench, in a file cabinet, and anywhere else she can't get into, yet.

 

• They both have cute ears.  Cora's aren't floppy.

 

YES, I KNOW CORA IS A BABY AND NOT A BUNNY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lasagna Night

Hooray for Dada!

Actually, Hooray for Cora SAYING "Dada!"  For the last couple of days Cora has been jabbering a lot of different things, in Babese of course.  And from time to time she'd say something that sounded almost like "Dada", but we weren't quite sure.  And she wouldn't dare repeat herself.  But today, as we traveled home from picking YaYa up at the airport, and mommy dozed (Little turkey just had to wait til mom was asleep), she said it.  "Dada! Dada! Dada!" Later, when I was awake, she did it again and it was one of the cutest sounds I'd ever heard.  She even says it differently then her other "words".  Its high pitched and absolutely adorable!  Just in time for Father's Day, too.   So, Hooray for Dada!  But don't think I don't know she's saving the 'best' (MAMA) for last! HA!

Best friend?

One of Cora's favorite places in the house is the door to her friend's room.  After I finish changing her, she likes me to carry her over to her "friend's" room so she can play with her friend and her mommy(who looks just like me).  She grins from ear to ear when she sees her friend and her friend's mommy.  She tries to give her friend a kiss but there's always a barrier between them.  She'll laugh and grin at her friend and her friend's mommy for the longest time.  She'll carry on a conversation with her friend and they'll both laugh at the funny things they share with each other. And then she'll try to give her more kisses, but again, the barrier is always there.  The other day she tried to pull the barrier down and look behind it to see where her friend and her friend's mommy were.  She can't understand why they won't come in her room and play with her.  I realize I'm being corny, but this seems to be Cora's point of view.

 

Cora absolutely loves to look at herself in the mirror.  The first time I ever held her in front of it to really study herself, she cackled and cackled.  And ever since then, she loves to visit the baby in the mirror.  She truly looks for her when we go in her room.  I must confess, it is one of my favorite games to play with her, too.  I'm cherishing this game because I'm afraid of the day she'll stand in front of the mirror and say "Mom, this looks awful.  I don't like the way my hair looks.  I hate my nose, etc."  Even as I see that in words, I am beginning to pray that she will see herself as God sees her--his beautiful child whom He loves and values.  Perhaps then there won't be a day like the one above.  For now, I'm enjoying every minute of my little girl's life.  Excuse me while we go play with our friends in the mirror some more.

Cajun Crawtator

Its official--Cora's Cajun!  Well, half anyway. The three of us along with Geron's parents headed down south right after the morning service last Sunday.  Cora's first trip to meet her Mimi Brown, last of her living great grandparents, was 12 hours long.  She was a trooper! When we got to Uncle Duke and Aunt Judy's in Lake Charles, LA, she was sound asleep, or so we thought.  She woke up briefly to greet Jenn, Joni and Judy.  (I guess she wanted to make sure everyone noticed she'd arrived.) 

 

Cora had tons of opportunities to experience the fine cuisine of Lake Charles.  Firsts for her--that are neccessary if you're going to spend time in Lake Charles, LA, were bites of: 

                    1. Meatball Poboy (like a sub sandwich) at Tony's

                    2.  Whole peas and garlic bread at Aunt Judy's (part of a meal that also included beef brisket, baked beans and potato salad)

                    3.  Burrito and spanish rice at Casa Manana

                    4.  Roll at Pat's of Henderson (Great seafood and steak restaurant)

                    5.  BOUDIN from Hackett's  (boudin is a combination of rice, sausage or seafood, and spices in sausage casings)

We didn't give her any seafood this time--I think its still a little too early--but she'll be having her share of crawfish ettoufee soon enough, I'm sure.

   

Our "shah baby" (cute baby) was spoiled rotten by the Quinton Brown's, the Jonathan Brown's, the Jonathan Brown in-laws (who were down from Indianapolis), PawPaw and YaYa Brown, MiMi and anyone else who could get their hands on her.  She especially enjoyed attempting to play with Jonathan's miniature schnouser puppy, Jasmine Claire, who was quite afraid of Cora.  Wednesday night after church, Jonathan brought Jasmine over.  We'd heard a lot about her and how hyper she is, so people were kind of concerned how she would be around Cora.  When they arrived, Jasmine came bounding into the living room wagging her tail at everyone, making her rounds and then she spied Cora.  Of course, Miss Co was especially excited about seeing a dog and started bouncing up and down trying to get at her.  Jasmine GROWLED at Cora.  She barked and barked and would come close and back off when Cora tried to grab her.  It was hilarious to watch.  Eventually, Geron and Jonathan were able to tame their "babies" and introduce them to each other.  After that they were friends, or "cousins". 

 

Another dash of excitement came by way of a quick storm one afternoon.  I say quick because it was not in the least way small.  If you've been to Lake Charles, then you know it is very flat and there aren't nearly as many trees as Tennessee to block the winds that come with storms.  Also, considering that the hurricanes hit not so long ago, we were quite frightened.  Rain just started pouring out of nowhere it seemed--like God had just turned on the shower head in Heaven.  Winds were blowing so hard and suddenly it started hailing!  For a girl who hasn't seen much hail, these pieces looked huge!!  Some were as big around as quarters, maybe even pingpong balls.  Fortunately, the storm didn't last very long, quick, I tell you.  Made me thankful to live in beautiful Tennessee. 

 

A quick little funny to show you how much Cora has taken to her cousins....Wednesday night, we went to church with the Quinton Brown crew.  Cora and I attended Kids Club with Cousin Jennifer--an excellent children's teacher, by the way!  In the children's room, there are several bins full of all different kinds of puppets.  One lad, Logan, was taken to attacking Jenn with a rather realistic looking orangutan puppet.  He'd shove the puppet toward Jenn and make a loud growling sound.  Cora was sitting on the floor watching.  Everytime Logan's 'puppet would attack, Cora would make "muscle arms" and yell at the orangutan--as if to say "Get off of my cousin you hairy freak!" It sounded more like "Yaaaghhhhhhhhhhh!!! EEEEyaaaaaaaaaghHHHHH!!", but I'm sure it meant what I said before.  She was really quite good once Bible study started.  She loved being around the older kids and watching them interact with each other.  I know she was longing to chase after them.  She made a good buddy, too--Audrey.  Audrey is three and tried to hold Cora's hand a lot of the time....Cora also found out how much cousin Jennifer loved HER when she let loose on us one day.  I'll just say, Cousin Jennifer endured MUCH in helping me give Cora an extra bath that afternoon. 

 

Cora's first trip to Louisiana was certainly worth every minute.  She loves her "new" cousins, Jennifer, Joni and Jeffrey (oh, and Jasmine, who can "praise the Lord"--another blog entirely).  She loves playing with Aunt Judy and watching Uncle Duke turn into a complete crazy when he sees a baby.  Her Mimi Brown holds an extra special place in her heart, even though you couldn't tell by the way she smacked Mimi when it was time to say Goodbye.  Of course, seeing the country with Mommy, Daddy, YaYa and PawPaw will be a cherished memory for her.  But the cajun food is what she is looking forward to most when she goes back--by then she'll have teeth!!

 

swimming

Cora is a water baby!  She definitely takes after me around the water.  Our best friends from Richmond came down this past weekend to spend time with Cora and us, and we tried the pool out one afternoon.  Holly, Cora, and I, that is.  We had emptied the pool and were refilling it.  Holly suggested we let Cora sit in the pool as it filled.  Cora was all about it!  Except she didn't want to sit.  She kept getting down on her stomach trying to swim!  It was hilarious to watch her!  She'd flip over and wave her arms and kick her legs--kind of like when she's trying to crawl--she loves the water!  Eventually the pool filled and she played in her crab for awhile, bending over every now and then trying to take a sip of water.  I'm so glad she is enjoying her pool.  BUT I think she's taken it a little too far.  Since we've bought the pool, Cora seems to think everything with water in it is a pool.  Taking a bath is a whole new adventure!  She keeps splashing down on her belly to swim in it, too!  We'll have to post video of it soon, too.  I'm thankful I've got a little swimmer!

She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow...

Bikini!! We bought Cora a swimming pool today and the perfect accessory to go with it--a bikini!  Its not actually yellow, though.  More aqua.  Her pool is one with inflatable rings instead of walls.  Its large enough for Geron and I to get in with her and have plenty of room for her to play.  She absolutely loves her pool!!  I don't know how long I let her play in it, but she loved every minute of it.  Of course being the swimmer that I am, I had to let her go under the water a few times so she would learn to love water, too.  She didn't fuss a bit.  She splashed and floated and jumped--while holding on to the side of the pool, of course, or Mommy or Daddy. If you need a baby to take a nap, just put them in the pool for half an hour and let them wear themselves out.  Cora took a great nap this afternoon and is taking another as I type.  Swimming pools are da bomb!

 

P.S. For you worry warts out there, I lathered Cora in sunblock 50 before we went out so no burns there. 

Yelling and other things

Cora loves to yell.  She discovered her voice quite awhile ago, but has just recently learned how she can make it loud or soft.  She really enjoys making it LOUD.  Yesterday was no exception.  On the way to work, once again, she was letting her presence be known in the backseat--yelling away--not angry, just yelling because she thinks its fun.  Louder and louder she grew.  Geron and I couldn't hear the radio nor each other.   "EEEEAAAAGHH!  EEEEAAAAGHH!  EEEAAAAGH!" she'd holler over and over again-joyfully, mind you-at the top of her lungs. Finally, Geron said "Cora, you need to stop that now.  You need to quiet down. " Without a second's pause "EEEEAAAGH....EEEEAAAAAGH....EEEEAAAAGH".  Of course we lost it.  I don't know if she knows she's that funny or what, but she cracks us up. 

 

Also, in the Cora news this week, she is ready to crawl.  I'm sure it is only days away now.  Scooting is getting old.  She's taken to rolling over to get to wherever she wants to go.  Remember rolling down a nice big grassy hill when we were kids?  She kind of looks like that as she rolls across the living room floor.  Most of the time she'll roll right under Geron's recliner and I have to come from wherever I am to get her so he can get out of the chair.  Now, she can stay up on her hands and knees for quite awhile, but doesn't go anywhere.  In fact, if we put her in that position, she'll stay there until she's ready to sit down and she'll put herself in a sitting position.  Or, if she's tired, she'll just plop that belly right down onto the floor--and then we get the fish out of water dance.  Funny to watch Geron imitate, too. 

 

Pulling up--another big milestone she is desperately trying to do.  Her sitter says that they discovered yesterday Cora is the one pulling all the plastic bins off the shelves--perhaps in her efforts to pull up, or perhaps because she's a little turkey.  Now, she's wanting to pull up on the soap shelf in our tub.  Not gonna happen,  She also tries on the bumper of her crib and is unsuccessful, of course. 

 

Cora is growing sooooooo fast.  People told me this would happen, but noone can tell you exactly how quickly it happens.  I'm relishing these moments while she's still not really crawling because soon she will be into everything.  My absolute favorite moments are still just holding her when she first doses off to sleep.  So precious.  I'm so thankful for my beautiful little girl. (My beautiful little HAM of a little girl.)

Update on temperament

Yeah, so all those prayers Geron mentioned for Cora to have my temperament? Unanswered! I think we have a little Geron on our hands.  Lately, whenever we're riding in the car, well, pretty much any time she's awake, Cora is LOUD, LOUD, LOUD.  Geron and I sit in the front trying to talk about whatever is on our mind and we hear "Aagheeeeeaaaaabuhbuhbuh Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaagh buh buh buh buh pbstpbpbpbpbpbststststssssst" (Hard to write the sound of one blowing spit bubbles, but you get the point.)  Geron mentioned the other morning "I thought your parents said you were a quiet baby."    I responded "They did.  SHe gets that from YOU!"  Yes, Cora loves to talk and I think sing---seems to be what she's doing in the car, anyway.  I'm sure if we listened to a music radio station as opposed to Geron's favorite talk radio shows, we'd probably get some actual melodies coming from the backseat.  Whatever the case and whosever the temperament, we have a very happy LOUD little girl who is tons of fun to have around!

Mother's Day

My first Mother's Day was awesome!! We went to church--I got to play the piano for a change because the pianist was out of town, yea!!  After church, we had lunch at a cajun seafood place downtown.  Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo=YUM!  Following lunch, we headed to the older Browns home for some cheesecake and a good long nap.  Some might say that was a waste, but it was a real blessing to get to sleep that long!  We topped the day off with a trip to Coolidge Park, downtown.  One of the best sites in Chattanooga, if you ask me.  Cora and I rode the carousel twice.  She really seemed to enjoy it.  Best gift I got?  My Beautiful baby girl, of course!

A new invention

Cora loves to play with her rubber duckies, fish, and other toys during her bath. Tonight was no exception.

As I started her bath, I walked into her room to get her other ducky. I could see her head the whole time I was away from the tub, so I wasn't concerned about leaving her for just a few seconds. When I went back into the bathroom, I noticed her green rubber ducky was missing. I looked around her small tub and still didn't see it. She was playing so quietly with her other toys and didn't seem to care that her green ducky was now missing in action. I asked "Where's your green duck, Cora?" She continued playing, not paying me a bit of attention. I asked again "Cora, where's your green duck?" This time, she looked up at me. In place of her sweet little rose bud mouth was a big green duck bottom. The whole head was inside her mouth. She looked as if she were wanting to say "I like this paci, Mommy".

Its a quackifier.

Good Morning, Mommy

Cora is finally sleeping through the night!!! The last few nights she's made it all the way through the night, meaning from 10:30 to 7:00.  I don't know about you other baby mommies out there, but for me this amount of time is really good. 

 

Part of the credit of her sleeping is due to Zyrtec, I'm sure.  Cora has had crud off and on throughout her young life, leading to ear infection after ear infection, it seems.  This week, we hit ear infection number 4.  And as in the past, it was not obvious to us what was going on.  No ear-pulling from this little chic.  No, instead, on Wednesday night she drank her bedtime bottle and then projectiled it across the loveseat and rug.  I put her to bed and she slept through most of the night, no vomitting.  Thursday morning she ate breakfast and then projectiled it across the dining room.  At that point, we decided to pay a visit to our friend, Doctor Ben, a pediatrician who attended the same elementary school as me in Frankfort.  Anyhoo, Doctor Ben diagnosed Cora with an ear infection and said the vomitting may have been due to the middle ear issue.  She started Amoxycillin right away.  We also started her on Zyrtec since this crud had been going on for quite a while.  Since then she has slept through the night every night and it is a beautiful thing. 

 

So, to get to the "Good Morning, Mommy" title--this morning Geron and I were up before Cora.  Geron up before Cora is saying a LOT! HA!  I peeked in her room on the way to the restroom to see if any little feet or arms would kick or wave over the bumper of her crib.  Nothing.  I continued on to the restroom.  When I came out, I checked her room again.  A beautiful little face was peeking at me over the rail of the crib as if to say "Good morning, Mommy!"  I told Geron to come quick and look.  We stood in awe at her door, thinking our baby girl had pulled herself up into a sitting position on her own for the first time.  I walked over to the crib.  She was laying on her belly, holding herself up with her hands.  Either way, its the cutest thing I've seen in a long time, possibly ever, and it made for a very good morning.

Our daughter, the flirt

Cora has started something out way too early--flirting, that is.  We attended my cousin's wedding and reception this weekend.  At said wedding, there were several baby boys, older boys, men of all ages, and not all single.  This did not stop Cora from her "pursuit of happiness".  Whether he'll admit it or not, Geron has a daddy's girl on his hands who is BOY CRAZY!  She loved on her grandpa and her uncles, Everett and Daniel.  She loved on my cousins, David and Virgil.  She loved on the bridesmaids' husbands and the groom.  She flirted at the rehearsal with a little boy about twice her age (not old, considering she's only 8 months.).  But the kicker came on Saturday at the reception.  Mom (Granny) was holding Cora and standing next to a lady holding her what appeared to be 1 or 2 year old little boy.  Cora grabbed his face, pulled him close and planted a big wet one on him.  She did it several times! He appeared to enjoy it and I KNOW she did!  I'm afraid she's starting VERY early and I'm worried that I'm going to get paid back for a lot of trouble I caused my parents...Anyone have a muzzle for babies?

the latest

Easter Bunny

Fish Out of Water

Cora really really wants to crawl.  At her sitter's house, she is surrounded by excited kids on the move and it is killing her that she can't join them yet.  The best she can do is roll to wherever she wants to go.  I'm sure this won't be much longer, though, as she is showing the signs of one ready to take off and crawl.  Lying on her pudgy round belly she pushes her chest up off the ground and kicks her legs froggy style.  I call this her fish out of water pose.  If only her little feet could get a grip on something....

 

In the meantime, we have been practicing standing a LOT lately.  Cora may be one of the few who walks before crawling.  I've heard many say that this effects learning later in life, but have read research saying this is only a myth. As far as reading goes, it is proven that kids who are read to regularly from the time they are infants are earlier and better readers--whether this has to do with crawling or not, I have yet to discover.  Anyhoo, Cora loves standing and bouncing and is also a fan of reading.  And we love watching her participate in all three.  

 

Some days I really want to rush her into crawling, walking, talking...other days I just want to watch her be a baby because I know she won't be one for long.   

Spring Has Sprung

candidate

last night our first pastoral candidate came to preach and interview at the church. He is a nice guy and the pastor of a very successful Church in Roswell, NM. You know.... E.T. land ...Area 51..."We are not alone".... that place. We had kinda a regular service with everything just being a little shorter than usual. I led the music and was really nervous, because i'm kinda trying out for him too is he comes here. To complicate things the temperature was in the upper 80's yesterday so i was burnin up in my suit. and furthermore the pollen count is so bad here that everything has a coat of yellow on it from all of the pollen. So i wasn't really at my best, but that's ok i guess.

After He preached, he fielded questions from the audience for about an hour. I kept resisting the urge to ask him if aliens really did exist. I wish I would have. Pray for me through this transition time.

Practice Makes Perfect and Other Words that Start with "P"

Cora has been working really hard lately on her "p" sounds.  We're not quite sure what she's trying to say, but she's practicing it very often and mainly when we put her on the changing table.  I lay her on the table and she starts in "Puh" "Puh" "Puh" "Puh" etc.  I don't know what she is wanting to say, but she's about to say "poop".  I sure hope "Poop" isn't her first word.  How embarassing!

 

In other news, we're headed up to the promised land this weekend for some R&R with my parents.  I probably lied about the R&R part since Geron is going to be very busy setting up their new computer and its many accessories.  Although, he enjoys that kind of stuff, so it may be relaxing for him afterall.  I, on the other hand will be staying far away from the computer room.  Mom has places to go and people to see or I should probably say people to show her grandbaby off to. HA! 

 

On Friday, we're back to the Smokies to visit with the new Mr. & Mrs. Ben S.  Geron and Ben are going to take in a concert while Rebekah, Cora and I do some shopping or girl stuff of some sort.  And, perhaps after Cora goes to bed we might get in a good game of Hand and Foot????  I'm not sure I've played it since Cora was born, unless we played with Jeff and Holly when they came down.  I can't remember that time too well as I was still on the EXTREMELY strong pain meds from surgery.  (Entirely different story/stories there.)
ANYHOO, this will be Cora's second big trip--the last one was to Ben and Rebekah's wedding.  Hopefully she will do so well on this trip as she did on that one. 

 

Oh, and while we're in Kentucky, we're going to get Cora's picture made, so I will try to post a new one as soon as I can.  Til Sunday, this is Lydia saying "Blah blah blah........"

----- Original Message -----

From: SusanSMeadors@aol.com

To: LydiaBrown01@comcast.net

Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 9:32 AM

Subject: Re: A question from Cora

Well, that's a good question! How about the kitchen? or the real bath tub? I think I can figure that out by tomorrow afternoon. Love you, Cora.

 

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tourney time

I'm a proud son of EKU and of course like so many of you i bleed maroon. So i was thrilled a week or two ago when i watched the colonels beat Austin Peay to become the OVC champions. of course this means they got a ticket to the home of march madness... the big dance... the NCAA basketball tounament. So i was sadenned when i learned that they were going to be a #16 seed which always faces one of the #1 seeds in the opening round. The Tarheels of North Carolina are the Goliath in this scenario, But I'm pulling for little David. Tonight at 9:40 when they tip off i'll be wearing my Colonel gear, and pulling for my boys.

listen to this for a little inpiration

precious

playing dress up

I confess--to many its probably no secret--when I was young I loved playing with dolls. And I especially loved playing with the dolls at my granny's house because she had a trunk full of beautiful clothes to dress them up in. So now, I'm an adult and I have a baby daughter and as my mom would say about me "I love playing with my little doll." More specifically, dress up! If you've seen Cora's closet, dresser, or cases of clothes under her bed, you would understand.

Cora spit up who knows how many times today and instead of putting grungies on her because its Saturday and we're not going anywhere, I've been dressing her up--in sundresses she's been given that won't fit her this summer. One had a matching hat, so I put it on her, too, just because babies are soooo cute in hats. She doesn't seem to mind. She just wants to be clean and dry. Geron, on the other hand, thinks I'm crazy, I'm sure. But he's not a girl, so he doesn't understand. Last week we bought her a bikini, a teeny weeny yellow bikini--no polka dots. Of course, we had to see her in it right away. I think it will be too small this summer.

Anyway, I report all of this to say that if anyone else out there in blogger world is guilty of playingdress up with your baby, please post so I know i'm not alone in my craziness!

Baby Talk

Cora isn't to the point where she says Mama or Dada yet, but she has said a couple of things accidentally that have been hilarious.

First, I may have shared this one already, but while Geron's mom was in the hospital a nurse walked in and said "Hey!" and Cora looked right at her and said "Hey!" right back. Hilarious moment number one, which also was caught on video.

Hilarious moment number 2 happened today. Apparently, while I was doing the laundry downstairs, Cora was yelling about something for no reason. Geron told her she was being bad and asked her if she wanted a spanking (which she has never had) and she said "Yeah!" I'm sure if and when she does get one she'll wish she hadn't said that.

There have been some other occasions where she has seemed to have said something like at the babysitter's house where she said "I Cora". I'm glad she knows who she is and look forward to when she tells us "You Mama" and "You Dada".

re-launch

After a much needed hiatus from blogging, I've decided to exercise the old mental muscle once more. Things have really changed around our house. Gone are those long nights of blissful sleep. Instead about every thirty minutes someone has to get up to plug the pacifier back in. Cora is doing great though. Her personality is slowly revealing itself, and to everyone's relief she is a good mixture of her mother and I.

Things at work are changing. My pastor has officially retired, and church is looking for the next one. My responsibilities have been increased a little, but I'm getting used to it. In our denomination an incoming pastor has the privilege of choosing his own staff or keeping those already in place, so the future is a little unclear for me.

Things are going well, come see us when you get a chance.

what it is

After many questions i decided to give you a little more info on the delicious device Cora was voraciously chewing on. we got ours from Babies'R'Us and here's what their website says

The Baby Safe Feeder allows little ones to get the goodness of fresh foods, while reducing the risk of choking. Now baby can enjoy fruits, vegetables and other yummy snacks of your choice. Chewing on the Baby Safe Feeder is soothing, satisfying and helps babies easily make the transition from drinking to chewing. Teething babies especially will be fans! Drop-in disposable bag system is easy to use. Dishwasher safe.

keeping you updated

So I guess it's obvious that we haven't really done a super job lately of updating the blog. So here it goes real fast.

we've been busy, Cora is almost six months, hasn't had 6 mos shots, but does have a mild case of RSV, granny is here from KY taking care of lil' bit while mom'n'dad work. whew...

I said that after i got a new video camera at Christmas i would do better at posting videos. well i haven't and I'm sorry to all of you who want to know what's going on.

we filmed this at dinner tonight. we had barbecue and Cora had part of a banana.

A new day

Today is a new day and I thank the Lord for seeing the three of us to it.  Cora is doing much better today.  Her fever finally broke. Praise God!  I'm continuing to give her meds right now to keep the fever down and to ease the pain.  I think she may have a sore throat, too, as she doesn't have much of an appetite today.  Hopefully, this too will pass.  Thank you, Holly, for your prayer and to others I know have been praying for Cora AND us as well. 

 

And on a side note for those who are curious, we found out how much Cora weighs now--my mom said she's a little piglet.  Ready??  19 pounds!  We go back to the doctor when Cora finishes her Amoxycillin.  We'll find out then whether he thinks she's just right for her height or whether she really is a piglet.  Either way, we love our plump little biscuit!

"My ear hurts" and other things I wish babies could say

Why can't babies come out talking?  Crying is so hard to decipher.  Cora has so many different cries.

 

1. The mad cry----means "Someone has wet my diaper again!"

                                            "Get me out of this swing!"

                                            "The boy who picks his nose is trying to hold me again!"

2.  The hungry cry---who are we kidding-its obvious what this one means

3.  The tired cry---means "Yes I know I was supposed to go to sleep about three hours ago, but you all took me out again and broke my schedule.  Please put me down and let me go to sleep."

4.  The awake at 4 a.m. and noone will play with me cry

5.  The pain cry

 

Unfortunately, the last one isn't so easily decipherable.  (so what if I just invented a word.)  Cora was steaming hot yesterday and we couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.  We checked her temp and it was 103.  She's never been over 101 as far as I can remember.  G went to the store and bought extra thermometers just to be sure ours was working.  103 was correct.  So, we headed to the e.r.  Turns out Cora has an ear infection.  I was afraid she was going to leave this world on the way to the hospital.  How I long for her to be able to tell me what hurts when she's so upset.  While I might not be able to fix it i could at least know that things aren,t as extreme as her cry makes them sound and I can have a better idea of how to get help.  When we know she's in pain our hearts hurt. 

 

So right now , our little baby girl with the beautiful personality is feeling blue.  Today she has slept and cried, slept and cried.  She's taken her bottle and eaten her solids, but there's no spunk in her little body today.  Please pray with us for our little angel.   I know there are parents in this world who have to deal with much worse and I am thankful that the Lord has been faithful to give us only what we can bear.  I'll post some more when miss Cora's get-up-and-go comes back.

growing way too fast!

If you aren't a parent already, you will find that once you become one people tell you all the time to enjoy your baby because they grow up way too fast.  They are not kidding!!  Cora has gotten sooooooo big! She just turned 5 months old this week and is weighing in at a hefty 16 lbs easily.  Just yesterday it seems she was just a tiny little ball rolled up on my chest.  I want to push the slo-mo button on her, but I can't find one anywhere. 

These days Cora is learning new things.  She has FINALLY rolled over and has been working on sitting up for a few weeks now.  She can sit up for almost a minute with no support.  Who knew I would ever be excited about watching someone just sit...babies are amazing little people!  She is starting to laugh out loud now, too, and let me tell you JOY---there is nothing like the high you get from hearing your little one laugh.  I know tomorrow she will be crawling, or so it will seem like tomorrow. 

 

As for personality, Cora is a charmer! She is soo sweet and friendly.  She will let pretty much anyone hold her and is perfectly content as long as she is dry and fed.  As much as it kills me to admit it, she is definitely a daddy's girl.  You should see how her face lights up when he walks in the room.  I can leave her at the sitter's all day and walk in to pick her up and she justs looks at me like "Oh, hey, mom.  Did you come to watch me play with my friends?"  Geron walks in and she kicks her legs and grins like "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"  She wants to know exactly what's going on at all times.  And sometimes that means 4 a.m.  I remember the first month when she slept through the night---it was nice.  Nowadays she wakes up around 3 and wants to giggle and play.  Of course, we don't---and it breaks her heart, but eventually she accepts the fact and goes back to sleep.  The girl, who has acquired several nicknames---Daddy's latest being "Pookie Bear" and Mommy's favorite "Biscuit"--is a talker, too.  If anyone can translate baby please come visit and help us out.  I think I get the jist of what she's saying most of the time, but I haven't quite figured out "ya ah eeee ah ah" yet. 

 

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of some new friends, two due in February and one coming around her birthday in August.  We also look forward to hearing news from afar---Kate Alvis, let us know when you've arrived!  Josie and Seth have made it into this world healthy and beautiful, praise the Lord for that! We trust He is taking care of our soon-to-be friends as well.  As for little Miss Cora, she is the oldest and youngest baby in our church.  Please hurry and get here,  new little friends! 

 

So, things are good and exciting here, but are progressing way too fast for Mommy!  New mommies and daddies, enjoy these days--they don't last forever!