Hi, Dawdy!

We took Cora to a church softball game last night and she fell in love with someone's doggy. I think it was a golden retriever, maybe a year or two old. He was a very friendly dog and played well with Cora. The owner was playing in the game and had attached the dog's leash to the fence near the bleachers. So, Cora and the dog played quite a bit together.

At the end of one of the innings, the owner came over and held a water bottle to the dog's mouth for it to get a drink. Cora watched in fascination. When the game resumed, we saw Cora walking towards the bench where all the players' belongings were. I assumed she was going to go play with the other youngsters who were having a time in the dirt nearby. Instead, she picked up someone's water bottle and started heading towards the dog, holding out the bottle and wearing a look on her face of intense purpose. Geron caught her before she made it to the dog, but we knew exactly what she was doing. She wouldn't have accomplished her task, however, because the lid was screwed on the bottle and as far as I know, she hasn't figured out how to undo that yet.

When we left the game, lots of people were yelling goodbyes to Cora. She waved and blew a kiss here and there. But as we rolled the little red wagon toting cute baby girl out of the park, the only sound to be heard from the wagon was 'Bye bye dawdy! Bye dawdy! Bye Bye Dawdy!" (somebody's dog was dearly loved and was going to be sadly missed.)

Revelation

 These past couple of days have been an emotional rollercoaster ride for me.  Geron and I have been transforming the nursery from a baby girl’s room, into a toddler girl and baby boy’s room.  The high points have been seeing the new furniture put together (especially Cora’s “big girl bed”)and seeing Cora climb up onto it and giggle and say “Bid duh bed!”  While picking out bedding was a bit of a chore, we finally were able to settle on something we knew Cora would love—it’s covered with ho’s. (That’s horses.) 

 

Of course, with any good roller coaster ride, there are major corkscrew twists and flips that just make you lose your lunch, or at least they do that to me.  In relation to the transformation, I’m referring to packing up Cora’s old clothes and giving them away.  Geron suggested it would be a good idea to hang on to just 5 things that hold a special memory—I’m a packrat, so this was a major task for me.  As I sorted through boxes, I was reminded of cuddling Cora in the hospital when she was so tiny and new.  And then, bringing her home and introducing her to her first big girl bed, her crib.  It looked sooo large in comparison to now.  We could lay her crossways in the crib and it seemed there was still a foot of space left.  Now we lay her crossways and her feet stick out about a foot!  Her baby dedication outfit no doubt was a keeper.  And then came Christmas.  There were so MANY little dresses and outfits that I loved putting on her.  I took her outfit from her first picture with Santa in and out of the box who knows how many times! Eventually, I got to Easter and had another 100 dresses, it seemed, to go through.  It’s when I started going through these dresses that I lost it.  I cried and cried and cried.  I knew I wasn’t going to have another little girl who would be able to wear these beautiful dresses.  And that’s when Revelation struck. 

 

It wasn’t so much that I wanted another little girl to wear these dresses.  I wanted Cora to be a baby again.  I wanted to hang on to her being little and not let her grow up.  I thought about how much I enjoyed each stage of her being a baby and of who she is now.  Would I trade my little girl to have my baby girl back?  And I realized there was NO WAY I would ever do that or want to do that again.  Parents of teenagers may tell me otherwise, but right now, I have the most enjoyable daughter and each new phase of her life is so exciting to me.  I began thinking of the look on Cora’s face when she sees me pick her up from day care and how she comes running with her arms wide out saying “Mommy! Mommy!”  I remember her first Christmas program and how she stole the show dancing and grinning and celebrating.  And her first day care program recently where she again stole the show stomping her feet to “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and raising her knees to her shoulders!  I won’t trade those moments for anything.  Her excitement over the new “Bid duh bed” with the “balls” (finials) and “ho’s” filled me with such happiness.  And recently she has learned to say “I love you” (I lud dyou)—You long to hear “mama”, you long to hear “dada”, but “I love you” . I haven’t discovered anything else like it, yet. 

 

So, yes, it’s been hard parting with the material things of Cora’s that bring back so many memories, but I have pictures, and I have memories, and most importantly, I have my Cora.  I love you just the way you are, my sweet girl.  Thanks for filling our lives with such great joy!

Potty training herself??

I think Cora is trying to tell me she’s ready to start potty-training.  This morning, she climbed up in bed with us and played for a little bit, then climbed down and headed towards the bathroom saying “Potty…Potty”.  I got out of bed and went into the bathroom to find her sitting on the potty.  Of course, she still had her pajama pants and diaper on, but when I checked her, she was wet—and Geron had just changed her when he got her out of bed a little earlier.

Later on, I was working in her room and she was playing in the living room.  At this time, she’d had on just a diaper and her pajama top.  I heard the pitter patter of little feet in the hallway, and into the room walked Cora, bare-bottomed, carrying her diaper—wet again.  I put a clean diaper on her and pants and sent her off to play some more. 

 

The final breaking point for me was when I walked into the living room and found Cora had been into the clean laundry.  Imagine a 1 and a half year old sitting in the middle of the floor, wearing two pairs of maternity panties up around her waist.  Was it ever a sight to behold!  She’d tangled herself up pretty good in them and was trying to figure out how to get them off, getting quite frustrated. 

 

As for her being ready to potty-train, I think I will just listen when she says “Potty potty” and then we won’t have to go through the extra trouble of her changing her own diapers and trying to wear mommy’s panties. 

 

So…does anyone know good potty-training tips?

A not so scary pic at last

You can give me a hundred sugars, but I'm still not going to give you this
cookie.