Back to Reality

So I know it has been a while since my last post, but I officially became a big sister!! Corban entered this world and let himself be known on June 3rd. At first I didn't really know what I thought of him. If he cried, it freaked me out, so I cried. It was a rough few weeks for me, but I finally realized that Corban was going to be here to stay. I started to give Corban kisses goodnight when mommy got kisses before I went to bed. It wasn't so bad and I loved to rub his soft little head! We haven bonded the more Corban grows.

In July I celebrated my 2nd Birthday and enjoyed having all of my family and friends there to celebrate with me! It was a great time and everyone got to see our new house! At my 2 year Doctor appointment I was 36 1/4 inches tall and 30 lbs. I am still growing like a bean sprout! I have really had an explosion of talking. I have been talking in complete sentences for a while now, but I get really frustrated when mommy and daddy don't know what I am saying so I have to repeat it over and over! I still love going to playgroup weekly and library story time as well! At the end of July our family went to Sea World; it was awesome!! I loved seeing all of the different marine life! I especially enjoyed the Shamu show and seeing the seals and sea lions!!!! I had a great time and I got to pick my very own seal at the end of the visit! I was so giggly and giddy in my bedroom that afternoon and it took me a while to settle down and take a nap. Our family has had a lot of adventures in the last months. It has been very fun to watch my little brother, Corban grow and change every day. At first he cried and slept all of the time. Then he started to smile and laugh at me and watch my every move and I enjoyed that a lot!

In November we had a family adventure as we traveled to Chicago to be with family for Thanksgiving. I was so excited to fly on the plane. Although it wasn't my first time, it was the first time I realized I would be flying. I talked and sang the entire flight. Corban did a really good job for his first flight; he slept most of the way! We had a nice Thanksgiving meal once with all of the family and then went to the hotel to relax. Later that night I fell and hit my head on a coffee table and got a nice gash in my forehead above my left eye. Initially it was very traumatic for everyone involved. Uncle Micah got us to a Children's hospital and I was a great patient. I was very curious and I didn't cry or freak out. I left the ER with 6 stitches and got a late dinner at McDonalds. The rest of the time in Chicago was very busy and I enjoyed being with so much of my family! Our flight home was very uneventful; but I was totally syked about being on a plane again!

In December Corban had his 6 month appointment. He was 28 inches (95%) and weighed 20 lbs. 5 oz. (90%). He is growing so much and learning everyday. In December Corban also started eating solids. I have really enjoyed watching him eat. He really knows how to make a mess of things! He doesn't love eating the baby food so much; he wants to eat table food, but he's not really ready for it. So he gets really frustrated with mommy a lot of the time. He has just recently started eating puffs. He works really hard and maybe gets a third in his mouth, but he is motivated and it keeps him busy.

Both Corban and I got pretty sick in December too. Between the two of us we made many visits to the doctors office and otherwise were stuck in the house for like 3 weeks. Both Corban and I were on breathing treatments and antibiotics for a while and my parents were very happy once we started feeling better. I definitely didn't mind picking up a lolly pop and sticker on my way out of the doctor's office though. We are in great health now and everyone is sleeping much better. Shortly after Corban started feeling better he began to take naps. Believe me, my mommy was pretty stoked about this as he wasn't taking any consistent naps before this.

We both enjoyed getting to visit with family that came in December. We enjoyed visiting with Aunt Linda, Aunt Lee and Derek. Christmas was a fun filled day for us! We got to see a lot of family in one day! It was so fun to be surrounded with family. I enjoyed unwrapping gifts and enjoyed my trampoline. Corban didn't unwrap gifts but he thouroughly enjoyed playing with all of the wrapping paper & trying to eat it! We were all pretty wiped out for a couple of days after Christmas.

Now Corban is 7 months old and he is starting to eat very soft pieces of table food, but mostly he is still eating baby food and puffs. He has just begun to crawl a couple of days ago. He really gets to rocking or it sometimes looks like he is doing downward dog and then he kind of hops on his knees and he gets going. He is very slow and deliberate. He doesn't get very far before he gets tired and then he scootches on his tummy and then does a repeat. Needless to say he is ready to sleep and is worn out by 7. He is finally going to sleep consistently at the same time in the evenings now. He gets kisses from everyone and then mommy takes him to bed. Some of the things we have enjoyed lately are: me rolling him over; which tickles Corban and gets him giggling, giving hugs and kisses, "coaching" him while he crawls, and teaching him all that I know. Our parents have really enjoyed watching us grow closer together and have enjoyed our blossoming personalities! I have been keeping my parents entertained with my antics and cute phrases and mispronunciations. I will try my best to keep you all up to date on what Corban and I are up to. I can't wait to share all of the great happenings in the next couple of months. We are enjoying every new day and we are all learning so much each and every day. Hope everyone is well and we will be back soon!

Cora and Corban

The Move and Such

I know it has been a while since my last blog, but a lot has been going on in my world! In February my parents decided they wanted to put our house up for sale and move. So first of all we have these guys in our house every weekend for like 3 weeks getting the house fixed up and pretty! Then mommy and myself and our dogs would have to leave the house; a lot! Most of my toys were nowhere to be found; not cool! Just so much going on in my little world and even though I didn't like it, it all worked out! My parents got their first offer within 12 hours of having the house on the market, but that fell through. A second offer stuck within 5 days of putting it on the market and we were out of our house and into our new house within about 45 days. My mommy is crazy and has been working like a fiend to get the house "ready". What is that supposed to mean anyways?? Ready for what??? There are all of these baby things around the house; I know a baby is supposed to go in them and I know there is a baby in my mommy's tummy, but I still really don't get it. What do these things have in common; no connection yet for me! I am very much enjoying the new house, but I miss the stairs!

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I now have most of my teeth and have been working on my two year molars for a while. I have become more picky about what I want to eat. I still have a good appetite and fruit always wins in my opinion!!I have also begun to drink out of a big girl cup and I am very proud of myself! I have gotten to the point that I don't spill it down my front anymore; which I think my mommy appreciates. I like to brush my own teeth, but my mommy and daddy insist on helping ; not sure why. I think I do a pretty good job all by myself! I am now becoming a little girl and not so much a baby anymore. I have just recently started saying "no", so I am saying "no" a lot even if I mean "yes". I don't mean to do it, but it is too hard to resist not giving the dogs a hard time. I love to get any kind of reaction out of them and thankfully they put up with me. My vocabulary has really begun to explode and everyone around me is enjoying hearing me use my words!! I definitely have plenty of commands in my vocabulary for our dogs and I am the enforcer of rules with them. I let everyone know if they are doing something they are not supposed to be doing. Just watch; I will be a little dog whisperer!

Now that I am 22 months old I sleep in a big girl bed, I am showing interest in using the potty, I still love playgroup, I love to sing songs (ABC's, Texas Fight Song, Row, Row Your Boat and so much more), I love, love, love shoes, and I tried my first corn on the cob on Memorial Day. Next time you hear from me I will officially be a big sister!! This is also a warning that it may be a while before you get another update on what I am up to, but I will do my best to keep everyone posted!

Love,

Cora Ann

Big Changes!

I am now 18 months old! Quite a bit has happened since my last post. I now weigh 25 lb. 15 oz. (70%) and I am 35 1/2 inches tall (95%). I am still growing like a sprout, but I think I am slowing down just a little bit. I am definitely into the climbing stage; I am on the couch, the bench and any chair I can get to. Sheesh, my mom doesn't seem to like it very much, but I think it is great! You can see so much more when you are up higher like that. Since I am taller than the average Joe my parents have to keep a look out because I can reach quite a lot with my height and curiosity. I am now working on all four of my incisors; it has been a blast for the entire household. On a pretty regular basis I wake up a few times at night because my gums hurt so much. I think everyone will be happy when they are done coming through!

I now have 13 words in my vocabulary. I use sign language for the word "more"; my parents and family think I look very funny because I mean serious business when I use that word. I am usually asking for more of some type of food and I am very adamant. I use "hi" and "thank you" a lot. Every morning when we come downstairs and the dogs are waiting for us, I get so excited and I tell them "hi" the entire way down the stairs! I am talking all the time and using intonation, but for some reason my parents don't always know what I want or what I am trying to tell them; talk about frustrating! I am still working on it; I am very determined.

This Thanksgiving was different for my family. We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house and a lot of my family came over to share the holiday together. My parents told everyone that I was going to be a big sister! I still don't really know what that means but everyone else seems to be pretty excited about it! I have been hearing the word "boy", "brother", and "Corban" a lot lately so I hope I will make a connection soon enough!

In December we got to see a lot of family because my Aunt Abigail got married to Nic! I especially enjoyed seeing my cousin Mia and Uncle Micah! How exciting the entire weekend was! On the day of the wedding I could not sit through the ceremony, so Daddy and I had to go downstairs. I did however get to celebrate for the reception and I had a great time! That is the latest I stayed up since I was a very little baby. I was fast asleep before my Daddy even left the parking lot!

I just started taking swim lessons this month. There are two boys and myself in the class. I love being in the water and I enjoy all of the learning! I do get pretty cold, so my mommy is going to get a wet suite for the pool. I have not cried yet, but both of the boys have cried; I am so proud of myself that I am up for the adventure! I am learning so much everyday and my parents enjoy watching all of my discovery! I love going to playgroup every week and so does my mommy! I enjoy watching all of the older kids and I am trying to imitate and learn from them! This past weekend my mommy and I went to visit the Massey's. I had a wonderful time! They have horses, cows, dogs and cats and I loved watching all of the animals! Becca and her sisters took me out to see the horses they all came to the fence because they heard me coming in my squeaky shoes. Becca took me to pet each horse and I wasn't even scared! I was absolutely delighted!!!! So much learning and growing that I have yet to experience. I will continue to keep everyone updated!

Love,

Cora Ann

16 months and on the move...

Hello everyone! Today I am officially 16 months old. Like I said in my last post I am a very busy girl so it has been a while since anyone has heard from me. At my 15 month appointment I weighed 24 lbs. 13 oz. (75 %) and my height was 33 1/2 inches (100%). I guess mostly I have just been really busy growing. I do have to say all of the nurses and Doctor Trexler always make a big deal about how good I am; I don't even cry when I get my booster shots (minus the MMR). Well, I will tell you I am about tired of the poking and prodding and I let everyone at the office know; amazingly they still say I am a really good patient. But now I push hands and fingers away and shake my head I will not just endure quietly anymore; I guess my mom knew that was coming eventually. From what I understand we don't have to go to the pediatrician so much anymore now that I am getting bigger!

Last time I posted I said I have 8 teeth and was working on 4 more. Still the case. I am working on all 4 molars. These teeth are giving me trouble off and on, but they are almost all the way through. I can't wait; and then I am sure I will be working on other teeth as well. Now that my hair is longer, mom doesn't do the sprout so much anymore. I get pigtails or when she is feeling lazy I get a clip in my hair ( my dad says this is his favorite because he is really good at putting a clip in my hair).

At the beginning of October my mom and I went to Chicago to visit Uncle Micah and my cousin Mia! My Uncle Micah was amazed at how much I had grown and the adults were excited for me to meet my cousin again. On my first day in Chicago it was beautiful and sunny with a nice breeze. After my nap Mia and I saw each other. She was so excited and had so much to say and I just loved looking at her. I think I kind of stressed Mia out because I was getting into all of her things, but she was pretty gracious over all! Uncle Micah cooked a lot of meals for us and I enjoyed each one of them. We had a quick visit and we were sad to go, but I was ready to get home and see my daddy!

Just yesterday I started climbing. My dad was watching the UT game and I climbed up on the couch with him. He was surprised, but I just wanted to be close. I am not sure what my mom is being so uptight about. Kids are supposed to climb right??? Now that I can climb on things, my parents are going to be real busy.

I am still working on my vocabulary. Dadda and Momma are still my favorite words, but dadda is the number one word in my vocabulary; I love my daddy! I have added light= ight, thank you=tank u, baby= dee, and yes= yesh. I am still working on saying my dog's names: Toby and Baily. I am in no real rush though; I get plenty of attention from them. I have also been working on matching my farm animals on my puzzle and sorting shapes in my shape sorter. Sometimes I get frustrated and just throw all of the shapes into the center just to hear the sound; that's good enough for me sometimes. I also have a little duster and dust pan that I get out and clean with; I like to help my mom. I also like to get my little puppy vacuum cleaner out when my mom is vacuuming.

Yesterday my family and I went to a family picnic with my daddy's company. We went to the Serengeti Resort. There was food, games and humongous moon walks and best of all was the wildlife! I really got a kick out of being able to walk all over the place. I had the biggest grin on my face; it was discovery time. I also did a lot of people watching. I loved looking at the animals too. There were ostriches and a camel, a giraffe, zebras, and impala's. One of the ostriches came up to the fence and I had a blast looking at this gigantic bird! Later on when we went to the fence the camel was there. My mommy lifted me up and I got to pet his humongous nose; that was the highlight of my day!

Well, I am still discovering everything and loving it. I know I will keep my parents very busy as I always do! I am looking forward to meeting the newest member of the extended family, Miss Lucy Jane! I am also looking forward to my Aunt Abigail's wedding in December; it will be like a family reunion! I am sure plenty of other things will happen so I will have some things to share on my next blog. I hope everyone is doing well and I am going to do my Cora thing!

Love,

Cora Ann

I'm One!! Woohoo!

Wow! I am officially one year old now! At my 12 month check up I weighed in at 22 lbs. 13 oz. (75 %) and my height was 31 1/4 inches (96%). I am just growing like a sprout! Well, a couple of weeks before my first birthday I began walking and my mom made a big, big deal about it. I decided I was going to take my time instead; a few steps here and a few steps there. At the beginning of this week I really started walking, more and more each day! Don't worry though I still speed crawl when I get tired of looking like a drunken sailor. We had a celebration with the family on July 4th (my due date) for my first birthday! It was great fun! I enjoyed hot dogs and fruit for lunch and then most important; my personal size Birthday cake. At first I just touched the cake and I wasn't sure what to do with it. Then I took a scoop of icing with my finger...uuuummm. Then another finger-full of icing, then a fist full and then mush, mush, mush. This was my first introduction to sugar and I had a sugar high for a while after my cake. It was a very fun filled day and it is was wonderful to be with my family on my special day!

I have been intertaining my family quite a bit lately. I love to clap and wave hi and bye! I love to blow raspberries, click my tongue and make all kinds of noises. I have added 'da' for dog to my vocabulary. I am still very much in love with my dogs! I love to pet and pat my puppy dogs and talk to them. I believe the dogs still love me, but they are not too sure about me walking around; now I can get to them a different way!

I am still enjoying feeding myself and I enjoy eating anything and everything. My mom has been given the okay to start on dairy. My mom has been trying to get me to drink milk and I don't quite know what I think. My mom is still working on me though. In the meantime I have been eating cheese and yogurt and I am really enjoying both! I have been feeding myself breakfast with a spoon and working very hard on feeding myself with a fork as well. Using a fork is still a work in progress, but I am enjoying it all just the same! Now I have 8 teeth and I am working on 4 more; I am doing lots and lots of chewing!

I had my first beach experience as well, towards the end of June! We went to Rockport for a big Williams get-together. I got to use my floatie suit in the pool and my parents thought I looked like a little turtle. We then gathered and had a cook-out with the entire family after the pool! What a fun time to visit with family. I took a nice nap and then we went to the beach after my nap. I went into the water with my mom and dad. I didn't really like the waves very much, but I was okay with the water hitting my toes! My favorite part was playing in the sand! I had a great time using my shovel and pail! I made a big mess, but it was big fun!!

I know there is so much ahead of me, but right now I am really enjoying the mastery of walking. I love to snuggle with my mommy and daddy and other loved family members. I am learning so much with all of my playgroup buddies! I know I have so much to learn, but I am taking it one day at a time. Mommy still does my hair in the spout style, hopefully she will get better at doing hair, cause that is getting pretty boring. She told me she is not quite ready to cut my hair yet, so I guess the spout it is until then. I will try my very best to keep everyon posted as I am a very, very busy girl now as you all know. Hope this blog finds everyone well!

Love,

Cora Ann