Cora and Friends: Part II, Nana

Nana and Cora have been friends for a LONG time. She met Cora at the hospital, pretty soon after we met her ourselves! And she stayed with us for over a week, taking care of Cora, and of us as we tried to keep our wits about us in those early, foggy, groggy days - a task we managed with more and less success. As Mom will attest, I'm not the nicest person when I haven't slept. She cooked and cleaned and washed and rocked. She even stayed with Cora during our first venture out alone since she was born - this was how I found them when we got home.


Nice swaddle, Nana! I really appreciated having her there, especially since I wouldn't have been able to leave like that if it had been anyone else but her on duty!

Nana plays fun games and teaches Cora about lots of things.

Here they are learning about her feet in pretty early days.



Here, Cora and Nana investigate nature, learning all about plants and flowers. Nana knows the names of almost everything, and when she doesn't, she tries to figure it out. She's always the first to notice something new or beautiful, so I'm sure she's going to have so much fun with curious Cora.





Don't they look like they're having fun? I love those pictures - so beautiful.

Here she's learning to play piano and sing with the girls in the family


Clearly she's gifted.

Sometimes Nana is crazy. Here we have Cora wearing Nana's fuzzy socks as leg warmers. Clearly, Cora is okay with this silliness.


Sometimes she puts things on Cora's feet, sometimes on her head:


(Cora, just so you know, Nana will be a better help at learning to accessorize than I will.)

They play together and have so much fun!








Okay, so that last one didn't look like so much fun for Nana. But with a face like that, I'm pretty sure she's cute enough to get away with it.

Look, they're such good friends that they dressed alike for Christmas! This wasn't planned, but apparently their connection is so strong that they were both thinking the same thing.




Even my Grandmother got on the same vibe, apparently.

Nana is always so good about showing off pictures of Cora to anyone who is interested/unlucky enough to be nearby, so I thought I'd return the favor and show off the great shots I have of both of them. But then again, she's so supportive that she used to keep pictures of our cats at her desk, too. Obviously, there is no comparison between grandkits (as she called them) and grandkids, but clearly, this was a woman who was ready for grandparenthood! So Mom, after all that time of bugging me about grandchildren, You're Welcome!!

As you can probably gather, Nana seems to be quite smitten and I think the feeling just might be mutual.

Cora and Friends: Part I, Granddaddy Steve

After posting the pictures of Cora and her funny faces, I still had a bevy of great shots of her (and her faces) with all of her favorite people. This is the first in a series entitled Cora and Friends, and we begin with one of her rowdiest friends: my dad. They seem to like each other quite a lot, but I'm sure that's not obvious at all.


He doesn't look smitten one bit, does he?


Bath time snuggles - by the way, this was Coleman's hooded towel from when he was a baby. Don't you just love it?? Both my parents are always reluctant to let her be taken off to bed and are chomping at the bit for her to wake up in the morning.


Nana and Granddad helped her open (and gnaw on, apparently) Christmas presents on Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house, and again on "Christmas morning" at their house (it wasn't quite Christmas morning by the time we got home, but seriously, do you think she knows the difference??):


Just look at that face.

This is when Granddaddy was teaching her to play "Little Drummer Girl" on an empty plastic tin. Check the bottom of this post for video of the same.



Granddaddy is a fantastic pony and takes Cora on lots of pony rides, but he's learned to hold her hands while he does. If not, this is what ensues:


Cora looks quite pleased with herself, doesn't she?


Dad looks slightly less pleased. But did he stop? Of course not. And for the record, NO ONE is allowed to mess up Dad's hair...except Cora, it seems. I'm not sure you can see the drool in this small of a picture, but I'm certain that it helped Dad with this style.

Sometimes ponies get tired after too many rides...





Don't they look like they're having fun?






And this one is one of my very favorites.



My Aunt Cynthia actually made that bow: isn't she talented? Thank you, Aunt Cici - we love it!

Stay tuned for more shots with friends. Up next: Nana!

And here's the video of drumming practice (that's my brother Shane providing the backup vocals and the snide comments):

Easter Goodies

This will probably bore most of you, but I shot some video of Cora opening her Easter basket care package from my parents, and it is really too large a file to email, so I told them to come watch it here. You're free to watch, of course, but it's not incredibly short, and not exactly an action packed, thrill a minute kind of thing.

Mom and Dad: as I said, loved the basket, the bunny, the book, etc. But she couldn't get interested in the bag for anything! When I finally took the tissue paper out, though, she was all over that. Next time, save the shipping costs - just send tissue paper!! :o)

A Tribute to Dixie...Carter, that is

The actress Dixie Carter passed away this past weekend, and I have to admit that I was really quite sad about it.

No, I didn't know her personally, but I've watched episodes of Designing Women over and over again, mainly because of her. Yes, I know the difference between the actor/actress and the role, but Julia Sugarbaker was really kind of a role model for me. I don't mean that on a deep, formative level, and she didn't so much influence how I thought, but she was a woman who artfully (and with much sass) expressed things that I felt but didn't think you said out loud, at least in polite company.

No one I knew read Betty Friedan or Gloria Steinem, or if they did they certainly didn't share that with me. Even now feminism is a dirty word among many of the women of my generation (a whole other conversation...). And it wasn't just the content of her speeches, it was the delivery as well. Julia just had so much confidence and poise as she asserted her feminism:

"Now, the truth is, we women have not had enough power, or money, or confidence to start much of anything. But we sure as heck get the blame for everything. And I’ll tell you something else! I love men - I love this one in particular - but you cannot ignore history. History has shown that, in general it has been the men who have done the raping and the robbing and the killing and the war-mongering for the last two thousand years.... and it's been the men who have done the pillaging and the beheading and the subjegating of whole races into slavery. It has been the men who have done the law making and the money making and the most of the mischief making! So if the world isn't quite what you had in mind you have only yourselves to thank!!"

It really helps if you can read along with her tone and emphatic expressions, but Designing Women fans are probably able to do so.

And I loved her on politics, too. Regardless of what you thought of them, specifically, she made liberal politics sound intelligent and articulate...and quite possibly compatible with (though not synonymous with) one's Christian faith. Gasp! In my neck of the woods, liberals weren't just people you disagreed with (and you definitely did that), they were people ill-informed, misguided, and pretty darn ignorant about the way the world works. This is no incrimination of the views of anyone in particular, but it was pretty much the consensus of society in general, at least where I spent my formative years. I simply appreciated someone presenting an alternative point of view in a compelling way. Consider this one:

"I do not think everyone in America is ignorant! Far from it!! But we are today, probably, the most uneducated, under-read, and illiterate nation in the western hemisphere. Which makes it all the more puzzling to me why the biggest question on your small mind is whether or not little Johnny is gonna recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning! I'll tell you something else, Mr. Brickett. I have had it up to here with you and your phony issues and your Yanky Doodle yakking! If you like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance everyday then I think you should do it! In the car! In the shower! Wherever the mood strikes you! But don't try to tell me when or where I have to say or do or salute anything, because I am an American too, and that is what being an American is all about! And another thing... I am sick and tired of being made to feel that if I am not a member of a little family with 2.4 children who goes just to Jerry Falwell's church and puts their hands over their hearts every morning that I am unreligious, unpatriotic, and un-American!! Because I've got news for you, Mr. Brickett... all liberals are not kooks, anymore than all conservatives are fascists!! and the last time I checked, God was neither a Democrat nor a Republican! And just for your information, yes I am a liberal, but I am also a Christian. And I get down on my knees and pray everyday ---- on my own turf — on my own time. One of the things that I pray for, Mr. Brickett, is that people with power will get good sense, and that people with good sense will get power... and that the rest of us will be blessed with the patience and the strength to survive the people like you in the meantime!!"

And the craziest thing is that the show was so mainstream. It was a family friendly comedy - about the South, no less, and was well received there. She was subversive in a very "safe" format, I suppose. Anyway, all that gave me a different picture of what women could be and it made me think about what kind of woman I wanted to be.

I have other women in my life who have done that, and have formed much more central traits and virtues in my life, but Julia Sugarbaker must be numbered among the women to whom I'm indebted. So yeah, I admit I was a little sad to get the news. Many thanks to Dixie Carter for enfleshing this character in a way so feisty and so warm. I loved every minute.

Coleman got me season one of Designing Women on dvd for my birthday this year. I think perhaps I'll watch an episode of that today and think good thoughts about women. I'll imagine my sweet daughter growing up in a world where women are esteemed and empowered, where her work (whatever that may be) is valued and not exploited, where her ministry is welcomed, and where it's just a little easier to thrive and flourish as a member of the female sex. And I will recommit myself to living in such a way that it will!

Julia and Dixie didn't do that for me, but they do remind me to keep at it!

Love to all you women, and to all you men who love strong women. And, Dixie, may you rest in peace.

(parts of this are excerpted from a reply I sent to a friend who wrote to see how I had taken the news of her death: thanks for checking on me, Kurt!)

Palm Sunday

I know it's out of order, since I've already posted Easter pictures, but I got such a kick out of Cora's reaction to the palm fronds at church on Palm Sunday that I had to get it on video. At church she was so excited, waving them around and smacking people (usually us, but not always...) in the face with them. As you can see from the force with which she's shaking them, this was not a terribly pleasant experience.

She loved them so much that I brought them home with us and staged a little reenactment, shown here. Daddy's watching basketball, but Cora is more interested in the palm.



By the way, it's my absolute favorite thing when she gets excited about something, opens her mouth super wide and just pants. She's doing it a little here, and it is a riot. The muffled noise you can barely hear when she does it is me stifling laughter. She just cracks me up, I can't help it.

And I don't think that any of that babbling sounded like, "Hosanna!" - but we'll work on it.

Easter

These are some shots we took of Cora in the backyard after church. Isn't she totally working her Easter outfit? I have to confess, I bought this outfit before she was born...before I knew we were having a girl, actually. I had seen it before we were even pregnant (I think) and couldn't stop thinking about it, so when I found it on the clearance rack a month or so later, I had to have it. Turns out, it was the perfect size and season for her Easter ensemble.

She's not really happy in many (any?) of them, but she was quite overdue for a nap and quite hungry, too. Throw in her cutting her first tooth, and see how perky you'd be if I made you pose for some silly pictures!


As you can see, the hair is still wild. The day it lays down is the day Mommy cries.


Doesn't this face just say, "Why don't you pick me up and take me inside to eat? What are you thinking with all this camera nonsense?"



The sweater came with it and was helpful this morning, but by afternoon, it was GORGEOUS outside and we had no need of it. Had to get it in the pictures, though!

LOVE this one! Even though it's an "oops" picture, her expression is just hilarious. Classic Cora.



Fortunately, I forgot to put this on her when we went to church. It matches perfectly - white flower with green center, green leaves - but I think she's going to have to grow into it! Aunt Brittany bought her some more reasonably sized flowers, so I think she's going to have to continue wearing those for awhile yet.




Yeah, Mommy didn't have time to fix her hair for church, but what else is new? I prefer to think of it as taking a style cue from Cora and going for that wild, unkempt look. I'm pretty sure she pulls it off better than I do, but I'll work on it.

And no, I promise that we won't spend every Easter focused on her outfit. We will spend it contemplating and celebrating the miraculous moment of resurrection that brings the Lenten season to a joyous close, and attempting to grasp the vastness of what it means that "Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!" and how to live our lives in light of that amazing truth.

...but she IS cute.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Baby Loves the Camera

The other day, I was trying to catch Cora pulling up on video so you can see how she works her vertical magic. However, the child kept seeing the camera and getting distracted. I'm telling you, the second she saw it, she forgot all about what she was trying to do and made a beeline for the lens.

As seen here, she tries to stand up using the glass shelves of the entertainment unit to work her way up, but not before she takes time to gnaw on the middle shelf for a little while. You also get a glimpse of her semi-autonomous standing efforts, where she tries to stand up without help. If she moves much past the little tripod position you see here, things get pretty dicey and often end with a kaboom.



The alternate position of choice is two hands on the ground, two feet on the ground, bottom straight in the air. It's hilarious, because she can get into the position, but then can't figure out where to go from there, so she just hangs out in some sort of semi-permanent downward facing dog.

This is taken during the same period, just a little later on, with an attempt to use the drawer handles to propel herself upward. Again, spots the camera and heads straight for her closeup.



And my, what a closeup!

Got Me a Big 'un

Yesterday Cora was weighed and measured. She is one ounce shy of being 20 pounds (woof!) and is 30 inches long. That's right, I said 30 inches.

This officially puts her above the 95th percentile for height at her age (9 months), and the nutritionist said she was "on par with a 13 or 14 month old."

And yes, for those of you doing the math, that does make her almost half my height. My daughter has achieved in only nine months almost half of what it's taken me my whole life to reach.

Secretly, I'm pleased. I've always wanted to be taller (I say I'm a 5'9" girl trapped in a 5'5" body), and as I told Coleman, I think it's healthy to live out your dreams through your children as long as it's something over which they have absolutely no control! I'm not forcing her to become skilled at something I had wanted to do or excel in a sport I never played - but hey, if she's tall, she's tall, and I can watch her save all the money I've spent having pants hemmed!

As for her weight, she has dropped down into the 75th percentile-range, but apparently this is largely due to two factors:

1) She is crawling all over the place, pulling up, attempting to stand up, and burning off a lot of calories in all of this activity.

2) The current growth chart is skewed to track formula fed babies. As the nutritionist said, it ought to be set for breastfed babies, making this the norm, and then comparing formula fed babies to that chart, but it's not. At least not right now. However, she said that the effect of this is that around 9 months, breastfed babies appear to take a dive, weight-wise, but are actually still right on track for growth.

So, be not alarmed that my chunky monkey has dropped from 90th to 75th percentile for weight. She's looking a little skinny these days, but she's healthy.

And we're mobile!!

Cora started crawling recently! After weeks of being "stuck in reverse," as Coleman called it, she finally got some forward motion. We were both home at the time - Cora was upstairs with Coleman and I was downstairs with my small group. Coleman came and got me, so we got the first fledgling scoots on camera. Here are the highlights:



If you listen close, you can hear me gasp every time she gets her knee moving forward. I'm sure all parents go through this, but it is so wonderful and humbling to watch this little person learn something new - to discover she's able to do something she's never done before. It's amazing, and our life is full of these little miracles these days.

This may be crawling by fits and starts, but you should see her now! She's a crawling machine. Actually, she's pretty much over crawling by now. The very night she started crawling (the night in the video), she also started trying to stand up. It was like, crawling - done. Now onto the next one! I'll try to get a video of her pulling up soon so you can see.

In the meantime, prayers for us as we try to keep up with Cora and keep her safe. We've got gates and babyproofed cabinets and outlet plugs, but she somehow finds things we didn't even know to be afraid of. In fact, she's obsessed with power cords and her favorite game is to try to get them in her mouth before we can get there to stop her. This whole parenting thing is pretty terrifying, isn't it? And I'm pretty sure it just gets more dangerous from here on out. Am I right?