A Year

When I snapped the first picture of Cora in this chair it was my intent to capture a shot of her in it each month.  So much for good intentions, right?  I did well in the beginning, but as she became more mobile, it sort of fell by the wayside.  However, I think this series of pictures does show her incredibly growth and development of the last year.  Even though there are 12 pics here, a few were taken in the same month. The late spring is where I kind of left off until July.     

Such a big girl now!

When it's Cute to Jiggle

Jiggle Jiggle Jiggle from Courtney Green on Vimeo.

The Kid Likes Cake

Here is a belated post party wrap up complete with pics and video.  In short, we had an amazing time celebrating Cora's first birthday.  I know she felt loved by friends and family that celebrated with her.  We could not have thrown the party without the generous help of family.  I still can't believe that she is one!

Things started out a little "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to" but quickly turned around.  She just wasn't into sitting still on the couch for a photo when there were so many fun friends around.

 Cora and Liam loved all the party food.  Cora ate her body weight in watermelon.

She also figured out the present opening a little quicker than at Christmas.  She received some great new toys and has loved playing with them lately.  This book is one of her favorites that we must read EVERY morning upon waking.

We put up a few fun decorations and went with cupcakes and a mini cake for Cora.  Mom helped me make a "Cora is One!" banner for the fire place.  Cupcake making kicked off at 6:30 a.m. the day of her party.  At first I wasn't going to make a separate mini-cake and thought that a cupcake for her would suffice.  Somehow though, I could not keep my inner Martha at bay and decided that she should have something just a little more special.  This decision resulted in one mini bundt cake release fail and a quick trip to Hobby Lobby for Rob and Mom to pick up the mini cake pan.

 

Finally, it was time for cake!  The first bites were a little hesitant, but once she figured out it was something she could actually eat, she loved it!  Look at how proud Daddy was as he gave her the cake.

Birthday 1 from Courtney Green on Vimeo.

Birthday 2 from Courtney Green on Vimeo.

After the cake eating, we moved the party to the backyard for swinging and baby pool swimming.  I will never forget this day and am grateful to everyone that helped us celebrate.  I wished I would have taken more pictures, but I was busy capturing all the snap shots in my mind.  What a blessed year we have had.

Such and Such, This and That

My lack of regular posting these days is not due to subject matter, I assure you. I've temporarily (let's hope) misplaced my camera cord so I haven't been able to upload any pictures to my computer. The posts that I currently have planned revolve around pics of baby covered in cakey crumbs and icing as well as some footage of wobbly toddler walking (YEA!!! I think).

So stay tuned and I'll be back as soon as I can! I'll get Rob on the case STAT. He is pretty good at finding the things I've misplaced. I guess it is because he gets plenty of practice.

Back to the Beginning

 

Well my precious child, we’ve been all the way around the sun together and what a journey it’s been.  When I think about your first year of life a tsunami sized swell of emotion washes over me.  I’ve experienced the feelings of joy and love before, but being a mother amps those feelings up to unprecedented proportions.

Time has passed much too quickly and now you are on the brink of slipping into toddlerhood, no longer the tiny, glassy-eyed helpless newborn you greeted us as.  I think you are teaching us much more than we are teaching you.  There is much wisdom in your big blue eyes.  You have a way of looking into the eyes of others as if you are contemplating what is deep within.  More than one person has called you an old soul. 

I’ve tried to impress the lovely “baby” things about you into my brain so they won’t be lost forever as you grow.  The wispy locks that curl around your ears, the peace in your face as you sleep in my arms, the feel of your skin as I rock you.  You’re gonna be a big girl someday, but I can always cling to these little things. 

You are more vocal than ever lately constantly babbling, “ma-mah, tda-tda, bye-bye, baby, puppy, ruff ruff, yeti, diaper, uh-oh, popo” and other words audible only to our Cora tuned ears.  Your giggle is infectious and your squeals of delight at the wonders around you fill my heart.  Your face breaks into a luminescent beam at the sight of your daddy, and I know how you feel.  He makes me happy too.

We, your Daddy and I, are settling into being parents.  The shockwave of the early newborn phase faded and we look forward to new daily adventures.  You are just now starting to really get into things.  A couple of weeks ago you were “cleaning out the pantry” and ripped a tea bag open spilling aromatic leaf bits everywhere.  If the dog bowl is down in the kitchen, you kick your crawling into turbo gear straight towards it for a quick splash, and meal times are certainly getting more interesting as you start to use utensils other than your fingers. 

Watching you reach new milestones is tantamount to what Americans must have felt when Neil Armstrong bounced across the Moon.  A few nights ago, you took several wobbly steps across the living room and my heart nearly burst through my chest.  I know your daddy wanted to jump out of the chair and throw a few fist pumps, but we had company and politely contained ourselves.

I will never forget the way you felt in my arms in those first weeks all swaddled in muslin, face shifting between newborn grunts, sleepy sighs and tiny smiles and frowns.  I will never forget the way you feel in my arms now, either.  A not quite toddler, substantial in my arms yet still vulnerable.  Able to hug back and nestle your head in the safe spot between my neck and shoulder. 

Cora, we love you!  HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!