Hollaback Girl

A few weeks ago, I promised pictures of Cora and her first tastes of solid foods. Let me begin by saying that I don't know what all the rice cereal hype is about. Cora concurs. She didn't even eat a true bite of the stuff. "Mostly milk on a spoon? No thanks."

But oh bananas (and you thought beans were the magical fruit)!!! She can't get enough of them. We've tried avocados, apples, strawberries, green beans, pears, green peas, and carrots. She'll eat all of them as long as there is a banana chaser. I must admit that bananas are the ideal "first food"; they are convenient because they come in there own packaging and are easily transformed into "baby food". But everyone is worried that she might be getting too much of a good thing. So far, things seem to be "working out", if you catch my drift.

In other news, Cora has mastered the art of rolling over. She's been doing this trick for several weeks now, intermittently. The true problem arose when she began to rollover, from her back to her tummy, at night. We've been drilled to ALWAYS put her on her back to sleep, but she wouldn't stay there. After a rough couple of nights, we called the pediatrician's office and they suggested this trick with the towels. So far, it works.

Happy Valentine's Day

Last year on February 14th, we told our parents that they were going to be grandparents. It marked the end of keeping the hardest secret I’ve ever kept, and the beginning of our new, wonderful life. Love for this little baby was in the air long before she was even born. We took a Hallmark-manufactured holiday and made it truly something to celebrate.

While I was pregnant, Cora was growing and developing tremendously. I, too, was growing, thanks in part to an insatiable ice cream craving. But mostly my body was changing to accommodate the developing life within. During regular prenatal visits, the medical staff would measure my fundal height to make sure Cora was on track. My growing belly served as reassurance that everything was okay and a constant reminder that soon we would be parents. Often, people would see the baby bump and comment or give me advice. Most frequently I would hear about how my life was going to change. Without prior knowledge or experience, this is something that I naively thought I understood.

Now that she’s here I realize that indeed, life has changed. How foolish to think I think I was prepared for this little bundle and the catalyst she has become in my life. It is truly something that you can’t prepare for. It’s wonderful. It’s indescribable. It’s immeasurable. I've fallen in love again. My heart is growing by leaps and bounds, but this transformation isn’t as obvious to the average passerby-unlike those days where my belly served as physical marker to the world that tremendous change was occurring.

Whenever life starts getting to me, I look at that little, cherub face, and all my troubles melt away. I hope Cora knows, without reservation or special occasion, she is loved. She's my Valentine everyday of the year.

Happy Valentine's Day, baby bird!

4 Month Check Up

Coming from a background of having pets and not babies, we mistakenly refer to Cora's pediatric appointments as "trips to the vet". I'm still not sure if we call her shots "vaccines". I think "immunizations" is more appropriate. Speaking of doctors and shots, Cora had her 4 month check-up today. She’s a whopping 13 lbs., 13 ozs. and 25.5 inches! From all accounts, she is perfect. Sure, I am biased, but the doctor (an expert) has confirmed it. She’s growing. She’s reaching all of the developmental milestones appropriate for her age. She is adorable. She’s thriving. This is such affirmation for us rookies. We must be pretty good at this parenting thing. Either that or our baby is impervious to our incompetence. It’s probably too soon to tell.

In addition to getting her new stats, she also got her shots/vaccines/immunizations. She took them like a champ. Daniel and I were in pieces. Soon enough she began cooing and smiling, so we were soothed. We even got the green light to start experimenting with some solid foods! Mama Mae has been waiting for this day for the past four months. Finally the girl can eat! Pictures to follow.

Among the other happenings, Cora got to enjoy her first, real snow. Here she is all bundled up.

The storm moved in just in time for me and Daniel to get off work a tad early on Friday. This gave me some time to catch up on some video making and blogging.
I continue to be overwhelmed by the immensity of how much I adore this baby. Sure there are moments when I feel like inquiring about Erlanger hospital's return policy, but the truth is, I wouldn't trade anything for this sweet, little bundle. She made me a mom and Daniel a dad, and for that I am eternally grateful. My hope is that we can make her proud.