Age of Lady Cora: 1 year, 1 month, and 9 days
Family,
1/1 - So New Years Day was bloody FREEZING!!!! Cora screamed out at 5:40. I ran in there to try and comfort her, but come to find out she still asleep and just crying out. And while she made it until 7:20, the Sneetch and I were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at that point. In a cute moment, however, K did say, "Dada, my eyes are watering. Maybe it's because I miss Mommy and Sweetie Pie." Cute.
The day was honestly a great one but a blur. We didn't leave the house, but we did watch PLENTY of football. UCF won a HUGE game against Auburn, and I watched that while juggling lunches, nap times, snacks, and playing the occasional round of cards or tumblin' monkeys. Once again the tablet was a HUGE help, as that gave me the distraction I needed during what was one of the most EPIC 4th quarters I have ever seen (GO KNIGHTS!). I ended up in bed by 10 PM (got the girls down RIGHT AT 7, as both were exhausted). Cora slept great all day, but she's clearly fighting something. I had to slay some dragons and do the Nose Frida, which of course Cora hates (but it was SUPER productive and got a ton out). Selfishly I will say that I am just PRAYING I stay healthy between now and the 50K on Saturday. It looks like it's going to be freezing, and I don't want to deal with illness on top of that. Every time Cora coughed right in my face (which was OFTEN!), I cringed just a little (selfish, I know - forgive me girls!). K's nose was a faucet all day, but she seemed to feel fine. I mean, when you have your tablet, hot chocolate, and white chocolate, what can really go wrong, right?
1/2 - Today was a quiet one, as I returned to work and JT returned home from ATL. K finally got a bit of normalcy back, as she went to gymnastics and enjoyed herself (wearing a leotard this time!). She apparently did a forward roll on the balance beam. How cool is that? Oh, and K's new spot to play her tablet? The teepee - too cute.
Girls were down by about 7:30 - SO NICE to have Wife Muffin home again! Yay!
1/3 - So this was a big day of milestones for Cora, most notably - THE MOVE TO ONE NAP!!!! Admittedly we are just piloting it (as technically it could start as late as 15 months), but given the way our schedules look to be for the foreseeable future, JT thought it would be worth a try. Honestly - I thought it went great. Cora really wasn't too tired (didn't act that way, at least), JT got to go to NOMAD with C in childwatch, Cora then got a great nap, and best of all - with this revised schedule, it was MUCH easier to get her down right at 7 PM (that's a HUGE milestone right there!). This is a win, as it will in turn make mornings much easier as well. Cora has been sleeping about 12 hours, and dropping the nap should help propel us to a solid 7-7 schedule for her sleeping.
Also - the nugget is really starting to drink her milk better from a sippy cup, which is great news. JT is going to look at getting her a cup with a straw as well to see if that helps increase intake, as right now we don't think she's getting the expected 16 oz of whole milk that the Peds says she needs. That being said, between the full bottle at night, sippy cups during the day, and a yogurt for breakfast, we know she's close. There's always something to consider!
The one hiccup for Cora was at lunch, when she suddenly got SUPER fussy out of nowhere (I mean, these were angry screams even by her standards). JT took her up to put her down for her nap (and suck out her nose), and then that girl had a BIG vomit (largely purple, filled with blueberries, in case you're curious...). It was in her hair and everything, resulting in an immediate bath. But the good news - she was fine after that and slept "like a baby" that night, so it must have just been something that disagreed with her tummy.As for the Goose - it was back to pre-school today! That's a win for everyone. :-) We also managed some good Wii time in the late afternoon. I will say - the routine and normal schedule are SO NICE, as I am definitely a better dad when I know there is dedicated, scheduled, compartmentalized, and - most especially - focused time in my role of "dada." Yesterday was fun for me, and it felt like the whole family thrived being back in a routine.
1/4 - Guess who is now feeding her self pouches!?!?!? That's right, sports fans - Cora has moved onto the next level of self feeding! I mean, it's not exactly Usain Bolt speed, but hey - it's definitely a step in the right direction. Oh, and another big milestone for the Nugget: the end of the baby bath! That's right - no more bathing separately in separate tubs at separate times! We now have the girls in there together. Both of them seem to absolutely love it. Cora enjoys the bath anyway, but getting to play and splash with sister is pretty much her idea of Heaven. And K is cute too, as she always asks JT, "Can we take a bath together at the same time, mommy?" Growin' up! So the new activity in the evening has become "the Giant Baby game." I think I mentioned this one previously, but basically this entails mommy (the giraffe) and daddy (the T-rex) and their 16 kids (the hatchimals) trying to navigate life in a cabin where a) there is a mermaid who lives in and flooded the ground floor, b) a glider is the only means of transportation (it's a coat hangar), and c) Cora comes in and destroys the house regularly. K enjoys it, and Cora also seems to smile and like being involved.
On the K front, the cold has really been driving me batty lately, as it's really cut into our ability to get outside and get exercise. She really does want to ride her bike, and I want to strike while the iron is hot and she's motivated on that front. Swimming is difficult right now as well, as it's SO BLOODY COLD! But hopefully things will warm up soon (once the "bomb cyclone" moves away).The other random points to note - K keeps trying to kiss me on the lips (she kisses JT on the lips). I always tell her "only mommy gets to do that," but it doesn't stop her from trying. She has also said that she wants to marry me, but considering she's also said she wants to marry JT and my sister Pattie, I think we can assume she's not serious. ;-)
The last thing - every night after the plan, K climbs into bed and gets under the covers. JT then lays on top of her to "protect her" from daddy, who is out to tickle her. Once that is done, K always says, "I want to whisper something to you," and that secret is invariably, "Tickle mommy." When JT asked K why she wants daddy to tickle her, she responded, "To get you used to being tickled!" Too cute. And Muffin - you have been a trooper. :-)
1/5 - It's lunchable Friday! Funnily enough, K was very specific that she "only wanted a lunchable in her lunch box. When asked why, she said, "I always try to finish my lunch but never have enough time." We were concerned upon hearing this that perhaps we were giving her too much food, but when we found out that she was actually racing everyone in class to see who could finish eating first, we realized her Machavellian plan. Clever girl...(and for the record, she did finish her meal before time was up, but she was NOT the first person done in the race :-)).
On the Cora front, bad news - our baby has a double ear infection!!! She had been really fussy the last couple of days, and JT sensed it was time to check in and find out what was wrong. Sure enough - the doctor confirmed that she had fluid in both ears (it was just one previously) and prescribed a 10 day run of amoxicillin. Add to it the fact that C appears to be cutting her HUGE molars in the back (this girl is a teething machine!), and you have a recipe for one extremely fussy baby. She's been stuffed up as well, but I have to give JT a TON of credit here, as Jenny has been a warrior on the snot sucker front. Seriously - I did it those few days while she was in ATL, and I now fully appreciate what she does for this kid on a nightly basis. Best mom ever!
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| So happy when mommy holds her... |
And on the K front, the Zyrtec really seems to be helping. I was a skeptic at first, but when we never could get her nose to stop running (you could always see snot), I was ready to try anything. There's no question that she's now coughing, blowing her nose, and wiping her nose less (all good things!). Also, we found a video of K reciting "Merry Creature Christmas" when she was almost 2 - TOO CUTE! It's amazing how much her vocabulary and pronunciation have changed - she's speaking so much clearer! Right now my favorite word she can't really pronounce is "something", as she says "some-pling." I mean, too cute.
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| Not so much with dada... |
1/7 - Move over Giant Baby game...HELLO, TWISTER!!! That's right, party people - Granny A bought Twister for Team Taylor for Christmas, and we have been battling it out ever since. I was still too sore post 50K to do it (I did try but almost instantly collapsed - from my arms oddly enough!), but K and JT had several fun rounds. K is obviously a bit small for some of the big reaches, but she has already gotten VERY creative and demonstrated some great flexibility out of the gate. What is funny - when she really has to stretch, she tends to drag her foot or hand that is still attached, often bringing the board with it. The net result is that, by 9 or 10 spins, K's section of the mat has shrunk substantially. :-) But give her credit, as that game isn't easy at her age - especially when competing against JT the gymnast!
The other big news of the day - the play pen has moved to the Christmas Tree room! YES!!!! We have our living room back. WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER, BABY!!!!!!
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| But at least we found the bumblebee costume! |
The evening offered more Twister, and I am pleased to say K is getting more savvy with where she puts her feet. When you look at that game and try it, you realize it really is a workout! Who needs Cross-Fit? :-)
Oh, and on the Buke front, that girl is getting REALLY brave walking around! She is moving faster and is basically running while cruising. She hasn't walked yet, but MAN is she close. One thing that is really random - she keeps BANGING HER HEAD (purposely) on EVERYTHING! The floor, cabinets, beds, the carpet, you name it - sometimes she'll do a slow, controlled thump, but make no mistake - she actually intends to hit her head each time.
1/9 - So this morning I feel CERTAIN that Cora said "mama" for the first time. It was early in the morning, and she was calling "mama" from the crib. I mean, she could have been babbling, but this time I really don't think so! Hey - I am giving her credit whether anyone else does or not. :-)The good news - Buke is still taking meds great. However, today we did have a bit of a setback. I showed up from the office, and there was laughter in the kitchen. Sure enough, Buke had apparently been screaming and fussy for about thirty minutes and had just PUKED HER BRAINS OUT AT THE TABLE. The good news - ALL of it had filled up a) her tray and b) her bib - NOTHING hit the floor! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! And the good news - after that she was much better, and she still ate good at dinner (and slept great that night). We're not sure what the problem was, but we haven't had any incidents like it since. Cora definitely has been pooping more, but that's most likely a bi-product of the antibiotics. That being said, she poops 2-3 times a day anyway, so perhaps I'm just more aware of it. :-)
Other big news for Cora - I watched her take 2 steps today!!!!!! She absolutely took two steps, smiling and laughing the whole time. She's definitely smiling and laughing more now, but make no mistake - she is NOT happy when you stop her once she's in motion. This girl has an intrepid spirit, and when you intercept her, she is NOT best pleased. Such passion! :-)
Also, tonight was another big night, as we moved down to 6 oz for the evening bottle! That's right, folks - were are VERY near the end on the bottle front. And while I do love the quiet time feeding Cora, I won't missing washing and prepping those puppies. Plus, Cora is getting quite feisty during the evening feeds (slapping the bottle, slapping me in the face, etc), so I think she's about ready to be done with it as well.1/10 - 3 steps today!!!! She let go upstairs in our room at our doorframe and walked three steps before plopping down! I mean, she's basically letting go and running full speed like a bull in a china shop, but they are definitely steps. Exciting!
Oh, and we started brushing Buke's teeth tonight! Yay! That girl has got a full mouth of them - especially given the loch ness monster that's rising in the back (HUGE molar).
1/11 - So an interesting observation that JT has noticed. When Buke poops, she comes crawling after us, trying to let us know that she's just dropped a Steamer. I didn't notice it, but JT has made the connection (and charted it successfully!).
And a classic moment for me: Today I thought I was being father of the year when I was up early with the kids. Well, I get Cora into her seat and make her a sippy cup of milk, and I was SO PROUD of how I'd finally managed to snap everything into place. However, Cora didn't seem to be making much progress, at point point even turning it upside down. I didn't think much about it until I pulled the same cup out at lunch. JT watched her for a second and then said, "Wait, Cora - where's the straw?" THAT'S RIGHT, CAMPERS - "father of the year" had sort of forgotten that you actually needed SOMETHING IN THE MILK TO BRING THE MILK UP. Details...
#genius#societyisbetternowthatI'msnipped
1/12: So a GREAT quote from K today. We are playing with her giraffe toy after pre-school when she announces, "Dada, show and tell was G today, and I wanted to bring my giraffe." I mentioned that we'd discussed show and tell earlier in the week, at which point she told me she wanted to bring the book "Good Night, Gorilla." When I mentioned that, she replied without missing a beat: "I'm going to name my giraffe Jo-Jo the giraffe so I can bring him in for show and tell when we do J." Talk about a clever way to get what you want - well done, my street smart child!Oh, and her other quote for the ages: "Dada, I have Sweetie Pie (mom's cat that sleeps with her) in my heart instead of Jesus." Needless to say I have started trying to course correct this one...
1/13: HUGE MILESTONE: the end of the bottle!!!!! That's right, sports fans - tonight was Cora's last ever bottle of milk before bed. Now granted, we are still doing the sippy cup at night with milk, so she's still got something to drink (and she is LOVING the sippy cup, for the record). All of the "perfect schedule" books said that we needed to drop it between the 1 year and 15 month mark, and so we just decided to go cold turkey. The good news (as I'm writing this on a delay) - she was GREAT about it, has been taking her sippy really good, and hasn't seemed to miss it. Truth be told, it was almost become awkward for her, as it appeared like she was forgetting how to suck from the bottle and having to relearn each evening. She was spending most of her time with sippy cups instead of the bottle anyway, and since a) she was doing well with those and b) wasn't getting this bottle as a primary source of calories anyway, we just decided to pull it. So happy with the results!
On the Kaitlyn front, we have officially started the mandate that K must try to wipe herself first after she poops. She still yells out "Wipe me, please!" Whenever she finishes, but now she is starting to try (and even have some success). I don't think they help at preschool and am certain they won't at kindergarten, so it's imperative we get this one right over the next 7-8 months! You can tell K doesn't love it since she doesn't feel she's "good at it," but I'm sure we'll get there. In her defense, it's a long way down there, and those arms aren't that long. :-)
That evening was church, and it was a TREMENDOUS service. You know those moments when you ask God to speak to you and He does almost instantly? Yeah, it was one of those nights. During the prayer time, I opened up to God and asked Him to help me be a better parent, as I'd felt I'd been average at best of the past few days (maybe weeks). When I said, "Flood me with You," the music suddenly rose to a crescendo, and I got chills (it was AWESOME). Then, the next lyrics in the song were "A hundred billion mistakes are washed away." Yes, I had tears in my eyes. Yes, it was a God moment. and YES - it has absolutely made parenting more fun and easier since that moment.
1/14 - So a big milestone was reached at Toast today - for the first time ever, Kaitlyn went into the bathroom and used it all by herself! I wasn't expecting this, but as I was walking out of the bathroom, I saw K running toward me. I thought that she wanted me to take her to the bathroom, but she actually wanted to go by herself (first time she's every expressed interest). She actually wanted me to sit down vs. waiting with her (she was not best pleased!), but I stood there with her until she went in. I then sat down, after which time she came running back to the table, telling us it was a success! Grante,d she also told us a) "the toilet paper was a long way from the toilet" (meaning she had to get up), and b) a woman waiting had to tell her to pull her pants up (hilarious - and thank you, mysterious stranger!), but hey - it was a success! So that was good news, and we were quite happy it.
On the way home, Cora fell asleep in her seat almost INSTANTLY (we are talking less than 3 minutes). She was so tired that I was able to transfer her from her seat to the changing table for her diaper (that's NEVER happened), and she even slept THROUGH THE DIAPER CHANGE! It was hilarious, as she had this really cute little smile on her face the whole time. However, she did wake up while transferring to the crib, at which point she wailed like a BANSHEE for about 10-15 minutes. She ended up only sleeping about 90 min that day, but she was a trooper and really well behaved the entire time, so no complaints here!
The day itself was really, really terrific. After praying about being a better parent and being more "present," this day was really SO MUCH BETTER (thank You, Father!). We had lots of smiles today from both kids, and it was just a really fun day. K in particular seemed in really good spirits, and that made me happy (as I feel I have struggled there, as alluded to earlier). Lunch was great (Cora was a bottomless pit, eating for over an hour straight!), and we even had movie night as a family! We watched "Room on the Broom," and K was SO EXCITED. She absolutely loved it, and it was fun to just sit and chill as a family.
On the Cora front, I really do think she has started doing the "all done" sign when she's done with food. That is really cool to see, and Wife Muffin deserves all the credit. Now granted, if you don't realize that she's giving you the sign, she is rather quick to then start throwing EVERY PIECE OF FOOD ON HER TRAY ONTO THE FLOOR, but hey - at least we get a 2 second warning. :-) Seriously, this kid is NOT shy about tossing food on the floor when she's either full, frustrated, or not interested, and lately she has wasted ZERO time dumping every vegetable in sight onto the floor the second it hits her tray. Honestly, if it weren't for blueberries and kiwis, I don't know what we would be feeding this kid!But the other big Cora milestone for this day - all of the bottle washing/dry stuff has now been put away!!!!! Holy Moly!!!!! We have just recovered 780 square feet of counter space! :-) Seriously - to know that my bottle washing days are behind me...that is reason enough for a celebration of Royal Wedding proportions. YAY!
Oh, and the cutest part of the day was probably how it began - as I've probably mentioned, JT and I are doing morning devotional time (both getting up about 6:15 to try and start the day with God before chaos ensues). I pray in the bonus room (I like it dark), and JT prays downstairs (she needs light because she's writing). Well, I came downstairs today, and I saw JT hard at work on her devotional with K right beside her. K, however, wasn't a bother, as she was sitting there with her tablet, happy as a clam. And best of all, thanks to the Troll headphones, she wasn't making a sound. :-) Too cute! Talk about finding ways to treasure Christ with your hands full! Way to go, Wife Muffin!
1/15 - So today was another great one. I was off from work (MLK), and so we headed to NOMAD to start the day. K and Cora were in there at the same time, but K's presence wasn't exactly the soothing effect we expected. It's funny, the consistent theme from the ladies who work in there: She's great as long as you're holding her - she just starts bawling the second you put her down. I guess some things don't change regardless of the environment! And as an update: JT went again on 1/16, and they had to hold her the entire time again. Thank goodness they are willing to do that!
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| K made one for each kid in the class - she drew a picture of her and the classmate, and then she spelled both their names. Too cute. |
I find that I am now standing at K's door a lot before I sack out, listening to her breathe and watching her sleep. I know there will come a time when they will be in bed after me (or not there at all), and I just want to hang on to every second of this window of time.
The highlight of the day for K was Sweet Frog, where she ate so much FroYo that she didn't even want dinner (or brekkie the following morning!). But hey, it was a special - $4 for the cup. Can't argue with that (or with the smile on her face, which my mom rightly categorized as "Pure happiness").
A few more items to note (just general observations):
1. I think Cora really, really loves music. She seems to sway and dance anytime she hears it (especially when mimicking the Mickey Mouse dancing plush), and she often smiles the second she hears a tune. It's SO CUTE, and so I am trying to remember to just always have music on around her.
2. An interesting thing about K: she really, really loves to be tickled (and to roughhouse), but that girl gets hurt and starts bawling EVERY TIME we do something! We've actually had to say no to some activities, as it seems she's always getting injured. I'm not really sure if it's a pain tolerance thing or if she's just not used to discomfort (or if she really does hurt herself that often), but it is something I am monitoring.
3. When K hears something (or does something), so will call out to one parent and repeat it. Once acknowledged, she'll then do the same thing for the other parent, even if we are in the same room. :-) I noticed it probably a year ago, but lately it's seemed to be almost constant.
1/16 - Classic quote from K on this day. Apparently I had some serious red eye going on, as Kaitlyn stared at me while sitting at breakfast and said, "Dada, you have red cracks in your eyeballs." Nice...
1/17 - So today was a crazy one, as we woke up to a very light snow starting. It was supposed to kick off about 1 AM, but by 5:30 not much had accumulated on the ground. It got progressively heavier, so much so that I decided to leave early for the airport (left at 2 instead of 2:45). So everything that happens between now and 7:17 PM on 1/22 is information collected from my wife and via text/FaceTime. Get ready for an adventure...
Before I left (preschool was cancelled, so K was home), K and JT went out to play in the snow. K looked cute as could be, as she had about a million layers on (let's face it - we get snow once a year down here, so it doesn't really make sense to buy cold weather gear when they are growing this fast). They played around a bit, made some snow angels, and walked the golf course. However, within about 20 minutes (and just before I was set to leave), they came back in. I said my goodbyes while Brave was on (K was watching it in her seat and enjoying some popcorn), but K didn't seem too energetic. However, as she'd been fighting a cough for a bit and had been a bit whiny as of late, I just passed it off to her current mood. Either way, I thought all was fine. What I didn't learn until later was that K had actually just spiked a temperature of 103.5! K kept complaining that she was either cold or hot, and then she started complaining about pain in her legs and her side. I had texted JT from the airport to ask what she thought was wrong, and Jenny's assessment was that she was likely sick - the question was whether or not the flu had wandered into our house. K managed to fall asleep with pain meds that night, but things were definitely not trending good.
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| Day of the diagnosis. Poor thing. |
1/18 - K woke up at 2:47 AM in pain. With some meds, she managed to go back to sleep, but she was clearly hurting. School was cancelled again (not that K would have gone anyway), but the ice on the roads meant that they were snowed in and couldn't get to the Peds. Jenny called the Peds, who thought it might actually be strep vs. the flu. They told her to monitor K's temp - anything above 105 was an immediate trip to the ER. Luckily that never happened (although she did hit 103.8!).
The day must have been miserable. K was apparently in so much pain that she couldn't even walk from her chair to the breakfast nook - Jenny had to carry her! The heartbreaking quote of the day - after JT had carried her to the table, K said while sobbing: "I just want to stop crying! It hurts when I cry but I can't stop!" Poor thing. After that, K talked to some other moms, who suggested that K be quarantined for the rest of the day. The tablet was a LIFESAVER - THANK YOU, VOL NANA!!!! Honestly, I don't know what we would have done without that, as it kept K's attention all day. She watched a ton of Daniel Tiger and has now discovered Martha Speaks (she can sing almost the entire theme song, for the record!).
1/19 - School was cancelled AGAIN due to the weather, but the good news is that the roads were MUCH better today. K's appointment with Dr. Knutson was in the morning, and I was out hiking with no service. Well, I returned to the world to find a text informing me that my oldest daughter had PNEUMONIA!!!!! Luckily it was the walking kind (vs. the hospitalization kind), but still - poor thing! Jenny sent me a photo (included) of them at the doctor's office in masks, and K just looked so wiped. Poor thing was first tested for flu (negative) and then tested for strep (negative). Dr. K said, "the only other thing it could be is pneumonia," which meant that they had to go next door to urgent care for a chest x-ray! Poor K was so weak that JT had to hold her arms up during the x-ray.
After the diagnosis, K came home, had some meds (2 kinds, including 12.5 ml's of amoxicillin 2x daily!), and took a nap. She rested most of the day, and the good news is that everyone slept that night. The medicine (both kinds) were apparently retched, and JT said getting her to take them was a NIGHTMARE.
1/20 - K woke up feeling MUCH better this morning - THANK YOU, FATHER!!!! I could tell during FaceTime, as she was talkative and already had more energy. Jenny said that the change over the course of the day was AMAZING, so much so that they actually managed to get outside for a bit! I was on the phone when JT tried to give K her meds - she spit them out twice! Luckily, the doctor said she'd managed to get enough in her, and since then she has taken ever dose (and is done with the really gross stuff). This was such a relief to me. The weather was better (high 60's), K was feeling SO much better, Buke was still feeling healthy, and JT was definitely in better spirits. She had been a ROCK STAR through this whole thing - parent of the year!
1/21 - Team Taylor (the X Chromosome Division) was back in action and out and about today! K had been fever free since Friday, meaning that she was no longer contagious. They went to Publix, where they got a balloon, a cookie, grape flavoring for the amoxicillin (must have been a game changer), and the miracle elixir for bad medicine - Hershey's Chocolate Syrup! Seriously - I had never heard of this, but apparently this is the ultimate "mom hack" to get kids to take medicine. Sure enough, after taking a swig of chocolate, K took the meds like a champ (and chased it with another swig of chocolate for good measure :-)). They then cleaned the wagon and got outside, making it all the way to the park! Yay!!!! Muffin Puffin - you are the BEST WIFE EVER!!!!!! Seriously - ROCK STAR STATUS FOREVER.
The rest of the day must have been much better (minus the 20 minute ordeal of getting K to take the medicine, and everyone seemed in MUCH better spirits. K even made an "invention," where she created a zip line using a bucket and a balloon. It was actually pretty creative, so I tip my cap. And JT confirmed that K's appetite has returned with a vengeance! I will say that I have seen it in action, and she's definitely back to her old self. She was 51.6 lbs when this started, but at the doctor's office on Friday, she weighed in at 48.4 - that's a big drop! I have watched her the last couple of nights (I am writing this on 1/24), and she's been a great little eater. Last night she (and Buke) were both bottomless pits!
1/22 - So after what probably felt to JT like an ETERNITY, Sammy the Bull finally arrived back home around 6 PM this evening. I made it home at 7:17, and then crept up the stairs and into K's room (where she and JT were reading). When K saw me, her face lit up. She then ran over to me and proceeded to give me the BIGGEST hug I have ever received from her. It. Was. Magic. Seriously - she hugged me so tight and didn't even think of letting go...until she did, turned around, and said "Back scratch." Too cute! And then when she wanted to show me her invention downstairs, she took my hand and walked down the stairs with me (first time in probably 2 years, back when she actually needed me to hold it).
But it wasn't just K (and Jenny) who were happy to see me - I actually got smiles from the Nugget! That's right, sports fans - Cora crawled over to me and wanted to craw all over me! She had a big smile on her face, and she lit up when I picked her up. I was really missed! Talk about an amazing feeling. There was so much love (and relief!) in that room, and it was just incredible. I was very ready to be home, and having that chance to see my girls and hug them that evening was just such a blessing. And I was even treated to a show, as Buke walked 4 steps!
And one of the most amazing parts of all of it - as I walked past K's room that night, I noticed something I hadn't heard in probably 5 months: silence. K wasn't snoring anymore! She was breathing peacefully and sleeping soundly, and these last few days she's slept better (and longer) than at any point over the past few months. That medicine (whatever it was) truly helped, as I think there's a reality that K's carried a cough/infection/sinus problem with her for months, but not until it morphed into pneumonia did anyone realize it and then tackle the problem. I am SO THANKFUL that she's truly on the mend. The Peds did say that kids her age are only allowed pneumonia once before we have to start looking to see if something else is going on, so we are praying it doesn't come to that. Honestly, I think it's just a matter of getting her healthy and keeping those tubes in place so she can drain that fluid. But regardless - I'm not worrying about that right now. I'm celebrating the fact that she's healthy!!!!
Also, she got to go back to preschool today, where she was finally able to hand out the cards she'd made for everyone. It was super cute - she had written on a piece of construction paper for everyone, putting two figures (her and the person in question), and then writing her name and their name on it. We didn't spell every name right (look, some of these cats are from India - it's complicated), but she was SO proud of it (and it really was thoughtful). She was all smiles when she told me about it.
1/23 - Cora is changing so fast!!!! Holy Moly, she is smiling SO MUCH more now. Also, she's really starting to walk with confidence, letting go and relying on her arms less for balance. Standing is really a non-issue now, and she is taking 2-4 steps at a time (sometimes, anyway :-)). She is becoming a toddler right before our eyes, smiling more, trying new foods, gaining confidence, and moving faster! That little personality is definitely starting to come out! Also, she had her first ever hot dog (turkey dog) tonight and LOVED it. That kid was (again) a bottomless pit! Credit to JT here again, as she is constantly introducing new foods to Cora. Way to go, Wife Muffin!
1/24 - Another great day in the books! Cora actually did the "More" sign at dinner! It's funny - she still isn't talking, but she will make different grunting noise and smile super wide when you repeat the noises back to her. Her favorite food remains (beyond a shadow of a doubt) blueberries, but she has been enjoying some of the other items that JT has introduced. Also, Cora walked 4 steps today!!!! Seriously - that girl is ON THE MOVE. Every day she's getting sturdier and braver, and pretty soon she's just gonna take off in a full on sprint! Very exciting things are happening around here!
We played Tumblin' Monkeys for the first time in a while tonight - so much fun! K actually won twice, and Jenny got a win as well (I got absolutely CRUSHED). We had a lot of fun, and I have to say that I have really, REALLY enjoyed my family time since returning home. I landed back from Vegas more refreshed than I had been in a long time - mind, body, and soul (who says that about Vegas?!?!?!?!), and it really helped to put things into perspective for me. Right now my focus is ensuring I give both children quality time. Obviously I have to interact with them differently at the moment given where they are at in their development, but I still want to ensure I am focused on each so that they both know how much I love them and want to be with them (I should note that Cora is SCREAMING in her crib as I type this :-)). Life has been frenetic over these past few weeks, and even as I type this it feels like I'm barely doing justice to everything that's happening. However, this is one of those "present over perfect" moments where I am just trying to do what I can as the recorder, knowing that actually living the moment is better than blogging about it later.
Oh, and random administrative item - we started giving Cora some Eczema lotion tonight for her upper arms and cheeks. So far it does seem to be helping! It's likely the keratosis polaris that she inherited from me, so hopefully she'll grow out of it. Sorry, kiddo! You're still adorable!
1/25 - Tonight was dinner at the Riveras (for the girls, anyway - I was uptown and then had a service event). JT said it was a blast and that K was really, really good. K was even a good babysitter and watchdog, twice telling Brennan that the place he was playing (on a half wall and on a table) wasn't safe. Suffice it to say that, while K might push buttons within the confines of these four walls, she is very respectful in the "real world" (which makes me very, very happy and proud).
Also, big news for Buke - today, for the first time EVER - she actually played on the ground at Nomad for a bit in child watch vs. having to be held the entire time! Apparently it was only for the briefest of moments and happened right at the end of the shift before JT came by to pick her up, but it did happen - PROGRESS!!!! Apparently they finally set her down, and she proceeded to dump out an entire container of blocks. #wreckingballintraining :-)
1/26 - So today was Show and Tell at school, and K was THRILLED about it. It was the letter S, and from the moment she learned that, there was no question what she was going to bring to school - Skye (from Paw Patrol)! Seriously - she put Skye in her backpack on Monday so she wouldn't forget it, and on Friday she even dressed in her Skye outfit! It was cute.
What was NOT cute, however - SIBLING RIVALRY!!!!! HOLY MOLY!!!!! So I had never seen this, although JT had warned me she'd seen it in action previously. So here's how it went down - I was playing with Kaitlyn (some toys and a little make believe) when Cora walked over. K says, "Make her go away." When I say now, she says, "I don't like babies any more. Get her away! She always ruins my game!" I was shocked, as I had never seen this before. Normally she's great to either play with Cora or fold her into the game (like the Giant Baby game). This time, however, she clearly thought that Cora was either a) cutting into her daddy time, b) messing with her toys, or c) a combination of both, but regardless K was clearly not happy (and summarily quite frumpy). Speaking of K and how she's playing, I have been trying to play more of the games she's interested in (sissy kitties, Sofia figurines, etc.) as of late, but it's tough when anytime I sit to play she says no to everything I do (voices, ideas, actions, plots, etc). That's not me whining - it just gets frustrating when I can't even interact (vs. been fed every action and line). Add in the fact that she is never interested in my suggestions (Wii, bike, playing in the bonus room), and it has been a little tough as of late. However, I am conscious that she needs her space and that it's a game of give and take. Watch this space! :-)
Lastly, she's started watching her tablet in her room (both the morning and evening set). I'm fine with this, as it's still just two 30 minute stretches. It's just funny that she never wants to be more than 15 inches away from anyone until it's tablet time, at which point she will get as far away from you as possible (either her room or the teepee!).
1/27 - In a complete reversal of yesterday's whining, today was AMAZING! Seriously - it felt like old times! We had so many good laughs, played lots of games, you name it - it was just a perfect day.
Some funny moments to record:
1. Kaitlyn is DESPERATE for a clock. Honestly, I have no idea why, but she keeps saying, "If I don't have one, I won't know what time to get up!" I have said more than once: "Just get up when you wake up," but clearly that is the most asinine thing a person can say. JT and I are discussing - likely a birthday present. :-)
2. When I am making food or alone in the kitchen, it is HILARIOUS how the girls interact. Seriously - K will be right behind my legs (total tripping hazard), and Buke is between my legs trying to open the cabinets (and usually pulling on my pants and screaming). We've got 4000 square feet in this house, and three people are taking up exactly 3 feet of it. Insane.
3. The bathroom: I might have mentioned this, but now I am having to lock the door when I got to the bathroom. If I don't, both girls will come in. As it is, they both sit right outside the door and wait for me to come out (K even puts her fingers under the door - I mean...). It is crazy!4. Cora's teeth brushing: Let's just say it's not bloody Shakespeare, but she's getting it. Honestly, she just gets really angry, so you have to wait until she screams. Then her mouth is open, and you can get after that enamel. She'll then start eating the toothpaste (it's training toothpaste), at which point I normally bag it. But again - progress!
5. Cora is really starting to turn the pages when you read to her! Whenever a board book page pops up, she's all over that. The funny part is that, once she gets to the end, she then starts flipping back through the pages the other direction. Too cute.
1/28 - So some BIG WINS to report today! First off, we dropped Cora at church, and she NEVER
CRIED!!!!! She played the whole time and was really content. AMAZING! Second, K did a FLIP TURN AT NOMAD!!!!! I was seriously in shock. Jenny showed her how to do it, and then BOOM - the kid delivered! Little Ledecky strikes again! Side note here - we did a family swim at Nomad, and it was SO MUCH Fun. We all got some exercise, there was no whining, everyone seemed to have fun, and it was just a great bonding experience. My heart was full, and I was great to see K swimming so good in the cold pool (and for so long!). She always gets a little winded out of the gate (just like her dad), but then she rallies and has some serious endurance!
Third - I am going to give K credit: she has officially learned how to brush her teeth! Two days in a row she's really worked all the zones and done quality strokes. So proud of you, kid! When she did it Sunday night and then opened her mouth for me to inspect, I told her I didn't even need to see it, as she had NAILED it. You could tell she was quite chuffed. :-)
1/29 - More big news - NO TEARS FOR CORA AT NOMAD!!!!! She didn't cry when JT dropped her off, and she apparently played by herself the whole time. BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE! :-)
1/31 - So lots of good info to wrap up the month: On the Cora front, she is FINALLY putting up less of a fuss when we brush her teeth. Admittedly she can still get quite ornery when she's exhausted, but now that she knows how good it tastes, she doesn't seem to have any problem with us wedging a piece of plastic with bristles in her mouth. :-) Also, I was reading "Dear Zoo" to her the other night, and I noticed that she knows how to open each flap! It was really cool to watch, as you could see her looking for the indentation and then opening it correctly - I was impressed! Granted, she's still a rabid page turner, but with Dear Zoo she tends to focus more on the flaps. It's honestly amazing how quickly they learn things (and incredible how observant they are). Two other examples - she now knows where the lock is on the top gate, and she has already started reaching for it (trying to open it of course). Also, when she sees a cat in a book, she consistently makes the same sound (which Jenny and I both think is meow). I am not going to score it as a word yet, but it is interesting!
Some other general observations to note: Cora definitely likes being bounced more than K ever did. I can occasionally cajole smiles from Cora when I bounce her (NEVER happened with K). Also, now that we have transitioned out of the romper and into normal clothes (shirts and pants), life is much easier with Cora. It's really amazing what happens at that 1 year mark - rompers, bottles, formula - so much goes away and life becomes SO much easier. Honestly, I like the shirt just because I can check for poops quicker!
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| And so it begins - the reallocation of baby gear. |
And speaking of growing up fast - K actually bathed herself tonight! It's crazy - she's now brushing her teeth and bathing herself on her own (I still have to help with her back and the nether region to ensure they get clean, but that's it).
Some other classic K bits: She is standing beside Jenny the other night and says, "You smell like hash browns!" (she didn't, for the record). It's now become a running joke in the house (K sniffed her last night and said the same thing). Cute.
We are playing the "pretend that you lost me game" pretty much anytime I come downstairs or arrive home (even when I walk in and can see her). She seems to love it, so we will continue (although we are trying to think of ways to phase out "the plan" in the evening - TBD on that front).
Kaitlyn has also started pretending that she's a "kitty robot from Tennessee" when riding in the car with JT. She and Kate even play it together, and Jenny says that her "robot voice" is priceless. She apparently even does the hand motions like the robot!
So there you have it, the month of January in the books. Honestly, this has been the most peaceful, happy, fun filled, God filled January of my entire life, and I am SO SO SO thankful for everything that has been given to me. Life is GOOD! Talk to you all in February - hopefully that groundhog doesn't see his shadow!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
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