The ups and downs

Parenting seems to be full of ups and downs. Or maybe, I am just an emotional new mom and so it seems that way. Last night, Coranelle went to her first restaurant for dinner with us as we met the family to celebrate Rebecca's birthday. We had been very hesitant to take her to a restaurant because of her frequent evening meltdowns. Knowing that wouldn't be fun for anyone in the family, or anyone else in the restaurant, we hadn't attempted it. But, Coranelle shocked us all and did fantastic. I took her out of the carseat while we were ordering and waiting for the food. She was squirmy and happy. When she started getting fussy, I tucked her into her carseat with the pacifier and she sat happily watching all the comotion. She actually fell asleep! So, Ryan and I got to enjoy our dinners and talking to the family. A definite up!
But, earlier in the day, I had been at a baby shower for a neighbor. Ryan got Coranelle up from her nap and attempted to feed her a bottle. Goodness! Coranelle thought she would rather chew on the nipple than suck. So, he tried a cup, a sippy cup and mixing it with rice cereal. When I came home, the efforts were still going on. I took over and tried the bottle. No luck. After an hour of trying to give her the bottle, both of us were angry and frustrated and gave up. I refused to simply nurse her, so I just waited for an hour. That was a down. Why would a bottle be so difficult. While at the baby shower, I watched the father of a 3 month old feed his son a bottle while walking around and talking to guests. Why is this so hard for Coranelle? What did I do wrong here?
I was also asking myself that question Saturday night at church. We haven't even attempted the nursery for a while because there are so many babies and not enough volunteers. Plus, we were weary of getting called out of the service. So, we have been sitting with Coranelle in the cry room. This weekend, there were 6 other babies in the cry room with us. They were all girls, ranging in age from 10 days to 10 months. All of them sat happily through the service or slept. Not my baby. Ryan had to take her out of the cry room and walk around with her in the lobby while she fought sleep. So, I sat by myself through church- which made me really sad. I can't help but wonder why Coranelle has such a hard time relaxing, while all these other babies have no problem. It is very hard to not blame myself and spend time awake at night wondering what I am doing wrong.
We were also told this weekend that Coranelle was not invited to the ceremony of a wedding we will be attending. I understand the desire to not have a crying baby during a ceremony, I do. Yet, it is difficult for me to not feel offended. I have to keep my "mamma bear claws" in check in these situations. I tend to feel that a rejection of Coranelle is a rejection of me and I get offended. I realize that I am being dramatic and this situation is not that big of a deal. Mom and Steve have offered to keep Coranelle during the ceremony and we'll go pick her up and feed her before heading back to the reception. All will work out fine, but I have be more rational and not be upset that someone does not want my baby around on their special day.
At the shower on Sunday, other friends of this expectant mom were asking me about being a new mom. It is so hard to explain this experience and all of the ups and downs. I look back and vividly remember all of the times this summer that I sat on the front steps, crying because Coranelle was screaming and we couldn't calm her down. I remember walking her up and down the path near our house, trying to get her to sleep. I can picture Ryan walking in after a day at work and me telling him I had just put her down for a nap. "How long did it take you to get her down?" He'd ask. "All day", I'd respond as I collapsed on the couch. Only to hear her scream half an hour later. I remember when the lactation consultant told me she had reflux and the horror I felt for not realizing my baby was in pain. The desperation and exhaustion of trying to shout over her screams while at the doctor's office. How do you describe these things? What can prepare you for feeling so utterly clueless and inadequate?
Further, how do you describe the way your heart jumps when you see that first smile? I remember the joy in hearing her laugh at me the first time. How do you describe the way your heart swells when you lift her out of her crib after a nap and she nuzzles against your neck. How about that wonderful feeling when she grabs your fingers and holds tight. I love watching her roll over and grow up and develop. It is so fun to see her grasping for her books and playing with her toys. I get so excited to see her lean towards that spoon and gulp down her carrots and banana. I cannot imagine our house and family without our touchy and spirited child. I would hate a morning that didn't include her little talking and jabbering in her crib and being greeted with a huge grin when I un-swaddle her peanut of a body.
I guess each day is filled with ups and downs. I sigh with frustration when she melts down again in the evening, so tired but so stubborn to fight sleep. Our blood pressure goes through the roof as she rejects the bottle again and again. Yet, our hearts melt when she cuddles up against us and squeals with delight. I suppose you just cannot understand what it's like until you have your own. And your heart feels so much bigger and fuller, but can so easily break when the little ones are not happy.
We'll see what this week brings in my roller coaster of a life. Coranelle started sounding a big congested last night. I can hear flem in her cough. Hopefully, she can fight off this cold quickly. She's saying hello to all of you right now. She is sitting her next to me, playing with her toy and watching me type. I hope you all had splendid weekends!

Zanahorias

Zanahoria- the spanish word for carrot. Today, Coranelle tried carrots, and really seemed to like them. Do you think that is because I love them and eat them every day? Is she somehow used to them because I ate them while I was pregnant and while nursing? Not sure. But, for a touchy baby, she sure didn't miss a beat when I offered them to her today. She'd done alright with squash and yams. Actually, squash was a pain. I offered it to her about 8 times before she finally actually swallowed a tiny amount. She was very dramatic about it too. Gagging and kind of choking. She did better when it was a store bought jar of squash and the texture was perfectly smooth. But, she still would only tolerate a spoonful or two. But, really, so would I. When I tasted it, I couldn't eat more than a spoonful by itself either. With the yams, it depended on the day or time I offered them. Sometimes, she'd eat the whole little thawed out ice cube of them. Other times, she'd turn away as soon as she smelled them. So, what kind of eater will I have on my hands? It will be interesting to see.

Today, it is gorgeous here. Mid 70's and sunny. The last 3 days, I have walked with friends in a t-shirt for almost 2 hours each day. I am soaking up this wonderful weather while it lasts. Later today, I have a "play-date" with a friend that I met at my breast-feeding group. We are meeting at a park to walk around the lake and let the babies hang out together in the sun. This mom used to be worried about her son's weight gain. He is 6 days older than Coranelle and now weighs 17+ pounds. Crazy. I think Coranelle is somewhere near 12 1/2 pounds. It's crazy how different these little ones are. Hopefully, she doubles her birthweight by 6 months.

This past Tuesday, I went to Body Pump at 5:30. Coranelle was a total pill for Ryan. She went down for a little nap for about 15 minutes. Then, she cried. I came home to her crying again! It makes me not want to leave. Ryan was going to try putting her in the swing and she saw me and then started screaming. Red faced, tears, heaving... oh, it's so hard to listen to. I asked if I could hold her for a minute. She calmed down instantly. Ryan encouraged me to put her in the swing so that someone else could calm her. I reluctantly listened and went to throw some dinner together. She screamed and screamed. It was about 5 minutes, but felt like an hour. Ryan decided to take her out and calm her down himself, but it didn't work. He didn't want me to take her right away and so I tried to stand back. After 5 more minutes, I came to take her- unable to listen to her scream anymore. She, of course, was fine once she was in my arms. This stage is making me crazy. Poor Ryan. All he wants to do is come home and love on his daughter, and she just wants to be in my arms. So, we are going to try working on having other people hold her and comfort her so we don't make the problem worse. Any other advice?

Alright, off to make some brownies. After the rec center on Thursdays, we have Josh and Claire over to watch The Office and I try to have treats. Have a great day!

a whole new world

Passed out on me at the party. :-(
The Moms with their May babies.
Not feeling great, but certainly cute!
The monkey we found on our jungle expedition.
Putting Oragel on her gums before heading out to the party.

I've never been so worried in my life as this past weekend when Coranelle had a fever. It is so hard to not make yourself crazy trying to make your little one feel better. But, we made it through her first illness. Coranelle started being extra fussy on Thursday and had a fever by Friday, as well as a horrible diaper rash. Saturday, she was up to a 100.0 temp. We called the on-call nurse and she wanted us to treat it at home, rather than bring her in where everyone else is sick. We let her hang out bare bottomed and kept giving her tylenol. She was certainly not herself and that was the scary part. On Friday, we took her to a halloween party, all dressed up and looking adorable in her monkey costume. She was fussy getting ready and when we got there. I decided to take her over to the couch and sit down because holding her was hard with my heeled boots on. A few minutes later, I looked down and she was asleep. What? That was shocking! My baby doesn't just fall asleep. Yikes, we knew she wasn't herself at all. She was also really pale and not talking or babbling at all. I wanted so badly to make it better, but it is hard to wait it out. Fortunately, Ryan took Friday off and on Saturday, my mom was here for the whole day. So, I had other people around to keep me from being sick with worry! She broke her fever Saturday night and is doing well now. We thought that she might be teething because the combination of the fever, diaper rash, extra stools, and drooling. But, I haven't seen a tooth yet. When she started fighting her naps again on Saturday night, I was so relieved. It was so fun to hear her little talking and see her smiles again. I missed her little personality, as high maintence as she can be. I'd rather have my stubborn daughter than a sick one that is so calm lethargic.

It was really fun to have Ryan home for a 3 day weekend. Because of all of the snow, we couldn't paint until Sunday when it had melted. So, I got to spend 2 days with him, just hanging out. It was wonderful. Friday, we went to the rec center together and later to the mall to get my birthday present. (A little late, I know. But, having a baby and taking on huge house projects makes time a little hard to come by). I now have a fun new swimming suit for our vacation and swim classes and a wonderful new watch. I feel spoiled!

Saturday, my mom came with me to Body Pump at the Rec Center. It was packed, but fun to have her take the class I go to every Tuesday. Then, we spent time trying to nurse Coranelle back to health. Stefan and Rachael stopped by for lunch and my Uncle, Aunt and Cousin came by for a visit too. Ryan and I got to go on a little stroll while mom watched Coranelle. That was the first time I have been on a walk without a stroller or the Bjorn since May! Finally, we went to church with mom. It was fun to have her here with us the whole day!

Yesterday, we tried to tackle more painting. Oh, how do I wish this project was over! We are still not quite done. We have a little trip left on the top of the house in the front and back and I am not sure how we will reach it. I guess I know what we'll be doing next weekend! Next time, we'll pay to have this done. Ryan has worked so hard to get it done and I just want him to have a weekend back!

In other news, I am still feeling like we need to build up our network of young parents. It feels isolating to be the only couple of our friends that have a baby because we are no longer invited to dinners or hangouts. I understand, but it is hard. And, I am so thankful to have met some other moms, but that primarily keeps out the loneliness of the daytime for me. We have started a bible study with another couple who has an 8 month old and that has been good. But, we are having a hard time getting more families to join. We love this couple, but it would be nice to have more of a community and more input.

I have also been struggling to keep my weight stable. I know this is not something many new moms want to hear, but I am being honest. I think the breastfeeding, stress, and constant going going going has made me drop some weight. I am now below my pre-pregnancy weight and my pants and baggy and big. I was pretty happy with my weight before I got pregnant, so this is not intentional. I also really like my pants that I fit into before, so I don't want to keep losing. I am trying to find healthy snacks and eat enough to sustain myself and make sure that Coranelle is getting enough. The scary thing is, that I keep getting comments from people about how good I look. I am sure you are wondering why that is scary. In HS, when I became anorexic, it started like this. I lost a little weight because I was sick and I got so many positive comments, I wanted to keep losing. And so I ended up weighing 85 pounds. When people comment now, I feel like what they are really saying is, "You didn't look good before- but now that you are thinner, you are acceptable". I am not sure that is what they are really implying, but it hurts my feelings that I wasn't pretty before I was pregnant when I weighed a bit more and my legs were bigger. Body image is such a hard thing in today's world and I am tyring so hard to not define myself by my looks or how other people see me. Our pastor's sermon on Sunday was a little bit about Adam and Eve and their shame when they were naked in the garden. It's interesting to think about who told them that they were naked. The snake. Before that, they never had shame. They were defined by God and all was good and perfect. I have to work hard to not let thoughts about weight and beauty define who I am. God created this body and it is perfect- no matter what others perceive or say. I am bound and determined to teach my little girl healthy eating and excersize habits and let her know every day how beatiful she is- regardless of what size she wears or what shape or package she grows up to be. It is very important to me to be a good role model for her.

I will stop my ranting now. I need to finish making our dinner. We are having homemade pizza and a spinach salad. I even got some applesauce for Coranelle to try. She got a taste of mashed up bananas today and loved it. I know... I am supposed to introduce veggies first. And, she has eaten some yams and squash. But, it is so fun to see how excited she gets to have fruit.

snow bunnies

A new outfit from Grams!
Being so tired at Gram's birthday celebration. She fought sleep SOO hard!
Hanging out in the saucer while we painted. (That lasted about 5 minutes)
So, she and I just walked around and talked to all the hard workers.
Admiring the work before the cold and wind blew in.
Coranelle's first snow day. She seemed pretty happy about it!
All bundled up and wearing socks for mittens.We don't have gloves and I didn't expect to need them in October with this foot of snow we are getting.
Falling asleep on me while we watched Harry Potter. This rarely happens anymore, so it was fun. I think the swimming wore her out!


It's been busy in the Mork household, so when today brought loads of falling snow, I was happy for a day at home, without the possibility of outdoor projects and playgroups. This past weekend, we worked as hard as we could to get our house painted. We had 7 family members helping us over the course of the day, and that was awesome. Ryan's parents, Josh, Claire, Stefan, Mom, and Steve were all here for a while to help paint. We still did not finish, but got about 75% done. It was so great to have their help! On Sunday, it snowed, so we could not continue. Then, Ryan headed back to work. On Monday and Tuesday, I worked on re-painting the shed, front door and mailbox while Coranelle took her naps. I paid a neighbor's brother to come paint for 7 or so hours over the past 2 days. He is a professional painter and really helped us out and gave us a GREAT deal. All we have left is one high spot of siding and some trim. Yay! I might finally get my husband back on the weekends! I cannot wait for that. And, the house is looking great. Sunday, I picked out a fun red to paint the door and mailbox and got those painted this week. I am really liking it! It will feel awesome to have it done.

We are so tired of projects and working, I booked a vacation for us in November. Ryan and I agreed that since we saved around $$3,000 dollars painting our house our selves, we could use a little bit of it to treat ourselves. We are going to stay in a resort cabin in Glenwood Springs and go to the hot spring pools and maybe do some hiking. We got a phenomenal deal on the cabin, so we are going for 3 nights. A cabin is a good choice for Coranelle so we don't have to sleep right next to her. We also prefer making our own meals than going out. It will be our first family vacation and I cannot wait. We need it!

Other than that, I am watching the snow come down. Broomfield currently has more than 10 inches of snow. I shoveled during Coranelle's nap and it was quite the workout. My back is going to hurt! (I know, lift with your legs, not your back... but I cannot quite master that). I am feeling so thankful that I do not have to commute into Longmont today in this nasty weather. I drove less than a mile to the rec center this morning and it was scary! Crazy fall we are having.

As for Coranelle- she is getting back to taking the bottle. Only breast milk, no formula. She'll do it if the milk is the perfect temperature, I'm nowhere to be seen, Ryan is standing up and holding her while swaying, and singing. She's not at all a high-maintenence child! :-) But, at least she is taking it again.

We have a halloween party to take her to this Friday. She'll be a gorilla and I will be Jane Goodall and Ryan will be some sort of jungle explorer. Not very creative with the costumes, but in the sake of saving money, buying costumes is not a priority.

I took Coranelle to a mom and me swim class last Friday and it was SOOO much fun. It was harder than I thought and I got a good workout. We were both tired when we got home. She was great for the whole hour. I am so happy that she likes the water!

Not much else to report. For all of you Colorado readers, stay warm and dry. Be careful driving! Have a great rest of your week!

Growing pumpkin

For my blog this week, I'll do a picture update of our week. These first pictures are pictures of the wedding we went to this weekend. Coranelle is not even 5 months old and she has already attended 3 weddings and been invited to 5! Whew! She did a great job. Fortunately, there were other babies at this wedding, so I didn't feel as nervous about her talking or fussing during the ceremony. She did great for about half of the ceremony, then began to fuss. We were sitting near the back, so I just got up quickly and calmed her down in the foyer. Then, we watched the rest of the wedding from the doorway with another baby and her grandmother.


I had to take a picture of these booties because I love them and it was so exciting that they fit her now and even stay on!
These pictures are in reverse order, as always. Here is Coranelle taking a little snooze at the reception. She did fantastic and was happy the entire evening!
My girl and me at the wedding reception this weekend.
All dressed up with daddy!
Our silly pumpkin that Ryan carved. Isn't it great! It already has withered and sunken in. Sad!
"Helping" daddy carve the pumpkin on Friday. Coranelle was enjoying the pumpkin guts. We had a special date night/family night at home. Ryan picked up some Chili's and we carved a pumpkin and had a yummy dessert. Chili' s has this deal that allows you to get an appetizer, 2 entrees and a fancy dessert for $20. We enjoyed our night in as a family. I cannot wait until Coranelle is old enough to enjoy the baked pumpkin seeds and help carving faces into the pumpkins.
We're also practicing sitting up. She is folding in half pretty well, but I think we'll get there. She is using her hands to balance right now, but it won't be long until I have a sitter!
Here's my little one, reading already. It's fun to watch her study the pictures and flip the pages.
She also narrates her own story, in her own little language.
Rolling over again and again and again. She rolled 16 times in a row the other day!
Sporting her Halloween onesie.
And rolling over!

We are currently trying to break Coranelle's bottle strike, which has been frustrating. She refuses a bottle, even if it is breast milk. So, it is our goal to get to her take it again. If I could have a break from nursing her a few times a week, I would love it. I don't mind nursing, but it seems to be really wearing me out! It is hard to be the only one that can feed her. It is also tiring for Ryan that she fusses and battles him so hard when he offers her a bottle.

Also, I am losing my hair like crazy. When will this stop. It is everywhere! All over my pillow and shirts and always stuck in Coranelle's little hands. It's making me crazy!

Not much else is new. We are still working on getting the exterior of the house painted. I cannot wait until it is done and we can call it quits for big projects for a while. I cannot be of much help to Ryan because Coranelle doesn't do too well on her own for extended periods of time. Imagine that! :) So, I don't feel like I get to see my hubby much on weekend because he is always outside working. But, he is doing a great job taking care of us and working hard to keep our home in good shape and I appreciate that. But, we would also all benefit from a little vacation soon! I also want to take Coranelle to the pool and see how she does in a bathing suit and water. I want to try her in a baby swing at the park. Needless to say, I am ready to be done working and on to playing!

Hope you are all doing well. I've got a pumpkin cake to frost and some chicken pasole to finish before nap time is over. We've got my brother and Rachael coming over for dinner and I am looking forward to that!

A shout out to Dad

A card Ryan gave us before he left for his business trip.
Playing with her cool new toy and Bruce and Heidi's!
We went to the pumpkin patch on Friday and got a pumpkin. I have never gone to a pumpkin patch before, so it was really fun!

Mom took this picture at Stefan's birthday celebration on Sunday. I thought it was adorable!!


I decided for my blog this week, I would post part of a letter I recently wrote to my dad. It's amazing how you look at your parents a little differently once you become one.

Dear Dad, I was talking with Rachael today about how we use memories and our own childhood to help us decide how we want to (and don't want to) raise our own kids in the future. I kept telling her about things we did with you and memories I had of times we spent together. I don't think I thank you enough for being such a good dad. I know you didn't get a chance to "raise" us full-time, but you left some incredible, lasting memories that I will always cherish. Thanks for reading to us from the folk tale book about Coyote, Quail, and Rabbit. I can still hear your voice reading us those stories over and over again before bed when we were at your house. I want to read with Coranelle before bed too. Thanks for coming in every night we were with you and tucking us in SO tight that we couldn't breathe and then kissing us good-night. I got so excited for that tucking in, even though I had to squirm out of it shortly after you left so that I could breathe. Thanks for making us special breakfasts in the mornings. We SO looked forward to those waffles, eggs, pancakes, huevos rancheros, and orange juice. What a great way to spend time with the family on the weekends! It was a treat! Thanks for getting Stefan remote control airplanes and helping him build them and fly them. It was fun to watch you guys out there doing that while I played with my dolls. Thanks for getting me a little gift to open when it was Stefan's birthday and Stefan a little gift when it was mine so that we still felt special. I totally want to do that with our kiddos. Thanks for taking us on adventures down the river and to the ocean. We have so many stories from those trips. It was fun from the shopping for food to getting stuck in my kayak on rocks and having to fight to get free. We loved having hot chocolate by the fire with you in the mornings while you had your 3 cups of coffee. And I will never forget sitting around the campfire with you, talking about everything in the world and laughing about the mischievous things you did as a kid. I cannot wait to sit around a campfire with our kids and tell stories and laugh under the stars. Thanks for coming out to cheer me on at Cross Country and Track meets in high school. I always had my best races when I knew you had come. I will never forget one swim meet in High School that you came to. I don't remember the event I swam or the time or place I got. I just remember you grabbing me, right after the race when I was sopping wet, hugging me and spinning me around in a circle, telling me how proud you were. I was on top of the world at that moment! It meant so much! When Coranelle is involved with sports, we'll make sure we are there for her and never too uptight to get wet and sweaty in order to congratulate her efforts- no matter what place or time or event it might be. Thanks for going to Spain with me and exploring the coast. What an adventure to cherish. It was a time when I was "finding myself" and was so great to have 2 weeks to talk to you, eat gelato and flan, enjoy fancy hotel rooms with bathtubs that overlooked the coast, and walk the beaches with you for hours. Thanks for telling me that I was beautiful on my wedding day... lots and lots of times. We will be sure to do the same when Coranelle gets married because I know just how much it means. Thanks for checking in with me a lot when we first had Coranelle. It was nice to have someone to vent to and who I knew could relate to the tough newborn stage we were going through.

Thanks for everything dad! Love you tons,
Kari
As for other news, Coranelle is doing well. She is rolling over tons. Saturday, she rolled 16 times in a row! It's fun to see. She made it a little difficult on Grams and PopPops Friday night when we went out to celebrate a friend's birthday. She fought her nap for a few hours and fussed a lot. Good thing Ryan's parents are so incredibly patient with her. We know it is a stage and won't last forever. Soon, they'll be watching her and she'll be running around, begging for treats and playing games. But until then, it makes it stressful for me to leave because I end up spending my evening worrying about whether or not Coranelle is driving her grandparents crazy. But, I know this will pass and it doesn't make us love her any less. Oh, and she still refuses to drink any formula, so Ryan battled with her for over an hour tonight to try to feed her while I was at the Rec Center. He has tons of patience, which I truly admire. We'll keep working on the bottle and the formula. Sigh.

This weekend, we also got a bunch of firewood and are very much looking forward to cuddling by the fire this winter. It was very cold here this weekend, so we had a fire all day Saturday and Sunday and enjoyed some quiet, family time.

Not much else to report. I need to nurse my adorable little peanut and put her to bed. Thanks for reading and have a great week!

crisp

It's fall and I love this time of year. Every morning, Coranelle and I go out for a walk or a run in the crisp Autumn air. The leaves are all turning and I enjoy crunching over them with the stroller as we enjoy the bright blue skies and views of the snow-covered mountains. I love putting Coranelle in her new "Bundle Me" sleeping bag in her carseat and sliding on our hats and fleeces. Colorado is beautiful and I feel blessed to be living and raising a baby in such a beautiful place like Broomfield. In my former life in Estes Park, I grew up surrounded by pine trees. So, I didn't get the chance to see the leaves change on the trees in our own yard. Now I do and I love seasons. I have a huge trash can full of crispy leaves and raking them takes plenty of time, but it's worth it. I also really love the chance to bake pumpkin muffins and make chicken chili and homemade soups in the crockpot. I like snuggling up under the covers and sticking my cold feed under Ryan's legs so he can warm them up. I cannot wait to get some firewood and have some fires in the evenings, cuddled up with blankets and drinking hot cocoa. Yeah for fall!

Today, Ryan left to go down to Texas for a few days for a business trip. It is his first business trip and he is going on his own. I am proud of him. He is the only mechanical engineer working on this particular project, so he has lots of responsibility and is going down to meet with some clients. I am not super excited to spend the next two evenings alone, but at least it doesn't happen often. Typically, on Tuesday nights, Ryan takes Coranelle for an hour and a half while I go to the Rec Center to take a class. Since he won't be home tonight, he offered to take her last night so I could get away for a little bit. He's a great guy! It was fun to come home to them last night and see them cuddling in the Lazy Boy. What a sweet family! She's still stubborn about taking her evening nap, but we're down to 15-30 minutes of crying at night, instead of 3 hours a few months ago. We'll miss Ryan making Coranelle smile when he walks in the door at 5pm. She is typically nursing and completely gets distracted, choosing to smile at daddy and watch him over her feeding. Ryan always wraps her up at night in the middle of her last feeding and gives her back to me, all swaddled and ready to have her milk and go to sleep. Then, he diverts his attention to me, getting me ice cream or rubbing my sore neck. I am a lucky woman. We'll be lonely without him!

I went and got my flu shot yesterday. Our pediatrician told us we should get them to keep Coranelle healthy. I don't typically get them, but I am willing to do so if it helps her stay well and allows me to take care of her this winter. In other news, Coranelle is still enjoying her rice cereal. She does a great job eating it. This weekend, I think the addition to her diet stopped her up a bit. We got called out of church (again) because the nursery workers said she cried all the way through the service. They reported that she was super gassy. So, we stopped at the grocery store and got her some prune juice. I gave her a bit more than a teaspoon Saturday night. Sunday afternoon, that stuff KICKED IN! Whew! I had just finished feeding her cereal in her bumbo seat and she exploded out of her outfit like never before. I picked her up and she was messy all down her legs, all over her outfit and all over my shirt. I carried her out to the garage and squeaked, "Ryan, I have a bit of a situation. Can you help me?" He came in and put some paper towels down so we could strip her down and give her a quick bath. Then, he scrubbed our clothes and started laundry. Needless to say, Prune juice does the trick. Go easy on it if you decide to give it a try!

This past weekend, we continued prepping our house for painting. Unfortunately, the first set of colors we picked turned out to be peachy pink and, well, for lack of a better description- poop brown. Not at all what the samples looked like or what we wanted. Fortunately, Ryan only bought a little paint and tested it on the shed before painting the whole house. So, we started back at square one and now we have colors that we are really pleased with. Picking paint colors is a hard thing to do!

Last weekend, we also met Claire's newborn nephew. I forget how small these babies once were and holding this little guy felt so strange. Coranelle actually looked really big! It was fun to have this little guy fall asleep in my arms. Awww! Later in the weekend, we got to see Heidi's brother and sister-in-law. Just like Coranelle loves being with her Uncle Josh, she loved being held by Ryan's uncle Scott. Funny how she seems more comfortable with men than with women (unless it's mommy). Anybody have thoughts on why that is? I'm not loving that she freaks out when my girlfriends try to take her or when her grandmas or aunts try to hold her. Silly peanut. But, we love her! She's been allowing us to eat dinner occasionally without holding her. She'll hang out in her bumbo seat or the excersaucer and play while we can enjoy catching up with each other.

Today, before I head to Bruce and Heidi's for dinner, I am going to check out the new King Soopers near our house. I have never been, and while walking with Jenny and Adelaide this morning, Jenny mentioned how nice it is. I am looking forward to checking it out. Sounds really silly, but it will be a fun to take Coranelle. Jenny says it's like Whole Foods. I like having a little errand to run in the afternoons after Coranelle gets up and eats. It helps them to go by faster. Does that sound crazy? Sometimes they drag because there is only so much playing a 4 month old can do.

I hope all of you are doing well. Please continue to keep my dad in your thoughts and prayers. He has started chemo, radiation, and hormonal treatment and I just cannot imagine how exhausting it all much be- especially when raising a 3 year old. I wish there was more I could do from afar. It's no fun to feel helpless when a loved one is going through something so hard. Thanks for your prayers.