Happy 3 months!

Coranelle is 3 months old today! When I look at pictures of the day she was born, compared to today, it baffles me how much she has grown and changed! She is now grabbing objects and shoving them into her mouth. She has all sorts of different facial expressions- curious, excited, shy, happy, pouty, scared, surprised, disappointed and flirty. She studies my face in the sweetest way. She'll be nursing and suddenly pull away to flash me a smile. At times, she holds her hand up and explores my chin and cheeks with her little fingers. She likes to stand up (with my support). She seems really observant now. Yesterday, I took her to meet another baby girl- just 5 days older than she is. We met up with the mom and Grandma as well. After Coranelle melted down and took a little power nap, she actually seemed interested in the other baby (Leah). She was touching her and watching her. Very cool! It will be fun when she is older and the babies can actually play. I have just begun reading to Coranelle. It works best between 10-12 when she is content and not yet overstimulated. On Monday, I read her 5 books in a row and she was very pleased to sit on my lap and study the pictures and listen. With her cloth books, she grabbed the pages after watching me do it. If I moved the book for her, she could turn the pages! I absolutely LOVE getting to read with kids, so this has made my week. AND.... I found this whole, wonderful section of bilingual kids books at Target the other day. Books about about colors, animals, textures and even famous nursery rhymes. I was so thrilled, I bought her The Ginger Bread Man (El Hombre de Pan Jenibre). They are so great because they have all sorts of Spanish vocab that Coranelle can learn alongside English words, and I would learn too. My vocab base is not large enough to encompass textures and nursery rhyme words. So... if you are ever feeling the urge to shop for Coranelle, keep these little bilingual books in mind! ;-)
Other news in the Mork household:
Ryan went backpacking this last weekend for a friend's bachelor party and really enjoyed it. He had never been before and was excited. He proudly came home and announced that he had pooped in the woods for the first time ever! So cute! I spent the day with my mom, Steve and Amanda. I enjoyed being with them! Coranelle got a bit overtired Saturday night and Sunday night and screamed for hours straight. Whew! We have got to figure out how to detect the melt downs and get her to take a nap before the screaming hits. Sunday, Ryan was home from his trip and she screamed for 2 hours straight. We tried swaddling, rocking, going outside, pacifier, letting her cry it out ( 45 minutes was enough of that), all different postions, etc. etc. Finally, Ryan suggested the swing (which she hates). We put her in it, and "presto" she was out! Once again, just when you think you have your baby figured out, they change. I am thinking that I need to start putting her down to bed earlier. She just seems so tuckered out by about 7:30 (or earlier). Yet, I am torn. Do I try to get in that extra 6th feeding like the doctor suggested because of her low weight, or put her down to bed? Which is more important? Feeding or sleeping? Ahhh, the things I worry and obsess over these days!

I know that I am not the only new mom that feels anxious, nervous, worried, tired, inadequate, etc. This week, I met two other mothers that seem to be in a similar position. We spend our days with our babies, therefore, we spend every moment worrying about whether or not they are gaining weight at the correct rate, eating enough, sleeping enough, too hot, too cold, etc. We compare them to other babies of similar ages and worry that they are not rolling over yet, not pooping enough, not spending enough time on their tummies and on and on and on and on and on. And on. I truly think that moms today are bombarded with SO much information on what you, as a parent should be doing and what your baby should be doing, that it is hard to just enjoy your child. The fact that we can weigh our babies every week- that is not helpful! Yesterday, I encountered a mom at our breastfeeding group who broke out sobbing because her son had only gained an ounce in the past week. She was desperately asking me about Coranelle and her eating habits- how often? how much? when do I pump? how long does she feed on each side? etc. etc. The thing is, every baby is different and grows at a different rate. Our moms didn't weigh us weekly and panic of another baby gained 5 ounces and we only gained 1 ounce. Our society seems so centered around competition that we are now competing with our babies. Whose is the first to crawl? Eat solids? Laugh? Coo? I have realized this week that I am done reading the articles and websites on what they should be doing. I am done comparing her weight to others. I am going to go with my instincts about what she needs and start enjoying my baby and being a mom. She'll learn to walk. They all do. I have never seen a 5 year old enter Kindergarten crawling. Babies are individuals and it wouldn't be fun if they were all the same!
I have also learned this week a bit about myself. I mentioned in a previous blog that I was struggling a bit with feelings of lonliness and isolation and feeling hurt that I didn't have friends or family that were checking in on me as I hoped. I talked with my mom and future sister in law about this recently. My mom reminded me that Ryan and I are paving the way in this process. Therefore, no one else knows what it is like to be new parents. They don't realize the worries, the exhaustion, the frustration, the scariness, or the resonsibility of it all. How could they, and further, how could I expect them to? I can only use this experience to ensure that I reach out to others when they experience the joys and challenges of a newborn.
Rachael met me at Target on Monday to help me shop and keep me company. She was great in being willing to push the cart, calm a screaming Coranelle and sit with me in the Target parking lot and chat. When I told her about feeling a bit isolated and lonely, she truthfully reminded me about something. When people on the outside look in, Ryan and I have it all. We are married, we have a house, we have a baby, and I get to stay home. What could possibly be wrong? And she is so right! I am truly blessed! And of course that is what people think. We have the American dream. Right? Well... right. But, when we assume (as Ryan says) we make an ass out of u and me. Blunt, I know. Just because we have all of those things, doesn't mean that our hearts aren't hurting or heavy about something. And, I don't say that to accuse others of not realizing that things aren't still hard in our lives. I say that because I have been the one on the outside, looking in to many other peoples' lives. Hey, they have money, nice cars, multiple houses, nice clothes- what could they possibly complain about? That's not the right attitude and I know I am guilty of thinking that way. Everyone, everywhere has there own set of hardships, their own worries and heaviness. I cannot look in and judge or assume anything about their joy, struggles or challenges. Not until I have lived in their shoes. I want to be more aware of those feelings and assumptions. If people had not assumed that I was perfectly fine and feeling wonderful about every moment being a mom, I might have had a few more ears to listen or a few more hands to help out. So, two things come from that... I need to make sure I am not assuming things about my friends and family- but rather really asking to see how they are doing and what I can do to help. Secondly, I cannot be so prideful as to think I can do this all on my own. I need to humble myself enough to admit that I am having a hard time, or had a hard day and that I need help. It's a hard thing for me to do. I am used to being independent and doing things on my own. You can't do that with a child. It would be harmful to the child and to you.
A few last things; we are getting our big, awesome tree cut out of our yard tomorrow. It has died in the last few weeks of wet rot and it has to come down. It makes me sad, because it was some nice shade in our yard- AND it will cost us hundreds. Yikes, being a homeowner!
We are also working on starting to build a patio in our backyard. Finally, as of Monday, Coranelle has a college account! Even though we have started saving this early, college expenses could cost $178,000 by the time Coranelle is 18. How is that even possible?! How are we adults that have to worry about college accounts and wills? Wow!
Thanks for reading my rambling. Happy 3 months Coranelle! We love you buckets!

precious gift

rDoesn't she look adorable?!

That's Coranelle- our precious gift. I had a dear friend recently miscarry for the second time, and it just breaks my heart. I cannot possibly fathom the pain she is going through. I can't help but tearfully ask the Lord what He is doing. Why can't this woman, who longs for a child and would be such a wonderful mother, have a baby? When, many women and teenagers get pregnant on accident and aren't looking forward to being a mom. It just seems so wrong and unfair. I love this friend and it just breaks my heart to see her go through this cycle of hope and excitement, only to be followed by despair. I wish so much that there was something I could do to help, to ease the pain. All I can do it choke back tears and stare in awe at my baby, so thankful. I cannot take her for granted. She is currently grabbing and batting at her hanging animals, kicking her feet in excitement. Even if she screams bloody murder through our stroller class today- she is a beautiful, healthy, wonderful, precious gift and I am so thankful. I just keep praying that SOON, my friend receives this gift too. She SO deserves it.

Coranelle and I have been out meeting more mommies this week. We joined a Mom's club in Broomfield with 2 of the other yoga moms. This group of moms has 2 year olds and then some have newborns as well. It is fun to join them at parks and watch the kids play and chat with the other moms. I also went to the mom's group through our church this week and loved the chance to talk with 3 other moms about families, life, our previous lives and jobs, etc. A refreshing group of support.

Speaking of support, my two moms have been so wonderfully supportive! I cannot thank them enough for the love they have showed me as I transition into this new phase of motherhood. It is not an easy change, and my postpartum emotions seem to still be crazy. My closest girlfriends from college are in Texas, California, and Boston. My girlfriends from HS have been very interested and supportive, but live in Aspen and North Carolina. So, I have not had them around to check in on me and see how I'm coping. I realized last night that it has been hard that friends and sisters here have not showed me the care and interest that I may have needed. I think I have struggled with the transition and trying to figure out how to care for a fussy newborn more than I had imagined. But, my moms have been phenomenal! They have come to relieve me for a few hours so I can go shop- they have walked with me and listened to all of my concerns and wonderings about Coranelle's screaming spells. They have rejoiced with me when she smiles, sits up, laughs, or makes little changes. They have listened to me cry when I miss a doctors appointment or go to a party on the wrong day. They have comforted me when I sob to them about Coranelle's melt downs. They have loved me despite my emotion and confusion and insecurity. I just am so thankful that I have them to call up, whenever... to vent or rejoice or ask them questions. Thanks Mom and Heido for being there for me and putting up with me these past few months. I don't know what I would do without you! I also know that this has reminded me/taught me that when my friends and family have kids, that I need to make sure and be very intentional about being supportive and checking in to see how they are handling things and how they are feeling and what I can do to help them out. Without support, being a new mom can be lonely, scary and often somewhat isolating.

This past weekend, Ryan went and got an adapter so that we can put the carseat in the jog stroller. So, now we can take Coranelle for runs. This past week, I ran with her 4 times, twice with Ryan. I am super sore and out of shape for running, but it feels great to run again. She seems to be a bit more content in this stroller too, which is awesome. I love getting to run with Ryan now and again. Ryan has been enjoying coming home to Coranelle and playing with her and seeing her change and grow! He is the greatest dad and husband ever! I am so very lucky to have him! And I am so lucky to be taking care of Coranelle right now, rather than heading back to school. We did go visit my school and my old co-workers this week. I cannot imagine heading back right now. They had a work day on Monday and then back to school night that evening. So, my first day back (if I had gone back) would have meant leaving broomfield at 7am and returning around 10pm! It would have made me SO sad to leave Coranelle for that long. My class this year would have been 29 students! That is overwhelming considering most of them would have been miles below grade level. Last year I had 17 students and it was completely insane to try to get them up to grade level by March testing. All to say, I just love that I can be a mommy right now. My heart swells with love and adoration for Ryan and Coranelle and our lovely little family.

I have to go, Coranelle is bored with her cow and we need to try to get ready for our stroller class. Have a wonderful weekend.

For those of you prayer warriors out there, please keep my friend in your prayers as well as my dad- who is currently getting some additional testing done before he starts his rounds of Chemo, hormonal treatment and radiation. Thanks!

venting

Our child who loves the outdoors. This was our hike this past weekend up to Lost Lake with some friends of ours. Coranelle did great!

This is a picture of Coranelle praying- I'd like to think she is praying for me- her mommy! I think I need a little prayer!


Warning- this is not a cheerful, happy blog... but I am being honest. If you want positive, you might want to skip reading this. If you want real, scroll down.

You have good days, and you have bad days- as a parent, as a teacher, as a wife, as a student, as a human. Today is one of those bad days as a parent. Coranelle has been awake and crying (unless she is eating) since 10:20 and it is now 2:20pm. I know, she used to cry longer when she was a newborn, but I truly thought that we had moved past that stage. I am going crazy trying to get her to sleep, which is so clearly what she needs. She went for a walk with me this morning and one of my former HS girls that I worked with through First Pres. She did fine, so long as she was in the baby bjorn and we were moving. As soon as we stopped, she lost it. Then, I fed her and tried to take her to visit Grams at school to see some of the teachers I knew from student teaching. Coranelle melted down immediately after going into the school and continued to fuss and cry the whole time we were there. I think every teacher in the school knew that we were there. When I tried to hand her over to Heido, she just got more upset. What is that about? Do babies have "stranger anxiety" at 3 months? And Heidi is NOT a stranger. Anyhow, we came home and she cried all the way home. I decided to feed her earlier than the 3 hours that is typical and she finished and immediately started screaming. She was so upset, she wouldn't take the pacifier or settle into a nap, whether I rocked her, bounced her or let her watch her mobile.
Now, my blood pressure must be up sky- high and I feel like I pulled an all-nighter or something. And what is so perplexing is that yesterday- during the day- she was great. My mom came out and we walked with her (in the stroller) and she fell asleep. After she ate, we played with her for quite a while and got lots of smiles. Then, after a nap, she and I drove to see Ryan and brought him coffee and zuchinni brownies and she met some of his co-workers. She did great and never fussed. I thought maybe we had hit a turning point, until about 5pm when Ryan came home and she refused to take a nap- despite being so exhausted. So, we held our breath and let her cry herself to sleep- only to have her wake up 15 minutes later- hungry. Geez!
I have to wonder, is her fowl mood today because I messed up her schedule to meet a friend? If so, how will I ever get out to see people? We cannot stay at home for all of her naps- or.... if we did, I would go crazy. For example, tomorrow there is the mom-and-me stroller class at the gym. Do I take the chance and go, despite the fact that it is likely that she'll scream bloody murder the whole time. Or, do I stay home and not get to see any of my other mom friends and their May babies.
I was reading my friend Heidi's blog about her first son and his behavior and it was amazing how similar her son was to Coranelle. I feel as if someone was writing about my child. She had one post about taking her son to the doctor and having to shout over the baby's cries to the doctor. Check- been there, done that. So many things about her son are so much like Coranelle- the overstimulation, the overtiredness, trying everything to battle the child's fight against the much needed sleep. She said her son's turning point was 6 months. Can I do this that long? Oh, it can be so hard. I desperately try not to compare my child to other children, but it is extremely difficult to see and hear about these easy going babies, and then watch mine melt down if I stop bouncing her for half a second. I am weary of being afraid to take her places to avoid her meltdowns. We have yet to take her to a restaurant with us because she will not sit in her car seat for a minute without crying unless it is in the moving car. I get anxious to take her to get togethers, weddings, events, etc. I cannot seem to get a full conversation in with anyone because I am constantly switching positions to soothe her. It makes me feel lonely when I walk and talk with other new moms and they push their babies- peacefully sleeping and perfectly capable to keep their pacifiers in their mouths. I knew parenting would be hard, but really, I didn't expect it to be this hard. I never imagined so much crying or so much exhaustion and frustration. And it cannot go on forever- I realize that. She'll have to get over this and allow me to take her into the grocery store without screaming. Eventually... right? Because the current- put her in the baby bjorn and try to shop while holding her pacifier in her mouth with one hand and push the cart, grab items and pay with the other, gets a little stressful.
Let me reassure you, I love Coranelle with my whole heart. I am so thankful and blessed that she is healthy. I know that there are people who are dealing with a lot worse things in their lives than a fussy child. Early this morning, I was watching her with love and devotion as she happily batted at her cow and ladybug on her playmat- hugely impressed by her coordination and how she is growing up. I am really trying to do the best I can to keep her on a schedule and still spend time with and the rest of my family and friends. I am trying my best to relax and be patient so that she doesn't feed off of my anxiety or stress. But, am I even in the right ballfield? I know there is no manual for your child, and now I have infinite respect for our parents and what they went through raising us. I sit here in tears thinking about how much I love my daughter and how I SO want her to be happy. I feel inadequate as her mom, as a wife, daughter and friend. But, these are the times when I have to accept my weakness and let the Lord be strong. I know He is here in my weeping and my hurting. I know that along with the bad days, there are many good days. Coranelle is finally sleeping (for the moment) and I can only pray that she wakes up with her beautiful smile!

authentic community

Hanging out in the park one evening this week. Our daughter is pretty content outside!
Her new favorite thing- being put on a blanket in the grass.
Love the smiles!
Gazing at my baby lovingly- so happy to have such a precious family!
Hanging out with daddy!

At church on Sunday, the sermon was about one of the principles that our church believes in- Authentic Community. In our pastor's words, this is sharing real life together. Our pastor spoke to us about who our 2am people are. You know, those people whom you can call at 2am when something goes wrong or you just need to talk. Ryan and I realized that we need to reach out so that we can be more peoples' 2am couple, just as we can have some more people that would be our 2am people. We know we can call Josh and Claire, and both sets of parents. And, that is a huge gift and blessing, and have always been there for us. Yet, it seems important for us to connect with some more people that have young kids and are on a similar page in their lives. Not that we want to give up spending time with our friends that don't have kids- because we certainly don't. We just want to try to get more hooked in with our church and community and build some strong relationships. So, this week was about seeking that out. On Thursday, I met with a stay-at-home moms group through our church. Most of the mothers had at least 2 kids, but it was fun to get to know some other moms in the area and hear their perspective on babies, kids, growing up, stages, etc. One of the pastor's wives was there with her 3 kids- her youngest only a few days younger than Coranelle. I enjoyed spending time with them and think I will continue to try to make it to this group. Last night, we went to a backyard BBQ with other families that go to our church and live in Broomfield. It was really fun and we enjoyed getting to know people in our community of all different ages. It makes our church feel a little smaller and feel a little more like a family. We have another couple that lives in Broomfield that has an adorable 5 month old boy. We are hoping to try and find 1 or 2 more couples with young kids so that we can start a bible study. If we have other young parents, it will be okay when a baby breaks down in the middle of study, or needs a diaper change or a walk around the block!
Last weekend, we went up to Estes Park for Stefan and Rachael's engagement party. It was fun to be up there and celebrate with them. They make such a fantastic couple and we are so happy for them! They are also a great uncle and aunt to Coranelle. Coranelle decided she didn't want to be at their party and cried for over an hour before she finally wore herself out and fell asleep on Grandpa Steve. She definitely has her good and bad days. I don't know if there were too many people there and too much stimulation, or if she was in pain. Always a guessing game. She does have more "happy" periods, but is still a fussy child. Wednesday, she spent the morning with me and Grandmadele in Boulder. She did great as we walked up the canyon and she nursed by the river. But, as soon as we put her in the stroller so that we could go for a walk down Pearl St. and do some shopping, she had a melt down. So, I went in the store by myself and mom hung out with Coranelle- who was fine, once she was out of the stroller and lying on a blanket in the grass. That seems to be her new thing. Looking around outside, playing on her back. Then, she was all smiles. Then, today at "mom-and-me" stroller class, she screamed the whole time she was in the stroller. It is hard, because all of the other babies were either content, or sleeping. So, I finally took her out of the stroller and just walked her around the track- and then she was fine. But, I couldn't do any of the running or skipping- as I was holding her. I don't want to skip the class because she cries, because that is my chance to see the moms I met in my yoga class and all 3 other May babies. But, Coranelle cannot seem to take the class. Frustrating! I hope she grows out of it soon.
I think Ryan and I get a date night tonight, as Grams and PopPops have agreed to come over to hang out with Coranelle. I have 3 ounces of pumped freedom (milk) so that we could go grab dinner and see a movie. I am excited to spend some time with my hubby! But, as always, I'll miss my little girl!
I hope that you are all doing well. Thanks for reading!

pictures of momma's birthday celebrations

Ryan took the day off for my birthday. We went to Ozo to get coffee and then enjoyed a walk in the rain up Boulder Canyon.
My "glow worm" all bundled up and smiling.
Hanging out in REI waiting for everyone to meet up before getting sandwiches at Which Wich.
Waiting for sandwiches and shakes at Which Wich. A very cold July 29th!
Hanging out on the blanket before the birthday celebrations started.
Modified tummy time. She'll spend a little more time on her tummy if she doesn't have her face slammed into the ground. I think she looks a bit like me here! (When I was a baby!)
Mork birthday celebration. We went to hear some live music in the park in Boulder and had picnic dinners. Coranelle was receiving lots of attention! I was showing Josh how she holds her hand when she sucks on her fist.
Lots of love!
Chillin' with dadd-o!
Hangin' with unckie Josh
My yummy chocolate cake!
"Look Momma- I'm eating my fist! Yummy!"

2 month birthday!

making breakfast- eggs, bagels and bacon over the fire- yummm!
Grandpa Steve hanging out with Coranelle while we ate breakfast
making mint chocolate ice cream in the ice cream ball
hanging out in the motorhome with gammadele
our 17 mile bike ride around twin lakes on the Colorado trail. A hard ride for my first ride -post baby.
We took a dip in the lake to cool off during the bike ride. It was so fun to have Rachael to bike with! She rocks on a mtn. bike and now I have another girl that will bike with me.
The lovely engaged couple. They are so fun and we are so happy for them! Rachael is going to make an awesome sister and auntie!
Proud daddy in the am. His little girl slept well in her plastic box!
Waking up with my precious family in the tent.
Love this photo! All smiles and sporting her buff hatt!
This was Coranelle's bed- a clear plastic tupperware. She loved it. She slept great! 7 hours one night, 7 1/2 the other. We bundled her up in 3 blankets and a hat and she must have loved the mountain air and the sound of the rain. She was quite a trooper!
Auntie Rachael has a magic touch with Coranelle. So fun to hold a peaceful, sleeping baby!
Gammadele hanging with Coranelle, blocking the sun and swatting away the mosquitos. Grandma and Grandpa had a good time with their granddaughter!


So, Coranelle turned 2 months old on Sunday. She'll be 9 weeks old tomorrow! To celebrate, we went on a family camping trip. We took Coranelle up to Twin Lakes, Colorado- just past Leadville. It was gorgeous and we had a blast. We stayed at Perry Peaks campground with my mom, Steve, Rachael and Stefan. It was a great, first trip for Coranelle. It was wonderful to have lots of people there so that Coranelle could be passed off from one person to another. She was a little fussy in the evenings, but between the 6 of us, someone could always walk/bounce/cuddle her in order to soothe her. Saturday, Mom and Steve offered to take Coranelle so that we could go bike riding. It was so fun to be able to take off on our bikes and not have to worry about her. We knew she was in great hands. So, while we rode, Coranelle went hiking with her grandparents. Steve carried her in the baby bjorn and she did awesome. They also fed her a bottle of pumped breast milk. I hear she was really happy and playful! Meanwhile, I took my first bike ride since March. Whew! It was a hard one, but gorgeous. We rode down into Twin Lakes from our campground and all the way around the lakes and back up on single track (the Colorado Trail). We stopped at mile 6 and jumped in the lake to cool off. So fun! It was a beautiful and fun trail and I loved having Rachael to ride with. We both got tuckered out by about mile 13 and struggled through the end. It was great to have another girl with me so that I wasn't the only one playing catch up. Ryan and I are so glad that she and Stefan have each other! They are such a perfect match for each other and seem to be so happy.
Saturday afternoon, we took bucket baths after getting so sweaty from our ride. It was cloudy and cold, so the water from the drinking pump in the campground was extremely cold. But, it felt good to be clean. We also took the ice cream ball and made vanilla ice cream with mint dark chocolate chunks. It was a delicious treat. We then enjoyed hours of rain and hung out reading, chatting and playing games. Coranelle was enjoying all the attention and giving lots of smiles. She has been a lot of places and seen lots of people in her 2 months! She enjoyed a fire and making eggs, bacon, and toasted bagels and muffins for breakfast. Unfortunately, I-70 was like a parking lot on the way home, so we were all a little restless after a 2 1/2 hour drive took us 5 hours. We had to stop and feed her in Idaho Springs, but she did awesome!
Today, she went into the pediatrician to get her shots. Ugggg! Not fun. She was crying the whole time we were there- way before the shots. She got herself so worked up, it was hard to hear our doctor. She's doing well. She's got some eczema and craddle cap, but nothing too serious. She is gaining weight at a good rate, but is still very long and skinny. She now weighs 9 pounds 12 ounces. That puts her in the 22nd percentile. (She was born at 6 pounds, 6 ounces). She is 23 inches long, which puts her in the 75th percentile. Her head is 15, 33rd percentile. So, a thin child. Her weight to height ratio makes her underweight, but since she is gaining weight at a good rate, we have nothing to worry about. It is so funny- how could I (someone short and round/curvy) have a tall, skinny baby? It will be so interesting to see what a perfect, gorgeous girl she grows up to be! For her shots, she got HepB, HIB, Polio, DTAP, Prevnar, and Rototeq. Two shots- one in each thigh and an oral and she really screamed! Whew! That is hard to watch! But, we cuddled and she calmed down- nursed it out when we got home. Now she is sleeping soundly. I hope she doesn't break a fever or become too fussy in the next day or so. Man, it's hard to watch someone put your baby in pain. But, much better to get the shot and be a little sore and get any of those horrible diseases/ viruses.
Not much else to report. Coranelle is doing great and becoming more attentive and more fun to play with. We are enjoying her so much!

Some adorable pictures

Classic Coranelle Wide Eyes. No wonder she gets over stimulated!
Shake it sweetie! She's a-dancin'!
More smiles. She's getting a chubbier face- making her look a bit more like me. ;-)
Grams is boring her here.
More dancing!

These pictures are all of Coranelle hanging out with Grams (Heido) while I went over to CostCo to get my annual eye exam so that I can order some contacts. I thought I took care of all of those things before I had Coranelle, but didn't realize that my prescription only lasted a year. Oh well, Coranelle had fun with Grams and Grams got some great photos of her.
We love Coranelle's smiles and happy times in the morning! She is addicting when she smiles that big! She is also growing up a little and she seems to do a little better in the swing and the stroller now. I am not sure if it is because of the zantax or because she is just a bit more content. Whatever the reason, it's nice. She even held up through most of a mommy and me stroller class at the rec center today. She and her little friend Adalaide were super entertaining. As soon as one would fuss, the other would feel empathetic and fuss along with the crier. When Adalaide's parents were over at our house on Saturday, it was the same situation. It will be fun when the two girls are aware of each other and can interact with one another a bit more.
I had another post-pardom moment this weekend. I had received an e-mail from Ryan a month ago about a deck party one of his co-workers was having. He asked if I wanted to go, and I said "sure!". So, I wrote the date down in my planner. But, after the pediatrician fiasco, I decided I needed a new system for keeping track of engagements. So, I transfered everything from my planner to a wall calendar in the bedroom. Now that I am not at work, I look at that much more frequently than my planner. The only problem was... the weeks on my planner go from Mon-Sun. The weeks on the Calendar go from Sunday to Saturday. So, I put the deck party on Fri night instead of Sat. But, I was all ready to go and even had Heidi stay with Coranelle so I could go buy lots of fancy fruit for a good fruit salad to bring. So, Friday night, we loaded up the brownies, the fruit salad and got Coranelle all cute and ready for a party. When we arrived to the party half an hour after it should have started, there were no other cars at the house. And, the hosts were just getting home from work. Ummm, ooops! They got out of their car and looked at us- very confused. They told us the party was Saturday night and we left feeling humiliated. I had another melt down. I wasn't allowing myself to mess up another date or time. I had done it once- how did I screw it up again?! I can look at it now and laugh, but it seemed horrible at the time. Oh well, we made it the next night breifly- with a new fruit salad and blushing faces.
Not much else is new. We are taking Coranelle camping this weekend, so I am really excited for that. I skipped my first feeding yesterday when I went into Boulder for a friend's bachelorette brunch. Ryan successfully fed her a bottle of pumped milk and did great with his daughter. It is nice that I can leave her for more than three hours- if necessary.
Thanks for reading and have a great week!