Cora - one month old

You are one month old today, sweet Cora girl!

You were born on a Wednesday morning early after an all night labor.

We got to bring you home the very next day.  

Big Brother came up to the hospital to help us take you home and our neighbor, Mr. Bob, was outside and took our first family photo for us.  

I loved bringing you home to our house!  You were dressed in the sweet little white outfit that I came home from the hospital in 36 years ago.  I laid you down on our white bedspread and you looked just like a picture!  You opened your eyes and looked back and forth as if you wanted to check out this new home of yours.  I loved it.  

Silly Mama and Daddy thought that you would sleep in the pack and play in our room at night.  We thought the same thing about your brother and neither of you did.  

So we began experimenting with where/how you would sleep and those first couple weeks were not so steady with night time sleep.  You would sleep great during the day when someone was holding you!

You are a really good baby though.  Even in the hospital you showed signs of self soothing.  You sleep a lot during the day and now at one month you are sleeping well in your crib each night in between feedings.  When we put you down around 9 or 10, you will usually sleep till nearly two and then again till four or five something.  You also tend to sleep again after that early morning feeding until 9 or 10 which is great for letting Mama get extra sleep when she can or for letting Mama and David have good time together in the morning before you're up and awake.  

Brother loves you soo much and mimics the things we say to you.  He loves to touch your feet and comment on all of the tiny little parts of you.  He also says, "I will take care of you, a lot" and he sings to you in the car.  He likes to help with you and hold you.  He even gave you your first bottle!  He is a very good big brother.  

I am having so, so much fun dressing you and putting bows in your hair and snuggling you in all of the wonderful blankets we've been given.  

Daddy loves to kiss your tummy and your face and his whiskers tickle you and you make a face.  You also smile the most at Daddy of any of us.  

In your first month, we've already been on two family hikes - one to Helen Hunt Falls with Grandma and one to Painted Mines last Saturday.  You enjoy riding in the Ergo with Daddy.

Here you are with the beautiful quilt that your Aunt Gail made for you.  

All of your family really likes you and your cousin Caleb especially likes to hold you.  He is super proud of you.  Aaron really, really likes your super soft head of hair and Aunt Mandy and Uncle Jeremy really like to hold you too.

You are gaining weight!  At your two week appt. you were already up to 9 lbs. something ounces (can't remember at the moment) but you had gained quite a bit.  Now at one month you weigh 10.5 lbs! Yea!

You eat well although sometimes you're rather snacky or don't latch super well.  You like to fall asleep eating too.  

You have the cutest pink ruffle swaddle that we put you in at night.  In every sonogram from 20 weeks on, you would always have your hands up by your face so we got a swaddle where you can keep your hands up instead of down by your sides.  I think you like it.  

Some firsts:

First bath
First time to church
First trip to Nana & Ducca's house
First snow - there have been 3-5 since you've been born
First rain - that's almost a bigger deal here in Colorado than the snow!

This was Mama's outfit when she was a little girl.  

Your very first trip to a restaurant was when you were one week old.  You went with Daddy and I to Hacienda Colorado (our first time to the new Colorado Springs location!) while David was at preschool.  You slept the whole time in your carrier.  

I love to hold you in just your diaper and see and feel your sweet, soft skin.  

You have multiple chins and we LOVE them. 

Daddy had three wonderful weeks off and we spent much more time holding you and cuddling than cleaning house or anything like that.  

We also watched episodes of Downton Abbey or a movie while holding you and eating popcorn on the couch during naptime for Brother a lot of days. 

Nana broke her foot on the day you were born but she still got some good snuggles in with you this month!

Your first pair of blue jeans were a gift from your Aunt Sarah.  

Grandma came to visit and meet you when you were twelve days old.  She fed us and took care of us and took Big Brother on a train trip to New Mexico and you and Mama and Daddy hung out for the weekend and took advantage of your awesome restaurant skills and went out to eat a lot.  

At preschool this week David's class is studying the letter C and right off he told everyone, C is for Cora!

Hand me downs are fun!  

You love to nap wrapped in this blanket that your Aunt Terry made for you.  

I love your little feet and your LONG toes so much.  

You are keeping your eyes open more and more.  We love to see your pretty eyes.  

I love your room and you seem to particularly like lying on your changing table and looking at everything above you.  You would probably enjoy something above your crib to look at but Mama is a scaredy cat about things falling on you in the night so you don't have anything.  When you are in your crib during the day for a little bit for me to go and do something I give you a stuffed animal to look at and sometimes you knock it down!  You can also make the bird in the bouncy seat spin around and Brother is very impressed by that feat.  

Lots of people from church have been so sweet to bring us meals to eat.  Mrs. Ashley brought Smashburger one day for lunch and her boys and David got to play outside while you had your very first playdate with her little girl!

We love you so very much, Baby Girl and we're so glad you're ours!