Dear Cora- 1 Year

It is now a couple weeks after your birthday and I have written your 12 month letter a few times but none of those drafts seemed quite appropriate. How do you put into words the last year of your life. How do you even express the love that I have for you sweet girl. You truly are  the greatest gift I have been given outside of the gift of the cross 

You are so smart sweet girl. You babble a mile a minute and can say a handful of words like mama, dada, baba, papa, and hi. You love to say hi to everyone and everything. 

You  are now walking everywhere and love to get into anything and everything. I laugh sometimes because all of a sudden this little mink is toddling around the corner. Unpacking a suitcase, drawer or any type of bag is your favorite pastime. I will say you are very fast and very good at it. I just need to teach you the other spectrum of unpacking. 

You are an incredible sleeper and you go to bed around 7:30-8:00pm and sleep till around 8:00am in the morning. We are so very lucky and blessed you love your bed so much. 

I stopped nursing a couple days before your birthday. I was so worried about the weaning process and in he midst of a crazy season in our life God totally worked it out and took all my anxiety and made the transition so smooth. The last couple times of nursing were so bittersweet but I tried to enjoy your closeness. I miss that somedays:). 

So sweet girl as you are now a year old my prayer for you is that you grow to love Jesus with all your heart and love others with that same intensity. 

Love you to the moon and back,

Mama

12 month Stats:

20.1oz 19.inches long

(50% for height and weight) 

Dear Cora - 11 months

This month the realization that you will be one has hit me with a brick. I find myself remembering the last few weeks up to your birth and replaying the day you were born over and over into head. I so want time to stop and for you to stay just the way you are. My love for you grows more and more everyday. You have started to walk just a few steps at a time but I know that in the near future you will probably be in a all out run. You love food and whole milk  and are down to just nursing in the morning. Your favorite fruit right now is peaches and you love pancakes for breakfast. You can say ni ni, ba ba, da da, ma ma, pa pa, do a piggy sound, sniffy bunny, and elephant blow. You are so funny, have quite the attitude and super sweet. I love you to the moon and back little one. No matter what life will bring I will always be your biggest fan. 

Love,

Mama

Dear Cora - 10 months

Oh Cora how are you 10 months old I seriously can not believe it. I feel like you 1 year old birthday is looming. You have had quite the busy month with a bunch of first including your first nasty cold. One thing I have noticed is that you love to imitate us and have learned how to sniff like a bunny, play patty cake, blow bubbles in the pool(no joke like real bubbles), give kisses, wave to everyone, walks along the couch, plays awesome by yourself and all in all you are a complete joy to be around. 

This month we went to the Greenbriar over the 4th of July and had a wonderful time. You did not want to have anything to do with your pack and play though so I broke every rule I ever set out for myself when it came to your night time routine. We got through it okay and seem to be back on schedule with your routine. 

I also decided this month that it was time to drop a feeding so we are two days into you only nursing 4 times. I am starting to worry about the weaning process but I know you will do fine and it is probably just me that will be more sad.

I love you sweet girl and can not imagine my life without you. I love you to the moon and back.

Love mama!

Dear Cora - 9 Months

My sweet sweet girl. I love you more than words can ever describe it's crazy how I love you more each day. This month you have really become a mama's girl. Your dad asks me all the time what I think about being wanted so much. Honestly I love it most of the time. We are not apart that often and when I am all I do is think about what you are doing. This last month was Mother's Day and it was oh so sweet having you here for that. I feel honored that I am your mama. My two favorite things you do right now is dance to any music that comes on and sometime we are playing on the floor you crawl over put your nose to mine and smile real big. There is nothing better than that. At your doctor appointment you were 18lbs 7oz and 27 inchs long. Dr Hill said you were just perfect and I could not agree more. 

I love you to the moon and back.

Mama

Cora - 8 Months

Dear Cora - 8 months

As I am writing this letter on the Eve of your 8 month birthday i am watching you on the monitor. Little girl you are quite the stitch. For the past fifteen minutes you have crawled around your crib, pulled yourself up in every possible corner and done acrobats that I wish I could do. 

Sleep: for the most part you do amazing. You lOve your bed and take great naps and always go down without a peep. We have had a few nights where you have woken up sad but most of the time you cry for a couple minutes and back down you go.

Food: Your primary food is still milk but you love puffs and will eat whole packets of food. I would say you are a pretty be great eater. 

Funny quirks: you hate to take walks in your stroller. I am trying to persevere but it is wearing to hear you cry. Your dad hates walks and for some reason you have picked up that trait. You do love being outside in the grass and especially swinging on the swing. Your little legs get moving super fast and the squeals are frequent.

You can crawl super fast and now can pull yourself up on anything. We have already had a few goose eggs. 

Weight: 17lbs

Cora you are so much fun and we love every it of you. 

Love,

Mama

Dear Cora - 7 Months

I sit here today on your 7 month birthday and can't believe how big you are getting. I love watching you crawl all over the place, play with toy after toy, jump in your bouncer, and smile all the time. 

This month you have had your first real food. Watching you eat is hysterical because you love to act like you are chewing food. Your favorite food so far is butternut squash and mango. You are not a fan of peaches or broccoli. We have also started introducing puffs. Although you can't quite figure out how to get them in your mouth by yourself by love trying. 

With the weather finally warming up we have taken many walks with Mimi and Mandy and Abigail. It is so nice to be able to get out of the house a bit. We can't wait till your friend Baby Girl Carver to get here so we can walk with her and her mama 2. 

You are still an expert traveler and we have made a trip to Brimfield and Clinton to see your many many cousins. You love kids of all ages. Sometimes I wish I had a five year old friend to come at with you in the afternoons. 

Sleeping lately has been a dream because you are now sleeping 10-12 hours a night straight with two naps. I finally feel like I am caught up from any sleep deprivation the last 9 months.

And last but not least two days ago I felt two teeth popping through. Aside from a little extra crabbiness and drool you have done awesome.

I am amazed and blessed by you every day and can't believe I get to keep you forever. 

Love you to the moon and back.

Mama

No words

This girl has stollen our hearts. She brings so much joy to our lives. I love being a mother more than anything else in the world and am so incredibly blessed to be able to hang out with this sweet girl every day. I tell her on a daily basis to stop growing. She of course usually responds with some new trick. I remember saying in the hospital when she was born that I can not believe she is ours and I still feel just as lucky today.

Dear Cora - 6 Months

My dear babbling, rolling scooting girl. This month has brought the most changes. In a course of a few days you went from an occasional roll to rolling to wear you need to go and then being able to scoot many feet. You can almost sit up by yourself and the biggest change is that you babble ma ma ma ma ma all day long. Sometimes it turns into very loud squeals. You love to hear yourself talk. One of my favorite things you do is sleep on your side and back. The minute we put you in your crib you till right over. Speaking of crib and sleeping you have turned another corner and once again are sleeping 8 hours straight at night. Last month I was not sure if we were going to get past the waking every hour. 

You are so much fun now during the day because you love to play and love your toys. This month you went on your first plane ride to Florida, swam in the poop and got to see the beach. You also made your debut at Disney world and loved meeting Mickey Mouse. 

Sleeping has finally gotten better and nights no longer are dreaded. 

Sweet girl you just keep getting sweeter and your dad and I love you more and more each day. We are so incredibly blessed to have you for our daughter. God is so good. 

Love you forever to the moon and back.

Mama

Dear Cora - 5 months

This month has been quite a crazy one. At your 4 month appointment you had those awful shots that affected you for a week. You had grown a ton since your 2 month visit weighing in at 14 lbs 11 oz and 25.5 inches long. Crazy how this works but you decided to go through the 4 month sleep regression. Waking up every hour and not wanting to fall asleep. After trying everything we resorted back to crying it out. The first night was rough you cried for 40 min. I did not like it one bit. However since then things are slowly getting better and you are sleeping more. Funny because you are soooo much happier during the day and so is mama.

You love to play with toys and read books. You are so nosy so you love to look and touch everything. One of your favorite things to do is hear yourself talk and now squeal very very loudly. I have also been noticing that the stranger danger has started to creep up every once in awhile. We are pretty much constant pals but I love it. You have found your feet and really started rolling. 

Every day is so fun and your dad and I are so very blessed. 

Love you to the moon and back sweet girl.

Mama

Dear Cora - 4 months

Four months seems like you have been here so much longer. This last month was super busy and full of firsts. You got to see your first snow, have your first Christmas, moved to your own crib, and I got rid of your car seat insert. It is crazy because I have now started putting away your three month clothes and it has made me so sad but on the other hand you are so much fun. You talk all the time, smile every time I look at you and are such a happy and incredibly good baby. You love everyone that talks to you and are not shy at all. You still sleep great, sometimes you want to stay up late but you always make up for it in the morning. You finally enjoy being on your tummy and are so strong. One of my favorite things you have started doing is realizing Bentley was around and reach out for him. Daddy still thinks you are something special and the two of you love to snuggle. I love how you know who I am and it is such a blessing to be your mama. I love you forever to the moon and back! Can't believe you are getting so big sweet girl.