Coralie - 1 year old!

Dear Coralie, I cannot believe that you are a year old. At exactly 10:57 this morning you were born one year ago! This has been the most amazing year of Mommy & Daddy's lives as we have watched you grow and develop into this beautiful, inquisitive toddler! You have made a beautiful addition to our family and I can't thank you enough for making me a Mommy and thank the Lord for giving you to us! Last night as I got your "Birthday Girl" shirt all ready to go for today I really realized that your birthday is really here. I didn't think that I would be emotional or overly excited about it, I'm not generally that big a fan of birthdays but I have to say that I'm very excited for this one! We practiced singing you the Happy Birthday song and you love it! You giggle and laugh as I bounce you on my hip while Daddy and I sing! I spent the better part of the evening last night thinking back to the last day our family was just Daddy & I. Then thinking through the progression of labor and your birth as each event would have unfolded last year. (And as I thought through them, I of course shared had to share it on Instagram...) I honestly don't think there will ever be so much time go by that I will forget the day you were born. Pregnancy, labor and birth were hard work, but you are oh so worth it (and I"ll do it again for your siblings!)!!

Weight/Height - Home scales are saying 24 pounds, 4 ounces and I tried to measure her height as she squirmed around, I believe she's 28 1/2 inches. I will update this tomorrow (10/22), that's when we have her 1 year well visit scheduled.

Health -Coralie is as healthy as can be. She's fought a little bit of a cold and tummy bug a couple of weeks ago but nothing out of the ordinary. I'm pretty sure she picked up both of those ailments from her block licking habits at the library story time. She has allergies to something at the pumpkin patch, but she crawled around in hay so I don't know what I expected.

Nicknames - "Pumpkin", "Cor-Cor", "Cora Bear", "Cora Bora" and most recently "Bulldog" because she scrunches her face and snorts through her nose when she isn't happy with what you're doing (like putting her in the car seat). John has also recently called her "Cora-lizzy" short for Cora Elizabeth.

Drinking a sonic slush... she loves straws!

Teething - This last month she finally cut her first teeth! She cut a top tooth and a bottom tooth the next day! Then this past Saturday at the Pumpkin Patch I noticed the second bottom tooth has cut. She has several more that are just below the surface but just having these two teeth has really opened up the world of eating different food for her! Like chicken... she's quite the chicken fan!

Clothing - There are a few lingering 9 month outfits in her closet, but really for the most part she's in all 12 month clothes. Actually, her 12 month clothes are tight enough that we aren't buying anything in 12 months, all her winter stuff is in 12-18 or 18 months.

Diapers - size 3 disposables, but cloth at home


Eating - Nursing - I nurse her in the morning and at night. We're working to cut out the middle of the day feeding but if she climbs up in my lap and "asks" to nurse (patting my chest) I let her. At this rate weaning may take a while. Especially this last week when she's been sick, we nursed for a lot of "snacks". 
Beverages - she loves drinking from her straw sippy cup! She'll drink milk (cow milk and almond milk), water and we'll probably introduce juice soon now that she is a year old.
Solids - She eats everything we do! She had been struggling to eat meat, even tiny little pieces that she could gum up and swallow but now with teeth she is loving meat & all things we enjoy!

ZZzzzzZZZ Sleeping - Life isn't back to normal yet. We have been camping out at my Dad's house since we moved (as I write this, 20 days). A new routine has been established but it isn't anything resembling normal. Some nights she sleeps through the night, others she doesn't but if she wakes up she settles down pretty quickly. I hope that after we get settled in at the "new" house, she'll quickly learn to sleep in her crib, in her own room through the night... hopefully.

Staring at a Ball... not the puppy!

Our Little Socialite - Play dates are more fun with Cora now that she is more interactive & alert. We go (almost) weekly to story time in our hometown and the neighboring Denton libraries. Twice a month to MOMs where she plays in nursery & she loves going to "Sunday School" at church.

Likes- Balls have been fun before, but now they really captivate her attention. At the State Fair she was only interested in the balls in the pins with the animals, not at all the animals. She also loves riding around in a wagon! We got her a vintage red wagon at the local Just Between Friends sale for her birthday and she will crawl up to it and "ask" to ride by pulling on it. She loved riding around in one at the Pumpkin Patch too!


Dislikes -Getting dressed... or undressed for that matter. Blowing her nose (which is still a work in progress) or me wiping her face.

New - She's walking!! She took her first steps on 10/15! She isn't consistently doing it but can when she wants to! I'm so excited for her to be walking. I know that keeping up with her will be a challenge but so much more of the world is open to her as a walker! Yay! This might be my favorite development so far!

Fun things we did - 
The State Fair of Texas!

Went to Ennis for Uncle Jacob & Aunt Stephanie's Wedding Shower. 
 
Her first trip to the Pumpkin Patch!


Goings on with Mommy & Daddy - We're busy with setting up house, remaining repairs and the storage unit will finally be delivered tomorrow! It's been a long month but in many ways we needed this time to just breathe and spend time as a family. With everything that is going on with Johns family, it has been a huge blessing that we're staying with my Dad so he can help with Cora while we take care of other things. 

Exciting Future- This weekend is Cora's first birthday party and Uncle Jacob & Aunt Stephanie's wedding shower (going to be a busy weekend!),