2 weeks in Irvine.

Cora and I just got back from a 2 week trip to California. While we missed the Giullian family while we were there, we were happy to spend some more family time with the Murphys before they go to Ecuador! So sad to think she'll be 4 before they come back.

She was a good helper when I packed. I didn't check a bag so we threw everything in one duffel bag for the 2 of us!

 We dressed Cora in her best to go to the airport!

She wanted to crawl around the floor at the airport. I had to unclench my germaphobe side in order to let her... otherwise it would be a long 8 hours!

 Come back!

 And then she started licking the ground. Ugh.

 She didn't get her own seat, but this was how I got my bag off and on. People were SO nice to us, helping us with my bags and the stroller.

Cora was a little bit tired and scared of Murphy that first night, so we didn't get to get any pictures with anyone when we got there.

The next morning my parents flew to Utah to go to conference, and Cora Bethany and I had the day to ourselves. Cora finally approached Murphy (get ready to see plenty more pictures and videos, because it's pretty hilarious.)

  Then we did something I was trying to do for SIX YEARS. We went on the big orange balloon at the Great Park!

 

 

 

 It took Cora a minute to warm up to Bethany, but she finally did!

  Cora just laid in Bethany's lap talking to her, it was pretty cute. And she is always pulling on her shirt.

Cora thought 2:30 was an acceptable wakeup time for us, so at 6:30 or 7 I finally laced up my running shoes and hit the trail. It's so beautiful there!

 Cora started to sit there and watch Murphy. She even said "Da, da" when she would see him and would look for the window when you would ask where Murphy or the doggie was. I love this picture because it's so indicative of how round she is.

 Between sessions of conference, Bethany and I decided to go on a hike to Peter's Canyon. We were not very smart and thought the hike was stroller friendly. It clearly wasn't.

 Grumpy cat was grumpy.

But she did watch some conference with us!

 And THIS was Sunday morning. She wouldn't even sit up to play with her toys because she was so tired. Eye roll.

 But a walk with Murphy helped!

Cora warmed up to Papa pretty quickly and had a lot to say!

We don't have a full length mirror like this, so Cora was in heaven looking at herself. It was hilarious! 

 This is what would happen when I would try to lay down in the same room. Either that or she would rattle the blinds.

 Still adjusting.

We watched all 3 High School Musicals in 3 days while tying Bethany's quilt, and Cora got into the Music. Notice how Murphy ignores her. 

 I was glad we got some reading time in with Grandma! I'll miss things like this.

 My mom went to Dallas on Thursday, which apparently means everyone else goes out to get sushi. Cora tried spicy tuna, rice and mackerel and loved them! And she liked the miso soup until she spilled it all over me.

 I got to go see our friend Lauren and her two boys while we were there, which was fun! Ben (the 2 year old) struggled with sharing with Cora, which is funny because he's getting a little sister in August. And I just reminded Cora she will be on the other end of it soon enough!

 Saturday we had a wedding reception to go to, and while this is a super unflattering picture of me look at her face! She loves it when I get ready!

 Cora tore up the dance floor. She was so excited to just crawl and crawl that she didn't eat hardly anything all night.

 Since it was one of Dallin's best friends who got married, he came down for about 36 hours. I did get a picture of him saying hello and goodbye to his old friend Murph.

 These are all so cute I don't know which one to pick. So all of them!

Dancing while uncle Cole plays the piano.

 And she learned it made noise so she played the piano herself!

 As she started sleeping better at night she ironically was more grumpy in the morning. So we went out on a run. Look at that tired face!

We went to the petting zoo part of the Irvine regional park, and it clearly was effective. She eventually started pinching the goat's fur, which I think means she was trying to pet.

 Cora has been working on her squats, which led to the world's slowest game of peekaboo! It was SO funny though.

She got some good face time with Papa too.

 And helped Cole play the piano!

Saying goodbye was sad! But look at that smile of hers!

 It really bodes well when this happens, especially when Cora does this and screams in front of our whole flight.

 She was playing peekaboo.

 We had some really REALLY nice people on our flights. We sat next to a man who was just coming from seeing HIS grandkids in California, so he didn't mind when Cora would try to stand up next to him and whatnot. We also had the seat between us free, so when Cora wanted nothing more than to crawl around (not an option) she sat here for a little while. There was also a girl that I have said I believe is my guardian angel. She folded up my stroller for me, offered me HER first class seat to let Cora stretch out on, and brought her a fresh chocolate chip cookie from first class. Since that was right after Cora cried for 15 minutes and fought me to get down on the ground, I really really appreciated it. So be nice to the parents flying alone with the kids!

 Hello Bluebell. 

 Cora had plenty to say about getting pilot wings from a flight attendant. I was just trying to take a picture, but she just started talking. 

And we made it home! Look at those 2 buddies. Brandon said she looked way bigger than when we left.

Such a fun trip. Both my parents were out of town twice and it would have been fun to see them more, but that was the whole reason we flew out. And I said I will only fly across time zones by myself to see grandparents, because it is EXHAUSTING! Cora is currently awake for the second time in 3 hours... Oh boy. But we loved the trip, can't wait to go back in 6 weeks!

11 Months- I never want to forget.

11 months. So sad! How is she this big??

- Her love of books. Even though this love is usually shown through trying to rip out all the pages, she loves it when I read. She will lay by me and try to touch the pages constantly. I even read some of my books to her this way.

She also loves her own books.

Look at that little round body! She was paying attention to a book called "Babies and Doggies".

 - That little smile. Melt.

 - The way she sleeps. Sharing a room with a baby is hard. Sharing a room with someone who can stand and stare at your bed is harder. But I love peeking in at her sleeping positions throughout her naps and at night. It is so cute!

 -How much she loves the park. Only one of the parks nearby has swings so that's the one we go to most often. But no matter how bad of a day she is having she just lights up when she swings! 

 -How adventurous of an eater she is. She will eat almost anything. The only two things she has NOT liked are avocado (which is weird because she loves guac) and broccoli. Here she is sampling watermelon.

 - Her little tiny ponytails. They flop over almost immediately because there isn't enough hair to keep them up, but seriously. So cute. 

 - How much she loves watching the birds. On ANY given morning you can find her here watching the birds go by. When one lands on our balcony she loses her mind and squeals a ton.

 - How snuggly she still is. This was when she was teething and oh so sad, but she fortunately usually just wants to snuggle. It could be much, much worse.

- Her sense of humor. She has been starting to do things just to be funny! I LOVE it. It always makes me laugh.  

- How much of a grownup she thinks she is. This may get old as she gets older, but it cracks me up now. She wants your phone or laptop if she sees it, and she will make you move over so she can get comfortable. Sometimes WAY comfortable. 

 - Watching her interact. She has been having more time with strange kids lately, and she is really learning how to be part of a group. Or so it seems, I may be wrong. But she loves going to library story time and interacting with kids.

 - That little round body. Seriously. Could it be any cuter? I know it isn't actually true, but sometimes I say I never want her rolls and softness to go away! She is SO soft.

We love you Cora Faye! You are the best part of both your parents. And your birthday is flying around the corner!

The word "and".

I follow a Facebook page called "Modern Inspiring Mormon Women", or something to that effect. There have been many posts about different women, all with the concept of "Embrace your and!" They are a mother AND a student AND a worker AND an expatriate etc.

Well, I am trying to embrace my "and" AND it really has been hard. I just started an online master's program, and I want to get through it quickly. I am also being pulled a bunch of different directions in church and feel like I can't give the proper attention to any of my five callings because of it.

Right now, I am a wife AND a mother AND a student AND a Cub Scout leader AND a Primary teacher AND the first counselor in the Stake Primary Presidency AND the ward organist AND a piano teacher AND a friend AND a runner AND a reader AND AND AND AND AND.

I have tried so hard to remain positive, really I have. And the purpose of this is not to complain. It is more to just voice how my brain feels. Which may be complaining, oh well.

I try day in and day out to do what is right. I take Cora out a few times a day, even if it is just to the grocery store or the library (across the street). She loves going outside. I try to talk to her all day, and read stories multiple times a day, and feed her good natural foods. She can get into chicken nuggets later (KIDDING MOM!).

School is going to be hard. It is something I have wanted to do, and I knew it will be hard work, but that doesn't mean it won't be overwhelming. My final semester is a practicum that is a replica of my student teaching. 16 weeks, full time in the classroom. Which means my little tender nugget is going to have to go to a daycare for that time. Which kills me. And also makes me apprehensive about the idea of having an even tinier baby around to go to the daycare. I know that is a luxury to even be worried about it, but that is something I have never wanted for our babies if we could help it.

Church has been stressful. I have 2 official callings and 3 unofficial ones. One is going to double as a part time job, which is nice because we have prayed for a way for me to make a little extra income without having to pay for childcare. But at the end of the day I am away a lot more than Brandon is at night, because of the meetings I have.

The worst is I feel terrible for Brandon. I really am not trying to push him off to the side, and he knows that. I hope. But we are both so tired when he gets home (12 hour ER rotations) that it isn't the same. The days off are GREAT though.

I had so many good New Year's Resolutions. Don't we all? I was going to blog once a week. Yeah. I was going to run/walk/bike 500 miles. But some health issues have blocked that way for a little bit. It's hard to not be overwhelmed! The past few days it has really come to a head, so I was kind of mopey today.

But I have also been finding little tiny blessings today. I was looking through my pictures and just tearing up at the sweet baby we have created and kept alive for almost a year. I mean really, look at her! 

She is just the cutest.

I also saw this picture today, and it made me grateful. Even though Cora follows me into the bathroom (ok that is just funny), and whines because she refuses to nap in the afternoon (normal), and choked on a tiny piece of apple and stopped breathing for about 10 seconds tonight which took about 10 years off my life, I am so grateful for where we are. Warts and all. I will take the stresses if it means I can have my little family!

So I guess for now I will try to embrace the "and". I am a whole lot of ands right now, AND that is ok.

10 months- I never want to forget

I can't believe another month has come and gone! And like I have said every month so far, it seems like she has exploded in learning!

-Her waving. I squealed so loudly when I saw this for the first time. And now she waves constantly at herself! She has also waved at friends a few times. My heart.

-How she follows me around. This is hilarious because she gets so excited when she finds me in the bathroom. Look at this!

-Her talking. Her new word is "Bwap!" She says it all the time. She is also starting to mimic words. Her first one was "No" (of course), but she has also said "Yes", "Yep", and something that sounds a lot like "Poop". Haha I guess that's what I say to her a lot.

-Her crawling. So last month she had just started this flop crawl deal, now she is REALLY crawling everywhere! She is so fast when she wants to be. With this new independence has come a lot less screaming when I walk out of the room. If she cries I turn around and say "Come on!" and she will crawl after me. She even follows me to the bathroom... That's actually her favorite room so we have to shut the door when we aren't in it. Luckily she doesn't find the kitchen as interesting... yet. It's lucky because we currently are at the tail end of a bug problem (EW), and I don't want her in there with them.

-Her expressions. Even the fake crying ones, as demonstrated by our Valentine's day picture. She was mad that I wouldn't let her roll all over the carpet.

I still love on her constantly, and squeeze her when I can (when she will let me), and I am so thankful for her being in my life! Happy 10 months lovebug!

9 months- I never want to forget.

Seriously, 9 months now?? That is madness.

Cora has exploded in her movement and personality this month. Maybe because the first half of it was spent with so many different people? But she has really learned a lot, and it is so fun to watch her grow.

-Her crawling. She crawls! I watched her do it on Saturday (her 9 month birthday), and I told Brandon it was like watching the raptors learn to unlock the door in "Jurassic Park". But more exciting. She still prefers to roll, since she has a good system down of rolling and pivoting that can get her anywhere. But if she sees something she wants (like Puffs), she will move for it!

-Her curiosity. She is into EVERYTHING. As I'm typing, I'm watching her push a box of wipes across the floor as she rolls. She only wants the things that we touch, like the wipes, the computers, the cell phones, the stroller wheels but NOT her toys that we touch. And EVERYTHING goes in her mouth. But I think that one of the best things we can do for her is not make her feel like she is being punished for being a normal curious baby. We just keep the dangerous things out of her reach!

-Her silliness. She is starting to figure out when people are laughing, and she will give them a huge cheesy smile. It is the cutest!

-Her voice. She is so communicative, even if she can't actually speak yet. She is ALWAYS making new noises! I can't wait until she learns words. She has been directing traffic from her stroller, which is pretty hilarious.

-Her headstands. I don't know where this is coming from, but she has lately been doing this weird headstand kind of thing. I think she is trying to stand, but nooooo need to rush that!

- How much she loves Brandon. If we are perfectly honest, Cora does tend to prefer me at times. When she is tired or not feeling well she usually wants nothing to do with him. But when they are together and playing, it melts my heart! I mean, look at this picture. All the heart eyes!

We sure do love this mobile child! (And yes this is a month late, because she turns 10 months tomorrow. And yes I still need to finish her 8 month post. Whoops!)

This was the best picture I could get of her, she would roll over IMMEDIATELY after I would lay her down. Oh well!

Book Blog

Another one of my new year's resolutions is to read 20 classics. With other books in between, of course. I was able to read 50 books last year, which I was proud of, but a lot of the books I read and didn't feel very fulfilled by. So I want to elevate the quality of books I am reading. I'm also putting them on their own blog, because I like this one to be about our little family. If you like completely non-eloquent writings about random books, check it out. Enjoy!

(and yes I did steal this from Alyse, even though I can't write about what I read nearly as well as she can.)

http://camillesreadinglist.blogspot.com/

2016, bring it on.

Wow, I can't believe it's 2016. 2015 was such a huge year for us (obviously). And this year will be pretty big too between my parents going on a mission and Brandon graduating PA school!

I did complete some of my resolutions from last year! I read the Book of Mormon by myself (and we finished it together for the 3rd time since being married!), I read 50 books, I logged 200 miles on MapMyRun.

I also failed dismally at other resolutions. I did NOT go to the temple and bring 12 family names. I did NOT stick with a budget. I did NOT plan 3 meals a week (although I was closest with this one). But oh well! New year, new start right?

I have some new resolutions. I am going to run another half marathon! (and stick with a training plan this time) I already found one in Key Largo in November. I really wanted to run one that goes into Everglades national park, but they're all on Sundays. I am also going to log 500 miles this year! 200 was perfect for having a baby last year, but I want to step up my game. I'm giving up soda (for real this time) all year. Don't tell Brandon how long, he said he doesn't want to know so he doesn't try to keep me accountable. He just knows I am not drinking soda, and when he sees me drink one he'll assume I am done. I want to cut down 10% of our hospital bill debt. That might not sound like a lot, but when you have no income it is!

I have a ton of little goals, so I won't list them all. I'm also going to update all the posts I have drafted. I have been so bad at updating about trips, which is the whole point of this blog. So stay tuned for some old posts!

I also want to take advantage of this great place we live in! We are going to find more fun (and cheap or free) places to go and things to see. So bring on 2016!