Believe it or not

This is not "Fail Blog"... this is: http://failblog.org/ But my life, as a mother, quite often makes me feel like I should be writing my own fail blog... I wonder, just because I let Cora wander around the mushy, wet and yet crunchy back yard, munching on weeds, rocks and "Mr. Cat" that Sarah sculpted out of mud, does this make me a bad mom? I wonder, just because sometimes I feed Cora funny foods that she gags on and subsequently pukes up that and the rest of her meal, does that make me a bad mom? And then I forget that I'm supposed to make dinner because I'm washing up the puke covered child, trying to keep her out of the puke I haven't been able to clean off the floor yet and trying to steer Sarah in a positive direction other than arguing with me for the millionth time, does that make me a bad mom? I wonder, just because I tell Sarah I'll tell her when her piano practice is up (she practices for 30 minutes every day) and I forget that it's now been an hour, does that make me a bad mom? I wonder why I just can't remember why I don't plug that Febreeze in where Cora can get it -- maybe it's because she finds it EVERY TIME and pulls it out of the socket and leaks scented oil all over herself and it takes a day for the smell to wear off her and me, regardless of how many times we wash... Does that make me a bad mom? None of these things probably make me a bad mom, it's just so hard sometimes not to feel like I'm failing at my ONE JOB. I mean, if I walked back into teaching I couldn't get away with letting kids wander around and do what they please without me watching, I couldn't get away with making a kid puke, I couldn't get away with forgetting how long a lesson is supposed to be, I couldn't get away with not getting the kids to lunch, I couldn't get away with having potentially harmful substances being tampered with... Seriously, I FEEL LIKE A BAD MOM! BUT, I do feel better when I think: My kids are happy and healthy. They wear clean clothes every day - whether they want to or not - they get feed, they get loved, and they get sleep. We try our best to teach proper principles and we try even harder just to love our girls. I can't really be that bad of a mom as long as I am loving my girls and, as Sarah says "just trying to do my best."

BFF

I made a new friend. Her name is Julie. She lives down the street from me, was a nanny "for like ever" like me and she has a sweet little baby girl like me and she is expecting another little one soon... NOT like me at all!! Haha :) Now maybe Lawton won't be so lonely. I was really singing the blues, feeling so alone, so forgotten and so isolated. I told Christian I found a new BFF and he just laughed. (We like to joke about things like BFF and OMG and LOL and all those little sayings.) Hooray for my new BFF!! Hooray for Julie. **Julie, I promise I'm not a crazy stalker for blogging about you** Please don't be scared and run away. I'm just so happy to have a friend. :) (and... this picture just made me giggle because i love bananas and i'm obsessed with monkeys... and it's just cute. it was either this one or a spongebob picture... but that's too typical of me, so i chose this one.)

Nerd Alert/True Confessions of Clarissa Jane/Cora is the Saving Angel

So the post I've been thinking about... This is either going to super nerd alert Christian and me or you are all going to think we are totally stinkin' awesome or maybe just completely normal -- I guess it depends on how "nerdy" you may be. ;) For about a month off and on, Christian and I were watching bits of the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings, or LOTR (which you only call it that if you are SUPER cool!). The night that we FINALLY finished the end of The Return of the King I dreamed over and over about the end of the world. Seriously, it was quite distressing. Everything was in ruins. Everything was dark. There was nothing, but ash and rubble and fire. (Now the really good thing is that I'm not pregnant, so these dreams weren't crazy-real and I wasn't terrified that they were coming true, so my poor husband did not have to wake me up and save me -- he had to do that plenty of times while I was pregnant.) So, I'd be running around just trying to find my way to somewhere safe and then... BUM BUM... I'd find this:

A sweet, sleeping baby... Then I'd tickle her little belly and I'd see this:

A super cutie, giggly baby... And suddenly, the sun would be shining, the sky would be blue, the grass would be green and then everyone I loved would come running to us. Seriously, my baby girl is an angel. She makes me so happy and my dreams prove it.

Me and my girl. I love her sooooooo much!! Oh... and just for an extra giggle...

No good on a plumber, but super cute on a baby. Giggle. Giggle. :)

Cora Has A New Trick

So, I actually have a grand scheme in my head about a post I want to make, but Cora's new trick (as of this weekend) is kind of trumping it! **So maybe I'll write the other one tomorrow night** I suspect this funny new thing has something to do with a visit from a certain Aunt whom Cora adores!! She was so cranky the day after Auntie Charly left us... But anyway, all weekend and into this week she has been up to... THIS:

and THIS:

I have no idea why she is suddenly hanging her tongue out like a puppy, but it is so darn cute! And so funny! She sometimes even makes that "nmnmnmwahhhhhh" sound while she's doing it. It has us rolling while we were trying to catch it in a picture -- she started to laugh too:

I would post the funny video of it, but I have no idea how to do that... anyone want to offer their assistance?? :) In the meantime, we'll just keep giggling at the trick ourselves. She is such a goofy, happy, giggly baby and OH SO LOVEABLE!!

"Baby Blue"

So, I just had to post about my baby girls blue, BLUE eyes. Not joking AT ALL when I say everywhere we go people are commenting on how gorgeous she is and "Oh, those eyes!! Those are the bluest eyes I've ever seen!" It's true. Cora Jane has the clearest and bluest eyes I'VE ever seen. I keep telling everyone she gets them from her Aunt Amber because neither Christian nor I have blue eyes. I'm always singing to her the song from George Strait: "Baby blue was the color of her eyes, Baby blue, like the Colorado skies..." I've even YouTubed it and played it for her -- she loves it. I think she knows it's her song. :) So, just to prove it... here are some "Baby Blues" for you.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea, and what pictures would I post next time if I use them all up now?! ;)

As promised...

Although I am not certain that my "demands" were exactly met, I will write a blog post for those of you who may actually care...


I tell you, it is really hard being way out here in the middle of nowheresville, out in the middle of idontknowanyonehereville. I seriously need a life. And I am in need of some friends. I miss all my "old" friends.

I am aching for Amber and Mike and the kiddos. I want to play with my LoLo. And then there's Bekah, and VonTana... TayTay... Lani... Kira... Roonnate... Nora... Evey... And I know I'm not naming everyone, but those are just to name a few... I just feel so out of place not having someone close by. Its been so long since I've been so on my own. Yes, yes, I have Christian and my girls, but it's somehow just not the same. It doesn't make it easier that I just feel so lame. I've gained about ten pounds since moving here; not because I'm eating tasty foods of anything, just because I'm being a fatty. I mean, come on, there are two Sonics (pretty much my favorite place!!) in town and I've only gone there ONCE -- and that was today!(If you know anything about me, that's pretty much a big deal.)

But besides feeling lame and fat and all alone, life is pretty good here. giggle

Our house is great. It is so comfortable and so NOT connected to another house!! haha I love that we only hear our own noise within these walls. :) We have a great amount of space and I was pretty much unpacked within a few days -- just had to wait to get a bookcase to empty out my books; that wait about killed me!

Cora is just growing and growing and GOING and GOING! She is trying to walk... it's the greatest thing to see her zoom all over the house in her little walker -- and I'm telling you, she can go!! She is fast!! She loves to chase and be chased. She turned 9 months today and she is, officially, still my little peanut -- we still haven't hit 17 pounds. BUT what she lacks in weight, she makes up in fun! Everywhere we go people fall in love with her and her blue, blue eyes. She is a ham and really gets to talking. And yes, I am "Mum Mum" and I love it!!

Sarah had an awesome summer visiting everyone in the family and now she is settling into third grade. She loves Hugh Bish, she loves being a Knight and she LOVES Mrs. Shippers third grade class. That girl loves school -- now if only I could get her to love doing her chores. ;) Oh, and she is getting SO amazing at the piano. We got her another outstanding piano teacher, who also happens to be her music teacher at school. Her is really challenging her and pushing her and she isn't even fighting back! It's so much fun to listen to her play.

Ok... that is all I am going to write for now. I'm going to leave a little out in order to have more to write later. Haha... I know, it's killing you!! You'll just have to wait for a little update on Christian. (He's LOVING Lawton, by the way.)

Pictures below are of the front room and kitchen/dining areas.
More to come... hopefully soon?!!? Who knows.

I am lame

Just throwing that out there!

I should totally write here...

I'm sure I have something to say...

Hands

Little baby hands.
Little Cora Jane hands.
I was up all night "dealing" with those cutie hands.
The above picture shows you how sweet these hands are and the below picture shows you where these cutie hands and delicious fingers like to be.

Cora, from day one, has been a finger sucker. In the hospital, mom (meaning, grandma) had to let Cora suck on her finger so I could get some sleep. This girl has always hated being swaddled because she can't get to her fingers. Even when she is swaddled, no matter how well it is done or what kind of amazing wrap I've used, she finds a way out. This really wouldn't be a problem if she didn't get so mad when she couldn't keep her fingers in her mouth, or when she punches herself in the nose! She is my little Houdini and I love the fun little struggle -- amazingly, even when it keeps me up all night.

Even when feeding,she gets distracted by her hands! Christian laughs because she is always reaching up and grabbing my face, seeming to say "are you up there mommy?!" Then her other hand is always wandering around by my side. Quite often it will "suddenly" cross her view and she'll either stare at it and go cross-eyed or even switch what she is sucking on and pop it in her mouth! Feeding time is full of entertainment as long as Cora Jane's hands are around! :)

Her new fun thing is so funny. The last few weeks she been grabbing toys and shoving them straight into her mouth, and now she has started to grab my face and do the same thing. I've had a few really good laughs, especially when she gets a good grab and starts to suck on my chin. It's hilarious to see (and listen to) her suck on washcloths in the bathtub, her monkeys, her elephant, her blankets, her burpies -- anything this girl can grab, she sucks!

My grandpas favorite story to tell about me involved my own hands and this same type of struggle. Apparently, when I was small, if I had my hands free during naptime I wouldn't go to sleep. He would tell me that he would wake up and find me playing with my hands, doing dances, talking, making puppets, and generally, just having a grand time. Now, I get to see this first-hand with my own baby girl.

Long time

I keep looking at my blog and thinking it has been far too long since I've have written -- I keep looking at my journal and think the same thing. I am totally bummed that I haven't documented life better lately.

I haven't even blogged ONCE about my beautiful Cora Jane (born December 09, 2010). I haven't even told the world how delicious she is. I haven't even told everyone how "Baby Wise" saves lives! :) I haven't even posted pictures or told stories or shared my joys and frustrations.

I want to change that. Today. Right now, so... here goes...


(This is me and my Cora Jane, not too long after she FINALLY came out.)

I don't want to go into all the hairy details of labor and delivery right now, just saying that Cora Jane was a week late and then STILL didn't want to come out after 22 hours of labor and 4 hours of pushing says just about enough. The doctor finally grabbed baby girl by the head and pulled!! :)

I've never seen anything so precious, so tiny and so wonderful.

Stay tuned... I promise to write more again soon... for now, Christian keeps saying "awhh..." and teasing me. I guess I should give him some attention... (gee, I wonder why I never write anymore...)