"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...)

The Reason

Yesterday while taking a walk, my very favorite song started to play on my ipod and I almost started to cry. Why would I cry over A SONG? This is why:

I'm sure you can imagine the struggle I face each day. Being pregnant. Being still some-what newly married. Being a still some-what new mom. Somedays I just wish I could stay in bed, hidden far beneath my blankets. Somedays I wonder why I wake up at all. Somedays I wonder what I have done with my life and why I deserve what I've got - good or bad.

It's on those days that my favorite song beautifully reminds me. Love. Love is why I am doing what I am doing. Love. Love is why I am where I am. Love. Love is why I breathe in and breathe out.


I may have done this before, but I'm going to share the lyrics of this song, the main title of my blog; a song beautifully sung by David Phelps:

It’s the only thing worth life and death.
It’s the first moment and the final breath.
It’s a broken heart keeping a solemn vow
And a lost soul being found.
You pray for faith when it’s hard to believe.
You choose to stay when it’s easy to leave
And when hope is gone you’re the one who keeps holding on.

That’s what love is
When you give until there’s nothing left
And it makes you give the very best.
That’s what love is.
It can make you laugh and make you cry.
It can let you down and lift you up so high
When you find the only reason left to live.
That’s what love is.

It’s the dream you give up for someone else.
It’s being strong when you’re weak yourself.
Though it tears you up you trust again.
Hatred loses and forgiveness wins.
You turn your cheek when you want to fight.
Sell all you have and lay down your life
And when hope is gone you’re the one who keeps holding on.


It’s reaching out and holding on so someone else will know.
Love is in the not letting go.

Love. Love is why I'll never let go.

Day in and Day out

My life is all too exciting, which why I hardly ever find myself posting on this blog which I created because I never seem to run out of things to say...
I think it's due, in part, to having a seven-year-old who HONESTLY never runs out of things to say. I think I just get tired of language by the end of the day. :)

But, today, I thought I would share the excitement that is my life right now - one snap-shot at a time:

Daily diet



Breakfast


Lunch


Dinner



Just thinking about my thrilling dietary choices excites me to the point of vomiting - or is that the morning/afternoon/night sickness that has yet to GO AWAY!?! Everyone, excepting Christian, has been very helpful in encouraging me on by telling me that at 13/14/15 weeks it should subside and I should start feeling better soon. Christian, on the other hand, loves to tell me I only have 9 1/2 more months of feeling this way. My rebuff: Well, he better get real attached to this one, because it will be his last if he thinks I'll put up with feeling this way for an entire pregnancy+.
Now, I'll go in for another blood-test tomorrow and see if all this nonsense is actually doing me any good.