Cora and my baby clothes

My Mom pretty much saved everything from when we were kids. It has really been a blessing because my kids still get to play with all our old toys at the farm, and she's given me all my old dolls etc. for Cora to play with. She also saved a lot of our baby clothes that had stayed nice. A lot of them I am letting my nieces and Cora use as clothes for the dolls, but a few I kept out for Cora to try on. The other day I thought it would be fun to try some on her. It actually was a really neat feeling to see her in my old clothes. The knitted set was made by my Great-Grandma Lida Buck (Cora's Great Great Grandma). I wanted to post a few pictures of me wearing them as a baby too!

Thank you God!

If you know me, you know I HATE Winter. I despise cold, snow, depressing, gray, dull, sickness, dead, ice, frozen, blah. The only good thing I have to say about this season is that it makes me REALLY appreciate the rest of the year! I adore being outside, gardening, walking etc. I am so thrilled that we've raised Eli to be such an outdoorsman and appreciate nature fully like we do. Just when I thought I couldn't stand the cold any longer, God sent us three days of GLORIOUS weather. The kids and I have been outside for hours and hours the past few days. Yesterday was so amazing we seriously went to two different parks, a church playground, in the bike trailer with Dad, AND played in the backyard and sandbox forever. It was the first time that Cora was old enough to play in the sandbox. She loved it! She didn't even try to eat the sand. Now leaves and sticks, on the other hand, she would purposely try to put in her mouth and look at me for my reaction of "Iky!" She loved crunching up the leaves and watching Eli play with Rica. It was just what we all needed. Unfortunately, while we are all playing outside in short sleeves the city people are busy icing the streets for another snow storm that is supposed to hit Monday and Tuesday. Oh well! I'll savor every second out in the beautiful sun. Brandon and I even got a bunch of yard work done. Eli helped me sweep all the sidewalks/porch. He always ends up pushing dirt from OFF the sidewalk ONTO the sidewalk, but it's adorable. He's my helper! I know soon my Crocus will start blooming and that will help hold me off until Spring!

New hair

I FINALLY got my hair cut! I have

been dying to get it cut for months, but had to grow it out for my cousin's wedding. It has been driving me insane, so it was so refreshing to say, "ADIOS" and get a new do. Eli said I "looked pretty" so it passed inspection.

Learning Time

During Cora's morning nap, Eli has a "learning/fun time". It is amazing how much he is learning on a daily basis and how quick of a learner he is. He is literally a sponge just soaking up everything I teach him. We do all the things that are hard to do with baby sister around. He chooses an art/craft type of activity like playdoh, coloring, writing, cutting, etc. Then, we do some sort of fun game like Candy Land, Memory, etc. Then, we work on "school". He just loves it! Every day he says/does something that we just die laughing about. The other day our furnace went out and Brandon was down working on it. He saw something coming over his shoulder and looked back. There was Eli in sunglasses (because he'd heard me mention it was dangerous, so he put on eye protection) and he had a ratchet in one hand and a socket in the other ready to help Dad. He LIVES to help Dad. He just follows him around wanting to help him in any way. It's a beautiful thing!

Crawling!

Guess who is finally crawling at 8 1/2 months???? CORA ELEANOR JUDSON! She just took off this evening after supper. I am glad Brandon was here to see it! I am hoping this means she will be happy now that she can get to toys and all the things she sees but can't reach, instead of wanting to WALK all day (which breaks my back). You go girl!

Girly...

I've definitely enjoyed having another GIRL around the house. I still enjoy just sitting in her pink room amongst her dolls, dresses, and her one barbie and revel in the fact that I had a girl. The irony is that Brandon wanted to have girls, and I wanted to have boys. Let's just say after three years of active adventurous boy and playing with balls and other boy toys nonstop, I am thoroughly enjoying GIRL things. Cora oozes sweetness from every pore in her body. I lucked out on having two extremely affectionate kids! YAY! She gives lots of kisses and will grab her dolls or barbie and give them kisses too. It is adorable! She is our little dancer, as well. It doesn't matter what music it is (it could be cheesy baby toy music) she starts grooving and clapping. She really feels the music! It has brought me a LOT of smiles. Eli finds it quite amusing, as well. It's fun to see Eli finding her as "cute" and "funny" as we do.

Snowman

Eli has really enjoyed the snow! He built a snowman with Brandon, and Cora even got to join in on the fun. We're supposed to get more snow today, so he'll be thrilled if he gets to go sledding again (he's gone twice so far). A couple days ago the snowman started melting. I was curious to see how Eli would react. I cautiously told him that his snowman was melting. He peeked out the window and started laughing and laughing because the snowman's head was melting off and it looked hilarious. I kept saying, "Your snowman's HEAD IS MELTING OFF!" and he would laugh and laugh. What a goof! Today we had our first Parents As Teachers home visit. A very nice woman came and brought toys for the kids and introduced me to the program. She will come once a month and keep an eye on the kids development. Eli is going to be evaluated next month at our meeting. It's a free program through the school system, so I'm really glad they finally have a spot for me! Last night we went and got Eli's birthday present a month early. We bought him a year membership to the beloved Exploration Place. He asks to go all the time (he goes once a month to a Partents as Teachers play group for dads there). We will definitely be getting our money's worth! It will be a great outing on these cold miserable days!

Preschool

I was extremely nervous yesterday to go visit the Asbury Church preschool. My main criteria in picking a preschool was that it was within five minutes of our house (there are two I found and considered), a small child to teacher ratio, that the teachers had education degrees, and a fun curriculum that included a lot of crafts/art/playing. Since my kids aren't in daycare, they dont' really get a lot of opportunities to be with other kids, so I really think it's important for Eli to go to preschool for the socialization above all else! I was more than thrilled with the director and tour she gave me. She went over the kids daily schedule, which includes: a chapel/worship time, circle learning time, snack time, free play, outside play, art, etc. It was very organized and she showed me a couple kid's portfolios that showed their improvement on coloring, attributes, cutting, comparisons, etc. I actually got to go into a classroom for a while and have everything explained to me while the kids played and were taught. It was fun! I really am SO excited for Eli! I'm turning in all his enrollment papers today, and the director told me they are looking forward to having him next year...YAY! They have an open door policy meaning parents can come and be a part of things anytime they want, and have tons of fun days and fun activities for parents to be involved. I've been telling Eli about preschool and he is understanding the concept completely and seems like he's up for the idea! Uncle Will babysat him yesterday and he asked me if Uncle Will could go to preschool with him. He also said Uncle Will has "nice shirts". Every day he says something funny now! I can't believe my little boy is ready to start school! It just really blows my mind!

Cora Walking

Here's even further proof of Cora walking! She is a "get into everything" type baby and is already making messes and going after small chokable things. She will do anything to get to something she can't have! All it took was a bribe with one of Eli's marbles to get her to walk across the basement! Today she even walked on her own from the little play kitchen to Eli's marble maze trying to get to it. It's going to be moved soon, so it's blocked by the baby gate. Poor Eli! He's going to have to practically hide to play with his toys without being bothered. ?I really delight in my kids. It's been a joy getting to know Cora and watching her sweet personality imerge more every day. I treasure the alone time I get with each of my kids because they are so different and I get to be a "different" type of parent with each one of them. Tomorrow I am actually going on a tour at the preschool I want to put Eli in. I can't believe it! I think it will be wonderful for him to get away a couple times a week and be in a different environment. I'm praying that it will be a wonderful experience next year and not a struggle!

Snow!

Eli has been asking to go sledding for months now. Unfortunately for him, we've had a dry winter so far. Luckily, we finally got about 4 1/2 inches of snow and he was pumped...even Cora was batting at the snowflakes through the window. It definitely is a winter wonderland around here and very beautiful. We snuck outside during Cora's nap yesterday and had some fun in the snow. Eli kept saying, "Snow...EAT!" I told him to only eat the white snow not yellow and asked him what could be on the snow to make it yellow. He said, "POOP!" He cracks me up! He enjoyed eating snow and throwing it at poor old mom. When Brandon came home from work he took Eli sledding. They had a blast! Eli was excited to get to go down the small hill by himself. Today, during Cora's nap I made him snow ice cream. He was so happy and loved it! I just mixed a large bowl of snow with some sugar, vanilla, and milk. I surprisingly enjoyed it, as well. I'm hoping Brandon can help him build a snowman in the next couple of days. We can't miss out on teaching him all the fun snow activities!

More stomach flu....

Just as I felt like I was getting my energy back, both Brandon and Eli came down with the stomach flu! Needless to say, I have been a little cranky this week. They are feeling better, but not completely over it yet. Cora and I have escaped the sick house every day for a little bit to save sanity. Yesterday, we went to our neighbor Mia's first birthday party. Cora had fun watching all the kids and we brought Eli back a goody bag that he was thrilled with. Today, we snuck away to church. I'm praying for HEALTH!

8 months old!

My little girl is 8 months old! She gets more wonderful every day! She is loved by all and loves everyone dearly. At 8 months she is:

1. WALKING-She took her first steps at 7 1/2 months, and now at 8 months can take around 6 at a time.

2. Clapping-especially when I'm trying to feed her and she smacks the spoon

3. Waving-I've been working on "hi" and "bye"

4. Starting to eat meat. She has actually been sleeping better since she started meat at supper time and I've been giving her a snack of rice cereal before bed, which has helped as well.

5. Has been sleeping terrible, but has actually only been up once or twice the past two nights, which is the best sleep I've had in 8 months!

6. A total Mama's girl! If she sees me...she wants me. She reaches for me all the time and lunges for me most of the time. She will rarely reach for Brandon or anyone else.

7. Still in separation anxiety. If I leave the room she has started crying. She does not want to be alone.

8. Was babysat by her Grams and Papa Judson for the first time. I was away from her for around 6 hours (most of it she was sleeping) and she did great. She took a bottle and handled it very well.

9. Cruising-She loves cruising on the couch or the little kitchen set. She also loves pushing her walking toy around the basement

10. Pulling up!

11. She has her two bottom teeth. It's already changed how she looks. I know the top two will really change her looks!

12. She is still just the sweetest thing. She gives great snuggles and hugs and is starting to give "kisses" when I pucker up.

13. Still says "Nana", "Dada", and "Mama". I've gotten her to say "Bye bye" maybe once. She will scream to get your attention, or growl.

14. She is also dancing now! If she is sitting and she hears music she rocks back and forth. It is hilarious!

Happy New Year!

What a whirlwind of a New Years! We had a full week of parties, family, presents, and wedding fun! I don't think I've ever had so much fun in my life or been so exhausted! It all started with a wonderful night at my cousin Ellen's bachelorette party. I got some much needed girl time with my cousins and friends. Brandon and I both had a blast at the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner (which was our first meal without kids since Cora's birth). The wedding was just magical! I was honored to be a bridesmaid and Brandon and I sang in the wedding. Brandon had been very sick with a cold, but was just able to sing in the knick of time! The reception was so much fun! All my family was there and my best friend Courtney. My sister's kids had never been to a wedding and LOVED it. They danced and danced and danced! During the wedding my mom looked over and Precious had a tear going down her cheek. She said, "I know why they are getting married...because they are so nice to each other." What sweet kids! Brandon and I enjoyed dancing and eating and just being with the people we love. Brandon's parents drove up all the way from Texas to babysit our kids, so we could go have a great time. It was such a relief to me. The kids did great, considering I was gone so much. Both kids were thrilled to have the attention of BOTH sets of grandparents and all their cousins, aunt, and uncles. We had a total of 15 people staying in the house! Thank God for our big house. Bob brought up brisket and other food to help feed everyone. We celebrated my Mom's 50th birthday while everyone was here, as well. She wanted a pajama breakfast at Jimmy's Egg. It was hilarious! We all wore our pajamas and had a great time. We also exchanged our Christmas gifts with my sister's family. It was so cute. The kids all gave us knick knacks out of their own stuff, gave us art creations, or little trinkets they bought with their allowance at school. We loved it! They are such a blessing! The other day I was driving and I asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grow up. My 4 yr. old niece Korey said, "I really want to be you; I want to be Aunt Em. I won't spank Cora or Eli." It was so sweet; it definitely brought tears to my eyes.

As everyone was leaving I came down with the stomach flu. It was horrible. I have a history of passing out when I throw up, which happened twice this time. Luckily, Brandon was home the second time and took care of me. I had convulsions, carpal spasms, and numb legs and feet afterwards. I've had carpal spasms when I was pregnant, but not that bad, so Brandon went ahead and called 911 just to make sure I wasn't having a stroke or seizure (he was so calm, but I know he was probably scared to death). My hands were gnarled, numb, and locked. I absolutely couldn't move them for over a 1/2 an hour. It scared me! The EMTs arrived and were great. All my vitals were good and by the time they left I had the use of my hands back, so I chose not to go to the hospital. My brother rushed over to help with Eli in case we needed to go to the hospital. Once again, he was our knight in shining armor! I come to find out it is normal to have convulsions when blacking out (so no seizure thank God) and carpal spasms are caused from hyperventilation (while throwing up). I was able to get rehydrated (although I did lose like 7 lbs) and rested (I was so weak) and am feeling a ton better. Brandon stayed home yesterday to make sure I didn't throw up once I started eating again. He was a life saver! I am just praying the no one else in our family gets it. I really can't handle the thought of the poor kids going through the stomach flu again. Please God...we need a break!