Future England Star

A few things I've learned I shouldn't do: wear earrings, have my breakfast cereal within kicking distance, and let Cora help me bring in the clean, dry clothes.
The earrings have been off a couple of weeks, since Cora started giving me her hugs and kisses. When she grabbed my face, one earring went flying. Thankfully Stace watched it happen and he picked it up right away.
As for the cereal, I normally have my breakfast while Cora has hers, and we're both in front of the computer. I try to be careful to keep my food away from her, since she s so grabby nowadays. But earlier this week, her flying foot found a good target and my cereal, milk and spoon went flying. A good amount landed in the keyboard. At least it's an old keyboard and one we've been planning to replace.
And with it being so hot, I've been drying a lot of our clothes outside. I just can't bear to have the dryer on, heating up the bathroom. Cora was in a great mood the other morning so I held her as I piled clean clothes on my arm. Anyone who knows Cora knows what happened next - she spit up all over! In general, I'd say she's spitting up less these days than she had been, but she got the clothes good.
The photos show that Stace already has Cora playing with the England football. She also really likes her singing elephant, and knows how to activate the singing.
The last pic shows Cora with her new best friend. She has come to really love Somer, and smiles whenever she hears the cat meow. Today the three of us sat on Cora's floor and had a nice time together. I had to bring Somer over of course, but I was surprised and pleased when she stayed put without my having to force her down. I helped Cora pet the cat, and all went well.

Daddy's girl

Stacey and Cora are getting along well these days. There were a few months early on where Stace wanted to play with Cora, but she only had eyes for me. Now, though, she smiles at her daddy and has given him the same sort of hugs and kisses that she gives me. He makes her giggle with his funny voices, and they enjoyed the pool together tonight. We're in another heat wave, and it was 88 degrees when we went to the pool at 8 o'clock. The high today in SClarita was 109.
Cora is getting old enough to play some classic baby games. Peekaboo is a favorite already, and the other day I entertained her by hiding her little stuffed ladybug under a burp rag. Also, while I did the dishes, I gave her a wooden spoon and pot. I showed her how to bang them, and she liked that. She also liked mouthing the spoon - everything goes into her mouth these days. Speaking of her mouth, she has started making some new noises the last few days. She now says, "mmmm mmmm mmmmm" in addition to the "aaaaaaaaaaa" we so often hear.
Lastly, I am showing off my new haircut. The last time I got my hair cut, I kept it the same style I've had and got a basic trim. Stace gave me a hard time, saying it didn't look like I'd had anything done for the money. This time, I requested 2 inches off and layers. I was very pleased with the result. My husband, despite my dropping hints a couple of times that I had had my hair cut in the afternoon, said not a word about the change. He later apologized and said he liked it, but that no, he wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't said anything. (sigh)

Fun with water

Doctor visit pics

Cora liked playing with the crinkly paper this time - her last visit she hated it and cried!

Here's Cora with Dr. Kathy Brockett, my pediatrician when I was younger.

Giving mom a hug

After the shots - see the bandaid - and not sure whether to continue crying or to start smiling.

The best snack. See how her hair is getting lighter? She gets that from her daddy!

The joy of bathing

Obviously, Daddy gave her this bath.

Rubber ducky, you're the one, you make bathtime so much yum...

Ready, set...

Cora had her 6-month checkup on Wednesday. The doctor was pleased with her progress, and validated how I am doing with feeding her, giving her whatever table food I'm having that seems appropriate for Cora. For the numbers: Cora is 15 pounds, 10 ounces (35.8 percentile); 26 3/4 inches long (77th percentile) and her head is 17.3 inches around (84th percentile) so very similar to all of her other visits as far as where she is on the growth charts. Healthy, and more of a long and lean body than plump. She had one oral vaccine and two shots - so two less than last time. She cried during the shots of course, but settled quickly. We then went to the pet shop, where she laughed when the birds made their whistling noises.
Cora and I survived our first overnight at home without Daddy. Stace had to go on a quick business trip, but he's home safely now.

Food, Glorious Food!

Cora has entered a whole new world.
You can see her here LOVING the banana, and in the video in the entry below.
Cora now wants to try whatever it is we are having. On Sunday morning we went out to breakfast with John and Linda and their girls, and Cora entertained herself with a bit of pancake and a bite of breakfast potato. In the evening, Stace and I went to another restaurant and she was eagerly watching me fill my chips with salsa and guacamole - she really wanted some too! We found some hunks of avocado in the guac and cleaned them off, and she enjoyed that, along with a bit of whole wheat sandwich bun. This morning, I was holding her while I spread peanut butter on my morning toast. A couple of weeks ago, this would have been an easy task, but now, it was a balancing act tring to keep her little fingers clear of the bread and peanut butter. When we sat down, I compromised by giving her a corner of crust without peanut butter (which can be a major allergen). She happily munched on that and ate it all.

More please!

Made in the shade

We went back to Torrance to visit Linda and John and enjoy the water again. On Saturday we went to the pool with them, and on Sunday the three of us went back to the beach. This time we had a proper sun shade tent for Cora.
On Saturday and Sunday, since we were out and about at fun places, Cora fought long and hard against taking naps. She got overtired and a bit cranky, and both days finally crashed - hard. See her sleeping on Stace's chest as he walked around with her, and she even stayed sleeping when he put her down in the tent. Normally she sleeps lightly enough to wake up when moved, or when, say, we unclick her car seat straps.
The weather looks cloudy, and the clouds did roll in for a short while, but they were a relief because it was quite warm.
As the photos show, Cora still loves playing with her tongue. She still chews on it on the side of her mouth, though now and then she'll also find her thumb and chew on that.
She also has gotten into giving me hugs and kisses, you could say. When I hold her near my face, she'll grab my head/hair and pull close to me, and it feels like she's trying to eat me. She pulls her face into my face with her mouth open, giving a kiss, I guess. It feels weird but is very sweet - I think!

Here is Cora with her friend Thomas, the son of my friend Sarah from Stroller Strides.
Believe it or not, Thomas is about 2 1/2 months younger than Cora. He is one big boy!

Cora enjoyed some sweet potato tonight, and again, liked it better when she was holding the spoon. She likes to play with her toys now, talking to them and banging them on the ground or the chair she is sitting on.

random bits

Cora has now rolled from her back to her tummy! Twice in the past couple of days, I've put her on her back on a blanket on the floor and come back to find her on her stomach. Tonight, Stace did the same, and watched her turn over.
She is so social. This morning, after Stroller Strides, she was smiling and chatting to her friend Thomas, and reaching out to touch his hand and face. Later in the day, she was loving being around my friend Elisabeth's 3 1/2-year-old, Anna, and was giggling at everything Anna was saying.
We had a busy day today (Wednesday). First we had Stroller Strides, where Cora played with Thomas and Harvey (sons of my new friends Sarah and Elissa) and did a good amount of sitting up on the blanket on the grass when we were finished walking. There we had lunch with my work friends, as it was my friend Marissa's last day at the paper. She is heading off to Korea to teach English. I'll miss her! Cora did OK during lunch, and liked having all the attention on her. She requires a good amount of attention now, as she likes to be entertained with toys, or she starts grabbing for what's in front of her, whether it's good for her to have or not.
Then we went to visit Elisabeth, who also is getting ready for a big move. Her husband has accepted a position as children's ministry pastor with a church in Texas, so they will be moving in a couple of weeks. It was great to see my friends today but sad knowing they will both be gone so soon.
Cora and I then picked Stace up from work, as he has been riding his bike to work, but it's too hot to ride home. We're having one of those summer weeks where it's over 100 every day. (Time to go to the beach this weekend! The water should be warmed up nicely.) We then stopped on the way home to do some shopping for bike trailers, the type you use to tow your little ones behind you on your bike. Now that we know how much they go for, it's time to start scouring the Internet for a good deal.
In other news, I got my invitation to my 10-year high school reunion in the mail. Don't guess we'll be going - it's $100 per person!!! I'm a bit disappointed, because that makes the decision for us and I would have liked to be able to consider going a bit more. $200 for the two of us, for "dinner, music and dancing" with a cash bar. Crazy.

Trying it out

Now that Cora is six months and is showing an interest in food, we're letting her try a few new taste sensations.
In these photos, Cora is trying out applesauce for the first time. Yes, despite her sour expression, that is applesauce, not lemon juice. She made the funniest faces as she tasted it, but she continued to open her mouth for more, so I guess she liked it.
As you can see, she then became interested in feeding herself.
On Saturday, the three of us went to the Egg Plantation (one of our favorite local places) for lunch, and Cora chewed on a crust of toast she could hold in her fist. On Sunday, I had a very ripe banana I let her gnaw on - she looked surprised, and made another funny face, when she realized she had bit off a bit and it was in her mouth. Today, I gave her some more applesauce. More funny faces, but she is definitely happy and eager to try things out. She also likes to have sips of water from water bottles, and reaches out for the bottle when it's in my hand. In addition, I'm trying again with pumping milk. This time I'm giving it to her in a sippy cup, which seems to work, but is a bit messy. I'm of the philosophy that breastmilk will be her main nutrition for her first year, with solid food a supplement and a way to expand her horizons with new tastes and textures. I'd rather her go from nursing to chopped table food than spend lots of time making/buying baby food as an in-between step.

Also, over the weekend we went to our first summer Concert in the Park. Santa Clarita puts on some good ones, and Saturday night was a lot of fun. Cora liked the 80s music and kicked and waved her arms.

Cora, can you read more quietly, please? (click white box)

Dedicated to the Lord

Cora is six months old today!
She is quite social and eager to see people and smile and giggle, and she likes using her hands and kicking; she is still not very mobile however.
Over the weekend Stace and I dedicated her to Jesus at church, kind of a baptism/christening without the water. Many thanks to the family and friends who support us in this decision! Cora is such a blessing and we are so thankful for her.
Cora did very well, and didn't raise a fuss. In the middle photo we are getting her in her pretty white dress.

Teaching her early

Cora went to her third Dodgers game Wednesday night, and it was a very exciting one, with the Dodgers beating the hated Giants 6-4 with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, including a big home run to put them ahead for good. The atmoshphere was awesome, because the Giants' Barry Bonds is in town and he's two home runs shy of beating the all-time career home run record. We Dodger fans hate Barry, and love booing him, because he's a jerk and because he under a LOT of suspicion of taking steroids over the years (see the guy's shirt next to us). Still, despite our despising Bonds, the flashbulbs were flickering throughout the sell-out crowd for every single pitch to him, since that could be THE pitch he hits out for his record-tying homer. Though it would have been cool to watch that history made, we were very glad to see him go 0 for 3 (with only one walk).
The game was our Father's Day gift to Grandpa, who celebrated by getting Cora a new friend. We had to remove the bear's tag quickly, since Cora was all about eating it. EVERYthing goes into her mouth right now, and we have to watch her when she manages to get napkins or other paper products - they dissolve a lot faster than you'd think!

Here she is eating my hand - plus you can see her eye color, still an interesting murky brown/green, with blue outlining the iris. She did very well during the game, only screaming a few times. I let her eat as much as she wanted, as that was a very good way to keep her quiet. Plus, when we got home at 11:30, I didn't have to feed her before putting her down, a big bonus for a tired mom. "Uncle" Keith also came with us, and he had a nice time entertaining Cora as well.

Exersaucer Fun

Mini vacation

While Cora has been to the beach a couple of times, this was the first time with her mommy and daddy bringing towels, a picnic and swimsuits! We had a great weekend with our dear friends John and Linda and their girls. We went to the beach Saturday and Sunday, as they live just a few miles away from the sea. The weather, sorry to say to our friends in England, was stunning. Our main concern was keeping enough sunscreen on Cora and making a makeshift shade. On Saturday, that meant the boogie board balanced above her, and on Sunday we brought a small rain umbrella. Cora enjoyed her trip, taking a couple of naps and playing (including playing with her sippy cup - she might have even got a few sips of water down her throat!). She wasn't thrilled with the actual ocean water, however, when Stace took her in (only her feet and legs). She cried. I think she was a little scared, and it was so much colder than the pool at home! Stace and I both had a lot of fun in the waves, and the water was refreshing and not-too-cold, even for me.
Stace and I also enjoyed walking around Hermosa Beach, where we found a neat hole-in-the-wall children's boutique ( www.sol-baby.com if you're in the area) . Stace was thrilled to find (and buy) a lullaby version of Led Zeppelin! So fun.
In the evening we all went to the Whale and Ale pub and had fish and chips.











Speaking of food, it seems that Cora is getting closer to being ready for more than mama's milk. She is more interested in what we're doing when we're eating, and she often reaches for what we have. On Saturday I was enjoying a juicy nectarine and Cora wanted some, so I let her have a few sucks. Yum!

Hot, hot, hot

Some photos to warm your day.
We're in the time of year when we have to wait until the evening to go use the pool. Too hot otherwise. We're planning our first official beach trip this weekend.

Silly mom

I have discovered the joy of dyeing diapers. I realize most of you reading this will think I've completely lost my marbles, but yes, I did use the words "joy" and "diapers" in the same sentence. But being that I'm not artistic or crafty in ANY way, I have been so pleased at the results of my first dye jobs! Cora's formerly white prefold dipes and natural (unbleached) fitted diapers are now an array of colors, as you can see. Now I can pick out which pretty color to put on her when it's time for a change. And I'm not quite done yet; a friend is going to give me her leftover navy blue dye, and I saved a few dipes for that color.

Cora is getting a lot better with her sitting up. Sometimes she will stay up for 5-10 seconds before toppling. She and I are making new friends in our Stroller Strides workout class, too, which is great. There are several other new moms with babies about her age, and it's nice chatting with them.
I am going to the class three times a week - at least I am attempting to. Yesterday it didn't work out so well. I was all ready to go, Cora was in her car seat even, and I couldn't find my lens. This sounds funny unless you are the person frantically searching all the places it NORMALLY is and having no luck at all. It got too late to go to my walk. I finally found it at the edge of Cora's crib; I must have put it down as I was putting her down to bed the night before. So we then left to take a walk of our own. When we reached the gate on our way back home, I spotted our house/gate keys on the driveway, where I apparently dropped them. They had been run over who knows how many times, and one key was broken, and the house key was very bent and unusable. Thank the Lord that I had my cell phone, and that Stace was at his desk when I called. He was my hero, coming immediately to my rescue. He even was able to pound the key into flatness with a hammer, and it now works again.

Sail Away

LA Galaxy V Chelsea

On Saturday the LA Galaxy took on Chelsea in a friendly match at the Home Depot Centre, all part of the World Series of Football. The series also featured Tigres, from Mexico and Suwong, from Korea. We also went to the Chelsea v Suwong Blue Wings game on Tuesday that Chelsea won 1-0.
The Galaxy-Chelsea game was a sell-out. Everybody had come the see the stars of the Premier League. Oh yeh.... and a certain David Beckham. As you can see from the photo above, his arrival has been quite the event. Nearly every Galaxy shirt had his name on the back.

It was not the greatest game but very enjoyable. Chesea ended up winning the game 1-0 with a John Terry goal.
The loudest cheer of the evening came when Beckham entered the game as sub. The whole place went crazy. It has to be the biggest cheer I have ever heard for a player coming into the game. He's carying an injury so only played for the last 12 minutes. It was crazy, the cameras were on him the whole game. I think they forgot there was a match going on. I also saw his skinny wife, Posh, from a few feet away. She was being followed around by a pack of photographers. Anybody would think they were the King and Queen of England, not some once pretty good footballer coming to the end of his career and his has-been member of a crappy teeny bopper pop group.

Can You Spot the Cat?

Let's play a little game. Find Somer!