At the Lake

With some hard work by Uncle Bill and William to get the boat ready, we all managed to make it to the lake on Sunday afternoon. The weather was perfect, as it was for our entire trip, as you can see.
Here I am getting ready for my first tubing experience.
I smiled and screamed a lot. And I stayed on the tube the whole time! OK, Uncle Bill took it easy on me because, as he said, he wanted me to try it again in the future.
Meanwhile, back on the shore, Aunt Patty and Cora enjoyed the soft grass. She said Cora really loved the grass and was having fun touching it.

Here is Cora spending some quality floor time with Uncle Bill and cousin William.
Aunt Patty was impressed with Cora's splashing ability. Cora gave the mirror and counter a good washing. She just started splashing in the bath about two weeks ago, when we started taking her into the pool. Something must have clicked. She gets very excited as she splashes.
Here Cora meets Dinky the Chihuahua. Dinky was a little nervous about the meeting.
Abi the cat, on the other hand, was glad to make Cora's acquaintance and was eager for Cora to pet her.

Cora and I have flown to Seattle to visit my dear Uncle Bill, Aunt Patty and cousins Elizabeth, Alison and William. They are having a great time visiting with Cora, and vice versa. Today, on Saturday, we have had a lazy day staying in and watching a movie, after a big Friday shopping in Silverdale, the main town near the small rural village where they live.
Later we hope to hit Big Beef Creek when the tide is low and the bald eagles are everywhere, snacking on shellfish. We also hope to do some clam digging of our own, and take the boat out tomorrow.
We flew in on Thursday, and Cora did pretty well on the plane but she did take a lot of energy from mom to stay relatively happy. We did lots of bouncing and singing, and also had a clothing change after her disposable diaper again FAILED. Why I tried them again, I don't know, but she's in cloth while we're here and we've had no leaks. I must get over my aversion to using cloth on airplanes, or just remember to bring many changes of clothing for myself and for Cora.

Happy Rebellion Day...

...As Stace would say.
Cora braved the 100-degree heat to see her first Fourth of July parade through Newhall. Since we live right off the parade route, it's become our tradition to walk on over and enjoy the festivities. Stace loves the classic cars. We were blessed to find nice people who shared their shade (they had brought a foldup canopy/pagoda), and with an occasional breeze, it wasn't too bad.
My sister was in the parade, wearing her costume for the upcoming production of Beauty and the Beast at the local theater. Mel is in the musical, which is my favorite movie. Well, that and Princess Bride.
We had a little battery-operated fan for Cora (seen at top with Grandma) , and she found her favorite way to keep cool (see photo).

A week of new experiences

Cora has had quite a week, by her standards. She has learned that she has feet, she has learned to bang a spoon, and she had fun playing with other babies at our church's Vacation Bible School.
First off, the latest discovery: spoon-banging. Stace and I wanted to get a not-too-expensive but not-fast-food meal Sunday evening. We went to a place that was kid-friendly enough and featured the bonus of outdoor seating, in case Cora was too fussy for indoor dining. While waiting for our dinner, Stace held Cora on his lap and I got a spoon for her to hold. She studied it in her hand and then hit the table with it - what a wonderful, satisfying noise! Bang! Bang! Bang bang! She looked so pleased with herself. Of course we didn't bring a camera to dinner, but here you see her with the spoon after we got home. (If any ladies reading this are wondering, she is wearing a cute little dress with panties that go to a different cute little dress. Daddy dressed her, and believes that since they are both flowered and pink, they match fine. Who is Mommy to argue?)
Cora also now has found her feet, and likes to hold them up when she is getting her diaper changed. Very helpful! When I tried to capture this cuteness on the camera, she let go and started grinning away instead. Oh well. I also need to work hard to capture her biting her tongue. When we were in England, she found her tongue and was often working it around her mouth or chewing it. A month later, she continues to chew her tongue, sticking it between her gums on the side of her mouth. She looks like a cow chewing its cud. I think it could be a comfort thing, since she gave up pacifiers when she stopped taking a bottle.

This past week, Cora and I were at church every day at 9 (go mom!) to help at Vacation Bible School. We helped in the nursery, and Cora loved playing with the other babies and with the variety of toys she doesn't see at home. She is shown her in the jumperoo, with the diaper bag and blanket under her feet to give her a boost so she could jump.

So much to see!

Here you can see Cora in her infant carrier, happy as she can be. This is from a walk a few nights ago that ended up taking about two hours instead of 45 minutes like we figured it would. Stace had her facing forward for the first 45 minutes or so, and then we switched her around and she took a nap, snuggled into his chest.

little fish

After a successful first dip a few days earlier, on Saturday night we went full on with Cora and the pool. We got the swim diaper and put her in up to her neck, and she loved it! She did some kicking and arm waving, and when we held her out she seemed to know to kick intuitively.

The water was warmish, since the weather has been so hot, and the sun had gone down far enough that we were in shade. It was a perfect setting. It was great for Stace, who loves swimming and is looking forward to taking her to classes once she is old enough (six months at the YMCA).

I can also report that as Cora approaches five months, she is becoming MORE. She is more fun and also more demanding. On Sunday, Stace and I had the idea of going up to the English pub to enjoy a Sunday roast dinner, but as we were getting ready we realized it just wasn't going to work. Cora was only happy in our arms, or in the infant carrier, and she would scream/shriek when we put her down. Not exactly restaurant behavior. So as lovely and giggly as she is sometimes, Cora is definitely no longer easily portable!

Play Time!

Cora has her first Gymboree class this week and she loved it! The class is for babies six months and younger, and about nine babies and their mommies participated. She was very enthusiastic and interested in the songs and activities, and especially in the other babies. We sat next to two six-month-olds, and Cora could hardly keep her eyes off them as they sat up on their own and reached for toys during tummy time on the mirror. Cora did very well during tummy time in that she kept her head up high for a long while before tiring out. But she hasn't started reaching for toys while on her tummy yet.
We also did a bit of baby massage and tactile play, using a paintbrush so baby can feel the new texture. Cora really did enjoy herself, and I'm looking forward to taking her back again.
Also this week was Stacey's birthday. My mom came over and watched Cora so we could go out to eat on our own - it was great! That was the fourth time we've been out without Cora, but the first time we've been out on our own. Besides the meal, we had birthday cake all together. When he blew out his candles, Cora cried! I think it was the smoke that scared her.
Another Cora tidbit I can point out - in the top photo, see how the back of her head looks a little like a face with her bald spot forming the mouth? We've noticed in the last couple of weeks that Cora has two crowns.
Also, Cora is now big enough to ride in the infant carrier facing forward, and she LOVES it. Last night we went to Trader Joes and instead of pushing her in the stroller, Stace wore her in the carrier, and she was loving it. She was excited, looking all around, kicking her legs and waving her arms. She is the same when I wear her when I'm doing things around the house.

another round?

Cora had her second round of vaccinations Tuesday afternoon, another four shots plus a liquid dose. You can see her here showing off her bandages, along with her prettiest new cloth diaper. The shots went much better this time in that Mom didn't cry. Cora, on the other hand, did a bit of screaming. She wasn't herself Wednesday, either, and was just fussier than normal. The official numbers show her to be a long, lean baby. She's 25 3/4 inches long (90th percentile!) and 13 pounds 6 ounces (35th percentile).
On Wednesday morning, I took part in a local Stroller Strides class. It was great, and I think I'll start going regularly. The hourlong classes are lead by a fitness instructor and include a lot of strength training along with the walking. I love walking for exercise, but normally don't do much in terms of strength so this will be good for me. Plus it's a chance to meet other moms.

The second photo is from Monday afternoon; we went to the swimming pool (Dad was the only one to get in) and Cora fell asleep on her towel on the lounge. She was so cute, 'sleeping like a baby.'

Choo Choo!

Mommy and I wanted to surprise Daddy for his very first Father's Day. We thought and thought about what to get for him. I did a very good job on my Mother's Day video surprise for Mommy, but I didn't want to do the same thing twice. Finally we thought of the perfect gift - an outing on the historic Fillmore & Western Railway! Daddy loves trains, and we have driven around the Fillmore depot a few times but never been for a ride.

Daddy loved his surprise! The trip was about two hours through pretty orange groves in beautiful weather to Santa Paula and back. I was a very good girl, and stayed awake the whole time and loved looking around at everything.

Also, I've decided that bottles aren't so bad! On Saturday I drank a bit from my funky bottle, and then Mommy got more milk for me and put it in a different bottle that I used to like to drink from. I drank about four ounces all together! I also had more from a bottle today on the train. I don't know why I didn't want any bottles for the last month, but Mommy and Daddy are glad I've changed my mind again.

When we came back home in the evening, the weather was still lovely so we took a little walk and got some dinner. Daddy made dinner while Mommy fed me, and then we all sat out on the balcony. It was a very nice day.

... And the living is easy

We took our first official trip to the pool on Friday afternoon, and Stace took Cora in for her inaugural dip. She seemed interested and happy enough, and even did a little bit of kicking after Dad showed her how, by moving her legs around. Cora didn't stay in long - she preferred relaxing on the sun lounge, where she kept kicking off her towel after tasting its hem.
It's been hot the last couple of days, good pool weather. These photos were taken around 5:30, and it was plenty warm in the shade. In fact, the evening was beautiful and we later went to the Town Center area. Lots of people were out walking around enjoying live music at the Hyatt, where they block off the street on summer Friday nights.

Stace survived riding his bike home in the heat Thursday. Cora and I met him on his way home and we relaxed on the grass at the park, and Cora and I spent some time on the swing while Stace napped. She loved the swing!
Cora now enjoys practicing sitting up. When we reach for her hands to pull her to the sitting position, she anticipates sitting and will arch her back a bit. Also in the week, she rolled onto her back from her front during a tummy time session. She turned over a few times a while ago, but hadn't repeated the feat in a number of weeks.
For those of you following the "will Cora take a bottle" plotline, we can report a bit of progress. This week, when we've offered her the expensive bottle with the funky delivery system (www.breastflow.com), she has taken between 1 and 2 ounces each time. Granted, when she used to take bottles, she would drink 4-5 ounces in 15 minutes or so, and it now takes her that long or longer to take in much less. She seems to play with the nipple instead of taking it in and actively eating. But, it's certainly progress considering we went several weeks where she would scream whenever the bottle nipple went in her mouth.

Beach Day

We picnicked on the beach Sunday afternoon and then took a stroll down Ventura's main drag, which gets cooler and cooler each time we go. More bars/restaurants/cafes, more trendy clothing shops, fewer and fewer thrift stores. It was sunny and warm in Santa Clarita and the clouds were just burning off when we got into Ventura.
In the top photo, Cora is modelling one of the great new outfits she now fits into (thanks, Small fam!). She liked her time on the swing, and sticking her feet in the sand.

Four months!

Look how big Cora is! She is now a "regular baby" instead of a tiny, young baby. I can carry her around on my hip, the "mommy hold," and she entertains herself with her toys now. Her personality so far is very pleasant, smiley and social. She also has started fussing when she wants our attention - she'll make a lot of noise, and then start smiling when we come near.

Cora is 13 pounds, 3 ounces, and about 24 1/2 inches long, putting her betweent he 25th and 50th percentile for both categories, according to an online chart. We'll get the official numbers next week when we go back to the doctors' for her next round of shots. She has outgrown a lot of her clothing, and I spent much of yesterday washing her new, bigger clothes and putting away the newborn and 0-3 month items.

She's now back on the Pacific Standard Time, thankfully. We flew home Sunday night, and she was sleeping in the evening and then awoke at 2 Monday morning. On Tuesday, she awoke at 3:30, and on Wednesday she didn't get up until 5. Thursday our day together started at 7, and on Friday and Saturday she slept until 8, after fussing at about 6:30 and then returning to sleep (Good Baby!!).

Back home

The family trip to Stacey's homeland has come to its end, and Stace is back to work and I'm back to - well, I'm back to taking care of Cora. Wait, I was doing that in England too... Never mind! She is a joy to care for, and it was great having all the help from my in-laws over the last two weeks.
Cora did pretty well on the long flight home. She cried the whole time we were waiting in line to board, making us a bit nervous, and then cried for about 10 minutes in the first hour, making me even more anxious. But then she settled down, and ended up taking a five-hour nap (see photo). Stace and I took the opportunity to watch "Music and Lyrics," the Hugh Grant movie that opened the day Cora was born, and features a character named Cora.
Now that our trip is over, let me offer my best advice for any parents who need to travel long-distance with a baby: Have a nursery completely set up for you when you arrive! We are so grateful to Sue and Gord and our friends/family in Somerset who helped make our travel easy. We were able to borrow an infant seat/car seat, travel bed, changing mat, baby bath, infant bouncer and toys, and Stace's nan bought us a stroller. All we needed to bring was Cora and her clothes. Thanks to the Richards and Bristows for their help! And speaking of Bristows, here is Cora meeting Ben, the delightful 2-year-old son of Stace's cousin Karen and her husband Martin.

As for the rest of our adventure since I last posted, Stace and Gord agreed to stop their DIY work in the kitchen on Friday so we could take a family trip to a tank museum. On the way, the car started acting up, and we ended up instead having lunch in Sherborne, a picture-perfect Dorset town with ancient buildings, great shopping and plenty of pubs and coffee shops. I think Sue and I got the better end of this day, and no, we didn't sabotage the car to avoid the tank museum. In the evening, Cora stayed with Sue and Gord and Stace and I watched Pirates with Dean and Jenny. No, Cora didn't really take her bottle, but we timed it so that I could feed her before we left and immediately when we came home, and all went very well.
On Saturday, Uncle Dean (an auto mechanic) fitted new brakes on the car, and we had a nice family meal in a pub in the evening.
The final, four-generations photo is from our trip earlier in the week to Hawkchurch, the village where Stacey's nan Mary grew up.

England update

With Sue and Gord off this week, the time is going by much quicker now. Stace and Gord have been busy the last two days putting kitchen cabinets together for the Howards' kitchen makeover.
On Bank Holiday Monday, Stace, Cora and I went with Dean and Jenny to Weymouth, a beach town on the south coast. The weather wasn't too bad there - cold and windy but dry. (On Sunday, the rain didn't stop all day.) The town was packed as there was some sort of festival going on for the holiday weekend, and it was a great atmosphere. On Tuesday, Sue, Gord, Nan, Dean and the three of us went to visit Hawkchurch, a tiny tucked-away village where Nan grew up. We walked around the old farmhouse she grew up in and visited the village's church and pub. We then went down to Lyme Regis, a beautiful fishing town on the Dorset coast. Though dry, the weather was quite cold and very windy, so we didn't stay too long.
Cora continues to entertain us with her development. She is reaching for things more often and holding her head so well. She sometimes even keeps her head steady and level when I'm picking her up off the bed. Still not much luck getting her to take a bottle, sadly. Sue and I went to Mothercare yesterday, a big store like Babies R Us, and bought an expensive and funky-looking bottle that we'll try out later (http://www.breastflow.co.uk/). Cross your fingers, everyone, because Stace and I plan to leave her with Sue and Gord Friday night to spend the evening with Dean and Jenny, and it would be fantastic if Cora is pleasant and eats something while we're gone. Oh, and speaking of pleasant, that screeching cry we mentioned in an earlier post keeps rearing its not-so-pretty head. Since she started making the noise in England, I hope she leaves it here as well!
In other Cora news, we have had very bad luck using disposable diapers while we've been here, with her poop leaking out just about every day. We're washing her clothes so often, I'm wishing I had just brought along her cloth diapers, as it would have been easier and cheaper to wash them then buy throwaways AND wash her clothes all the time. I think my memory of changing her entire ruined outfit, with her on her travel changing mat on the floor of a dirty, tiny Glastonbury bathroom, my head right next to the filthy toilet, will be with me forever.

Village Life

Still enjoying our holiday... Here are shots of Nan with Cora in the cafe, Dad with Cora on her first visit to a pub (The George), and Mom and Cora at the Pinnacle, a Martock landmark. The weather has stayed decent, but the forecasters are calling for rain, cold and wind for Sunday and Monday, which figures as Monday is a big national holiday here.
We haven't been up to much, but it's been very relaxing and fun to show Cora off. On Thursday afternoon we made it up to Ham Hill, which offers beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and villages.
Cora is doing great. Wednesday and Thursday nights, she went to sleep easily at night and slept through to 7:30, so she's sleeping nearly as well as she does at home. She has been making great baby noises a lot more often, including a new screeching sound yesterday morning. She's happy to pass out smiles to all the new people she's meeting. Still not much progress getting her to take bottles again, though Sue has bought some new nipples we're trying out. Everyone has been impressed with how well she's holding her head up - with her neck strength, she's much easier to carry around, and I'm just about able to carry her with one arm for lengthy periods of time.

Meet the Howards...

...Wells-Burrs and just about everyone else.

We're in England! Cora is enjoying her first trip back to Daddy's homeland and hometown of Martock.
We were nervous about the long flight, but Cora did very well. We had a little leather bed that attached to the bulkhead wall in front of us, and she slept a good six hours, and only cried a tiny bit at the end of the flight. Waiting for us at the airport were Stace's mum and dad and brother Dean and sister-in-law Jenny. When we arrived in Martock, we went to Stacey's nan's house so Cora could meet her Nannie.


We've been fortunate to enjoy some lovely weather; yesterday (Tuesday) was absolutely beautiful and warm. Luckily, that was the day Stace played golf with his friend Andy. Usually when Stace returns and plays golf with Andy, the weather is decidedly unlovely. While Stace played golf, Cora and I spent the day with JT. We had a California-style lunch in the back garden to soak up the sun, and even got a little sunburned! We also walked into the village to see the Treasurer's House, a 1260 stone building managed by the National Trust.
Today we're off to have lunch with some more of Stace's friends, and tonight we'll watch the Liverpool-AC Milan football match.
Right now, the birds are singing, the cows are enjoying their lunch out Sue and Gord's back window, and all is well.

On Mother's Day

I had been eagerly awaiting my first Mother's Day. I think because I'm a full-time mom now, it meant a lot to me as I've reassessed how I see myself - I'm not the working-woman-newspaper-reporter person anymore. I am a wife, a friend, a daughter, sister, precious child of God - and a new one, Mom. And I'm enjoying this new role.
Alas, like many things we look forward to so much, this one didn't quite meet my expectations, as I spent Friday night through Sunday morning sick, much of the time in bed, and too much of the time, sick in the bathroom. On Saturday morning I felt like "death warmed over," as my dear grandma would have said (stomach problems, headache and a 102 degree fever), and Stace had to work. And there was this baby who needed me - needed to be changed, needed to be fed, needed to be loved. And so, with God's strength and a new-found mother's ability to put others' needs ahead of my own, I did all of those things the best that I could. She did spend a good hour-plus in her bouncer while I rested in bed. And we got through, and Stace came home and took over.

Thankfully, on Sunday afternoon I ended up feeling just well enough for the three of us to join my own family for dinner in Ventura. And Stace and Cora gave me a wonderful present, a homemade DVD with video and photos of me and Cora over these three months.

We're getting ready for our upcoming trip to England! Stace was last back in November, but it will be my first trip in just over a year, as I didn't go while I was pregnant. We have seats on the plane with a fold-down bassinet in front of us, so that should help make Cora (and us) more comfortable.

Cora has been using her hands more and more to hold onto and grab things. She also is quite the little kicker, and she is babbling more often. And, she is taking fewer - and shorter - naps, unfortunately for Mom. Not that Mom has any right to complain, as Cora sleeps 10 hours a night. On the negative side, she also has been fighting taking her milk from a bottle. She took to the bottle so well when we introduced it at three weeks, and we were good for a while about having Stace give her bottles, both for their bonding and for the sake of keeping her used to them. But it is a bit of a pain, because while she's eating, I'm pumping, to keep my milk supply up (and to supply milk for those bottles); it is obviously easier to just breastfeed her. So we got lazy about it, and now we're paying for it! We're determined to get her taking bottles again though, I want to be able to go out for a few hours without her!
(The photo is by my dad - he posts his photos of Cora at www.chriswahla.com)

No longer a newborn?

Cora is three months old today! She is about 11 pounds, 13 ounces and 23 inches long.
She is so alert, so much of the time. She has always been an alert baby, but now that she's awake more, it really shows. She seems to notice everything and follows things with her eyes and head.
She still loves her hands, and besides eating them, is practicing using them for other purposes. Yesterday she and I went to Starbucks in the morning (what else should a stay-at-home-mom do?) and she spit up enough to soak through the one burp cloth I had brought. (Bad mom! Should have known better, this kid can spit!) So I put several napkins under her chin. A few weeks ago, this would have worked just fine. But yesterday, she soon had both of her fists clenched around napkins. She likes to hold burp cloths and burp blankets, as well, and sometimes will bring them to her mouth.
She now has turned over from tummy to back several times while we've been doing tummy time.
And with her reaching three months old, Stace and I are having to suck it up and give up her bassinet. I know many parents don't like having their babies in their room, but we've really enjoyed it.
Last week we put her to bed each night in her crib, and it went very well. But we brought her back into our room for the last several nights.
She sleeps so well! She has been going down between 9:30 and 10, and I feed her around 8. She may awaken before 8, but she is happy and content, just looking around and apparently waiting for me to come and feed her. I am so, so blessed by her. The only thing is, and I'm not complaining!, I miss cuddling with her early inthe morning. When she was getting up about 6, I would feed her then in bed and we would go back to sleep together until a more reasonable hour. It was very sweet. Oh well...
As for these photos, I couldn't decide which one I liked better of her playing in her crib, so you, my dear readers, can enjoy them both. I think that in the top photo she looks like the Gerber baby. Granted, EVERY parent thinks their kid looks like the Gerber baby...
And the bottom photo is from one of our last nursing/cuddle sessions in Mommy and Daddy's bed.

Medieval Times

After chatting to Mum and Dad on the video phone Sunday morning, Lisa, Cora and I went to a Medieval Tournament 40 minutes north up the freeway.
It was fantastic.
The tournament was put on by the American Jousting Alliance who actually compete at this type of thing. I thought it was going to be a demonstration but it was an actual competition.
















The participants showed their skills at sword fighting, spear throwing, archery and hitting the rotationg shield thingy. All the riders were very skilled horsemen and the horses were magnificent.














At the end of the day's sport came the main event. Again I was imagining a gentle demo on jousting, but these blokes went for it. They really went for it!
Riders were dismounted and lances were snapped. No one got really hurt though, which was very surprising.



We all had a great afternoon, including Cora, who caught up on her sleep.