My name is Cora and I like to DANCE!!!

9 month old Cora meant one thing, dancing! This child started dancing at around 9 months and hasn't stopped yet! It started as most babies dance, kind of a bouncing up and down dance. Then there was a little bit of a head bobbing from side to side (she looks a lot like a Beatle, which is ironic since she carries a middle name that is a tribute to my love of the Beatles). She's now pretty much dropped the bouncing and just bobs that head from side to side. She dances all the time. Commercial jingles, songs Mommy sings to her, her musical toys...what a sight! She's even began to "dance" in other situations as well. I have learned that the little dance move is an indication that she is full and doesn't want to eat anymore. She also dances when one of us comes home and she is excited to see us and she dances when I come into her room in the morning to get her. What a sweet sight to see your precious baby dance in pure joy and excitement at the sight of you! Oh, may I remember these little bits of my baby and treasure every second of her "littleness". Can I not keep her small forever? Can we not freeze time now, home all day with my precious, safe from all the bullies and mean people out there? Maybe I'm just getting a little nostalgic thinking about her first birthday coming up!

Other great things you are doing;
You call me "Naanaa" or "Nine"...not quite the "Momma" that I would expect, but a name! You have a name for me! I love it! We mainly hear this when you are really trying to get my attention and yell it most of the time. But there are those sweet moments when you crawl toward me chanting "Naanaa Naanaa" So sweet. You still babble "Da da da da" when Daddy is around and have we have also notice a form of "Daaa" when you see your puppy, Jack.

RUNNING behind your push-walker toy. You've been pushing and walking behind your toy for quite some time but recently have practically been running behind it. You also push anything around the house that isn't bolted down to the floor. Boxes, larger toys, dinning room chairs...

You can also now stand for a good amount of time and can even slllloooowy lower yourself to the ground in a crouch sort of way. I can't do crouches but you apparently have great leg strength! Now you are getting up on one knee and trying your hardest to get up in a standing position. Oh baby, it won't be too much longer before you are walking all over this place!

You are OBSESSED with any kind of electronic! You still love the remote, the iPhone and your favorite, the laptop! You have also figured out that the remote actually controls the TV. It is so funny to see you grab it, point it toward the TV! and then look in anticipation for something to happen on the screen. I promise she doesn't watch that much TV!!! You also know how to get Dad's XBOX controller and turn the XBOX on. You push the button until you hear that the XBOX is on and then you are pretty much done with it.

I love you Cora and I can't wait to see what you have in store for us next!

Happy baby at her 9 month check up.
Weight - 18 lbs. 7 oz. (50th percentile)
Length - 28 1/2 in. (80th percentile)
Head Circumference - 17 1/2 in. (80th percentile)
XBOX baby...oh Lord!

Yo Gabba Gabba!

Playing with my friend Marcus, we never stopped moving!

Helping Mommy load the washer

Our record snowfall! 12.5 inches, the most DFW has ever had in one day!

Mommy brought the snow inside for me to play with. We were sick and didn't want to get sicker out in the snow but man, did I want to get out there with her!

Cheesy baby

My 9 month photo shoot with Mrs. Erica

Worn out after my photo shoot

8 months old and Christmas!

As you can tell we were very busy that month, Cora started pulling up on everything, was talking up a storm and made us laugh everyday. Cora was "dadadadada'-ing all the time and she started to seem to recognize Matt as Dada and repeat it over and over when she saw him. She was a major copy cat, especially with Matt. She would mock him clicking his tongue, growling and her little way that she would scrunch up her nose and breath in and out (hard to explain but pretty cute to see her and Matt do it). Cora also started to figure out how all of her toys worked and was hitting the buttons and turning her favorites off and on. It was so sweet to watch her little mind work and figure things out. She was very proud of herself!

Lunch with family after church the Sunday before Christmas

Christmas morning! Mommy worked and I waited until she got home to see what Santa brought me!

Checking out my loot from Santa!

Sweet baby girl at Mimi and Fluffy's on Christmas morning! It was pretty icy on Christmas morning. We even had a White Christmas! It took us awhile to get to Mimi and Fluffy's that morning and then we all drove out to Grand Saline to see the rest of the family. A very busy day and one tired Momma!

The next morning we headed out to Oklahoma to see the Stogner's and celebrate Christmas with them!! We had a great time with everyone.

For some reason, I really can't remember why, we started giving Cora her baths in the sink again! We've actually kept it up. It's a lot easier and she really seems to like it.

By the end of her 8th month she was a pro at pulling herself up and standing. She has become very "helpful" to Mommy when it's time to load or unload the dishwasher!

My little fashionista!

Playing with one of her favorite toys. Notice the hands are moving a lot faster than the camera can!

7 month old

Cora turned 7 months old on November 13, 2009. We celebrated Thanksgiving, Cora ate meat for the first time and we had our first snowfall this month! We had a great Thanksgiving. We had both of our families over to our house. We ate, watched football and played games. We had a great time!

Cora in her Packer's gear for the Cowboys/Packer's game. We went to a party to watch the game. She was a fit even in a room full of Cowboys' fans!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Eating meat for the first time. Turkey of course! I loved it!

Our little turkey on the move!

Cora enjoying the first snow of the season and her first snow ever!

Halloween

We had a very busy but fun Halloween. We went trick or treating at a few friend's houses, visited with Old Mimi and then went to trick or treat and visit with Aunt Merissa and Uncle Kyle. The costume that I originally bought for Cora was too small by Halloween so we went as a Longhorn cheerleader. Thanks to Aunt Robin for remembering the cheerleading outfit in the closet!
One of my daytime Halloween outfits. Mimi brought over the wig and glasses...we couldn't resist!



Longhorn cheerleader with our friend, Riley, who was a Longhorn football player!

6 months

I feel a little silly blogging about things that happened about 4 months ago. On the other hand, it's sweet to look back at her and see how little (and bald!) she was! It makes me sad to see my baby girl so little and realize how quickly she is growing up, right before my eyes.

Enjoying my first trip to the State Fair

6 month visit to the doctor.
Weight - 16 lbs. 12 oz. (70th percentile)
Length - 27 in (90th percentile)
Head Circumference - 17 1/8 in (85th percentile)

We've got a crawler on our hands!