Happy Messals... Happy Messes

We call it the Ravenal Nap.

We strap her in the car seat, and we have about 20 seconds to get moving or she screams. But once we get moving, we are safe as long as we keep moving. It doesn't matter if the seat is being carried, driven, or strolled... she is out.

Snoozing through Momma's 6 week check-up. Dr. Gregory swung her in the seat to keep her asleep.

One of our ways to combat the witching hour(s) is to get her ready for bed, put her in her car seat, (over)bundle her with blankets, load up the car, drive to the Ravenal Bridge, and get some exercise. During the daytime I walk with her. In the evening, Landon pushes the stroller and we both jog. And our baby is happy the whole time. We love the Ravenal Nap (and our Ravenal run).

Going to Napperville via the Ravenal Bridge.

Still snoozing from a Ravenal Nap. Someday this wallet will give her real sweet dreams.

Speaking of running... Landon is nearly half of a foot taller than me, but if you put us side by side, our hips are close to even. I have long legs and a short torso, while he is the opposite. In one of Cora's early ultrasounds, we were certain that she was gonig to have my legs (and, we hoped for Landon's torso... certain to get basketball scholarships as long as she was miraculously given coordination which she wouldn't get from me!). But we were wrong. Her onesies are getting too short, but the legs in almost all of her outfits are way too long. She inherited her daddy's body :)

Stretching so big! This looks like the ultrasound leg...

Her onesies are too short but these pants fit just right.

If my child's toes filled up these footies, she would be a long long baby!

That is empty footie I am squeezing

But the shirt fits perfectly...

On one of my (long-legged) morning walks, I began walking with another mom strolling an infant. Her baby was 3 weeks old, and she was just returning to exercise. During the course of the walk...

Me: Wow! Your baby is tiny!
Her: I think that she has gotten so big.
Me: How much does she weigh?
Her: 7 lbs, 5 oz.
Me: My baby was never that little!

Cora had developed a little cough, and after the other mom heard it, she convinced me that I should go straight to the pediatrician. The first good news: what she diagnosed as whooping cough is not what my baby has. My instinct was right - the cough is superficial, appears to be related to a little drainage in her ear, and there is nothing to do but allow it to run its course. She will be perfectly healthy in a few days. The second good news: she is getting plenty to eat. At 6 weeks and 2 days old, Cora weighed 11 pounds and 9 ounces.

Granted, she was wearing a diaper... but my baby is growing fast. We see it in other ways, too. She isn't the same fragile baby that she was a few weeks ago. Her 3 month clothes are already becoming a little snug, and some have already been cycled into the plastic bin in the attic. She is becoming more coordinated in her movements, and she is beginning to demonstrate her personality (and sometimes her temper). Everyday it is more clear that she is recognizing Landon and I and prefers us over everyone else.

Lil' Miss Personality

Mia, thanks for the new sleep sac! I'm getting too long for my old one.

I'm holding the binky in all by myself. The problem: I sometimes grab it and swing it around my head, and can't get it back in.

All of this sparked a conversation between Landon and I on our way to last night's Ravenal Nap. Before Cora was born, and maybe even before I was pregnant, I imagined what our baby would be like. I had some fuzzy pictures in my mind, but I never imagined that she would be advancing this quickly up the growth chart. I imagined that she would be a petite baby rather than a chunky baby. And, I never in a million years pictured her having all of this dark hair. I am not sure what Landon pictured, but I think that he assumed some of the same characteristics that I was assuming. Maybe even a part of me thought that I would be disappointed if my baby didn't have those characteristics.
And now, I cannot imagine being disappointed in anything about Cora. She is healthy, and I love love love her little chunky legs. It is looking like she is going to have her daddy's blue eyes (although we aren't calling that one officially yet). Our family thinks that she looks just like my baby pictures - yet I see a lot of her Aunt Heather in her facial expressions and Landon is constantly saying that she looks like a Messal.
And that hair! I can't believe she has it, I can't believe it is dark, and I can't believe she has curls!! I never thought that I would say it, but all of the heartburn I experienced during the last three months of pregnancy was absolutely worth it for that beautiful dark hair!

Cuddling with Mom on the back porch

More little friends! And I don't have to get a diaper change to play with you guys!!!

Visiting with my little friends

Little friend, I've got my eye on you. One of these days I'm going to reach of there and give you a smack and you'll be sorry then!

I told you you'd be sorry, little friend!

A gift from Robbie & Autumn. Robbie is one of my brother's best friends, and has UK football season tickets with him. We have an annual tailgate for the UK/UT game that usually gets a little out of control. I love this gift...