learning to roll

In case you haven't guessed by my increased post frequency, I had a few days off.  LSU was on fall break for the second half of this week, so I decided to stay home with Cora.  Now for those of you who don't know, this was my very first time staying with her alone for more than a few hours.  I know what you're thinking: "He'll never make it!", "He has no idea what he's getting himself into!", "He doesn't stand a chance!"...trust me, Gena was thinking something along those same lines, I'm sure.  However, I managed to keep her relatively happy (until this afternoon...but I digress), and I was also lucky enough to see her roll over for the first time!  She rolled from belly to back, but was not at all interested in repeating the feat for the rest of the day.  I thought I'd try again today, so I got out the camera early and kept it on for a long, long time, hoping to catch that moment.  Here are the results.  Be sure to click on the button with four diagonal arrows on the bottom right of the video to see it in full screen.

tired of Geoff

It has come to my attention that you are tired of seeing pictures of me.  Our technical staff is aware of this issue, and is working tirelessly to get an update out as soon as possible.  Please check back soon and often, as we hope to have this resolved very soon.  Fore those of you interested in the technical details, here's the problem:  Gena takes lots of pictures.  On the surface there is absolutely nothing wrong with this.  In fact, it's wonderful, as most of the pictures you have enjoyed on this blog have been taken by her.  However, it means most of the pictures of Cora being held are of Cora being held by me!  The first time Gena pointed this out, I took the hint and got to snapping.  Here are a few of the results.

Ok, I'm a smart guy: I can keep our cars running; I can probably still direct a choir; I can even irradiate a thermoluminescent detector, then create the calibration curve necessary to determine the delivered dose, but I apparently can't figure this out!  It's very important to Gena that I include the baby's face, and not cut off Gena's forehead.  I came very close with the last one, but Cora was not very cooperative.  Like the good student I am, I practiced.  

I'll keep working on it, but I hope you are pleased with my progress.  One thing I do better than Gena when it comes to photography is the self-group photo.  These long arms aren't just for getting things off the top shelf!

We had a nice visit with Leta last weekend.  I tried to tell Gena a few weeks ago that I thought Cora looked just like her Nana, but it wasn't until Leta showed up that Gena really saw what I meant.

Yes, that is ice cream...no, we did not let her feed any to Cora...and yes, Leta looked just like that about 10 minutes later.  :)

Separation anxiety

Cora is almost 3 months old and she's really starting to show a lot of personality. Like Geoff and me, she has a very expressive face and can say a lot with just a look. Fortunately for us, the face she makes most is a smiley one.


Yesterday morning was actually a chilly one here in Southern La, and her little lip was trembling! Geoff wrapped her in a blanket and she went to town smiling and trying to eat it.





She's growing like a weed! She's about 24 inches long and weighs about 14 lbs. The 0-3 month clothes aren't going to fit her much longer, and neither is her bassinet.





We're starting to transition her to the crib in her room. She starts the night in her bassinet, and after her 3 am feeding we're moving her to the crib. This morning she slept there until 7 am without making a peep.
Before she was born I looked at this situation in a very detached way, thinking that it's normal and would be nice to get her in her own bed and out of our room. But now that we're actually doing it, I feel a little sad. After having her sleep right by me for a full year, it's strange to move her to a room across the house.

Marshmallow pictures - Month 2

At random times during the day I will look at Geoff and comment on how big Cora has gotten. She's filled out, grown longer, and has the adorable chubby cheeks to prove how well she's growing. Our baby girl is 2 months old. 

In the past month, Cora has started becoming more aware of her surroundings. She makes more eye contact and moves her head toward our voices. She recognizes our voices when she hears them through the phone. Sometimes she'll chatter at us and sometimes she'll just smile. 

Smiley times tend to be in the morning. By the time we're all home from work and school, Cora is mostly interested in eating and sleeping. She's a great sleeper; we put her down at 8 pm or so, and she doesn't wake up until around 3 am. Then she's back down until we get her up and ready for the day at 6:00.

So far Cora is a good baby. Crying is a rare occasion and usually occurs when she's very hungry or very tired. Mostly she's content to kick around on a pallet on the floor with Geoff, Soup the cat, Clark the dog, and me nearby.

Toys aren't really a big part of life yet. She'll hold onto things we put in her hand, but she hasn't yet mastered the fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination required to reach out and grab objects.

My favorite bit is that Cora loves to cuddle. Holding her and patting her back with her face buried in my neck is one of the sweetest things in the world. I could spend all day just hugging and cuddling my darling baby.

Cora's also gaining strength and holding her head up more and more. The evidence is in Geoff's favorite picture from our 2 month photo shoot.