Wasn't this YESTERDAY?
Cora just amazes me. Especially in the last few months she has really GROWN. She talks non-stop, sings, counts, can ask for what she wants, can TELL me what she wants... the list goes on. She is such a sassy little sweetheart and there is no one... NO ONE she loves more than her big brother, who we still refer to as "Baba." She loves taking him to school in the morning. Mostly because she loves to go into his classroom, all the kids and teachers greet her, she walks into their "library center," sits in the appropriately sized chair and reads. That girl LOVES to read and be read to. She then always gives him a giant hug goodbye and as she walks out the door, turns and says, "bye bye everyone!!!!" It is precious. She is precious. We always stick around outside so she can play with their outdoor kitchens and toys. When we go pick him up, she knows exactly where to go and greets him again with a giant hug, always VERY excited to see him! She really did win the big brother jackpot with Christian. He is so good to her.
Some of her favorite TV shows at the moment are Paw Patrol and Team Umizoomi. That girl loves to count (hence why she loves Team Umizoomi)! She also loves Sesame Street; her favorite part is when the Count comes on. She can get to almost 20, only skipping a few numbers here and there. ;) Her favorite movie, hands down, is Moana. She sings along to most of the songs, and there is nothing more precious than her sweet voice. She's also pretty obsessed with Minions.
Cora had her 2-year well baby checkup this week and she is on the upper end of the charts. She's very tall (92nd %stile) and weight is exactly proportionate to her height. It was a good easy checkup. I pray that ALL checkups, for both kids, will always be like that.
Some of Cora's favorite activities are: looking through books, being read to, coloring (LOVES to color)... and then bringing me her artwork to proudly display on our fridge, riding her scooter (have you seen her scoot??), chasing chickens, going to the beach, not eating breakfast, walking to Mimi and Papa's house, not playing in snow, sorting and organizing (she IS a Willoughby, after all), stacking blocks, pushing her baby stroller, doing exactly what Christian is doing at the moment he is doing it, and cooking in her kitchen. She loves her Mimi and Papa, and loves her Nannie, which she had a blast with during her visit. I wish we could visit more often... or that Nannie would just move here. Retirement in Hawaii doesn't seem too bad, right??? ;)
She loves to eat. Except breakfast. Totally stresses me out every morning. I need to let that go. Current favorite foods are: eggs (hardboiled or scrambled), meat... in any variety, but especially loves when Rob grills tri-tip, broccoli, poke, samples at Costco (all of them), strawberries, avocado, rice, and really anything we put in front of her. She's not too picky. [Praise hands emoji].
When I sit down to write and reflect on the past few years, despite all of our fertility struggles, I know I am so blessed. Just look at my two babies. What have I done to deserve them? To have the honor of being their mother?? Being Christian and Cora's mom is everything. Yes, I am in the trenches, and no I don't always feel so #blessed, but at the end of the day, I am so grateful. I am grateful that they're in bed and I'm grateful that they're mine.
Happy Birthday, Cora Rose Noelani. You are loved by all who meet you, but especially by your daddy, mommy, and your big brother. You are a gift from God and our rainbow after the storm. We love you!
