Cora baby...toddler?????

It is December 17th, 2013.  Not quite a year sense my last post...opps!  Hey!  Life got busy!   A good busy!  I started working for Hope Church in Dubuque as an Elementary Ministry Coordinator and also starting this past school year I accepted a position as a paraprofessional in the Dubuque Community School district.  The two jobs are a great combination and I am really enjoying both of them.  So, life got busier, the house got a little messier (unless I have company coming), and regrettably I get to spend less time with my husband and daughter.  I feel like we don't take for granted the time we do get to spend together.   

Cora is at a childcare center now 40 something hours a week!  She loves it there!  Sheri is awesome and is nurturing and treats the center more like a home than a center, but still in a very safe and controlled environment.  Cora has so many friends.  The time she has spent there has really helped her learn to play with us and independently at home.  

Steve is doing well!  I'm not sure who has who wrapped around their finger.  I think Cora and Daddy both do!  I wasn't really sure who would take what role as the parent with it came to Cora.  But I have really noticed Steve stepping up as the disciplinary for Cora.  I find myself being a softie.  We make a good pair.  

Life is busy, but great!  I can't believe how big Cora is already.  Here is a fairly recent picture of our entire family. 

She is something crazy like 17 months now.  Just starting even this past week to really talk, copying noises and repeating things we say at times (so we have to be extra careful now...).   Some of her favorite words are 'oh oh,' 'stinky,' 'puppy.'  She likes to say "oh oh, stinky!"  Last night she was saying 'stinky kitty' much to my husband's delight and prompting.  

How did she turn into a little person!  I feel like I blinked and she went from being a baby to a toddler.  I hear it just goes faster...

Cora loves animals...like her mommy!  She is getting really good at 'nice' petting the puppy (which is always supervised!).  They are buds!  She also loves our cat Meeko, but Meeko tends to keep her distance.  If Meeko jumps up on the couch when Cora is sitting me me or something she claps her hands and laughs!  She has always been an animal lover!

Speaking of buds...at the daycare that Cora goes to she gets along well with everyone, but has a special bud.  This boy and Cora play together all the time, sit by each other, follow each other around, big grins when they see eachother...it is too cute!  Sheri even caught a picture of them holding hands while watching a show...

She really is a good girl.  Very happy and independent unless she is tired or hungry.  Yeah, she gets into trouble every once in awhile...but don't they all?