Monterey County Fair

So I will admit that nothing beats the State Fair in MN, but we found a good substitute in the Monterey County Fair. We took Cora on the Friday before Labor Day. It is so much more fun to go to things like that with little ones! I loved showing her all of the sights and watching for her reactions to everything. We found an ice cream stand that made the best soft serve I have ever had, I think. I was going to ask them where they are the rest of the year, but I thought maybe that was something I didn't need to know. 


We found the agriculture building with free samples of deep fried artichokes and talked to a funny old lady wearing a hat with NRA in glittery letters across the front (my dad would be proud). I should have taken more pictures but I just got some of Cora with the animals. She got to see chickens, cows, bunnies, and horses. 

first time touching a cow

what a nice cow. Gramma's favorite - Brown Swiss

this calf had just been born that day!

Cora's cow from the front

wow, chickens!

Gramma Comes To The Ocean

At the end of August my momma flew (if you know my mother, you know that is pretty impressive - not her favorite thing) into San Jose to visit with us for a week. And what a wonderful week it was! 


Cora is so much more interactive now that it was very fun for me to watch them together. Cora was a little scared in the beginning, but after a day or so, she was reading books on Gramma's lap and playing with toys.


We didn't do anything wild and crazy, which made the time all that much more special, because we were able to just enjoy spending our days how Cora and I usually do. Sean had a few days off during the time she was here, and we went to the aquarium and the farmer's market and on lots of walks.


It made me more sad than ever before that we are so far apart. Not that I want to live in Minnesota, but I was just thinking how my heart hurts a little that family is not closer to see Cora grow older. But as a friend once said, it just makes the visit all that much sweeter.

8 Months

At eight months Cora is...


...sitting up well. She is unable to pull herself into a sitting position yet from lying, but she can stay sitting for quite a while and play with toys or look around at things in front of her.


...waving. Her first wave was this last week when we stood at the window and waved at Daddy as he got into the car to go to work. Since then she waved at Gramma and at one stranger (usually she gets shy in front of strangers, but one lady got her to do it).


...giving kisses. She loves to kiss her stuffed animals, especially a white bear she just met named Irene (the bear was actually a wedding gift to us from our nieces but it is a new toy for Cora). She leans in and puts her mouth on said bear but doesn't pucker yet.


...stringing together consonants and vowels with more than one syllable and different inflections to achieve much more sophisticated babble. And adding raspberries in there too.


...taking only two naps a day instead of three. She started doing that a little after 7 months.


...bracing her feet on ledges when she is sitting on a lap or in her high chair.


...standing on her own for a few moments if you lean her chest against a steady surface.


...just being the cutest baby on earth.