Day 51 - A Meeting of Developing Minds

Levi and Cora got together for a topical discussion on current affairs in the sphere of babies. They came away seemingly satisfied with the results, although it's hard to tell if two squeaks and a grunt means that the bottle debate was settled, or still left at an impasse.

Day 50 - Mas o Menos Camp

A sick baby is less than awesome, and Cora was feeling pretty rough for most of her Happy Camp stay. Still managed to get out for some fresh air every day though.

Day 49 - Hand of Bug

We might have a shifty little critter on our hands. She's already working the angles in the whole "rolling over" game, and trying to pull herself over the line. Had she not been hampered by excessive drool, we think she would have made it.

Day 48 - Land of Lemuria to Bigfoot Country

We wrapped up yet another great weekend of snow and shenanigans, and headed to Happy Camp for Cora's introduction to her mother's land.

Day 47 - Festivus for the Rest of Us

One of our cabin members' birthday allegedly falls during the trip every year, although no one has bothered to check her license. I think we let it slide because it's a good excuse for a party. Our gift to Beth this year was allowing her the pleasure of holding Cora. Not sure how we'll top that next year...

Day 46 - Power Nap

Bathing your soul in vortices of pure radiant energy is pretty darn exhausting. You'd think soaking in power would get you all tweaked out, but a family nap was needed back at the cabin.

Day 45 - Life on Ice

If you've never tried curling with babies, you're missing out on a lot of fun. Just don't forget a broom, because pine branches really don't cut it.

Day 44 - Infantstation

The annual Mt. Shasta cabin trip was thrown for a loop this year, with the place overrun by tykes.

Day 43 - Road Tripidation

The Zone may or may not be around for the next week, due to Cora's first road trip. Heading to a cabin in the woods in McCloud, before swinging over to Happy Camp. Have no fears though, there will be documentation and catch-up galore in the event of missed days. This will also be Cora's longest car ride by degrees. Wish us luck.

Day 42 - Pro Scribe, Con Text

For an English teacher (lapsed), Bren doesn't seem overly concerned about undermining Cora's communication potential. At this rate, Cora will actually ROFL when she's expected to write complete sentences, and probably tell her teacher to STFU when punctuation flaws are pointed out. It wouldn't surprise me if Cliff Notes is rechristened TL;DR. Fortunately, I'm stemming the tide by encouraging ancient techniques of writing words onto paper. Since Cora's too young to actually write anything, I just let her chew on pencils. It's okay, they're graphite.

Day 41 - Omar Giraffi

Cora recently latched onto a new buddy. They have a good thing going. Cora shoves him into her mouth and drools all over him, and he takes it like the inanimate object he is. This is the stuff really boring dreams are made of.

Day 40 - Celebr8 Good Times

Last night ushered in a new era in parenthood, as Cora slept a record breaking eight hour stretch. Or so I'm told. I was asleep for most of it. And now for the many faces of Cora: Mirth, contemplation, sneezing, and special.

Day 39 - Know Thy Self

Another "S" for Herr Doctor: scrutinizing. Shushing has gone the way of the dodo, and while swaddles are all well and good, what really gets Cora chilled out in a hurry is some mirror time. Does this signal a highly introspective and observant personality, who will eventually go on to be poet laureate for a significant institution? Or perhaps a diva in stasis, waiting to emerge and reign flamboyance upon the world? Or maybe she's just easily amused, and sort of spacey.

Day 38 - Small Fry Day

Everyday is like Friday for Cora, which sounds great. But does that mean the corollary is that everyday is also Monday? Blessing or curse?

Day 37 - Bug's Eye View

What a large and mysterious world Cora inhabits. Lumbering giants come and scoop her up, to roam the cavernous interior of her house. This existence is punctuated by excursions into the great unknown of fresh air and boundless skies. Even the dog must seem a beast on a prehistoric scale.

Day 36 - Rugrat Race

After a fitful night's sleep, punctuated by multiple midnight snacks, Cora struggles to open her eyes. Freshly brewed Bren smiles help jump start the day, enabling Cora to get started on work. Punching out after a solid shift of neurological training, Cora hits the mats for a workout. Mondays and Wednesdays are neck and back.

Day 35 - Ritualistic Chillins

Supposedly, kids like having a bedtime ritual. It helps get them into sleep mode at night, so that they sack right out. I've yet to hear what portions of the ritual elicit which effects though. If the bath helps them close their eyes, and the swaddle helps them tune out the world, what keeps them sleeping past the four hour mark? Is it a certain combination, or order of operations that's required? Should she get rocked exactly 32 times before being put down? Hmm... Perhaps OCD has its uses.

Day 34 - The Princess is a Pea

King bed. Wee baby. Good times.

Day 33 - Half-pint Show

No wardrobe malfunctions or unceremonious gestures were on tap today. Cora performed flawlessly, as her crowd of two can attest to.

Day 32 - Winter Watchhog

The results of our impromptu Groundhog Day test were inconclusive. We're pretty sure Cora saw her shadow, but she was unable to retreat to her crib due to a total lack of ambulatory abilities.