Adoring Cora

A year ago I met one of the most important people in my life, face to face. I already knew her, technically, before then.  I knew she was feisty, I knew she was strong and I knew she loved to dance whenever music would play. I was waiting patiently for the right time to meet her, and when she decided to make her appearance ten days early, I welcomed her arrival with tears and hugs and open arms.

Coraline Jolie, my littlest love.

This past year with Cora has been exhilarating, exhausting and thoroughly entertaining. In some ways it was easier than my first year with Camila, and in some ways it was certainly more difficult. But this post is not intended to compare my two girls, but rather to celebrate the unique little individual that Coraline has become in her first year of life on this planet.

So let me tell you a little about her.

As I mentioned, she is strong. She can scratch, slap and smack with the best of them. She can also kick and buck like a freaking bronco. This kid is all muscle and I love it. I don't have to worry about her getting pushed around by her older sister or cousin. She's my little toughie.

At first, she was such a sleepyhead. She slept through the night the first week I brought her home (Mommy score!!!) and she gave me such an easy time at night during those first three months. Somewhere along the line, she abandoned this behavior, much to my dismay, but if she's snuggled up against her mama, she'll sleep soundly. Can't really say I complain. She'd love nothing more than to be cozied up to me all day long, day or night. She's a Mommy's Little Girl, there's no doubt about it.

Oh, and she will demolish your ass in a game of peek-a-boo. She takes no prisoners. You can try playing against her, but you will lose and you'll probably cry. Don't say I didn't warn you.

The kid knows what she likes and dislikes, and is headstrong as all heck. She acts first, worries later. That's definitely a trait from her daddy.  And she's so gosh darn happy! I'm pretty sure if someone studied her on a molecular level, they'd see she was comprised of marshmallows, unicorn hair and sunshine. She knows how to turn on the charm and is a master of the "shy smile." It's a proven scientific fact that it is impossible not to smile around her.

Seriously. Scientists have studied this extensively. Case study #CJ.306.  Appendix B. Look it up.

Okay I lied. I don't need a scientific study, I know the findings. It would be like paying a bunch of scientists to prove the sky is blue. Don't question it, just accept its beauty.

And a beauty she is.

I can't help but gush about this kid, and sorry if this is all cotton candy fluff, but she's just awesome. I've been blessed to have been picked from above to be her mom and I can't imagine my life without her.

Happy first year of life, Coraline Jolie. How wonderful life is, now that you're in our world.