Whirly Twirly Girl

That's what Micah calls Cora, and I have to say, it's pretty fitting.  The closer she gets to a year (she'll be 11 months next week), the more her little personality emerges.  And, boy, does she have personality!  She has absolutely made up her little mind that she can (and should) keep up with her brothers.  She refuses to eat baby food and wants table food instead.  She's conquered every variety of sippy cup and prefers her brothers' cups to any of her own.  She thinks the worst fate in the world is being put in her playpen.  She heaves on the gate for all she's worth, shouting at the boys to help her get free.  She loves music of every kind.  She can't help but move when she hears a good beat.  Unlike the boys, though, who prefer punch dancing and break dancing, she twirls her little torso and twists her hands to the music.  Whirly twirly.  She loves to drum, especially on her big brother's new drum set.  She has a decent rhythm already!  She's a singer.  She loves to sit and sing chirpy, high-pitched little songs to herself.  She's the most content, easy-going little thing--as long as she's included in whatever's going on.  And the mischief...  As I alluded to yesterday in my post, that girl is trouble and she knows it!  Every antic is met with a cheeky little smile and a twinkle in her eye, which, of course, makes up for most of the damage she's done.  She loves to make us laugh and I have a feeling she's going to be a little entertainer.  But I think one of my favorite aspects of her personality is how much she loves to cuddle.  She gives the best hugs I've ever seen from a baby.  She wraps those chubby little arms around our necks, buries her face, and says, "Ahhh" for several minutes at a time.  Talk about melting a person...

As we approach the one year mark, it's so hard to imagine our family without our little girl.  At the same time, she still feels so new, and we're daily discovering new layers to her personality.  I can't wait to watch it unfold over the years to come.  I'm so glad we had our whirly twirly little Cora.