Coco's Mama

Last week Cora ran up to me, patted my knee with her chubby little hand and said, "Mama!" No, it wasn't the first time that word had ever left her mouth, but it was definitely the first time she said it fully knowing what those words meant. It caught me off guard a little, the excitement I felt over something I've experienced so many times before, and filled me with love and gratitude for a fourth little baby that calls me hers. 

It seems she's growing in hyper-speed lately and learning new tricks on the second. I gave away the last of her 18 month clothes this morning and all of her headbands, she's all 2T and all ribbon bows these days. And can you believe she's fitting into size 7 shoes already? It's nuts. As far as tricks are concerned, they mostly consist of her moving furniture in order to steal binkies out of the pacifier jar and figuring out how to have ALL of her special blankies at the same time. She's also especially skilled at saying "NO!" and I try not to be offended that she knew what that word meant long before she was seriously sayin' Mama! I love to hear her jabber on the phone like she has a grand story to tell and when it's time to leave and she gives you a kiss with a loud and tight-lipped "mmmmmmm-wah!" my heart just melts. 

I know it's cliche to say that I don't know what my life would be like without her, but there are really no truer words to utter. She is the sweetest finale to my earthly creations and loving her is one of the easiest things I do. 

(These pictures were snapped in front of our house on a day when the boys came home from school particularly hyper and grumpy and needed to run some laps on our street to release energy. Cora decided to join in on the sprints and the boys and I ended up all stopping to ooh and ahh over how darling she is. She's not short on love, that one!)