Thanksgiving

First Steps

Warm and Cozy on a Dark November Night

Last November...Waiting For Cora!

We can't believe it's almost been a year since we first met Cora (although she's been kicking me for a lot longer!).

Our Funky Monkey

The Enchanted Maize

Chris, Cora, and I went to the Enchanted Maize this weekend with our friends Eleanor, Jason, and Sofia. It was our prelude to Halloween...brwahahahaha!

Eleven Months Old and a New Pair of Shoes

An Autumn Day

Thank You, Grandma!

Grandma Porter stayed at our house while we were in Birmingham. It was nice to have her greet us when we finally came home. Timmy and Digger loved her visit...they were extremely spoiled and got fat(ter). See you again soon, we miss you.

Birmingham

Pre-surgery: Cora thinks Birmingham is okay (and even gives it a hesitant thumbs up).
Waiting: Puppy is waiting for Cora's surgery to end so they can be reunited. (A friend made us the quilted tote - for toys! - to help us lug stuff during our hospital visit)

Day One: Just 2 hours after her surgery, Cora drinks Pedialyte and can crack a smile.

Day Two: A kiss from daddy and some sock monkey support.

Day Three: Cora is so bored that she takes up reading and can now do Algebra.

Day Four: A wagon ride around the hospital is fun and keeps Cora happy.

Day Five: Cora gets to STAND in her CRIB! It is the best thing ever. And she also gets to tear up her important medical paperwork.

Day Five: Time to go home...

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Hi everyone! Thanks so much for your good thoughts and support...Cora's surgery went extremely well and her recovery has been smooth. We just arrived home from Birmingham today and it's great to be home. We intended to get home on Saturday, but the hospital couldn't find a safe way to get her home while on her back...the curse of being tall (too tall for the car bed) and skinny (too skinny for the harness). So, the neurosurgeon kept us in the hospital until we had the go ahead for her to be vertical again - today! Needless to say, Cora is absolutely JOYFUL to be able to sit, crawl, stand, bounce, etc. again.

The surgery lasted a mere 30 minutes! A quick snip. Her pain has been controlled with Tylenol and Motrin (amazing!). She has retained her sass and sense of humor. She has lost a tethered spinal cord and gained an impressive (worthy of bragging on the playground) 3 inch scar. All is well...and we don't need to go back to Birmingham until early December for a follow-up appointment. We thought you would like to see photos of Cora in the hospital because it shows how she continued to smile and get through all of this with more ease than her parents (who look really bad right now...).

Best wishes.