Catching Up, Part One Million

Yeah, so it turns out this having two kids time really cramps my blog style. (It did not help that all four of us got the stomach flu the weekend before last -- and I will not blog about the heartbreak of that, but am going to try to block it out.) And poor Cordelia -- Cody's every toe wiggle was chronicled...but she started walking two weeks ago, and where's her star turn? Time for her to have her own post.

As usual, she didn't really try to walk. She just got up and did it. At 10 1/2 months. She looked a little like Frankenstein for a few days, but she's looking more and more like a bona fide toddler now, and almost never condescends to crawl, unless she really wants to chase Cody. The first time it occurred to him to escape up the stairs, she paused at the bottom, looked at me, looked up, cocked her head defiantly and then scaled the staircase. In one shot. Thirty seconds max. Didn't look down. I couldn't believe it...and will have to get out the baby gates again. It's amazing how their personalities are just here, and set, so early. She is feisty, determined, stubborn, aloof, decidedly not a pleaser like Cody, and incredibly happy and sweet and clever.

Here she is, after having walked across the kitchen to greet Aunt Kelly last weekend. She's awfully pleased with herself. (Kelly was pretty stoked, too.)

And in the meantime, her hair has gotten crazy. Here are some highlights from the past couple of weeks, including some from a fantastic visit with Granny and Pop-Pop this past weekend! And lots of pictures from the park -- we are so looking forward to spring!

Behold the hair.

This is my serious face. I wear it a lot.

But don't be fooled. I wear this face a lot, too. I'm a really cheery baby. You know, as long as I'm getting what I want.

Watching Duke with Pop-Pop, and channeling his beach hair.

Wait. Where's Cody?

Phew. There he is.

Everything is just so much more awesome when Cody is with me. See?

(Look at their little matching crossed ankles : )

Or Daddy. Daddy's awesome, too. And let's not forget about...

Sunday in the park with Granny.

More to come. Cody'll get his own. Preview: Current obsession is The Sound of Music. (It will not surprise you to know that the second time we put it on, he looked quizzically at me after Julie Andrews's opening solo and said, "Maria reminds me of someone." When I asked who, he said, "Mary Poppins.") Several of his stuffies have been renamed from Mary and Bert (Mary Poppins) to Liesl and Gretl. He told me he has quite the crush on Liesl, and sings to her (she is in the form of an elephant) "I am Cody, Cody John Paul, I'--ll take ca-re of you."