All I want for Christmas is…EVERYTHING!

Between the Cowley and Blanchard Christmas festivities, our little Kori walked away with a mountain of goodies. We want to thank everyone for making Kori’s first Christmas so special. We’ve all had our fair share of quality versus quantity debates....I don’t run into too many situations where more is better but I can honestly say that this one ended in a big fat sister kisser or tie to laymen.  From teething tools and clothes to Activity Lions and pink convertibles, all the gifts were great and are promised to get much use. She’s been awake for a total of 8 hours these last two days if that tells you anything. If you’re going to go, go hard I guess!

Christmas morning has always been Christmas morning, but as you “grow up” it tends to lose a little bit of its luster. Anyway, my first Christmas as a parent brought those little kiddy ants back in my pants.  Stacey may word it differently but I’m sure she will agree with me on that one. Personally, I was pretty excited to put on the dad hat and get to work.  At some point, my mind allowed me to stop what I was doing and assess. What did I see? Oh you know…some nerd holding a camera and a video camera trying to operate both at the same time while narrating.  It would have been nice if someone had whispered, “Pst! You know that video camera can take pictures too!” I think it was easier back in the day when the video cameras were as big as a suitcase. At least with those you were only looking out of one lens and forced to use one electronic device at a time.  But then again it was such a pain in the you know what to rewind the entire tape and hook it up to the TV for a replay....thank goodness for digital I guess.  Forgive me with some of the pictures/videos if they seem a little off center…it was my first Christmas tooJ

We didn’t have any raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but, in the spirit of Julie Andrews and her list of favorite things, I thought I might list a few of my favorite moments from the past two weeks excluding the obvious football, food, and booze riff.

I’ll start with our trip to St. Louis…

·         Nothing specific, but I really enjoyed sharing her with the extended family. It’s always a proud moment when I introduce her to someone new but it’s even better when its family and she’s in her Christmas best. I’ll assume time spent with Uncle Nick, Aunt Jaime, Great Uncle Jer-O, Memaw, and Great Zma is considered. It always stings a bit to take her away. (What do you do when the dog bites or the bee stings? I simply remember my favorite things. You see the effect my mother in-law has on me. Referencing the Sound of Music? C’mon, Tom!)

·         Watching Bailey and Kori square off in what could only be described as “showdown.” They sort of collaborate to form the unique atmosphere of bliss and betrayal. Again, I’m on the fence with this one. Dynamic Duo or Bitter Rivals?

·         Kicking it with some ole high school buddies. I almost miss getting made fun of that much in one sitting. Who doesn’t enjoy having all their imperfections, new and old, brought to the inner circle’s attention?

(Do I dare continue after filling up a page worth already? I shouldn’t but I’m gonna. Certainly, there are moments I’ve overlooked in St. Louis, but I’m going to head back to Tulsa for now.)

·         You know? I never thought I would admit this but I had fun at church the other night. They had a candle light ceremony at Asbury on Christmas Eve that all of us attended. Don’t be fooled! I’m no season ticket holder when it comes to church…more of a fair weathered fan if we’re being honest. Maybe I had the right mindset or toy (Kori) in my lap, but I was moved.

·         Grandpa Blanchard kicking off his new “Twas the Night Before Christmas” tradition.

·         Unwrapping the gifties with the little one and putting them together.

·         Reliving the day I proposed to my B-E-A-utiful wife. Three years ago Sunday. (Brownie Pts.)

Wrapping it up! Apologies all over if I left you out. If you stay tuned, I’m sure it’ll come to me in a later blog. In conclusion, it was a great Christmas and I know they are only going to get better. Fade to black…

         I apologize for the sideways pictures, for some reason my computer won't let me rotate them
 Ready to go to church on Christmas Eve

     

 Grandpa Blanchard reading the Night Before Christmas

I hope these will hold her over till her b-day in July

Santa's Baby

Cowley’s are coming at ‘cha quick with the blogs this holiday season. Don’t be overwhelmed, but we thought y’all would like to know how Kori’s first Santa experience went. Well, I tell ya. It went exactly the way Stacey and I predicted, emotionless or as I like to refer to it as the “lazy face.” As parents, some might say that we aced it because Kori was the only kid that we saw while we were there that didn't cry or get scared. She beat out kids were probably 3 and 4 so that may change in a few years or she is just one fearless little girl.  Thanks to my 9/80 schedule (every other Friday off) we were able to get to the mall late afternoon to an empty line. We snapped some photos, bought a picture package, and off we went to the next errand on the list. Thanks again for the pictures, Grandma and Grandpa Blanchard. Money well spent! I don’t have many “Mall Santa” experiences to compare to, but Woodland Hills Mall did a great job recruiting. I wasn’t expecting real facial hair and a great attitude, but that’s what we got. Earlier that day, I shared with Stacey that I wouldn’t be surprised if Kori tugged on some hair and ruined Christmas for the other kids standing around watching.  Ruining 10 other kids Christmases before she's even experienced her 1st would be quit an accomplishment (a very tragic one of course). 

Special shout out to Hines (Megan Gaines) for making the trip to Salsaville (for those of you who don't know, that is Mike's version of Tulsa) this past weekend. It’s always special when a member of the ole West & Maple crew gets together. Aside from Cheddar’s, Petsmart, and Babies ‘R’ Us, She almost stumbled upon something monumental. I’m probably jumping the gun but I feel like Kori ALMOST crawled on Saturday. So close, I sprinted for the video camera. The butt was up, the legs were locked and loaded, the grunts were in full force, and the arms were fully extended. The journey would have been short lived I am sure, but it’s so fun to watch her try. We’ll have to see if we can post the video of her rolling over from awhile back, her determination is pretty incredible. By the way, did you know that Petsmart has a Santa there for Christmas pet pics? Yeah, it happened!

So I’ll sign off now since we hit you guys hard with the last blog. Kori’s gifts are signed, sealed, and delivered. My wallet hurts so good. Roll film xo

Turkey Day for the Little Turkey

What a last couple of weeks we‘ve had! The Cowley family celebrated their Thanksgiving holiday two weekends ago (a week before the holiday) as we’ve done for the last few years to cut down on family conflicts and caloric intake. With every Thanksgiving in our family, come traditional Christmas rituals such as decorating the tree and opening a few “pre Christmas” gifts. Kori made her Christmas picture debut in a stunning red dress which would only serve as a slippery blanket at the photo shoot. The leather couch and floor mat could not provide enough friction to keep her from slipping, head butting her cousin Bailey, or both. Putting an 11 month old and a 4 and a half month old baby in a photo studio together is no easy task. Bailey would smile then Kori would frown and vice versa. It was a little frustrating to say the least especially when the “photographer” started asking us for ideas. Who me? I’m pretty sure we are paying you on this one. Well, we were able to capture a few good poses and get out of there before anyone got hurt!

To be honest, I felt like she slept most of the time while we were in town. Most importantly, my family got to see her before she started getting too big, and I got to see our niece take a few baby steps. I’m sure she’ll be jogging by the time she turns 1 on December 30^th. For those of you who did a double take at the date of her birthday, I thank you. Yes, we share the same birthday. My day of birth has officially disintegrated. Don’t feel bad because I’ve trained my mind, body, and soul to NOT age. Unfortunately, our pleasant St. Louis weekend was capped off with an ill wife and poopy baby. I’ll spare you the details. Let’s just say I earned my stripes that dayJ

As for last week, we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Blanchard’s at the Lake House where days are spent grazing, fishing, napping, and watching football…sometimes all at once. It’s always a great place to get away, and it definitely serves its purpose. For me, the lake house is the perfect venue to catch up with the little one. Kori is a lot of fun everyday, but Friday was an exception. Specifically…I can’t put my finger on it, but I thought she was the funniest person in the world screaming at the top of her lungs just for the fun of it and she made me feel the same with my shenanigans. During the week, I sprint from work to highchair to get her meal started and if I am lucky that is followed by naked time (bath time) then it’s off to bed. I appreciate the days I get to do it all. The holiday weekend was capped off with a very special day, Kori’s baptism, at Asbury United Methodist Church. If you were at the wedding, you should be familiar with the church. She did so good and looked so cute. I’m really glad it turned out the way it did. Of course, I wish more friends and family could attend, but it was short notice and I know we’re not next door.

Since we last blogged, Kori has mastered the art of screaming and/or talking. We aren’t crawling just yet but she can get that butt up and her legs underneath. It won‘t be too much longer till she is able to move across the room without having to roll everywhere she wants to go. That’s all I got for now folks!

 Hopefully these pics don't ruin our Christmas card but here is a sneak peak from our photo session

              We're all squinting here but I thought I had a nice scenery (not the one we chose for the card)

Kori's baptism....not the greatest picture but the only one we got with the whole Blanchard family

By now you should assume everywhere we go is a studio for Kori pictures as you will see following xo