Monday, February 24, 2014

Some Things We Do


Play with "new" toys from the boat!


 

Rock out at ski lodges.




Go on a lot of adventures in the buggy.

Squirm in restaurants.

Try on silly hats and hoodies.
Pass out on the floor after a temper tantrum.

Go on adventures in the backpack.

Eat and drink.

Play more.

Hang out in fields with Tanner.

Hang out in ski lodges with mom and dad.


Play more.


Stand in my chair and give my mom a heart attack.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Monday, February 10, 2014

Ball Pits, Train Rides, Cheese Castles, Oh My!

We've been busy the last couple of weeks, playing in a huge indoor kid play gym last weekend (which Cora LOVED), exploring the beautiful Gruyeres Castle this weekend and taking a train ride to Fribourg on my birthday on Thursday to see our Irish friends for a little celebrating.

We also discovered a new English speaking play group on Wednesdays at a cute little church in downtown Bern, which we will continue to attend. Cora is one of the smallest there, but also one of the cutest :) At the end of the play group they sing songs and Cora went out in to the middle and just twirled around and danced while everyone sang. Pretty cute stuff. 

Cora had her follow-up appointment with her surgeon last week and all looked great! Phew, what a huge, huge relief. Now we just wait until she is two when the doctors will determine if she needs speech therapy, or any additional ear or palate work done. But for now, I can finally take a deep breath! Such a relief! Also, she had her 15 month shots and the doc says she seems healthy and strong. He didn't weigh her though, so who knows what she weighs at the moment. I'm guessing 20 lbs or so (but after hauling her up and down our damn 78 stairs over and over all day long she feels more like 50 pounds!). 


Cora is still busy, busy, busy all day long.  She loves to dance, stick her hands in Tanner's water bowl, hide our things, pretend to cook with her legos, pull out the dirt from our plants, climb up and down on the couch, read, and throw things in the bath tub. No matter what she is doing though, she has a serious agenda and is never still! She's also walking a lot more and can almost make it the entire way home from the grocery store (although it takes a long, long, long time). 

The last couple of weeks we have been trying to find a new place to live for the next year or so, and are keeping pretty busy looking around. Hopefully a perfect, or close to perfect, place will find us. As long as there aren't 78 stairs to climb everyday though, I think we will be doing pretty well :)












Some beautiful photos from our adventure to Gruyers Castle:














Monday, February 3, 2014

The Campbell Circus


Often times when I click the "publish" button to complete a blog I feel as if I've also completed some small chapter of my life with Cora. Sometimes I'm very proud to have made it through a tough week and looking forward to the new adventures ahead, but often times I become nostalgic and a bit sad. The latter is why I've been avoiding this post for a few days now … I think I'm in denial that Nat and Barbara really had to leave, and they won't be buzzing on the door intercom any minute here to keep me company, walk Tanner, go to the farm, play with Cora or take an adventure into town. 

We are all very sad, but Nat, Cora and I are unbelievably thankful they were able to come out and help us get our feet on the ground in this difficult and foreign place. Starting directly off with Cora's surgery, they had their hands full helping us all out, from helping translate at the hospital, to helping take care of poor whimpery post-surgery Cora, to simply stocking our fridge when we got home. We were so incredible thankful they were here to help:)

Luckily, Cora unexpectedly recovered so quickly that we had many more weeks of healthy time to play! What a relief to have the surgery over and it was great to have time to get settled and go on a few adventures together. Below are a few photos of the wonderful time we had with Buddy and Pooh Bah. We will all REALLY miss you two. 

At the hospital.


Trip to Murren on the Gondola!



She actually fell asleep in his arms! That hasn't happened in months!



Merry Christmas!


Mr. Dog time.

Swiss AARP trail.



Best view of Fribourg!

Castle exploring.










We miss you guys.