13 Evidences She's Growing Like a Weed

Norah amazes me nearly every day with something new she's figured out. Jason and I spend about 1/3 of our evenings discussing what new thing she's into, and another 1/3 witnessing her latest antics (which still leaves a little time for other stuff). I decided this week I'd devote my 13 to some of the things she's learning/saying/doing that I don't want to forget when she's older and I can't remember a time when these weren't "big feats".

(And I owe Jason credit for the photo idea...he saw Norah plop down by this big dandelion and said, "That'd be great for your blog--to show how she's growing like a weed". Good call, babe!)

1. Paci De-tox. No, we aren't completely off the plug, but it is at least reserved for bed-time only. (Ok, and maybe as an act of desperation if she's a little too chatty in church) Norah seems to understand and be completely ok with this. When I go to get her out of her crib, I tell her, "Put your paci in your bed" and she throws it (with impressive force for a 14-month old) right in. Sometimes she does it without even being asked. I was most impressed when she came into the living room carrying a pacifier that she'd scavenged from some dark corner of our house, and upon my instructing her to "Go put that paci in your bed", she obediently turned around without a fuss, walked straight to her room, and tossed it in her crib. (And yes, there was definitely adequate praise given to her for her act of obedience!)
2. Manners Matter. We're working on our "Pwee" and "Tahk oooo". Right now, I rarely get both in the same sitting, but she does usually say one or the other, so that's at least a start.
   
3. Toothbrush Recall. Norah's always enjoyed brushing her teeth, but I used to have to fight her to give her toothbrush back when it was time to put it away. (We always brush our teeth together, so when I finish brushing, I tell her she's done, to0) When I finish brushing my teeth, I rinse my brush and then tap it three times on the sink (to shake excess water off). Its a habit I've had for most of my life--maybe everyone else does it, I don't know, but its always three taps and into the toothbrush holder. Well, this week, I guess it clicked with Norah that three taps signify time to hand over her toothbrush, because without being prompted, she's been giving hers to me as soon as she hears me tap.
   
4. She's into blowing kisses. This is one of my favorite things to watch her do. She doesn't really pucker much, but she says, "Muah!" really loud, and it melts my heart every time.
5. 2-Word Phrases. So far, we've had 3, to date. The first was, "Bye-bye, Daddy". (Spoken as Jason went into the backyard to practice disc golf putting.) The next was "More Nana". (Which was really funny, considering she hadn't had any bananas with her dinner that night, but you'd better believe we gave her one after she asked for it and pointed to the top of the fridge where I keep them!) The third was a couple of nights ago, when we were heading home from dinner with some friends, she said, "Bye-bye, baby" to her 3-month-old buddy, Carter.
   
6. She knows how to clean-up. From toys to easter eggs, to the uneaten food on her high chair tray (I dont make her clean her plate, but she does have to put the excess food back on it before she can get down), she is really getting the hand of "clean-up time".
7. She knows trash...sort of. When I fold laundry in my room, Norah always wants to help, so we've devised a few things to keep her busy. For one, I always knot the dyer sheet that comes out with my loud of laundry, and hand it to her with instructions to, "Put it in the trash". She complies by throwing it away in the nearby bathroom trashcan, and is always proud to have done her part. This morning, I was making my bed, and she brought me a t-shirt (she knew I was still in my PJs and was trying to help me get dressed). I told her thank you, and then asked her to put it on the table (I have a bench at the foot of my bed). Seeming to understand, she took the shirt from me, turned around, and walked away...but she passed the bench, rounded the corner into the bathroom, and was just about to toss my clean t-shirt into the trash when I intercepted it and realized that to a 14-month old, "table" and "trash" probably do sound a lot alike.
8. She can close most any door. I've had lots of trouble with Norah getting into cabinets all over the house. Thankfully, I discovered a good way to keep her out. She's recently grasped the concept of "close the door". So when she tries to get into the cabinets under the sink, I just tell her "No-no. Close the door" and she proudly does so. This trick also works for when she gets into the open dishwasher that I'm in the process of loading, or if she gets curious about the shower door that was accidentally left ajar.
   
9. Her feet are growing (finally!). After nearly a year of being stuck in size 1, in a month's time, she's moved onto a size 2, and is almost ready for a 3! Its nice to finally grow into some of the great hand-me-down shoes we've been given!
10. She's a good eater. She will try anything we put on her plate, and usually, she'll eat all that she's been given. A few nights ago we showed her how she could eat black olives off her finger tips (and no, we generally don't endorse playing with her food) and she thought that was about the funniest thing she'd ever seen. We are so proud to take her to a restaurant because she is well-behaved and doesn't make much of a mess (and what little mess she makes, we take care of for her).
    
11. She tells us when she's tired. If she gets a little fussy in the day, I can ask her if she wants to go night-night, and if she's tired (which is almost always), she'll reply "Nye nye". (Jason and I love hearing her say this--it is so sweet!) I was so jealous of my friend Jenny, who's sweet little girl, Patti would enter the room at 8pm and announce, "Nye Nye" when she was ready to be put to bed...and finally Norah has grown into it, too!
12. We pray before we eat. 6 months ago I thought we'd never be able to bypass her voracious appetite to pray...but we've been working at it, and she's doing great!
13. She knows her way around the kitchen. There are several things in my kitchen that Norah truly loves-- a giant, red, plastic bowl a metal, collapsible vegetable steamer; and a blue roll of shop paper towels. She knows where all three are kept, and helps herself whenever I'm in the kitchen. (Once again, I think she feels this is her way of doing "her part". After all, if she didn't unroll the blue paper towels, who else would?)