Norah Meets the Chicks

Last week, Uncle Grant and Aunt Paige brought home some baby chicks and guineas. We took Norah out to meet them Friday night and she loved them!






Uncle Grant even let Norah have some one-on-one-petting time. She was timid at first, but after she figured out that it was really alright to touch them, she really enjoyed herself.

I like to call this set of pictures, "My Uncle Grant is SO cool!"

These are the guineas. They have a pin of their own, separate from the chicks. Grant put a patch of grass in for them to eat. It was pretty funny watching them pull and peck with all their might to free a blade, and then run for the corner so they could horde it all to themselves.

Norah wasn't too keen on the big wall that separated her from the guineas, so she decided she was going in!

Uncle Grant helped her out by scooping up a guinea so she could give it a good pet.

It was a fun evening...but this was only one of Norah's new animal experiences for the weekend. Stay tuned for upcoming photos of her first encounters with a real ducky, a bunny, and some goats!

Kick Ball, Computers and Cooking

We had such a full and wonderful weekend! I have tons of pictures to share, but I hope to spread them out over the next week so that I don't get bogged down with too many at once.

The first shot is of Norah with her beloved ball. She will retrieve said ball upon command. She will also giggle uncontrollably if she can convince someone to engage in a game of "kick". (She's even figured out how to kick it back)




Norah has recently decided that she should have some time in Mommy and Daddy's computer. Unfortunately, she can't seem to understand why we wont let her pry the keys off with her tiny fingers. (Not to mention, it is really hard to blog when she adds intermittent, random letters) Thankfully, Grandpa must have foreseen this little dilemma, because he bought Norah a toy laptop for Christmas. So, my new trick is to set Norah up with her laptop when I'm ready to use mine, and she's more than happy to type away on hers, leaving mine alone! (Thanks, Grandpa!) Doesn't she look like a little blogger in training?





For my next trick...I owe my good friend, Jamie B. Ever since she's been able to pull up, Norah has been attached to my legs while I prepare dinner. While I love the feeling of those warm arms around my legs, it makes it a little hard to move around the kitchen--and it breaks my heart when she cries at being shaken free.

Last week while dealing with just such conditions, I got a phone call from Jamie and mentioned my fettered state. She suggested my letting Norah "cook" with her own pot, a big spoon, and some cheerios.

So, I set her up with a 1 quart pan, a handful of fruity cheerios and a couple of gold fish crackers. She stirred contentedly until all of her "ingredients" had mysteriously vanished. I added a few more to her pan, and by the time they were gone, viola! Dinner was ready! (believe it or not, she still had an appetite, too) I guess it was a good thing Norah wasn't cooking our dinner, otherwise, Jason and I would have gone hungry.

Stay tuned for more updates, including "Norah's 1st Easter Egg Hunt" and "Fun With Uncle Grant's Animals"!

13 of My Favorite Things...This Week

Can you think of any random things that you just like for no reason? Things that are treasures to you, but may not seem extraordinary to anyone else? This week's 13 is devoted to a few such things that have made my "likes" list, whether for practicality, frivolousness, and in some cases, just because.

1. Stationary. I am a major stationary junkie. I love anything personalized-- from initials, to photo cards, but I also like simple, pretty cards from Walmart. I have an old-fashioned wax seal with our family initial on it, as well as a fancy return address stamp and I love using both. Part of me feels special because I still enjoy corresponding the "old fashioned" way, by post. And part of me likes to make others feel special when they get something in their mailbox that is more personal than a credit card offer or the weekly grocery circulars. (Am I the only one who gets a little excited when I receive an actual, hand-addressed letter in my mailbox?)
   
2. Sippy Cup Name Bands. My good buddy, Jenny introduced these to me. (Available at inchbug.com) They are reminiscent of the bright yellow "Live Strong"-type wrist bands that Lance Armstrong made popular a few years back, only these fit on your child's sippy cup and have their name stamped on them, and you can choose your color. (Ok, so I'm noticing a theme here...I like things with our name on them!) They are great for when you drop your child off in the church nursery so their sippy doesn't get mixed up with anyone else's. (Ok, so masking tape and a marker would do the same thing...but they are dishwasher-safe, so you never have to take them off if you don't want to, and they really are cute)
3. Postage Stamps. I love stamps. I can't go in the post office without buying at least one book. I love to see what new specialty stamps are out every time I go. It is so much more fun for me to have "cute" stamps that you can only get at the post office. (I think its the part of me that wants the recipient of my letter to feel "special" that they got a neat-looking stamp...even though they may not notice) My all-time favorites were the children's book stamps that were out last spring. They had everything from "The Hungry Caterpillar", to "Curious George", to "Where the Wild Things Are". I stocked up so I could send them out on Norah's birthday party invitations.
4. Church Hymnals. There is something truly special, to me, about old hymnals. I have 5 in my personal collection, several of which are as old as dirt. I love to thumb through them and see how many songs I can find that I know, and am often remembered of some that were long-forgotten in my memory, but bring back memories of my childhood. Maybe these books hold such a special place in my heart because I love to sing, and these represent the "musical training" of my youth. But, for whatever reason, they are some of my prized posessions.
   
5. Flowers. Receiving them is nice...but I'd really prefer the kind that grow in the ground. It is such a fun surprise when they poke through the ground and even more exciting when they bloom for the first time. This week got a few bulbs to plant that will (hopefully) bloom this summer. I can't wait!
   
6. Sewing Notions. From seam rippers, to pins with brightly colored heads, to spools of thread, ribbon, and buttons--I love them all, and I love having a "stash" in my sewing room.
7. Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids. In truth, I've ordered very little from them, but I love their style, and they are fantastic "inspiration" material.
   
8. Disney Movies. Jason and I have a pretty big dvd collection, and a large chunk of it is dedicated to Disney. Even before we had thoughts of kids, we started buying the classics I mean, with that crazy Disney Vault, who knows when they'll be available again, right? (And yes, that is total sarcasm, I am fully aware that I have fallen prey to a marketing scheme, and I don't even feel violated) Norah's favorite, to date, is "Lady & the Tramp". Go figure. The girl loves puppies.
   
9. Socks. This is one of my less-practical fetishes, because anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I wear flip flops as often as I possibly can. But, for the couple of cooler months we have, I do enjoy having fun socks to wear to help me make it through my flip flop withdrawal.
10. Rubbermaid Containers. I can never have too many. I even ask for them every year for Christmas! I just love being able to organize my many messes into the confines of a clear, plastic box, where I will hopefully be able to find them the next time they're needed.
11. www.irs.gov. No, seriously. I went there last week and was greeted with a wealth of good information. PLUS, I linked from there to a free Turbo Tax site, which walked me through preparing my taxes online and even free e-filing. Not to mention, thanks to Norah, we are getting our first return in over 5 years!
12. Children's Books. Norah is only 14 months, but she has a huge library! This is due, in my opinion, to several factors. A--She is spoiled by her grandma, B--I sell Usborne Books, and C--I have a not-so-secret love for children's literature and have been collecting it for years. I feel like I've been waiting my entire life to share my love of these books with my own little one, and now I am living my dream. It is so much more fulfilling (and less awkward) to pour over "Goodnight, Moon" with a child in your lap! I can't wait to introduce her to Graeme Base and Chris Van Allsburg! I hope that she'll grow up to enjoy books (grown up ones too, not just the ones with amazing pictures) as much as I do!
    
13. Martha Stewart Living. I don't profess to be a huge Martha (the woman) fan. But her magazine and website have some of the greatest ideas! I found my inspiration from Norah's first birthday party at MarthaStewart.com, in addition to how to tastefully hang my door wreath, plan a cookie swap, and prepare a 12-course dinner for 8 with no more than water, rosemary leaves, and some twine. (Ok, maybe I made that last one up...but I really do use her ideas all the time!)
    

Excuses, Excuses

Alright, so it's been roughly 100 years since my last post, give or take. But I'll do my best to fill you in on all that you've missed in my absence.

Norah's still growing like a weed, as you can see. I thought this first photo showed her teeth pretty well. She's up to 11 now, and we sure think they're purty.

In the time since my last update, Norah has hit a momentous milestone--she has a set bedtime, and she doesn't fight it! For a solid week, we have maintained a new routine, and she seems to really like it. Before, Jason or I would rock her to sleep and then carefully transfer into the crib, hopeing not to wake her. In the event that she did rouse, we'd either have to stand there with our hand on her back until she fell asleep again, or start over with the rocking. It was fun for a while--sweet time with just us and our baby girl...but sometimes its not a good night to rock, and you just want her to go to bed...so we decided it was time to set a routine.
So here's a break-down of what works for us:
7:30pm, bath time with the duckies.
7:45pm, put on PJs, desitin, lotion, etc.
7:50pm, commence with bedtime stories (read with lights dimmed, night light already on, and noisemaker going...for those wondering, noisemaker is set to either a gentle waterfall or chirping crickets)
8:00pm, lights out, prayer time
8:05pm, place fully awake Norah in her crib, and leave the room

As I said, for an entire week we've had great success with this routine. Sometimes she sniffles a few times when we leave the room, but it never lasts more than about 10 seconds. What an answer to prayer!



So onto my excuses for failure to blog...I've still been staying busy with Princess and Diva birthday cakes...I had a princess cake last week and I went with a little different design and really enjoyed it. You may not be able to tell from the photo, but the necklace and crown have a little rhinestone in them. I thought it turned out pretty cute.



Probably my biggest excuse for not blogging in so long is pictured here. A little over a week ago Jason came home from work exhausted. He had a double-header (softball games) at 9:15 and 10:15pm and Norah was wound up and excited to see him when he got in from work. I decided to take her out to kill some time to give Daddy a chance to take a little nap before his games. While we were out, we went to JoAnn Fabrics with no intentions of buying anything. Little did I know the muse of inspiration awaited me there.

After weeks of perusing Pottery Barn Kids, debating over whether or not to buy the overpriced quilt that had caught my eye, I found some fabric that I liked even better. And then I found several coordinating fabrics..and before I knew it, my basket was full of several bolts of fabric. I just got swatches that night, but as you can see from the photos, I didn't waste too much time in going back and buying/getting started on a quilt for Norah's future "big girl" room. Granted, I have no idea when she'll need a "big girl" room...I also don't know how long it will take me to get all the components together, and you might as well work while you're inspired, right?
Each of the flowers is embroidered, and each of the blocks also has an different embroidered border around it...or at least they all will when I finish. I'm currently up to 15 finished blocks, with a total of 24...so I'm over half-finished.

Once the embroidery is all completed, I'll sew on the outter borders of the quilt (its a solid aqua fabric) and begin hand-quilting it. I plan to quilt 3 nesting squares in each of the plain blocks, and echo-quilt around the flowers in the blocks with the appliquéd flowers in them. I have had so much fun putting this quilt together!


The fabric to the right was my previously mentioned "inspiration" fabric. I've always been a sucker for little prints, and I thought the colors were too fun. I bought more of this floral print to make a reversible duvet cover (with the stripe print from the quilt as the other side)

So, basically, my main excuse for not updating my blog in 100 years is that I've been pre-occupied with quilting. Thankfully, Norah's been in a mood to play contentedly by herself, and Grandma, Great Grandmother, and Grammy have also allowed me to have some quiet time in which to work. (I am so blessed to have such a loving family so close!)

I thought I'd close with a photo I snapped today mid-lunch. Norah had fallen asleep while she was eating---but she kept waking up and taking another bite, then falling back to sleep. It was very funny to watch, but I couldn't laugh, because I didn't want to wake her. She actually makes a habit of sleep-dining, but it never gets old to me---its still funny every time.

Vocab Lesson and Chair Surfing

Norah has a new name for Grandpa Gilmore-- "Bah boo". If you say "Grandpa" to her, she'll repeat "Bah boo" back to you, as if to say, "Yeah, that's what I just said'.

While Norah was showing off several of her new words this weekend, my dad asked if I was writing these "first words" down. I hadn't even thought about it. I am, afterall, still a rookie at this mom business.

So, here's my first effort at making a list. These are "Norah's Words" as of 13 months of age:

"Mah"= More, usually accompanied by her version of the sign for "more" (left palm face up, right index finger pointing into the palm, as if to say, "...and you can put it right here") We've shown her the correct sign over and over, but she prefers her version, and since she's staying consistent, I'm just happy to know what she wants.
"Mmmmm"= Norah's reply to the question, "What does a cow say?"
"Rah"= Norah's whispered reply to the question, "What does a lion say?"
"Arf-Ruff"= Norah's answer to "What does a puppy dog say?"
"Bah bulls"= Norah's second favorite bath-time diversion
"Dut-ees"= Norah's favorite bath-time diversion
"Ice"= Usually said while pointing to her ears, but also her answer to the question: "Norah, what are these?" (while mommy or daddy points to their eyes)
"Hi!"= Norah's most favorite word. Almost always said with an exclamation point.
"Dad eee"= Sometimes easily confused by non-family members with the like-sounding "dut ee". Also used, interchangably with "Da Da"
"Mama"= Yes, she can say it, but unfortunately, she must think its a body part because she emphatically points at her own chest every time she says it. (Probably from seeing me point at myself over and over in hopes that she'd get it) However, if we ask her "Where's Momma?" or instruct her to "Go to Momma", she does, at least come to me.
"Cheese"= One of Norah's favorite foods
"Nah Nah"= Another one of Norah's favorite foods, this one of the yellow variety (Have I ever mentioned she likes to eat?)
"No-No"=Usually accompanied by rapid shaking of the head, or wagging of the finger (haha...no clue where know where she might have seen this)
"Tuh Tull"= Turtle (there's a painting of one in her bedroom and she likes to point and say his name)
"Nack?"= Norah-speak for "Hey! Can I get some food over here, please?"
"Mahk"= Norah's most favorite beverage
"Bow"= pronounced with a very cute pucker--those colorful things I like to put in her hair.
"Dah tee"=Norah's favorite animals are doggies. This word is often barely distinguishable between "Daddy" and "Ducky", but if there's a dog within a 10-mile radius, live, toy, or merely depicted, she will tell you all about it!
"Bahb"= Bob. As in Bob & Larry. As in, "How about some Veggie Tales, mom?"
"Shoos"= One of Norah's favorite accessories (preferably the black flip flops that she requests by pointing at them every day when its time to shod her)
"Beats"= Another of Norah's favorite accessories, beads (and she knows exactly where I keep them)
"Bah bye"= What we must tell everyone and everything we part with. (Including, but not limited to the toothbrush and the water in the toilet as it's being flushed)

I have a feeling I'm missing some, but at least I got most of what I could think of. Of course, I'm gonna be partial and think she's brilliant because she's mine, but I feel like she has a pretty good command of the English language for at 13-month old.

One other occurance of note...Norah discovered how to rock herself in the rocking chair in Jason's and my bedroom today. After a few times rocking herself, with a great deal of effort, in a seated position, she beamed as she turned herself around, pulled up, and began rocking herself, standing up, with much more ease. Now, granted, we don't intend to let her stand up or jump on the furniture, but it was too cute to not photo document. I just wish I could have put on the Beach Boys' "Surfin' Safari" for her, because her stance looked like she was ready to "Hang 10". (By the way, these photos were taken "mid-dressing stage" this morning, and she did, at some point, finally put on her pants, which obviously did not take presidency over the black flip flops)

13 Photos of Nordstrom

AA asked for "more photos", so this week's T13 is thirteen pictures of Norah...





She loves brushing her 10 teeth













Driving, this time without baby










She LOVES shoes...











and talking on the phone...her special talent is listening with her neck









Striking a pose









Still loves books







She learned how to blow her nose while I've been sick











Decked out in mommy's beads









Goofy grin







This is the face she makes when she "roars" like a lion (which, by the way, is what it would sound like if a lion could whisper). She also likes to makes noises like a doggy and a cow (which is really funny)












She knows where her nose is...










and her mouth...











and her ears--smart girl!

Time for an Update

For the first time in almost a week, I feel like posting! I've been suffering through a case of what nearly everyone in town has aptly named "The crud". Congestion, sore throat, and a nagging cough that still wont let go. Thankfully, Jason and Norah have seemingly, somehow escaped its clutches. I'm praying they'll hold out through the rest of the cold/flu/crud season.

Despite my posting hiatus, I have managed to take a few photos here and there, so I thought I'd share them in hopes of giving you a grin or two. I think the first two would make a great "Make up a Caption" contest, so feel free to post your original captions.

When I discovered Norah driving with her baby last week, I thought about warning her of what happened when Britney pulled that stunt, but decided she was probably better off not knowing who Miss Spears is.



I snapped this shot while I was putting away the groceries. (As you can see, Robinson County stocked up on TP this week.) Norah chilled out on that package of Angel Soft for the duration of my grocery putting away rituals. Which makes me wonder...if she like putting away dishes so much, maybe I can get her started on helping with the groceries too.







And finally, there's nothing like posting your "To Do" list on your blog to hold you accountable. I'm pleased to inform you that I have accomplished several of my goals from last week's T13.


Finish Cake Order--Check!
Wash Sheets--Check!
Fold Laundry--Check! (And I'm happy to report that I haven't stacked any more in the laundry basket so far this week...I've been folding it as I go...like I should have been doing all along)
Read--Check! (I've been keeping up with my One Year Bible and still had a little time to read "Wild at Heart" and I'm loving both)



Organize Norah's Clothes and Shoes--Check! Thanks to a church buddy, Denise P, I was able to locate a shoe organizer just like I was looking for. It was so affordable that I bought two, and organized my shoes, too. (Granted, I couldn't fit all my shoes in there, but at least I have more room in my closet than I did before...which is funny, because I never really thought I had that many pairs of shoes)

Norah's closet and dresser are now ready for Spring. I have sorted through, folded, and stored all of the things she's outgrown. (It's amazing how short-lived baby clothes are...but at least they can be re-used!) Thanks, Jen, for a fresh load of new clothes!

Well, speaking of To Dos, I guess I'd better get going so I can check off a few more. (Don't worry, I wont bore you with all the details every time I accomplish one, I just wanted to let everyone know that I did, actually do more than just make a list last week)