A is for...

AA...which, if you have not figured out by now, is short for Norah's "Aunt Amanda", my sister, and one of my very best friends.

Angela...my name, which despite the fact that I asked my mom to change to it "Cinderella" when I was six, I've come to really like. Now "Angie", is another story...I don't think I'll ever like that nickname, or the familiarity that someone assumes when they automatically call me "Angie" after I've just introduced myself as Angela. My close friends and family call me "Ange", and I'm ok with that.

Appliqué...one of my favorite sewing techniques. I've enjoyed every appliqué project I've taken on, from our Christmas stockings, to Norah's quilt, to my more recent t-shirt and onesie exploits.

Aprons...my favorite kitchen accessory (can you believe it beat the pot-holder mitt?!) I love cooking in an apron. I also enjoy sewing them and have made quite a few that I've given as gifts. I think Norah might take after me in this respect, as she seems pretty proud of her apron when I let her help me in the kitchen.

Ashley...Norah's middle name, chosen for no other reason than we liked the way it sounds. (And yes, I do, occasionally use her first and middle names when she's in trouble)

Avocado...so delicious! I love them plain or in guacamole, and think they're just about the best possible addition to a green salad.

August ABC's Meme

I was over on Bella Dia and fell in love with her August meme. So beginning tomorrow, for the rest of the month, I will be posting an Encyclopedia of My Ordinary Life. I wont tag anyone, but feel free to join me. It'll be a great way to update more often, and I think it'll be fun to look back at down the road. See you tomorrow when I start with my personal favorite letter...A! (And don't worry, AA, I will still try to post some photos of Norah, from time to time, too! Happy Birthday, by the way!)

AA Comes to Visit

Norah (and the rest of us) were thrilled to get to see AA last weekend. She came to town on Thursday night and stayed through Sunday.

We enjoyed a lot of quality time together (my favorite, as always, was shopping!) And as usual, AA felt the need to spoil her biggest fan. (Norah sobbed, "AA...AA...AA..." for about 20 blocks when we left mom & dad's to go home on Saturday night!)


The source of this time's spoiling was a cute little piggy, whom Norah has aptly dubbed, "PEEEG". He oinks and wiggles his little tail, periodically, and came with a tiny little bottle. Norah loves feeding piggy (as you may notice from the photo, baby pigs drink best from their nostrils), and occassionally, when she thinks no one is looking, she likes sneaking a swig from Peeeg's bottle. Milk's, milk, right?

Tickled BLUE

Jason and I headed in for our 18-week sonogram yesterday, in hopes of discovering the gender of our anxiously awaited family addition. Before she began, the sonogram technician asked us if we wanted to find out what we were having, and Jason and I agreed, we did. It was a good thing she asked, because the second she turned on the monitor, it was very clear to all of us--even without being told, that Norah will be welcoming a baby brother this December! (above photo is under-side view of baby's bottom/legs--so you're looking up between his legs...arrow indicates the "gender-identifying body part") The technician also confirmed it verbally--we are expecting a boy. Jason and I are overjoyed and so excited. (We would have been thrilled with another sweet girl, too, but do think it's fun that we're headed for "uncharted waters" with this one)

(Photo at right is a front-view of baby brother's face, which is blocked by both of his arms, in a "boxing pose"...you can see his nose and mouth peeking out between his arms) We took in a video tape to record the ultrasound--the same one we used for Norah's. So, before she could record on it, the tech had to fast forward through the first ultrasound. It was fun watching tiny Norah--2 years ago--6 months before we even knew her. The neatest thing was comparing the two babies' movements. Norah was so calm in the womb. I didn't feel her move until I was about 24 weeks along, and even then, it was a rare occasion the entire 9 months. "Little brother", on the other hand, I've felt since about week 16--and he put on quite the acrobatic show during the sonogram. (He did, however, hold very still for us to confirm his gender...Norah was much more bashful and tried to keep her legs crossed). Both babies crossed their legs at the ankles for a good part of their sonograms. That was fun to note because Norah still loves to sit in that position now, and it looks like little brother may follow in her footsteps. The tech said everything looks as healthy as can be--the best news of all!

(Photo at left is of baby brother's profile, looking up) After taking little brother's measurements, the tech moved my due date up 5 days, to December 27th. (That was music to Jason's ears since December 31 was so close to the end of the year and he's really hoping for a last-minute tax deduction) On the other hand, if little brother comes 2 days early, like big sister did, we might have to leave in the middle of Christmas dinner! Either way, we'll be excited to welcome his arrival.

For those who are curious, we haven't settled on a name yet, but are in negotiations :) However, as was our practice with Norah, the name will remain between Jason and me until the baby arrives. (Since we tell everyone the gender ahead of time, we like to keep one little secret to ourselves...plus, it insures that no one tells us how much they hate our name until after it's too late to change our minds)

Decorating a Nursery?

For all you moms-to-be out there working on plans for the perfect nursery (or anyone else who's in the mood to decorate their child's room on someone else's dime), drop by An Island Life
for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to KooKoo Bear Kids!

Now Hiring

Apparently, Norah decided to promote herself from "school lunch lady" to "lunch room manager" today, because I walked in to find her presenting her trusty "hair net" to Monkey. (Official presentation photo at left)









Next, she went on to sit Monkey down for a brief orientation of her new job description.









Who knew whistling was such a vital job skill in school lunch service? Or maybe she was just demonstrating what to do in the event that food they were serving was too hot...










Posing for a quick staff photo.

















I tried to explain to Norah that kissing on the job is ill-advised. Naturally, she blamed Monkey.














Monkey was sacked a short time later, but took the news rather well. I can't wait to see who Norah hires next!

Weekend Recap

Jason had a five day weekend that began last Thursday, and lasted through Monday. He seldom takes vacations (this one was due to the fact that Texas Truck Riggins was closed for a family vacation, so he had no choice). At first I was a little disappointed that we hadn't made plans to go anywhere...but in the end, we had a fantastic weekend, just spending quality time together.

Thursday was a boring, but necessary day--J had a doctor's check-up, then we met with a man about having new siding and windows put on the house. (We decided to wait a little longer, but definitely want to have it done in the not-too-distant future) Thursday night was more fun--we had dinner with some good friends from church, all with kids close to Norah's age. (That is always a double-blessing because Norah has fun playing with the kids, plus no one feels the need to make excuses for why they're leaving at 8pm to put kids to bed!)

Friday was a productive day. We went shopping (all three of us!) for a special birthday gift for Shelby, then came home and worked on invitations for a shower I'm helping with in a couple of weeks. Saturday, as you may have guessed by the photos I've already posted, was Shelby's birthday party at Bee Creek Park. We hadn't taken there Norah there before, and she loved it! It was a great park, with lots of playground equipment (most importantly, slides!) that were covered with shaded canopies--a rare, but well-appreciated luxury around here! Norah loved Katy's cupcakes. (You might notice her pointing in the second photo, mouth, agape with the word, "Pleeeease!")

Jenny and I had fun watching a "natural pecking order" being established among our girls. Patti (age 2) was trailing behind her cousin Chloe and Kaylie (both close to 4), trying so hard to imitate their every move. Meanwhile, unbeknowst to her, Norah was just a few steps behind Patti, trying to keep up. I guess everyone wants to play with the big girls!

Thankfully, Norah and Patti both found pastimes that they could enjoy on their own. For Norah, it was the slides. For a while, she was content to go up, and down the "little" slide. She preferred climbing back up the slide, rather than going around to the stairs. (This enabled her to monopolize the slide, because anyone knows that no one else can go down your slide if you're climbing up it....next life lesson: sharing the slide and being considerate of others)

After a while, Norah decided to explore the rest of the play ground...and it was then that she saw it--the Mother Slide. As soon as she spotted it, she began frantically climbing platforms in an effort to reach the top. When I realized where she was headed, I panicked for a moment and asked Jenny what I should do. It was so high--and Norah, despite what she may think, is still a novice slider. Jenny's reply was quick and decisive, "Go down with her!" So I hurried up and put Norah in my lap, and down we went. (After a little push from Cal, who you can see just behind me) Norah loved it. Definitely a fun morning for her. Thanks to Katy, James, & Shelby for showing us a good time.

After the party, we headed home to dive into the final volume of Harry Potter. Norah was a good sport, and entertained herself/napped while we read. The remainder of our vacation, for the most part, was spent reading...and I don't think Jason or I would have had it any other way. It was bittersweet when we closed the book for the last time, knowing it was the end of an era for us. We've read each of the Potter books together, as they have been released, and thoroughly enjoyed that time spent together, trying to guess the next plot twist and anxiously anticipating the next book release. (Waiting sometimes 2 years between books can really build excitement!) Like I said, it was a quiet, but great family weekend...and I don't regret "staying home" one bit.