Thursday, May 14, 2009

8 months, just around the corner


Going on 8 months....holy moly, time does fly!! Nora continues to grow and change right before our eyes.  She is in constant battle with her hair.  While new little hairs are giving her a run for her money, persistantly trying to grow on her bald spot, Nora must enjoy the enhanced sensation to her occiput as she is determined to keep her head hair free (partially anyways).   So far, her wiggling and head shaking while on her back has kept her ahead (no pun intended) in this battle.

I swear I try to dress her causually and somewhat gender neutral.  I'm worried, however, that she may be brainwashing me
 or somehow controlling me without me knowing, as I notice pink always finds its way onto her and even her toys match her shoes. 

Time spent in the kitchen may be leading towards a career in cooking as measuring cups and spatulas are by far her favorite toys.  She treats the spatula like a conductors wand waving it enthusastically all over the place, sometimes swatting herself in the nose.     


Ralph was worried about her reputation with the above video posting of her farting.  I assured him that she wouldn't be judged.   

Nora, Mom and I headed back to the heartland last weekend for a girls weekend.  We had a blast.  I got to hang with my friends, mom got to hang with hers, and Nora got to meet hers for the first time. 

Nora learned a lot from Jill's little girls, Emma, 4, and Abby 18 months. She spent the majority of the weekend watching in silent
 wonderment the energy it takes to be toddlers.  She was impressed with all there is to eat once you get teeth and was especially captivated by the actual transfer of food from the bowl to mouth.  
While the boot scoot and lurch aren't exactly new for Nora, she has started some new things; copying.  She learned to shake her head back and forth and will now do it whenever anyone else does.  We're trying to get the nod down so she doesn't come across as pessimistic.  She's copied Tony Loughton's puckered lips and added her own flair; spit and bubbles.  I think she may know the sign for milk and will sometimes copy it when I do it to her (this is amazing cause I rarely do sign language with her, I just forget).  Grandma and Grandpa started copying her singing, its halirous, as soon as they match her tone she switches it up, making for a nice melodic chorus-line.  She's been impressing them with with difficult two-syllable phrases like "bla-la","La- rah" and "ahhh-na."  Occasionally, she communicates with Bean and her stuff animal collection, talking in low, gutteral growls.  She has two bottom teeth now, which for obvious reasons make me very nervous and skittish.   

She's starting going to story time at the library, she sits quietly with her mouth agape and is mesmerized.
Nora is shaping up to be a fairly quiet, VERY observant little lady.  Yesterday she saw that I dropped a rice kernel on the couch and picked it up and examined it.    











Monday, May 4, 2009

Resurrected from a rocky grave

It's a miracle!!  7 days, a snowstorm and several rain showers later, Jeff found the camera!!  Even more amazing than that is that it works!!  Below is a picture of Muddy and Tilly where the camera was last seen and Jeff and unknown belayer in the background.  
Nora is definitely becoming more spontaneous and unpredictable.  While this is certainly cool and fun, it can be scary.  It keeps you on your toes.  Although she's not scooting or crawling or creeping yet, she is lurching.  With most of her mass in her head she's dangerously top heavy.  You can imagine that this lurching business has landed her on her head more than once.  She very well may have a future in Yoga as her nose has found it's way past her toes while she's still in a seated position. Very impressive; if only we could all be that flexible.






While contemplating the logistics of land and sea travel of her up-coming trip to Norway, she discovered that the globe spins. This was a big hit!  

She went from acting shocked and terrified at her first swim lesson to embracing the water by splashing, kicking and drinking it.....Ick



Hangin' with Georgia




Saturday, May 2, 2009

No camera:(

Ralph, Nora and I hiked up to Trout Creek last weekend. Ralph did his first crack climb in a long time and has battered hands to prove it. We had a great time watching everyone climb. The difficult hike and the skethcy approach make trout creek accessible only to those coordinated and agile enough to negotiate the bottom of the columns. Dogs and babies can have a hard time. Since Nora has proven her backpack riding skills; being able to sleep in the bumpest of conditions and staying still when balance calls for it, we carted her up there. She did pretty well, protested her nap wedged between two rocks, but otherwise had a good day.
We almost made it down without a hitch.....Unfortunately, the camera got swallowed up by the seemingly bottemless caverns beneath the columns. Ralph, Casey, Tammy, and I all went spulunking looking for it, without any luck. So....no more pictures until we get a new one:(

Stay tuned

Mom and I are headed to Minnesota next weekend for a girls weekend. We're taking her camera so I'll get something up when we get back.