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.