Sunday, April 29, 2012

Finger Foods

Nora has taken to eating very well, which really was to be expected given that she has us as her parents. :) The only thing she hasn't been too keen on is avocado. I ate A LOT of avocado when I was pregnant, so perhaps she has just had enough of it for now. The only thing I haven't been too keen on is asparagus. "Asparagus pee" and cloth diapers are not a pleasant combination. Peee-yoouuuu!! Stinky.

Lately we have been moving onto to finger foods. Miss Laura, Nora's day care provider has given her some mum-mums, which she has really enjoyed. They have also helped Nora learn how to get food from her hand to her mouth. Initially she was just mashing the food between her fingers and rubbing it around her highchair tray. We don't mind that though. We let Nora play a bit with her food.

Peaches and cereal, yum!

Anyways...back to finger foods! Nora gets mum-mums from us at times, too. We've also tried pancakes, toast, and banana with success. The banana is a little tricky because it is so darn slippery! I tried dusting the pieces with some rice cereal but it didn't really make much difference. She sure is cute trying to eat it though!

Enjoying come bananas

One other little food update: Nora has taken to wanting to feed herself. As we near the end of the meal, I do let her help and have, at times, given her her own spoon and we (sort of) take turns (sort of) feeding her. Unfortunately, Nora having a spoon (to throw) has lead us to losing a couple (three). Pearl scooped them up and started chewing before I could run interference. Ah, well. I'm sure it won't be the last thing that gets chewed by one of the dogs!

Here is our little sweetie enjoying breakfast earlier this week.
I do it myself!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Mommy Musings

Perhaps this goes without saying, but I am absolutely in love with our sweet daughter. Although Jeff and I had been hoping for and working towards adding to our family for quite a while and imagined the love we would feel for a child, the amount of love I have for Nora is even more than I could have ever expected.

I love having Nora in my lap as she takes her bottle. I love when she twirls my hair or strokes the burp cloth while she drinks. I love watching her explore the world around her. I love it when I get to witness our little girl learning something new. Just last night, after she tipped over while playing (uht oh!), she pushed herself back up into a sitting position. That was the first time I saw her do that. And this week she stood without my support while holding onto her stuffed animal basket.


I love meal time and the look on Nora's face when she tries something new. And the noises she makes when she is really enjoying her meal are so cute. I love seeing her get excited when we look into the mirror and when the dogs come around. She grins and squeals and bounces in her excitement. I love to watch her play with Jeff, giggling while he kisses and gobbles her up. She loves the horseplay that I think father's do best.

I love to see her explore the outdoors while we take walks and play on a blanket in the back yard. And I absolutely love, love, love hearing her babble away, especially when she wakes in the morning. She is so happy when she wakes up! I love laying in bed and listening to her jibber-jabber away in her crib. Lately it sounds like she is singing a bit, as well. Let me tell you, it is adorable.

But what I love the most is our time together when Nora takes her before-bed bottle. After her bottle we cuddle and Nora falls asleep. Most nights I sit and snuggle her sweet little body long after she has begun to doze, letting all of my other responsibilities go. I actually think it is soothing for both of us. I'm going to take advantage of this time before putting her to bed for as long as I possibly can because I know it is finite. I know one day Nora will be more independent and less willing to let Mommy hold onto her. I hope that time is far from now. Until then, my chores, the phone, and even dinner can wait. I'm snuggling with my baby girl.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Family Time

We recently had the opportunity for Nora to spend time with family.

At the end of March, Jeff and I both had work trips at the same time. I've been dreading this happening since we got pregnant. Mom came out and spent the weekend with Nora while we were away. Although she did wake up really early one day, Nora was pretty good for Mom (phew!).



In April, we headed to Baltimore for Passover. We did not do the best job taking pictures - it was a busy weekend with a lot of visitors. We dig get a couple pictures of Nora with her cousins though. They were both so sweet with Nora! A couple of my favorite memories are when Nora gave Jake the "side eye" when we were driving home after the second night of Passover. We were cracking up over it. Another one was Mckenna reading Nora a story when she woke up on Saturday morning. It's very sweet to see kids together.

Nora & Jake
Reading with Mckenna


We also spent time with Nora's Grandpa Sheldon, Pop-pop Saul, Grandma Linda, Aunt Cheryl, Uncle Bill, and the Dalnekoff clan (20+ of them!).  Linda's friends Arlene, Suzanne and Carol, Paul (Suzanne's husband), and my friend Hope also come over to see our little sweet cheeks. I told you it was busy! 

Thanks to everyone for spending time with our little one!




Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Backyard Fun

Today we took a little bit of play time outside! Here are some pics to document our backyard fun.

Outside with blue skys

This toy tastes delicious al fresco

Pearl laying in the sun while Stella chews on some grass

Costume change (new hat)
Exploring the grass

Is Stella enjoying my Starbucks treat?


Friday, April 13, 2012

8 month photos: the out-takes

As I mentioned in Nora's 8 month post, trying to get a picture for this month was hilarious. Here are some funny little shots:

I'm gonna get that owl:

I'm gonna get you!

Dullsville...

Yeah, I'm totes adorbs!!




8 months old (a little late)

8 months old! Every month I can't get over the fact that Nora is one month older. I'm sure this will never change.

8 months old and Nora...
  • is rolling a lot, using that as her major mode of transportation
  • loves to stand, although she can't quite do that on her own yet
  • still enjoys her exer-saucer/jumper (a great way for her to stand, giving mommy and daddy a little break)
  • puts everything in her mouth (mommy doesn't wear much jewelry anymore)
  • is learning to wave, clap, and high five (inconsistent at this point but so cute!)
  • still "talks" up a storm
  • giggles up a storm
  • is quite the wiggle warm (you should have seen me trying to get an 8 month picture - hilarious)
  • shakes her head as if saying "no" but grins while doing it
  • has learned to whine
Now that the weather is nicer, we've been taking more walks to enjoy the sun and warmth. We also go to Baby Lap Time at the library whenever it fits into Nora's napping schedule. It is so much fun! We sing, dance, and read stories. Nora loves it all and loves seeing all the other babies. She grins from ear to ear when we go.

Monday, April 2, 2012

More First Foods

Mmm, water. So refreshing!


Sweet Potato is definitely ok with me.


Banana-cereal face!

Splish Splash

Although I am a little worried that I am about to jinx us, I'm happy to share that we have had a week of no-cry baths in Nora's baby tub. I hope we've turned a corner and can enjoy bath time from now on!