Then and Now: April

It's fun to see the difference in Nora as she grows and I especially love comparing pictures from one year to the next. Here is Nora last April (2012) when she was just beginning to stand while holding onto something. 

April 2012

And here she is this April (2013), on the move and running around in her pjs and birthday crown. I can't even imagine what next April will bring.

April 2013

14 Months Old

Nora is 14 months old. There are so many things that I have been neglecting to share on the blog about what she is doing now. Mostly because what she is doing sure does keep me busy!!

She is walking. Her first steps were at Day Care on August 20. Four little steps. The next morning she took three more, which we got on video. Last week she started walking backwards. She attempts to run a bit, but that skill is still in the "trying to perfect" phase. Sometimes she trips and falls, giving me yet another baby-induced heart attack.  Sometimes when she trips and falls, she knocks her noggin. I feel terrible every time it happens. I suppose this is an early lesson that I can't protect her from everything.

She is talking. I know she has been for a while, but her vocabulary is increasing. She is saying thank you, ta da, mom mom, tick-tick (tickle-tickle), hi (which sometimes also mean bye), up (we are working on please with that), duck, and nuht-uh (no). She has been saying da da and dog dog for quite some time. She is also making animal sounds like "oof oof" for a dog, "mmmmmm" for a cow, and "na" for a horse. It's dang cute.

Nora also very clearly understands what we say more and more. What an amazing process to watch unfold, cognition!

And laughing. What a laugh this little girl has! Her giggles are the best. We love her cheerfulness.

Nora loves to pick out a book, sit on our laps, and have us read it to her. She also loves being outdoors. Whether it is in the back yard, taking a walk down the street, going for a spin in her stroller, or playing at the park, this child loves being outside.

She is also a bit of a momma's girl. We spend a lot of time together, especially now that Jeff is in his travel season, so I suppose it is to be expected. I don't mind a momma's girl; I love the snuggles and playtime and being a part of her growing and discovering. I just want her to also be ok spending time with other people. I understand this is a common phase for kids to go through and we do get out and about. On M, W, F she is at daycare. On Tuesdays we have lunch at my office. We run errands on the weekend. We go to the park. We have baby swim class on Saturdays.

So 14 months. Here we are. Happy. Talking. Walking. Loving.

11 Months Old

OMG! I'm almost a year old!

Nora is...

On the move! Our sweet girl is on the go, seemingly all the time. Crawling is a cake walk these days. Pulling up? Easy-peasy. Walking while holding onto Mama or Dada's fingers is preferred. She is also pretty good at cruising around (walking while grabbing onto items like furniture). Perhaps those first steps are on the horizon.

Teething. We started out the teething process without too much discomfort or unhappiness for Nora. Well, her fifth tooth has brought along with it crankiness, drool, snot, and fever. We are really feeling for our little sweetie.

Munching. Nora now prefers to feed herself so finger foods are all the rage. We still spoon-feed her some foods, like her baby cereal, yogurt, and some pureed veggies. The veggies have to be snuck in between bites at times. We are also starting to transition from "baby food" to "food." A couple of the meals that we have shared with Nora lately include zucchini tacos (minus the shell) and ginger/zucchini/tofu pasta. She loves eating these tasty and flavorful foods that her Daddy is so good at making. And although it's a bit too early for Nora to be chomping down on Mommy's specialties (baked goods), she has been introduced to banana muffins. One word to describe the muffin experience: devour! She devours them. It's pretty fun to watch. :)

Vocal. When Nora wakes up in the morning, she is content to babble away in her crib for a bit. We love laying in bed listening to her chat, chat, chat while we get an extra few dozes in. Nora also talks it up when we are in the car, playing with toys, going for a walk, having a meal, at the pool... Maybe our little girl is going to turn into a chatty-Cathy. Between Mommy, Daddy, and Nora our house will be filled with chatter!

Adorable. Seriously, have you seen her?