Saturday, February 28, 2009
Eight Months Old!
Not our little baby anymore, she is more little girl every single day. She crawls, she pulls up, she stands, she jumps, she talks (well, she says 'gah').... We are convinced she is a girl genius because she can find all the textured spots on her dinosaur book. She eats Cheerios and has a tooth and laughs at all of my jokes. She prefers her red hermit crab to her rubber ducky in the bath and loves when we play 'Rumble in the Jungle' with her stuffed animals. She likes to wear shoes and now actually prefers to sleep in her crib. She loves to give and receive zerberts. She's nuts for food and has diapers that smell like the zoo. If I leave the room she crawls to find me. She cries when BVZ leaves for work and has her biggest smile when he gets home. She loves the rain and drinking water out of her purple sippy cup. She's the happiest baby on the block and we love her more than I ever thought possible.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Poor Norm
Norah's had a rough couple of nights. She has a bad cold and cough. The cold has produced 900 gallons of snot. She has coughing fits so severe that she gags and then pukes. This almost always happens while I am either holding her or she's hanging out on our bed. I think we've changed the sheets 3 times in the past 2 days.
I assumed her sleepless nights were a result of not being able to breathe, but low and behold, she has a tooth! I can see it when she smiles and I can feel it (with my finger, not my boob, thank god). I think there may be a second one coming in as well, so I don't anticipate sleeping anytime soon.
(Thanks to Bonnie for the cute new pj's!)
I assumed her sleepless nights were a result of not being able to breathe, but low and behold, she has a tooth! I can see it when she smiles and I can feel it (with my finger, not my boob, thank god). I think there may be a second one coming in as well, so I don't anticipate sleeping anytime soon.
(Thanks to Bonnie for the cute new pj's!)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Golden Gate Park
Auntie Amo and Uncle Mark came into town for a long weekend (and Amy's 30th birthday). On Friday we convinced BVZ to play hooky from work and hung out in Golden Gate Park.
First stop was the Conservatory of Flowers. It had been a few years since I had been here, so it was nice to re-visit. Mark is somewhat of an amateur botanist, so we hoped he would get a kick out of the city's original greenhouse.
Norah fell asleep on the car ride up and we hated to wake her, so in the Ergo she went. Her right leg was in some weird contorted position and I tried to rearrange her, but BVZ shut me down (a good nap is so hard to come by, he wasn't about to let me wake her up). Surprisingly, she was quite comfortable that way and took a good snooze.
The Conservatory is divided into 5 main rooms (the rain forest, orchids, water plants, potted plants, and a special exhibition). The rain forest room was nice and humid.
The orchids were pretty.
The water plant room was even more humid...
But it was my favorite because it has carnivorous plants. Amy smelled one of them and reported that it smelled like dead bugs.
A rare family portrait. We look pretty good considering we hadn't slept more than a handful of hours the night before (Norah has a cold and is getting her first tooth).
I include this scary picture because you can see what Norah did to my eye. Her favorite toy has always been my face--likes to punch, pull, and lick it any chance she gets. The other day she took a swipe and grabbed onto my lower eyelid. Within about 48 hours it was swollen twice its normal size. BVZ made me go to the doctor and it was pretty infected. I am happy to report the eye ointment they prescribed me has done the trick and Norah was sufficiently punished (just kidding).
Potted plants are fun.
Our new favorite game is 'Shark Attack'. It is played exactly as it sounds.
Norah and I spent some time sitting on a bench in the potted plants room and I pointed out all kinds of cool stuff to her. There was a tree with tiny oranges and I told her the story of when Aunt Amo was like four years old and our Grandma Flossie took us to a nursery. Flossie was paying for something at the counter and Amy spotted a tree with tiny oranges. She pocketed one of the oranges and showed it to me in the car. Flossie saw it as well, turned the car around and made Amy give the orange back to the nursery clerk. Shame and humiliation worked because neither of us ever stole anything again. As soon as Amy saw the tree she said, 'remember when Flossie busted me for stealing a mini-orange?' Ha, ha.
The special exhibition room had a train running through a diorama of San Francisco. All the buildings were made out of recycled materials.
After the Conservatory we headed over to the botanical gardens.
And got to test out Norah's new stroller's off-roading capability. It was a success.
The botanical gardens were lovely. The rain finally stopped and we strolled around the park. Mark took pictures of wayward squirrels.
We went to dinner at Dosa after the gardens. I had been to the Dosa in the Mission a few years ago and it was bright and noisy and, if early enough, somewhat appropriate for a kid. I assumed Dosa on Fillmore would be the same way, but it was much more upscale and swanky. We were there early, but the lighting was low, the cocktails flowing, and I was VERY concerned we would get nothing but dirty looks from the happy hour crowd. Norah was a perfect angel though and as we were leaving the waitress complimented us on the best behaved baby GIRL she had ever seen. I don't know if I was more excited at the fact that she was good or that the waitress knew she was a girl!
First stop was the Conservatory of Flowers. It had been a few years since I had been here, so it was nice to re-visit. Mark is somewhat of an amateur botanist, so we hoped he would get a kick out of the city's original greenhouse.
Norah fell asleep on the car ride up and we hated to wake her, so in the Ergo she went. Her right leg was in some weird contorted position and I tried to rearrange her, but BVZ shut me down (a good nap is so hard to come by, he wasn't about to let me wake her up). Surprisingly, she was quite comfortable that way and took a good snooze.
The Conservatory is divided into 5 main rooms (the rain forest, orchids, water plants, potted plants, and a special exhibition). The rain forest room was nice and humid.
The orchids were pretty.
The water plant room was even more humid...
But it was my favorite because it has carnivorous plants. Amy smelled one of them and reported that it smelled like dead bugs.
A rare family portrait. We look pretty good considering we hadn't slept more than a handful of hours the night before (Norah has a cold and is getting her first tooth).
I include this scary picture because you can see what Norah did to my eye. Her favorite toy has always been my face--likes to punch, pull, and lick it any chance she gets. The other day she took a swipe and grabbed onto my lower eyelid. Within about 48 hours it was swollen twice its normal size. BVZ made me go to the doctor and it was pretty infected. I am happy to report the eye ointment they prescribed me has done the trick and Norah was sufficiently punished (just kidding).
Potted plants are fun.
Our new favorite game is 'Shark Attack'. It is played exactly as it sounds.
Norah and I spent some time sitting on a bench in the potted plants room and I pointed out all kinds of cool stuff to her. There was a tree with tiny oranges and I told her the story of when Aunt Amo was like four years old and our Grandma Flossie took us to a nursery. Flossie was paying for something at the counter and Amy spotted a tree with tiny oranges. She pocketed one of the oranges and showed it to me in the car. Flossie saw it as well, turned the car around and made Amy give the orange back to the nursery clerk. Shame and humiliation worked because neither of us ever stole anything again. As soon as Amy saw the tree she said, 'remember when Flossie busted me for stealing a mini-orange?' Ha, ha.
The special exhibition room had a train running through a diorama of San Francisco. All the buildings were made out of recycled materials.
After the Conservatory we headed over to the botanical gardens.
And got to test out Norah's new stroller's off-roading capability. It was a success.
The botanical gardens were lovely. The rain finally stopped and we strolled around the park. Mark took pictures of wayward squirrels.
We went to dinner at Dosa after the gardens. I had been to the Dosa in the Mission a few years ago and it was bright and noisy and, if early enough, somewhat appropriate for a kid. I assumed Dosa on Fillmore would be the same way, but it was much more upscale and swanky. We were there early, but the lighting was low, the cocktails flowing, and I was VERY concerned we would get nothing but dirty looks from the happy hour crowd. Norah was a perfect angel though and as we were leaving the waitress complimented us on the best behaved baby GIRL she had ever seen. I don't know if I was more excited at the fact that she was good or that the waitress knew she was a girl!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
I Can't Win
Norah and I went to the mall today. While waiting for the elevator the inevitable happened:
Nice lady: Your baby is adorable.
Me: Thanks.
NL: How old is he?
Me: He's almost 8 months. His name is Norm.*
NL: Hi Norm! You are so cute!
[We get in the elevator]
NL: Does he have an older sister?
Me: Nope, he's my one and only.
[Silence]
NL: Hmm. His clothes are kind of feminine.
Me: That's how he rolls.
Argh! I can't win! I include the video to show her outfit today (the camera batteries were on the fritz)
*I really wanted her to say something about what a unique name Norm was because I had already worked out a story about how BVZ's favorite tv show was Cheers and we named the baby after the barfly character.
Nice lady: Your baby is adorable.
Me: Thanks.
NL: How old is he?
Me: He's almost 8 months. His name is Norm.*
NL: Hi Norm! You are so cute!
[We get in the elevator]
NL: Does he have an older sister?
Me: Nope, he's my one and only.
[Silence]
NL: Hmm. His clothes are kind of feminine.
Me: That's how he rolls.
Argh! I can't win! I include the video to show her outfit today (the camera batteries were on the fritz)
*I really wanted her to say something about what a unique name Norm was because I had already worked out a story about how BVZ's favorite tv show was Cheers and we named the baby after the barfly character.
Jumperoo Schumperoo
The baby equipment market is big and plastic and made of primary colors. We needed yet another piece of it like a hole in the head, but lately Norah pulls herself up on our legs and jumps like crazy, so we thought she would get a lot out of a 'jumperoo'. Now, I can't bring myself to buy any of this stuff new because it is awfully spendy and they get maybe a few months of use out of it (the same reason why I don't buy clothing that costs more than $5--she'll wear it 3 times and puke on it at least twice). So I am a slave to Craigslist and my local mother's club. I have searched for weeks for a jumperoo deal, all to no avail, so we decided that Norah deserved a new one and off to Babies R Us we went.
She pretty much hates it. She tolerates it for maybe 30 seconds. Then I take her out, she climbs up on me, and... jumps.
She pretty much hates it. She tolerates it for maybe 30 seconds. Then I take her out, she climbs up on me, and... jumps.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Littlest Banshee
We are very lucky in that Norah is a mellow baby. However, having a mellow baby comes with a price--when she has a total meltdown we are at a complete loss for what to do**.
This was evidenced by what happened last night. She woke up at about 12:30 am, fussed, then yelled, then screamed bloody murder for about four hours. I have a sneaking suspicion that what she wanted was food (she had bad gas the past couple of nights so I had been nursing her back to sleep when she woke up around 11:00 pm--it soothes her stomach). I figured she was waking up in anticipation of food, but I wasn't about to give in to her demands (this is not me being a jerk--our pediatrician has advised us not to feed her between the time she goes down at 7:00 pm and 5:00 am or she'll never sleep through the night). So, I employed a little tough love and didn't nurse her. She screamed like a banshee and no amount of rocking, singing, walking, or cuddling would appease her. I tried to convince her that we weren't trying to waterboard her or anything, but I don't think she bought it.
As a result of our long night, morning playtime quickly turned into this:
Poor little hellion.
**Likewise, Norah doesn't have many blowouts. I think it's happened maybe twice that she's gotten actual poop on her clothes. Saturday, however, we went to get her a Valentine's present at Babies R Us (which will be revealed in a later post), and she took the world's most gigantic crap while we were out and about. We were at a total loss as to what to do and things quickly spiraled into panic mode. Thank goodness BRU has a family changing room and no one else was in it because it took both of us, 3 diapers, an outfit change, and 1,200 wipes to deal with the madness.
This was evidenced by what happened last night. She woke up at about 12:30 am, fussed, then yelled, then screamed bloody murder for about four hours. I have a sneaking suspicion that what she wanted was food (she had bad gas the past couple of nights so I had been nursing her back to sleep when she woke up around 11:00 pm--it soothes her stomach). I figured she was waking up in anticipation of food, but I wasn't about to give in to her demands (this is not me being a jerk--our pediatrician has advised us not to feed her between the time she goes down at 7:00 pm and 5:00 am or she'll never sleep through the night). So, I employed a little tough love and didn't nurse her. She screamed like a banshee and no amount of rocking, singing, walking, or cuddling would appease her. I tried to convince her that we weren't trying to waterboard her or anything, but I don't think she bought it.
As a result of our long night, morning playtime quickly turned into this:
Poor little hellion. **Likewise, Norah doesn't have many blowouts. I think it's happened maybe twice that she's gotten actual poop on her clothes. Saturday, however, we went to get her a Valentine's present at Babies R Us (which will be revealed in a later post), and she took the world's most gigantic crap while we were out and about. We were at a total loss as to what to do and things quickly spiraled into panic mode. Thank goodness BRU has a family changing room and no one else was in it because it took both of us, 3 diapers, an outfit change, and 1,200 wipes to deal with the madness.
Dear Grammy....
Dear Grammy,
Thank you for the pretty outfit you sent me for Valentine's Day. It is soft and warm and as you can see, I look quite dashing in it. However, it is multiple shades of BLUE. This isn't helping my 'everyone thinks I am a boy' problem. Especially when I wear it while riding in my blue stroller.
Love,
Your Granddaughter Norm
Thank you for the pretty outfit you sent me for Valentine's Day. It is soft and warm and as you can see, I look quite dashing in it. However, it is multiple shades of BLUE. This isn't helping my 'everyone thinks I am a boy' problem. Especially when I wear it while riding in my blue stroller.
Love,
Your Granddaughter Norm
Friday, February 13, 2009
Under the Weather
I don't think Norah was feeling her best yesterday. This was evidenced by the fact that she stopped mid-play, stretched out on the floor, and took a nap.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Norah Loves Danger
Her favorite toys are the laptop, floor lamp, and fireplace tools. And a water bottle full of BPA plastic.
BFF's
Some of Norah's very best baby friends came to hang out with her yesterday. June's mom sympathizes with our 'Norm' problem and brought Norah a head-band with a ribbon. The best part is that the head-band actually belongs to June's teddy bear (who I believe is dressed as a ballerina). Norah wore her new accessory proudly (and looked very much like a little girl) until it started to cut off the circulation in her ears and I had to take it off.
June is fun to crawl around with.
Ruby is fun to wrestle with, although I think Ruby was besting Norah here...
June doesn't wear pink, but she still looks like a girl...
Ruby wears pink and looks very much like a girl.
Caleb looks nothing like a girl.
Ava is nothing but girl.
Norah was obsessed with everyone else's pacifier. This is particularly odd because she refuses to take a pacifier of her own (hasn't since she was about 12 weeks old). I hope this doesn't mean we're going to have sharing problems in the future....
Thanks babies for such a fun day.
June is fun to crawl around with.
Ruby is fun to wrestle with, although I think Ruby was besting Norah here...
June doesn't wear pink, but she still looks like a girl...
Ruby wears pink and looks very much like a girl.
Caleb looks nothing like a girl.
Ava is nothing but girl.
Norah was obsessed with everyone else's pacifier. This is particularly odd because she refuses to take a pacifier of her own (hasn't since she was about 12 weeks old). I hope this doesn't mean we're going to have sharing problems in the future....Thanks babies for such a fun day.
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