Monday, March 30, 2009
Norah's First Earthquake
Around 10:30 this morning, Norah lived through her first earthquake. The epicenter was about 30 miles south of here and it registered as a 4.4 on the Richter scale. A few glasses shook and Loretta's cat door rattled. I was pretty sure it was an earthquake, but had to look it up on The Chronicle's website just to be sure.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
NINE Months Old!
Norah has officially been an outside baby for as long as she was an inside baby. She changes so much every single day and we are having the best time keeping up with her.
She is standing up on everything and anything and walking everywhere (while supported, of course). She is getting brave and letting go every once in a while, and is genuinely surprised when she topples over. She tries to stand up in the middle of a room sometimes, but the result is more downward dog than anything else. We are amazed by her curiosity and how quickly she can get herself into a place she isn't supposed to be. Her new favorite toy is the toilet--she pulls up on it and then tries to lick the top of the seat (don't worry, lid down!) It is a little cute, and a lot gross.
She has a magnetic attraction to shoes, remote controls, cel phones, and electrical cords. She has the ability to find any Cheerio within a 10 mile radius. She loves stuffed animals and pulls each one out of her basket every morning (we are working on putting them back in). She loves music class and baby class and hanging out at the park. Now that the weather is warm we are spending a lot of time in the backyard and she is finally venturing into the grass. She goes nuts for bubbles.
She is a great eater and is developing likes and dislikes. She much prefers things that are a little more tart (mangos, blueberries, kiwis) over things that are sweet (apples, bananas). She loves green veggies like peas and zucchini, but carrots don't do much for her. I made the mistake of trying to sneak her vitamin drop into some sweet potatos and now she's onto me. She loves tofu, but really didn't care for chicken (are you happy, Bonnie??)
She is starting to babble sounds, and gah is by far her favorite. She said 'hi' once, but won't do it again. She loves to throw things, especially balls, her spoon, and her sippy cup. She still hates the bottle. Stroller rides are much more fun for her when I run (it doesn't last long, believe me). She throws back her head and screams with delight.
Her absolute favorite thing in the entire world is to ride in the shopping cart, particularly at Whole Foods. Her groceries cost three times as much as ours. She loves peek-a-boo and after we nap together we play spaceship under the covers. She reaches her arms high above her head when she wants to be picked up. If BVZ is standing next to me when I am holding her, she'll reach out for him. He'll take her and then she'll turn around and reach out for me. Sometimes when she's playing with her blocks, she'll drop everything, climb into my lap and put her head on my shoulder.
Everything we have ever done, ever seen, ever had, pales in comparison to how awesome she is.
This was by far our most difficult photo shoot to date. Indulge me with the many out-takes posted below, I thought they were too cute not to include. Please pay special attention to her lovely pink dress. It is still a bit big on her, but I thought vey fitting for the occasion.
She finally got what she was going for (a book on the table next to the chair).
Finally BVZ stepped in with a stuffed monkey to help. Notice the sign now has a rather large bite mark on the left hand side.
She is standing up on everything and anything and walking everywhere (while supported, of course). She is getting brave and letting go every once in a while, and is genuinely surprised when she topples over. She tries to stand up in the middle of a room sometimes, but the result is more downward dog than anything else. We are amazed by her curiosity and how quickly she can get herself into a place she isn't supposed to be. Her new favorite toy is the toilet--she pulls up on it and then tries to lick the top of the seat (don't worry, lid down!) It is a little cute, and a lot gross.
She has a magnetic attraction to shoes, remote controls, cel phones, and electrical cords. She has the ability to find any Cheerio within a 10 mile radius. She loves stuffed animals and pulls each one out of her basket every morning (we are working on putting them back in). She loves music class and baby class and hanging out at the park. Now that the weather is warm we are spending a lot of time in the backyard and she is finally venturing into the grass. She goes nuts for bubbles.
She is a great eater and is developing likes and dislikes. She much prefers things that are a little more tart (mangos, blueberries, kiwis) over things that are sweet (apples, bananas). She loves green veggies like peas and zucchini, but carrots don't do much for her. I made the mistake of trying to sneak her vitamin drop into some sweet potatos and now she's onto me. She loves tofu, but really didn't care for chicken (are you happy, Bonnie??)
She is starting to babble sounds, and gah is by far her favorite. She said 'hi' once, but won't do it again. She loves to throw things, especially balls, her spoon, and her sippy cup. She still hates the bottle. Stroller rides are much more fun for her when I run (it doesn't last long, believe me). She throws back her head and screams with delight.
Her absolute favorite thing in the entire world is to ride in the shopping cart, particularly at Whole Foods. Her groceries cost three times as much as ours. She loves peek-a-boo and after we nap together we play spaceship under the covers. She reaches her arms high above her head when she wants to be picked up. If BVZ is standing next to me when I am holding her, she'll reach out for him. He'll take her and then she'll turn around and reach out for me. Sometimes when she's playing with her blocks, she'll drop everything, climb into my lap and put her head on my shoulder.
Everything we have ever done, ever seen, ever had, pales in comparison to how awesome she is.
This was by far our most difficult photo shoot to date. Indulge me with the many out-takes posted below, I thought they were too cute not to include. Please pay special attention to her lovely pink dress. It is still a bit big on her, but I thought vey fitting for the occasion.
She finally got what she was going for (a book on the table next to the chair).
Finally BVZ stepped in with a stuffed monkey to help. Notice the sign now has a rather large bite mark on the left hand side.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Swinging at the Park
Norah and I met up with some friends at a new park a couple of days ago. While we waited we hung out on the swings. In the background you can hear a very loud lawn mower, a nanny yelling at her charge, and a dad who talked on his cel phone the ENTIRE time he pushed his kid on the swings. Good times.
Norah Loves Balls
I went through about 100 titles for this post, each sounding dirtier than the last. There's no getting around it. Norah loves balls.
The Cat Door
Norah has recently discovered the cat door that connects the kitchen to the garage. She hasn't been brave enough to go through it yet, but I think she's close.
The De-Norming of Norah
The weather has been really warm here the past couple of days, so I have taken advantage of it and dolled my gal up in some very girly outfits. At baby class on Friday afternoon she was sporting a hot pink top (with flower stitching, no less), and striped capri pants. Her shoes even have flowers on them. Here she is on the move,
And then making the moves on Caleb...
This picture reminds me of the book 'James and the Giant Peach', when the peach was in the water and the sharks tried to eat it but they couldn't get their mouths on it because it was too round. My little shark...
I thought I would include a picture of sweet Ruby for good measure since she's wearing sparkly shoes.
Norah's new favorite thing at class is to stand up on the grown-up chairs. Somewhat dangerous, but at least it gave me a chance to get a good shot of her cute pants.
And then making the moves on Caleb...
This picture reminds me of the book 'James and the Giant Peach', when the peach was in the water and the sharks tried to eat it but they couldn't get their mouths on it because it was too round. My little shark...
I thought I would include a picture of sweet Ruby for good measure since she's wearing sparkly shoes.
Norah's new favorite thing at class is to stand up on the grown-up chairs. Somewhat dangerous, but at least it gave me a chance to get a good shot of her cute pants.
Everything Has a Window
We're pretty loose with Norah's schedule...she doesn't necessarily nap or eat at the same time every day because it all depends on what we're doing. But, I am quickly realizing she has 'windows' and if you miss her window, it can be quite a disaster. For example, her window for dinner is 5:30 to 6:00. If you, say keep her at baby class too late and don't feed her until 6:30, you will be rewarded with a baby who can barely keep her eyes open long enough to rub butternut squash in her hair.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Baby Jail
I like this picture for two reasons: 1) it looks like Norah is in baby jail. She isn't really, the fence just protects the fireplace/Tony (the tv)/and electrical outlets; 2) it looks like she is tossing that green ball. I think it's actually just on the floor behind her, but it is a good optical illusion.
Reading With Dad
The only time Norah will sit still is when we read books to her. I don't know what I would do if she didn't like books. Sell her to the gypsies, probably.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Walking
Norah recently figured out how to cruise along the couch and living room chair. The other day I was cleaning up her breakfast mess and she decided to use this chair as a walker.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Addendum
I tried to add this to the day in the life post below, but apparently you can't do video and photos in the same post. So, this should go somewhere between blocks and dinner.
Its Gotta Be the Blue Stroller
Today Ave and I were in the city checking out a space for a Women Defenders event. Norah came with us (lucky Lilah had her dad to wander around the Ferry Building with), and the receptionist was oohing and aahing over how cute she is. Then she said, 'you know he is so cute, he could almost be a girl.'
Thanks, lady.
Thanks, lady.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A Day In the Life of Norm
Okay, bear with me because this is going to be the longest blog post in the history of blog posts.
This is a day in the life of Norah! On Wednesday we had no plans, no play dates, no music classes, and no baby groups. It was just me and Norah, so I decided to document our day. Here goes.
Norah wakes up between 4:00 and 5:00 am. I rescue her from the crib and bring her back into bed with us, she eats, and then we snuggle back asleep. She wakes up again at about 7:00 am.
And BVZ gets in some play time.
BVZ goes to work and Norah gets breakfast. She gets a handful of Cheerios while I fix her oatmeal.
Then she gets some oatmeal and fruit. She is moving past purees, so I chop up mango, kiwi, or blueberries (the latter into 6 equal pieces. That's love people!).
After breakfast she played with her very favorite toy--the computer cord.
After she lost the cord she consoled herself with some blocks.
She wandered into the kitchen to see what trouble she could find.
After catching sight of the cat it was game on.
Distracted by the jumperoo, she did some standing.
I took a chance and put her in it. She seemed to be digging it for a few minutes.
But then definitely wanted out.
Pretty soon she was ready for her morning nap. For several weeks, okay, months now, I have been trying to get her to nap in her crib. It usually results in a lot of screaming, crying, kicking, and then maybe a 20 minute nap. If she sleeps in our bed, however, I get a good hour and a half out of her. It used to annoy me because I can't trust her by herself and have to sit with her the whole time. But, I have given up the battle and now embrace the fact that she just wants to be close to me. Now I either nap with her, or use the time to check email, read, make a shopping list, or whatever. I can't think of anyplace I would rather be for an hour and a half.
After a great nap, Norah was all smiles.
She looks just like me in the morning!
Loretta follows us from room to room, so Norah took the opportunity to do a little tail pulling.
All that sleeping left her parched.
So she had some water.
The only way I can take a shower is if Norah hangs out in the exersaucer. The bathroom is too small for the giant plastic contraption, so she has to sit in the hallway. That usually really pisses her off, but here she's rolling with it.
After my shower we played for a bit in Norah's room.
She's so into her snail rocker. She hasn't quite figured out to climb on it, but she's getting close.
(She's crouching down here because she is making a giant zoo mess in her pants.)
She got a much needed diaper change and got dressed for the day.
You'll notice that she is only wearing a onesie and that onesie isn't even snapped. That would be because it is impossible to get her dressed these days. She thrashes and wrestles and screams if I try to pin her down for longer than 12 seconds.
The evil changing table.
We spent some time reading some books.
I got some pants on her and we played tag around the couch.
We got this print when we were in Paris and haven't found a new home for it after some recent rearranging. Norah touches it everytime she crawls through the hall.
Lunch was shredded cheese, avocado, and a bowl of pureed veggies. I had a cheese and avocado sandwich.
After lunch she humored her weight-obsessive mom. 17 lbs, 11 ozs (obviously with all her clothes on).
Lately, I have been putting her wicker basket full of toys in the middle of the room and then letting Norah pick what she wants to play with. She loves her blocks.
And her books.
We got these ridiculously huge plastic mugs from the hospital when Norah was born. I can't drink out of anything else. Norah loves them too.
The only places I can nurse her anymore are our bed and the recliner in her room. She grabbed some books from the table next to the recliner and we read a bunch of stories.
This kid loves dinosaurs! All her favorite books have dinosaurs in them.
It was a beautiful day and so I decided we needed to go on a long walk. Norah got the stroller ready.
Where we live is awesome because it isn't the city (we can actually park in front of our house), but it isn't the suburbs (lots of stuff within walking distance). So, we decided to make a trip to the post office, which is probably a little over a mile away.
Spring is everywhere. There is a random calla lily in our front yard. It just appeared the other day.
The pear tree is starting to bloom.
And the lavender bush is thriving (Norah was a bit freaked out by the bee flying by).
The nice view across the street.
It didn't take long for her to pass out.
It was a successful post office trip.
We made a few detours on the way home. We stopped at Starbucks where I bought us both a treat (decaf coffee for me, banana for Norah), and then walked through the park on our way back. The magnolias are in full bloom.
Norah loved checking out the big kids on the swings.
In an on-going effort to fatten her up, I have been trying to get Norah to take a bottle of formula every day. She hates it. I keep trying, but only put about 2 ounces in a bottle at a time so she won't waste too much. She kept dumping it over and letting it dribble into the fabric of her stroller, so I dumped it out and let her play with the bottle. Of course as soon as it didn't have any formula in it she was more than happy to suck on it. Grrrr.
There is a private girls school across the street from us and they have a championship softball team.
Back at home and back for some more blocks.
A diaper change meant the pants came off and there was no getting them back on.
Playing with her music table.
And picking more treasures out of the basket.
Some more cat chasing.
This is her hungry face.
So she got dinner.
And a bath with her friends.
Another wrestling match to get in her pajamas.
Lots more stories and then sweet, sweet sleep.
She's my very favorite person to spend the day with.
This is a day in the life of Norah! On Wednesday we had no plans, no play dates, no music classes, and no baby groups. It was just me and Norah, so I decided to document our day. Here goes.
Norah wakes up between 4:00 and 5:00 am. I rescue her from the crib and bring her back into bed with us, she eats, and then we snuggle back asleep. She wakes up again at about 7:00 am.
And BVZ gets in some play time.
BVZ goes to work and Norah gets breakfast. She gets a handful of Cheerios while I fix her oatmeal.
Then she gets some oatmeal and fruit. She is moving past purees, so I chop up mango, kiwi, or blueberries (the latter into 6 equal pieces. That's love people!).
After breakfast she played with her very favorite toy--the computer cord.
After she lost the cord she consoled herself with some blocks.
She wandered into the kitchen to see what trouble she could find.
After catching sight of the cat it was game on.
Distracted by the jumperoo, she did some standing.
I took a chance and put her in it. She seemed to be digging it for a few minutes.
But then definitely wanted out.
Pretty soon she was ready for her morning nap. For several weeks, okay, months now, I have been trying to get her to nap in her crib. It usually results in a lot of screaming, crying, kicking, and then maybe a 20 minute nap. If she sleeps in our bed, however, I get a good hour and a half out of her. It used to annoy me because I can't trust her by herself and have to sit with her the whole time. But, I have given up the battle and now embrace the fact that she just wants to be close to me. Now I either nap with her, or use the time to check email, read, make a shopping list, or whatever. I can't think of anyplace I would rather be for an hour and a half.
After a great nap, Norah was all smiles.
She looks just like me in the morning!
Loretta follows us from room to room, so Norah took the opportunity to do a little tail pulling.
All that sleeping left her parched.
So she had some water.
The only way I can take a shower is if Norah hangs out in the exersaucer. The bathroom is too small for the giant plastic contraption, so she has to sit in the hallway. That usually really pisses her off, but here she's rolling with it.
After my shower we played for a bit in Norah's room.
She's so into her snail rocker. She hasn't quite figured out to climb on it, but she's getting close.
(She's crouching down here because she is making a giant zoo mess in her pants.)
She got a much needed diaper change and got dressed for the day.
You'll notice that she is only wearing a onesie and that onesie isn't even snapped. That would be because it is impossible to get her dressed these days. She thrashes and wrestles and screams if I try to pin her down for longer than 12 seconds.
The evil changing table.
We spent some time reading some books.
I got some pants on her and we played tag around the couch.
We got this print when we were in Paris and haven't found a new home for it after some recent rearranging. Norah touches it everytime she crawls through the hall.
Lunch was shredded cheese, avocado, and a bowl of pureed veggies. I had a cheese and avocado sandwich.
After lunch she humored her weight-obsessive mom. 17 lbs, 11 ozs (obviously with all her clothes on).
Lately, I have been putting her wicker basket full of toys in the middle of the room and then letting Norah pick what she wants to play with. She loves her blocks.
And her books.
We got these ridiculously huge plastic mugs from the hospital when Norah was born. I can't drink out of anything else. Norah loves them too.
The only places I can nurse her anymore are our bed and the recliner in her room. She grabbed some books from the table next to the recliner and we read a bunch of stories.
This kid loves dinosaurs! All her favorite books have dinosaurs in them.
It was a beautiful day and so I decided we needed to go on a long walk. Norah got the stroller ready.
Where we live is awesome because it isn't the city (we can actually park in front of our house), but it isn't the suburbs (lots of stuff within walking distance). So, we decided to make a trip to the post office, which is probably a little over a mile away.
Spring is everywhere. There is a random calla lily in our front yard. It just appeared the other day.
The pear tree is starting to bloom.
And the lavender bush is thriving (Norah was a bit freaked out by the bee flying by).
The nice view across the street.
It didn't take long for her to pass out.
It was a successful post office trip.
We made a few detours on the way home. We stopped at Starbucks where I bought us both a treat (decaf coffee for me, banana for Norah), and then walked through the park on our way back. The magnolias are in full bloom.
Norah loved checking out the big kids on the swings.
In an on-going effort to fatten her up, I have been trying to get Norah to take a bottle of formula every day. She hates it. I keep trying, but only put about 2 ounces in a bottle at a time so she won't waste too much. She kept dumping it over and letting it dribble into the fabric of her stroller, so I dumped it out and let her play with the bottle. Of course as soon as it didn't have any formula in it she was more than happy to suck on it. Grrrr.
There is a private girls school across the street from us and they have a championship softball team.
Back at home and back for some more blocks.
A diaper change meant the pants came off and there was no getting them back on.
Playing with her music table.
And picking more treasures out of the basket.
Some more cat chasing.
This is her hungry face.
So she got dinner.
And a bath with her friends.
Another wrestling match to get in her pajamas.
Lots more stories and then sweet, sweet sleep.
She's my very favorite person to spend the day with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)