When someone apologizes to you, the instinct is to say, "that's okay." But, we are trying hard not to do that so that Norah knows that her behavior was NOT in fact "okay" but rather that we accept her apology and can move on. She has picked up on this and has followed suit. She takes it so seriously that when she says something like, "my tummy hurts" and I say "oh, baby, I am sorry your tummy hurts" she will say "that's okay, accept your apology." Hilarious.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Reading to Fairy
I was putting laundry away this afternoon when I overheard Norah in her room reading a book to her fairy (look closely on the chair next to her).
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thanksgiving Recap
We were very thankful this year to get to spend Thanksgiving weekend with GG and Aunt Vanessa. Those two are always up for an adventure so we decided to meet somewhere in the middle of where we all live. We drove about 300 miles south and they drove about 300 miles north and we met in San Luis Obipso, an awesome coastal college town.
Norah is great in the car as long as she has snacks and the portable DVD player.
We stayed at the historic Madonna Inn. I don't think my description could ever do it justice-it is truly a sight to behold. It is a monument to all things kitsch and every one of the 200+ rooms is completely different and unique.
We drove up Thursday morning to avoid the holiday traffic and we sailed in with no issues and beautiful weather.
Norah checked out the book of rooms while we checked in.
We stretched out and Norah took a picture of me. She looked at it and said, "mom, you are so pretty. And you have a funny face."
We stayed in the "Starlight Room". We were at the top of a tower and the walls were a pretty metallic blue. There was a giant chandelier over the bed that gave me a minor panic attack.
We hooked up with GG and Auntie Vanessa and wandered around the resort. After a quick power nap (for both GG and Norah), we headed over to the main restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner. It was all decked out in Christmas/winter holiday decorations, which was really fun. Now, this is the first time I forgot my camera. I stupidly took it out of my bag and never managed to put it back in, so for the rest of our weekend all I had was my phone.
Norah was really into this "fairy" swinging from the ceiling and was pissed that she couldn't touch it. Now, the benefit to having an extremely tall dad is that you usually get to touch what you want, but even BVZ couldn't reach her.
We had a reservation for 6:00, but the place was packed. We didn't get seated until 6:45 and I had to break out my "lawyer" voice to get things moving. Aunt Vanessa was happy to entertain Norah while we waited.
The VZ's.
This was the giant train table in front of the hostess station that had a big sign that said, "don't touch the train." After waiting for over 30 minutes I let Norah touch the train. A lot.
Dinner was great and a ton of fun. I didn't take a single picture because I let Norah watch 101 Dalmations on my phone. She totally deserved it. We stuffed ourselves and the non-pregnant adults drank a lot of wine. When the dessert tray came around everyone was pretty full but Norah announced "I love pumpkin pie" so she and I shared a piece. It was delicious.
On Friday, we followed the recommendation of the L-J family and headed out to Avila Valley Barn, about 10 minutes away. Depending on the season, it is one of those U-Pick places. Unfortunately we missed pumpkins and apples by just a few weeks and the pick de jour was Christmas trees. Fortunately, there were also a ton of animals, so Norah was more than happy.
GG discovered the squash bounty and managed to fill a giant grocery bag with a variety of squash to take home (the Barn is also an organic produce market, toy store, gift shop, and bakery). Norah was happy to walk around with her and help pick things out. This included picking up random fruits and vegetables and taking bites out of them. GG was a good sport and purchased a handful of Norah-licked food.
After the Barn we drove a few more minutes down to Avila Beach, which was an awesome little harbor town with a great playground, beach, and boardwalk area. There was a boat at the playground that immediately became Norah's favorite thing of all times.
She of course demanded to swing.
And checked out the dolphins.
And took a walk on the beach.
The boardwalk area was adorable and full of cute shops and restaurants.
We ate lunch at a fun place called the Custom House and walked around enjoying the sunshine.
Sadly, here's where my pictures end. I hope Aunt Vanessa and GG will send me theirs because there was a lot more fun to be had. After everyone took a nap we had our Christmas gift exchange and then headed out to downtown San Luis Obispo. We ate at a fabulous place called Big Sky Cafe and Norah enjoyed the pet supply store.
On Saturday, GG made all my dreams come true and treated us all to massages at the hotel spa. My back has been killing me lately and it was exactly what I needed. We packed up and went back downtown where we found a fun and tasty lunch stop at The Natural Cafe. Sadly, we then had to say goodbye to GG and Vanessa and headed back home.
It was a fabulous and relaxing weekend and we were so thankful to share it with 2 of our favorite people.
Norah is great in the car as long as she has snacks and the portable DVD player.
We stayed at the historic Madonna Inn. I don't think my description could ever do it justice-it is truly a sight to behold. It is a monument to all things kitsch and every one of the 200+ rooms is completely different and unique.
We drove up Thursday morning to avoid the holiday traffic and we sailed in with no issues and beautiful weather.
Norah checked out the book of rooms while we checked in.
We stretched out and Norah took a picture of me. She looked at it and said, "mom, you are so pretty. And you have a funny face."
We stayed in the "Starlight Room". We were at the top of a tower and the walls were a pretty metallic blue. There was a giant chandelier over the bed that gave me a minor panic attack.
We hooked up with GG and Auntie Vanessa and wandered around the resort. After a quick power nap (for both GG and Norah), we headed over to the main restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner. It was all decked out in Christmas/winter holiday decorations, which was really fun. Now, this is the first time I forgot my camera. I stupidly took it out of my bag and never managed to put it back in, so for the rest of our weekend all I had was my phone.Norah was really into this "fairy" swinging from the ceiling and was pissed that she couldn't touch it. Now, the benefit to having an extremely tall dad is that you usually get to touch what you want, but even BVZ couldn't reach her.
We had a reservation for 6:00, but the place was packed. We didn't get seated until 6:45 and I had to break out my "lawyer" voice to get things moving. Aunt Vanessa was happy to entertain Norah while we waited.
The VZ's.
This was the giant train table in front of the hostess station that had a big sign that said, "don't touch the train." After waiting for over 30 minutes I let Norah touch the train. A lot.
Dinner was great and a ton of fun. I didn't take a single picture because I let Norah watch 101 Dalmations on my phone. She totally deserved it. We stuffed ourselves and the non-pregnant adults drank a lot of wine. When the dessert tray came around everyone was pretty full but Norah announced "I love pumpkin pie" so she and I shared a piece. It was delicious.On Friday, we followed the recommendation of the L-J family and headed out to Avila Valley Barn, about 10 minutes away. Depending on the season, it is one of those U-Pick places. Unfortunately we missed pumpkins and apples by just a few weeks and the pick de jour was Christmas trees. Fortunately, there were also a ton of animals, so Norah was more than happy.
GG discovered the squash bounty and managed to fill a giant grocery bag with a variety of squash to take home (the Barn is also an organic produce market, toy store, gift shop, and bakery). Norah was happy to walk around with her and help pick things out. This included picking up random fruits and vegetables and taking bites out of them. GG was a good sport and purchased a handful of Norah-licked food.
After the Barn we drove a few more minutes down to Avila Beach, which was an awesome little harbor town with a great playground, beach, and boardwalk area. There was a boat at the playground that immediately became Norah's favorite thing of all times.
She of course demanded to swing.
And checked out the dolphins.
And took a walk on the beach.
The boardwalk area was adorable and full of cute shops and restaurants.
We ate lunch at a fun place called the Custom House and walked around enjoying the sunshine.
Sadly, here's where my pictures end. I hope Aunt Vanessa and GG will send me theirs because there was a lot more fun to be had. After everyone took a nap we had our Christmas gift exchange and then headed out to downtown San Luis Obispo. We ate at a fabulous place called Big Sky Cafe and Norah enjoyed the pet supply store. On Saturday, GG made all my dreams come true and treated us all to massages at the hotel spa. My back has been killing me lately and it was exactly what I needed. We packed up and went back downtown where we found a fun and tasty lunch stop at The Natural Cafe. Sadly, we then had to say goodbye to GG and Vanessa and headed back home.
It was a fabulous and relaxing weekend and we were so thankful to share it with 2 of our favorite people.
Photo Dump Again
A handful of cute pics that don't necessarily warrant their own post....
Norah's new favorite thing of all times is soy milk. Whenever we go to Starbucks and she wants a 'treat' she gets a soy milk and she thinks it is the greatest thing ever. The other day when I made her breakfast and handed her a cup of milk she said, "is this soy milk?" I said no and she said, "that's okay, I can drink regular for now."
Here's an awesome Pamma picture-the girls playing with play-dough during a rainy morning.
I think it is a little weird how excited I am about our new garbage service, but we FINALLY got a composting service! And a giant recycle bin that everything goes into. No more separating glass from plastic from paper!
There is a really fabulous independent toy store not too far from here called Talbot's Toyland and Norah and I have spent a lot of time there recently since the weather has been so bad. They have a lot of really cool toys out on display and they encourage the kids to explore and learn. Norah likes the dollhouses.
But LOVES the playhouses.
Close to the toy store is a diner where we have become regulars at the lunch counter.
Christmas decorations are popping up all over and Norah is obsessed with the trees. Every morning she asks if it is the day we get our tree. Maybe next weekend.
We were at Target the other day and I got suckered into getting her a giant sugar cookie shaped like a bear. I had part of it and I didn't think it was very tasty. Norah devoured it and then told me, "that wasn't very good." Anytime anyone mentions "cookie" now she tells me, "no more bear cookies! They taste like yuck!"
Another great Pamma pic-the girls with their Woody dolls. Now, Norah recently got a Woody doll for getting 10 stickers on her potty chart. She has been coveting Ruby's doll for weeks now, so it was a great reward for her. Little did I know, however, that there are many different kinds of Woody dolls and Norah's talks (via a string on his back), but Ruby's does not. Apparently, when Norah shows up to Ruby's house every morning Ruby demands to know if Norah has brought the talking Woody and is very upset when talking Woody leaves at the end of the day.
New dress up clothes-now they can actually be Woody and Buzz! (I think Ruby was actually more excited than this picture lets on).
Pigtails! I am getting way better at them.
Norah's new favorite thing of all times is soy milk. Whenever we go to Starbucks and she wants a 'treat' she gets a soy milk and she thinks it is the greatest thing ever. The other day when I made her breakfast and handed her a cup of milk she said, "is this soy milk?" I said no and she said, "that's okay, I can drink regular for now."
Here's an awesome Pamma picture-the girls playing with play-dough during a rainy morning.
I think it is a little weird how excited I am about our new garbage service, but we FINALLY got a composting service! And a giant recycle bin that everything goes into. No more separating glass from plastic from paper!
There is a really fabulous independent toy store not too far from here called Talbot's Toyland and Norah and I have spent a lot of time there recently since the weather has been so bad. They have a lot of really cool toys out on display and they encourage the kids to explore and learn. Norah likes the dollhouses. 
But LOVES the playhouses.
Close to the toy store is a diner where we have become regulars at the lunch counter.
Christmas decorations are popping up all over and Norah is obsessed with the trees. Every morning she asks if it is the day we get our tree. Maybe next weekend.
We were at Target the other day and I got suckered into getting her a giant sugar cookie shaped like a bear. I had part of it and I didn't think it was very tasty. Norah devoured it and then told me, "that wasn't very good." Anytime anyone mentions "cookie" now she tells me, "no more bear cookies! They taste like yuck!"
Another great Pamma pic-the girls with their Woody dolls. Now, Norah recently got a Woody doll for getting 10 stickers on her potty chart. She has been coveting Ruby's doll for weeks now, so it was a great reward for her. Little did I know, however, that there are many different kinds of Woody dolls and Norah's talks (via a string on his back), but Ruby's does not. Apparently, when Norah shows up to Ruby's house every morning Ruby demands to know if Norah has brought the talking Woody and is very upset when talking Woody leaves at the end of the day.
New dress up clothes-now they can actually be Woody and Buzz! (I think Ruby was actually more excited than this picture lets on).
Pigtails! I am getting way better at them.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Shopping Cart
Our local Whole Foods has two mini carts available for mini shoppers. Unfortunately, every time we are there both carts are always taken and so Norah spends the majority of the trip stalking the kids who were lucky enough to get them. Last weekend, we made a family grocery trip first thing in the morning and low and behold, Norah got a cart. Please notice the fashionable ensemble she picked out for herself that day. She is wearing her 'football watching shirt' and her 'Jessie pants.' I am not exactly sure why they are called Jessie pants. They are flared at the bottom kind of like chaps, I guess. She loves them and I am doing laundry constantly to make sure she has them available.
She was a master at maneuvering around displays, produce bins, and other people. And she went FAST. It was an excellent work out for her and even more so for those of us trying to catch her.
When we unloaded the groceries at home we realized there were a handful of unapproved things that had made it into the bags, including but not limited to: a mini watermelon, 2 boxes of cereal, sunflower seed butter, 3 shallots, and a single tangerine. Which is funny because I now look at these pictures that BVZ took and the watermelon is prominently displayed.
That would be a big fail on your part, BVZ.
She was a master at maneuvering around displays, produce bins, and other people. And she went FAST. It was an excellent work out for her and even more so for those of us trying to catch her.
When we unloaded the groceries at home we realized there were a handful of unapproved things that had made it into the bags, including but not limited to: a mini watermelon, 2 boxes of cereal, sunflower seed butter, 3 shallots, and a single tangerine. Which is funny because I now look at these pictures that BVZ took and the watermelon is prominently displayed.
That would be a big fail on your part, BVZ.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Funkhouser Update: Week 24
Funkhouser had his 5th echo cardiogram this morning and we got the excellent news that the anatomy of his heart is fully formed and is completely normal. Unless I am a freak of nature (which, of course is not beyond the realm of possibility), that will not change. So, now they are just looking at the electrical impulse/heart beat and today's scan lasted a mere half hour. I go back again at 26 weeks, then not until 30 weeks, and then again at 34 weeks. At that point Funkhouser will 'graduate' from the heart center. Of course that's what we are hoping for (and expecting), but a part of me has found the every other week scans to be very reassuring and I will be a little disappointed when they end.
I saw a different cardiologist today and we chatted a bit about my history because he says that autoimmune disorders are very interesting to physicians because the symptoms vary so much from patient to patient. He said in his 30+ years at Stanford he has only seen 2 babies with heart blocks and has seen thousands upon thousands of moms with Lupus, et al. That made me love him. He asked lots of questions about the rash/hives nightmare that happened with Norah and said, 'Yeah. That's probably going to happen again.' That made me want to kick him in the nuts.
How far along?: 24 weeks.
Weight: God only knows. In a few short weeks I have gone from 'it looks like that lady just ate a giant sandwich' to 'start boiling water and getting fresh towels now!' Funkhouser is huge. Norah and I got hot chocolate at Starbucks the other day and the barista asked me when I was due. I said March and she gave me the 'yikes, you are a house' look. I wanted to say, 'um, BEGINNING of March, asshole.' But alas, I refrained.
Sleep: Pretty terrible. I am just generally uncomfortable and the weather here keeps going from freezing cold to super hot so we are all consistently sick. I have pretty severe heartburn and random aches and pains all over the place.
Gender: A cute little boy.
Movement: He is as active as Norah was mellow. He is still breech and so when he kicks his legs and feet it feels like a sharp karate chop right to the crotch.
Feeling: Eh, fine. I am really, really trying to suck it up and enjoy the whole experience since it will be the last time I ever do it. Part of me is just holding my breath waiting for it all to go to hell at the end like last time, but then a bigger part of me is trying not to blame Funkhouser for the sins of his sister. Ha.
Food Cravings: Dessert. Mmmmmm, dessert.
Fetal fruit: Papaya.
In other news, we have decided we are definitely doing the repeat c-section and are on the hospital schedule for March 1. Very exciting!
I saw a different cardiologist today and we chatted a bit about my history because he says that autoimmune disorders are very interesting to physicians because the symptoms vary so much from patient to patient. He said in his 30+ years at Stanford he has only seen 2 babies with heart blocks and has seen thousands upon thousands of moms with Lupus, et al. That made me love him. He asked lots of questions about the rash/hives nightmare that happened with Norah and said, 'Yeah. That's probably going to happen again.' That made me want to kick him in the nuts.
How far along?: 24 weeks.
Weight: God only knows. In a few short weeks I have gone from 'it looks like that lady just ate a giant sandwich' to 'start boiling water and getting fresh towels now!' Funkhouser is huge. Norah and I got hot chocolate at Starbucks the other day and the barista asked me when I was due. I said March and she gave me the 'yikes, you are a house' look. I wanted to say, 'um, BEGINNING of March, asshole.' But alas, I refrained.
Sleep: Pretty terrible. I am just generally uncomfortable and the weather here keeps going from freezing cold to super hot so we are all consistently sick. I have pretty severe heartburn and random aches and pains all over the place.
Gender: A cute little boy.
Movement: He is as active as Norah was mellow. He is still breech and so when he kicks his legs and feet it feels like a sharp karate chop right to the crotch.
Feeling: Eh, fine. I am really, really trying to suck it up and enjoy the whole experience since it will be the last time I ever do it. Part of me is just holding my breath waiting for it all to go to hell at the end like last time, but then a bigger part of me is trying not to blame Funkhouser for the sins of his sister. Ha.
Food Cravings: Dessert. Mmmmmm, dessert.
Fetal fruit: Papaya.
In other news, we have decided we are definitely doing the repeat c-section and are on the hospital schedule for March 1. Very exciting!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Under the Weather
It's no fun when your kid is sick (nothing serious-just something viral, I think), but I have to admit I have enjoyed an afternoon of cuddling, warm baths, and lots of Cat in the Hat. Bubby used to make a huge deal out of us being sick and I can see I am already exactly the same way. Norah better not use it to her advantage!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
That's My Job
Daylight Savings sucks for a lot of reasons, but mostly because it is now pitch black at rush hour and people around here apparently forget how to drive once it gets dark. I was driving Norah home today and we were stuck in horrific traffic. I had told her the plot of Toy Story 2 about 9,000 times already and she wasn't interested in listening to her music or to NPR, so I was out of tricks. She tossed her bear on the floor of the car and then proceeded to whine about how much she wanted him. I reminded her many, many, MANY times that when she tosses bear while I am driving she has to wait until we stop to get him. She was not buying it and the whining soon turned to crying and screaming. Norah crying and screaming and bad traffic doesn't work well for me, so finally I raised my voice and said, 'You need to sit there and be quiet and STOP CRYING.'
After which she proceeded to yell, 'Let me cry! THAT'S MY JOB!'
Allrighty then.
(Unrelated photo of what she insisted on wearing on our walk the other day.)
After which she proceeded to yell, 'Let me cry! THAT'S MY JOB!'
Allrighty then.
(Unrelated photo of what she insisted on wearing on our walk the other day.)
Score
About 6 months before Norah was born I joined our local mother's club. The club is worth its membership fee in gold, because the group maintains an online message board where people ask advice, write reviews, and buy and sell baby/kid gear. It is where we have found painters, handymen, dentists, and where I have bought 75% of Norah's wardrobe. I LOVE used kid clothes. They are usually in fabulous shape because kids grow so damn fast, and are always a steal.
Check out what I got from a mom today for $25. It was literally 3 garbage bags crammed with baby boy clothes from 3 to 12 months. I stopped counting the pairs of pants when I got to 30. There are pants, shirts, sleepers, rompers, swimsuits (which Norah described as 'Funky's underwears!'), overalls, onesies, and 6 pairs of shoes. It came from a mom of twins who was desperate to get her house back.
Check out what I got from a mom today for $25. It was literally 3 garbage bags crammed with baby boy clothes from 3 to 12 months. I stopped counting the pairs of pants when I got to 30. There are pants, shirts, sleepers, rompers, swimsuits (which Norah described as 'Funky's underwears!'), overalls, onesies, and 6 pairs of shoes. It came from a mom of twins who was desperate to get her house back.
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