Easter 2013

Easter is always one of my favorite holidays. Lots of family time, good food, and the sun is finally shining. I have found that holidays got so much more fun when you have a little person around. This year was no different, we colored eggs, hunted for them, ate tons of salads and lemonade, and spent time in the good old St. Geezy sun. It is also this holiday that I can't help but take time to reflect on how blessed I am. Something about the spring time after a long winter makes me so grateful to be alive, healthy, happy and surrounded by the people I love.

Hoping your Easter was as splendid as ours.

We bought a zoo

This last Saturday Broc, Norah, Ashley, Taylor, Michael and I all headed down to the middle of nowhere to spend an afternoon with the animals.
Have you seen the movie We Bought a Zoo?
This place is just like that, on a smaller scale.
Roos n more is basically a zoo in the back yard of two veterinarians home.
It is bizarre the kind of animals they have there. Everything from monkeys and zebras to otters and kangaroos. We came to roos n more a couple years ago and it was just as great as I remember it.

This was Norah's first time touching an animal.
Pretty cool for it to be a monkey!

big girl

Norah has pretty much been leaping at our food for the last few weeks
She in fact landed her hand in a bowl of ice cream not too long ago.
I didn't want to start her on solids quite yet but I didn't want to spoil her dreams either.
Bad mommy moment, I let her suck on a jelly bean on the way home from Vegas.
Hey, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right?
Well, we got her all set up in her big girl high chair.
It kills me to see her sitting up in this thing. She is growing way too fast.
I'm not okay with that.

We decided to try rice cereal mixed with some fresh carrot juice.
Not sure how she felt about it.
But she kept coming back for more.

Not sure if I am ready for this little lady to start growing up any more than she already is.
We went to the doctor last week and here are the current stats:
15 lbs. 11 oz.
(85th percentile)
25 inches
(71st percentile)
We are so in love with this chubby girl

Spring has sprung 2013

Norah :: 4 months

Our sweet little princess is 4 months old! A part of me feels like she surely can't be that old already, but an even bigger part of me can't believe that she is ONLY 4 months old. 

She seems like she has been a part of our lives for so much longer. 

I guess in more of a spiritual way she has.

Norah in a nutshell:
-She has a new face she pulls where she sucks on her bottom lip while she puckers the top one. Arguably the cutest thing you have ever seen.
-The best adjective to describe her current body shape is "squishy".
-She is definitely becoming more of a mommy's girl. But she loves her play time with daddy.
-She now smiles at just about anyone that will smile at her.
-She is so close to sitting up on her own!
-She is all over the place in clothes sizes.
-She loves lights and interesting shapes. She took her first Vegas trip and boy was that fun!
-She has had multiple people comment on her perfectly shaped lips.
-She hates sitting in her bumbo. Dang it.
-She is very curious with her hands and tries to grab everything!
-She still has the biggest obsession with clocks
-When she eats she rests her whole hand on the side of her face.
-She gets super grumpy when she is tired and ultra happy when she is well rested.
-She is so cuddly and tries to eat your face when she is in a funny mood.
-When she gets super interested in something (tv, other babies, clocks etc.) she sticks her face out so far that her double chin disappears.

Norah is the most beautiful little child and we are so blessed to have her as ours.

All in a year

It hasn't quite been 4 months, but I have a hard time even remembering what our life was like before little Norah. 

I have spent the day thinking about what happened on this day one year ago.

The day we found out that our lives would never be the same, that a little spirit was getting ready to come join our family. 

I love to remember what happened on that day. 

And now here we are one year later with the most precious thing my eyes and heart have ever beheld.

And a happy happy birthday to this girl.
Every girl needs a blonde best friend.
Jessica, you are mine.

You make me feel so young

Norah is the sweetest, happiest, funniest, most adorable little human I have ever met.

SO lucky to have her in our family.

This is a little compilation of Norah's latest and greatest. 

Love her!

Valentines Day 2013

Valentines day this year was on a Thursday,

the one day I don't want any special day to fall on.

Broc has classes late into the night every Thursday so the chances of us seeing each other for more than an hour were not good.

Instead, we planned "Valentines weekend".

Pretty good alternative.

So Valentines day I spent with this little one.

This Valentines was the 7th anniversary of our very first date!

Hard to believe I have liked this guy for that long already.

He spoiled me rotten.

Dinner at Benja's, Ulta shopping spree, and a planter for my kitchen window.

Sure love my Valentine.

Norah gave her daddy his favorite candy- nuts. 

Silly boy. Doesn't he know that nuts taste better wrapped in chocolate?

And I made a vegetable arrangement for the hubs. 

 

We sure are blessed to have so much love in our lives.

Rollie Pollie

We have a roller. Norah has actually been rolling for a few weeks now but I am just getting around to writing about it. You know you are a first time mom when your baby rolling over for the first time is about as exciting as winning the lottery, or meeting Brad Pitt. Broc, Norah and I were watching American Idol when we look down and the munchkin was wobbling on her side, grunting. We both jumped down to our hands and knees and started coaching/cheering her on as if we were coaching the Superbowl. After much grunting and serious concentration, she landed it. 

So proud of this lil kid.

Below is the actual video of this monumental experience.

Norah :: three months

I cannot believe my sweet Norah is already three months old. I have said this with every month that has past, but this just might be my favorite. She is getting the cutest little personality and is already talking up a storm. Norah has had a few milestones this month, her first laugh, rolling over (she has mastered this with such fine execution!), and she has had her first couple sick days (not the best milestone). She is such a smiler and lucky for us, she does it often. Her best friend is her baby friend she sees in the mirror and she can officially be entertained with music or the television. This little gal is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am so blessed to be her mama.

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Merrill

When I was young, for some silly reason, my boogers were named Merrill. Merrill would come and live in my nose for the winter until my mom would make me blow him out. Okay that is really gross. I am sorry for the image. Well Norah, sweet Norah. She has caught the case of the Merrill's. I'm pretty sure it's croup. Hoping to nip this in the butt before it gets any worse! This afternoon we spent some time in our in-home steam room aka the bathroom with a steamy shower going. Move on out Merrill!