November Update

Oh, My Sweet Nora Lee!

There have been lots of changes since my last update. Where to begin…?

Nora will be 11 months old Nov 29th. She stands very easily with the support of furniture or a spare adult leg. She has recently begun letting go of the support and free-standing for 4-5 seconds at a time. She has been stable on her feet for a month or so now and has started dancing. She loves music – surprise, surprise - and loves to dance. She stands up against the couch and will shake her little booty like nobody's business. It is definitely the cutest thing I have EVER seen. We captured some on video and hope to post it soon (I need Matt’s technical expertise on that one).

She also loves to make noise – of every kind. She has a little tambourine and a set of 12 wooden shakers that all make different sounds. When the music comes on she stops whatever she is doing and bobs her head and shakes the tambourine or shakers. Holy God its fun! We dance with her and she goes wild.

I recently purchased some really great wooden toys from an online distributor. Since she still puts everything in her mouth I realized that she was sucking on plastic all day long and I just didn’t feel okay about it anymore. So we replaced the plastic toys with wooden ones that are dyed with paint that won’t hurt her. It feels good.

Nora’s grandparents got her this little truck that she can push or ride. It makes music, two different siren sounds, two honking noises and you can put things in the seat. The whole thing is VERY exciting to Nora Lee. She can now even ride it herself. She gets on (with our help) and pushes along the wood floor honking the horn and laughing. Then she gets off and pushes the siren button and shakes her butt. I love that it’s the siren she dances to – not the toy's music. I guess I should be nervous that she hears sirens and thinks “party!”.

Although many people think she is a little Matt clone I know she is my daughter because of how she feels about mealtime. When Nora is hungry she does this little sucking thing with her lips (to communicate about nursing as well). When I put her in her high chair she is thrilled and pounds her hands on the tray. Food mom, Food!! She likes just about everything but is not excited about bananas or broccoli. I take her to restaurants now and she happily sits in the highchair at the table. She plays with straws and spoons and is most delighted when the food arrives. There are still a few foods she can’t have until she is one year old – tomatoes, strawberries, and citrus.

She has been having a heck of a time with teething. She has eight teeth and the bottom canine's are on there way in. It’s been really hard. She wakes up screaming and has just felt badly on and off for a few weeks now. We look forward to her being pain free again.

Nora Lee has interacted with a handful of animals since she was born. A few cats and dogs of several sizes. About two months ago we were at my stepsister, Rozy’s, house and there was a faux fur pillow on the ground next to Nora Lee. She crawled over and touched it and quickly drew her hand back and began screaming in a way I had never heard from her before. It was as if she was psychically tuning in to the pain the animal experienced during death – only it wasn’t real fur. We took the pillow away and she was fine.

About a month later I brought out a stuffed animal that had a similar feel to it, not even thinking about the pillow incident. She felt the animal and started screaming in horror. Matt and I worked a little with her to show her it was okay. She was willing to brave a few more touches but would draw her hand back quickly in disgust.

Her experience with animals was positive until we went to visit some friends who have two little dogs. When they came up to her she freaked out again – just like with the stuffed animal and pillow. I wondered if she was just going through a phase where animals were scary but the following Sunday we went to another friends house with a huge fluffy dog. Nora Lee wanted to follow that dog all day. Compared to Nora (compared to me for that matter) this dog was huge. She wasn’t the least bit afraid and just loved petting her. She would sit and pet her and giggle away. I can’t figure it out. Especially because this dog's fur was really furry just like the pillow and stuffed animal. Maybe because it was real fur she liked it? Maybe little dogs are creepy and big dogs are fun? I don’t know, but perhaps a big dog is in our future.

Nora puts everything in her mouth. Often you can hear one of us saying, “What’s in your mouth?” Then digging our finger in – getting chomped in the process (those things are sharp!) – to drag out some piece of dirt or scrap of something or other. I expect that, but we have been surprised twice after finding garlic skins in her mouth. How does garlic get in the living room you ask? I have no idea. But on two occasions we have gotten close to her only to smell this powerful garlic smell, to look closer and realize something is in her mouth and then pull out a chomped piece of garlic clove.

It’s getting colder here and I like to keep her as warm as possible. This includes wearing socks to keep her feet cozy. She has become quite anti-sock. She pulls them off immediately no matter how cold it is. If she can’t get them off she cries and pulls and squeals in frustration. I put her shoes on to see if she would feel differently and she pulled at them and indicated she wanted them off! When I removed one, she pointed to the other one. If we carry her or she is in the backpack on my back she doesn’t seem to mind, but in her car seat or when she crawls around they are off immediately. It may be that it’s easier to walk without them but why the car seat too? She is a mystery.

Lately she has been exploring her voice and in times of frustration has let out a huge roar. I roar back with a big smile on my face. It immediately diffuses the situation and she goes from grumpy to giggly.

I have been experiencing some pretty bad mama abuse these last few months. She doesn’t mean to hurt me and when she does she begins to cry and pat me. With the teething she bites everything including my clothes. She doesn’t realize I'm underneath. Every time she nurses she pinches my skin and then twists it around. I am constantly tapping her hands to remind her to stop it! I have all these red marks on my abdomen from these wounds. The other day she threw a block down. I was lying on the ground with her and it hit me right by my eye and left a bruised knot. It reeeaaallly hurt and I held my face. She started crying and crawled over to pat me.

When she wants something she's not shy about asking. When she wants to nurse she crawls over to me, grabs my shirt and tugs. I’ve only flashed guests once thankfully.

Love you all.

Sara

Halloween

Well, I'd like to report that Nora Lee had a wild and crazy first Halloween but I'd be lying. We had the sweetest costume for her. It was a hand-me-down from her cousin and if you can believe it, it was a chicken. I looked at some events around town but most things that looked fun were at night. It makes sense, but its a challenge to plan an eventful Halloween for someone who falls asleep at 6pm. So, the weekend before Halloween we went to visit some friends and we put her in the costume. Then we did this little photo shoot for all of you, but all in all, she wasn't the party animal we expected.

Next year will be a different story...

Nora Lee's paparazzi shot

Santa Barbara

Matt, Nora Lee and I went up to Santa Barbara for the day to look at a graduate school Matt is interested in attending in a few years. After seeing the school we found a beautiful park right near the beach and had a picnic. There was a even a carousal ride! I rode on a horse in front while Matt and Nora Lee sat in a sleigh. Nora loved it! She would go from this look of serious wonder to loud squeals of delight.

September Pics #2

September Pics

Nine Month Update

Nora Lee is excited about all the new things she can do and the world in general. She turns nine months old in a few days and is as cute as ever! She has six teeth completely in, four on top and two on the bottom. This week she has really been struggling with teething. She appears to be getting at least three more in, possibly four - all on the bottom.

She hasn't slept well and I assume its all the teething. I'm told that most kids this age are sleeping about four hours during the day and 12 hours at night. Although this has happened before, its not the usual and certainly not lately. This last two weeks she has slept well at night but is really struggling with naps. Hopefully she will be able to sleep more during the day when these crazy teeth come in. I keep trying to be consistent with nap time in the morning and afternoon but its still not predictable or smooth. All in good time...

Nora is very fast as a crawler and is now very stable when standing and holding onto something. This week she began walking while holding onto the couch. She even braved letting go to balance a few times! Perhaps she will be walking in the next few weeks!

Matt and I have been playing lots of music around the house and she really seems to like it. She has begun bobbing her head when it comes on and loves when her daddy slow dances with her. She and I do the tango - cheek to cheek - it's awesome.

She is way into toys and things she can bite on. She cleverly will play with a toy, then put it in her mouth and crawl like a puppy dog, carry it across the room, then sit to play with it again. Speaking of puppies, we've learned that she loves animals. She doesn't seem the least bit intimidated by dogs or cats and just laughs when she gets barked at.

Nora Lee is eating at every meal (although still breastfeeding as well). Just today she seemed unwilling for the first time to be fed and instead insisted on doing it herself. I am noticing a new sense of will power coming from her lately and am curious to see how that develops. I guess that's no surprise when looking at her parents :) Her favorite thing to eat is Trader Joe's Organic High Fiber O's. When we get the box out she squeals with delight and pounds her fists on her tray. I get a kick out of this because Matt LOVES this cereal as well. Its good and all but no chocolate cake or anything.

We have continued to teach her sign language and according to the book she is now at the age that she may start responding. She definitely knows the signs because when I do the nursing sign she lunges for my chest. She has started waving and it has occurred to me that the wave could be her interpretation of the nursing sign. This is the sign she has seen most often but I can't tell because she does it at everyone and doesn't seem to be hungry at the time. I don't know. I'll keep you posted.

Oak Glen, CA

On Saturday Matt, Nora Lee and I packed a picnic, hopped in the car and drove to Oak Glen California to explore. Oak Glen is a tiny town about an hour and a half from Los Angeles and is known for its apple orchards.

The night before it had rained for the first time in I don't know how long. It was fantastic! That morning it was still drizzly but perfect for getting cozy in scarves and mittens and going on an adventure.

When we arrived in town there appeared to be many apple farms and each had a little shop with fresh apples and every apple product you can imagine. We stopped at the first one to take a look around. After doing a little exploring we decided to head up the road to another farm. We saw a sign that said "apple cider and fresh doughnuts". How could we pass by? So we stopped in the most beautiful area I've seen in a long time. We were in a valley surrounded by green, brown and golden trees on a little farm with red buildings. Outside there were families in the misty rain picking raspberries and filling their buckets. We learned that for $12 we could get a bucket and pick too. But standing in the cold didn't appeal to us. So we headed inside to eat doughnuts and drink cider. Heaven - that's all I have to say. We took our cider and snacks outside and walked around the beautiful farm. It was truly breathtaking and very good for my soul. It was a wonderful reminder that just a road trip away from the busy city there is a quiet, beautiful little town with fresh air and fresh doughnuts!

Oak Glen has a shopping district with stores selling antiques and moccasins and candy. Nora was sleepy so we decided to head home but plan to go back soon to explore further.

What a beautiful day.

A few more Maggie B-day pics

Nora attends her first B-day party

Last week Nora Lee attended her first B-day party. Maggie turned a year old and apparently tried cake for the first time and then proceeded to vomit it up. That's what I heard at least. Matt and Nora went on their own while I had some much needed alone time.

Matt said everyone got a kick out of seeing all the kids together - most of them going every which way and Nora Lee sitting with both of her little hands held up like the dainty thing she is!

What I Did This Summer by Nora Lee Young

Lots has changed since my last post. First let me tell you the most exciting thing...Nora Lee slept for nine straight hours last night!! When I awoke to find I hadn't been awakened for a feeding in that long I thought my boobs would explode. Apparently many kids sleep this long much earlier but I just recently got serious about giving Nora Lee some food and this seems to keep her more full during the day and evening.

Let me back up a bit.

A few weeks ago Matt's stepfather turned 70 and took all 20 family members to Club Med Sandpiper for a holiday. There were many firsts for Nora Lee. She had never been on a plane before for one. This went surprisingly well. On the way out there she slept for an hour and then happily (and quietly) played with us for the remainder of the trip. The way home was a little more challenging. Luckily we had an extra seat for her on this leg which allowed her to crawl back and forth between us over and over and over again. She was exhausted but wouldn't sleep so was a bit cranky but no big deal. We were all happy when it was over and she got many compliments from the other passengers for her good behavior. Nora Lee smiles at everyone these days and wins even the coldest hearts over quite quickly.

We were the last ones to arrive and everyone got to meet Nora Lee. Her cousins were especially excited. After talking with my very experienced sisters-in-law and mother-in-law I decided to get more serious about giving Nora Lee food. They were all surprised to hear that she was still nursing every few hours in the night and felt confident that since breast milk digests so quickly that her hunger was waking her each night. So, at each family meal I gave her a little food. This was a big hit. She loved being a part of the dining experience and eagerly would grab for more food. Each time she would take a bite she would make the most awful face and shake her head with disgust as if I had just given her dog food, then she would swallow and then open her mouth for more. By the end of the week we were both pros.

The other big new thing on vacation was her swimming. I had taken her several times to the pool near our house and she liked it each time. On vacation, however, we got to spend lots of time in the pool. She would squeal with delight and splash her arms around. I would hold her out in front of me and put my face in the water and blow bubbles. Then she would put her face in the water. Sometimes she would come up choking and other times it went smoothly. She seemed fearless and very comfortable in the water. By the end of the week she was moving her arms and kicking her feet as Matt or I moved her along the water. This all made me very excited since I love to swim and really want her to be as experienced as possible in the water. Both for enjoyment and safety.

When we returned home she started making major steps (no pun intended) toward walking. We finally baby proofed the house so she is free to explore quite a bit. Very quickly she went from dragging herself along the ground on her stomach to crawling on her knees. About two days after this happened, she got VERY fast. She can go from one room to another, very quickly - this keeps me on my toes.

Today she began holding onto me/the couch/the wall/the refrigerator and standing up. I'm sure she'll be taking the car out soon.

Her sweet demeanor just gets more and more apparent. She smiles all the time and giggles when we sing songs or make animal noises. She is causing me to really experience freedom from my inhibitions. I find myself making the funniest noises and gestures in an attempt to make her giggle without a thought in the world about what those around me are thinking. It really is such a sweet experience because making her happy brings me more joy than any approval ever has. I hope I continue to strengthen this part of myself and carry it with me even when she and I are apart.

This stage is so much more rewarding than the previous stages and so much more challenging as well. When she is awake I am on full duty, chasing, carrying, cleaning. Its wonderful and a lot.

I don't have any photos yet from our trip but will post them when I do. For now, here are a few from the last month. Ironically the remote control continues to be a favorite toy even though if I have it my way she won't ever watch TV.

More Family Photos

Sweet Pics

Our dear friend Stacey came to visit us and see Nora Lee. She is an incredible photographer and took these during her stay.

The First Few Months

The things that were challenging about being a new mom were not the things I expected to be the hardest. I was prepared not to get much sleep and quite worried about it actually. (I am not fun to be around while tired or hungry - guess I'll never be on Survivor.) But sleeping has never been a problem. Nora Lee slept in bed with us which was wonderful on so many levels. In the first month or so she slept on my chest. For a while I was always on the couch or in bed with her on my chest sleeping. At night I would put two pillows on either side of me to support my arms and we just slept that way. When she awoke and needed nursing we were already in the right position. This was amazing because it barely required me waking up. As a result, I have always been well rested.

When she got a little bigger I began sleeping with her beside me and would nurse her by laying on my side with our bellies touching. She would just latch on during the night when hungry and then we would both fall back to sleep. We put a guard rail on the side of the bed so that she couldn't fall out.

Matt was nervous about this plan. He worried about squishing her in the night. As the months went on he realized that if he put a pillow between him and her he felt secure and she just got bigger and more durable and we were able to all sleep soundly together. I must say that our queen size bed was feeling a bit small though!

We have all been attached to "the family bed" because there is nothing quite like snuggling all night with the ones you love. Matt and I awaken each morning to a giggling, smiling baby girl. It's the best. A few nights ago we became aware that Nora Lee may not be sleeping as well as she could be in bed with us. She started wiggling and couldn't get comfortable. We put her in her crib to sleep and she passed right out. So the last several nights she has slept all night in her crib and seems to be doing well. I was worried about missing her in bed but it is nice to have a little more room to myself :) She is still waking every few hours to nurse and it does require me getting out of bed and going into her room but I think soon she won't need to eat as often and I will get more concentrated sleep.

Anyway, so the sleep things has been good. However, I was surprised how tired and sore I was after giving birth. My body felt very weak and tender. Even sitting down hurt. It seems like a no-brainer when something so big comes out of you but I hadn't heard anyone talk about it and hadn't thought it through to be frank. During the first few weeks all I could do was move from the bed to the couch, eat, nurse (more on that in a second) and sleep. I was still developing feelings for Nora Lee. Matt was connected from the first moment but I experienced more of a falling in love rather than a love at first sight.

Slowly, my strength recovered and I started to get to know my little one. How sweet that falling in love was.

Once everything healed, the hardest thing was nursing. When I was pregnant I was told about nursing consultants, nursing classes, support groups, and I thought what the heck is this? Just stick the baby on your boob and feed her, how hard can it be? Well, it was hard. And it did hurt. At the beginning I dreaded (and was scared to be honest) every time Nora was hungry. I dreaded the pain and wondered when it would get better. After 2 months or so it felt better and breastfeeding has gone smoothly (mostly) since.

I was really grateful to have those first three months to be home, figure out motherhood, rest, and do whatever felt right for Nora Lee and I. The world looked different to me after having a child and I wasn't ready to go out into it for a while. After that first trimester I began to get interested again in the outside world and looked forward to getting my body back in shape and being around other people and introducing them to my new love, Nora Lee.