Sunday, July 31, 2016

Our Wanna Be Toddler

So, now that Nora is almost 1 I better post her 11 month photos.  I'm so late doing it because I had a hard time getting any pictures I was liking.  She is impossible to photograph because she does not want to stop moving.  She is so busy!


She celebrated 11 months of life on the 4th of July!  I loved her little outfit.  I'm so excited to have a girl to dress up all patriotic.


Nora loves her shoes! She wants to be wearing them and playing with them all day long.  I think she especially likes them because it usually means she is going outside.  She is getting to the age where she cries when her brothers go out without her.  She's also at the age where I don't love taking her outside because she thinks she is capable of far more than she actually is.  She tries climbing up the slide, digging in the rocks and eating them (and dirt), and attempts going off the big edge of the patio and stairs.  Um...no.



Nora loves to be walking around and loves playing in the big toys or in the kitchen.  Pots, pans, lids, cutting boards and all the drawers are her favorite.  She also likes sitting in the cupboards when I take out the bread machine or other big things.


She likes to wrestle with her brothers and daddy but still loves her cuddles too.


She is truly so happy.  Smiles and giggles to everyone.  She also likes to wave at anyone she passes in the grocery store.  She still only has 4 teeth.  I keep waiting for more.  She has seemed to be teething based on sleep disruption and cranky behavior for several weeks no but still no teeth.  Thankfully the sleeping is mostly good with a day or two of less good thrown in the mix every once and a while.


Nora doesn't have many words.  She mostly says Dada, Mama (sometimes) and all done (occasionally).  That's about it.  Not very big on talking.  But super excited about jabbering. Loudly.  She is constantly making sounds, just not words.  And anytime I yell for the boys she imitates that sound and volume.  It's awesome.  

She is such a cutie and I'm a little sad to see my baby turning into a toddler.  Sometimes it seems like it happens over night.  I took her (and the boys) to Colorado Springs to visit Shannon and her family overnight a few weeks ago.  We left Jacob so he could still go to work.  When I got home Jacob mentioned how different and grown up Nora looked all the sudden.  I didn't realize it until I took these next set of pictures.  They are only a week or so apart from the ones above but her face looks so much older.  She really is more like a toddler in most ways.


I took these pictures because I thought the light was so good when I picked Nora up out of her crib for her afternoon nap.  I grabbed her, changed her diaper and then tried putting her back in her crib and having her stand so I could take a picture.  As you can imagine, she did not like being back in her crib.  She just fell down and cried.  So these first pictures are especially red faced post melt down.  And they are in the chair, not the crib.




Look at that!  Where did my baby go?  She is so big!




And then I attempted the crib again.  But she still refused to stand like she does when I get her from her naps.  So much for staging a photo with an 11 month old!



I love her looks of determination.  And it is also very typical to see her putting stuff in her mouth.  Fuzz from the sheep...you bet!



Oh, that face.  I love her and want her to stay this pre-toddler chubby cherub forever.  And sort of not.  But sort of.  Stupid time.  I had a friend once express the wish to bounce around from age and stages.  Spend 2 months as a newborn, then move to 5 year old for a few months, then back to toddler.  Can't we arrange that.  Instead of this consecutive growing, lets experience little bits of each stage at a time.  Maybe then I'd really slow down and appreciate all the great things about a stage. Parenthood dilemmas.

For now I'll just love these adorable pictures that freeze time for a moment at least.

We are all so glad to have Nora in our family.  As Isaac said "mom, isn't having a baby so fun!"  Yes Isaac, it is.  And so is having an almost 6 year old and almost 4 year old.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Trip to Utah July 4


Totally out of order but the above picture is Nora cuddled with her bunny on the car ride home from Utah.  She is too cute!

But before we left we celebrated the 4th of July!


At the parade with Aunt Shannon.


Cousins getting ready for the parade.




Cover those ears for the loud cannons.




And if you are Brinton, you cover your ears for all of the parade.  It's all "too loud."







These boys of mine LOVED the police drive by and the balloon cartoons in the parade.  I'm not even sure if they missed the candy from the Oregon parade they remember.






Grandpa and Nora!




And then that afternoon we did family pictures.


Mary Ann, Scott, Maelie and Hannah


Sam, Diana, Emma and Brinton



cousins waiting for the big cousin picture


Maelie and Hannah



My cute family!  Love Ben's face.  Mostly everyone is smiling.


Dillard Girls


Shannon's kids


All the cousins except Josh on a mission and Matt who slept too late after saving the parade spot and then had to rush to work.


Nora and Jeremiah


Diana and Emma


Gross kids


Evan and Logan


Scott, Megan, Logan and Evan


sprinkler time before fireworks











My good looking husband chillin' before fireworks.


Cousins and glow sticks




Love the sparklers!











Happy 4th of July!  I'm glad we were in Utah so our kids could experience lighting off fireworks.  Colorado's laws are a bit more strict.

We had a great time.  Thanks again to Aunt Barbara for letting us stay with her.