Week 11 - Nora-Galore

It was incredibly hot last week. Well, it was really hot outside and it was incredibly hot inside our apartment. If you would have come home to the stifling heat, Kara's duress, and a soggy-bottomed Nora, you too would have thrown all caution to the wind and plastered your windows with aluminum foil. It has actually helped alot.

Anyway, on one such sweltering night this week, Nora actually fell asleep in her carseat and so we just left her on the much-cooler front porch as we set up the fans to cool our apt. The 2nd shot below shows "The Beast" (new nickname) after being awakened by multiple camera flashes. Who me?

If there was one benefit to the heat, it seems to have allowed Nora to sleep more than usual during the day and it is making all the difference. I come home and she is awake and not crying and content even. I have to ask Kara what she did with our child, cause the one she just gave me isn't wailing.

More sleep has allowed Nora to find her happy place. And it is very apparent that her happy place is full of ice cream cones that look and taste like her fist. On many occasions one ice-cream just isn't enough, so she makes it a double... double cone not scoop. And we're not talking one after another either, we're talking both at the same time as witnessed in pics 3 and 4 below.

I do admit that the cones are a helpful substitute for the binky fairly often. On more than one occasion Kara and I have been driving somewhere and we hear a large slurp coming from the backseat. We laugh because we know Nora's in her happy place.

Other times she'll make way from sucking on the ice-cream cone to her thumb. But it doesn't last too long, as she spits out the thumb, disfiguring her face as if her ice cream has just turned to salt water. Then returning to her fist as happy as can be. She must have a highly developed and sensitive palate.

Some people have commented on Nora being fairly expressive. Who knows, but Daddy did go a little hogwild at the park taking close up pictures. I'd say most of her expressions are blank stares, but I managed to capture a few others .

If not expressive, she is at least a fairly observant beast.



Notice that she is eating well.















Release the Kraken!

Nora's double coned happy place.

Week 10 - One Step Forward

And two steps back this week.

Week 9 - Better Every Day

Every day seems to be getting a little better. We especially enjoy Nora's awakening. She is definitely making more baby sounds which are so cute. Mommy has conversations with her, where Nora appropriately inserts coos and grunts after receiving questions.

Another battle has begun this week, a war of wills. Nora is still not sleeping very well during the day and cries to let everyone know about it. But a glimpse of the life that Kara could be enjoying was seen Wednesday when Nora took 2-two hour naps during the day. Not only did she nap, but when she was awake she wasn't fussy. Matriarchal Paradise. So Kara was determined to make this more the norm than the exception. What she forgot is the stubborness, I mean determination that she has passed to Nora. It wouldn't be that rewarding if it was easy I guess.

This is the Money Shot for sure.


This is how we see Nora.




I liked Nora's smirk in this pic.








Sharon, a childhood friend of Kara's, shares a moment with Nora.



(Mohawk in fine form.)














Kara with Sharon's boy Johnny.







Nora and Mommy at Graduation ceremony.



Nora was really tired during the ceremony. The poor thing was startled awake every few minutes when cheers and screams erupted as the names of the graduates were announced. Didn't help that Daddy was snapping pics with the flash on.



Sunday was a big day. Church, Graduation, and then a going away party. She was a good girl. Kara hopes she doesn't pay for it Monday.




Our friends the Hinckleys, who are moving to Philadelphia to pursue an advanced degree in Dentistry.

Week 8 - Smile on Demand

Nora, what's the secret to life?














One thing... you just have to find that one thing for you.
Deep Thoughts by Nora Blair.

I guess she's been watching City Slickers again.

Signs of life inside that baby's body are beginning to manifest themselves. She continues to giggle on occasion and we were even able to elicit a few smiles after giving her Eskimo kisses.

Kara's parents stayed the weekend and completely spoiled Nora. Okay we were spoiled too... Nora's first babysitters. Mommy and Daddy were fine in the morning when we were running errands, but it wasn't long before our thought turned to the little one. We convinced ourselves that our baby needed us and only us, but each time we came back all was well with Grandma and Grandpa.





Nora's new front carrying position.






She seems to enjoy being in a position to see more of what's going on, except I guess when she's passed out as seen here.






It's all about the hair.













Nora has really improved her gripping capabilities as witness by the death grip on Val's hair (Kara's former coworker). Val's fiancee James looks on from a safe distance.


We and the Miller family had a dinner with the soon-to-be-departing-to-Germany-Hammons. So long, farewell...

Here's a pic of Nora and Omi (Grandma).

We were so busy letting the grandparents babysit Nora I didn't really get any good pics of them.


Nora was blessed on Sunday. Though she was calm during the blessing, she cried before and after.



Ben and Larry Wilson, Laura and Carl Johnton, Nora, Eric and Kara, Dennis and Judy Gustafson.


After her blesssing.