Norah- 8 months

Isn't this little 8 month old adorable?  Even when covered in drool she's cute!  She still only has 2 teeth but her top teeth are trying their hardest to get through.  There are two sad looking little purple blisters on her gums... and I'm hoping those teeth burst through soon!  Norah is BUSY.  She's an expert crawler, pulls up to standing, cruising on furniture, crawling over things and even climbing some!  Slow down, sweet girl!  She still loves to eat, but doesn't love to sleep, that's for sure.  Norah loves to clap her hands, and will even do it on command when we sing "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!".  It's pretty cute :)  She is very expressive and is usually either very happy or very serious/mad.  She's starting to really try to make her will known and will squawk at us if we do something (put her in her booster seat, car seat, set her down when she wants held) that she doesn't want to do.  It's hard to believe she's almost 9 months old!

School!

Well, Zoe finally got her wish and got to go to school!  She's been asking us for a long time when she would be big enough to go to school, so we decided that even though she's just 3, she could do a one day a week program at a local church.  It's called PEEPS, and is their parent's day out program.  Her class is scheduled like preschool.  She goes from 9am-2pm, has lots of playtime, craft time, Bible story and memory verse time, recess, lunchtime, etc.  She was so, so cute with her little backpack on and her lunchbox.  Her teachers are Mrs. Anna and Mrs. Sarah, and they seem super duper sweet and loving.  When we got there, she went right on in and started playing (after a quick hug to momma's legs- which made me think she was going to be nervous).  She's been saying for weeks that she's "real nervous" about school, but she proved herself and us wrong today!  We quickly kissed her and off we went.
It's so strange to know that she's there, doing her own thing, and I have really no idea what or how she's reacting.  It's a bit of a letting go process for this momma, but I think the time away will be good for the both of us.  Norah's napping, I've done some cleaning and blogging.  A nice, relaxing morning!
Can't wait to hear all about her first day.  I love my big girl so, so much!

Norah- 7 months

(the only picture I could get with the sign, I had to pin her down)

Norah!  You are the busiest 7 month old I've ever seen!  You need and demand independence what seems like constantly!  You are 18lbs, 2 oz and are 27 1/2 inches long (which is in the 90%).  You have a long torso, just like your Dadda and Zoe.  I think you're going to keep us on our toes, sweet little one.  You are crawling now, can go from belly to sitting, can pull yourself up and you're trying to reach for things when you're standing.  You are trying to clap your hands and you love your big sister.  When it comes to eating, you're wanting mommy less and less but you love to feed yourself puffs.  I think you may turn into a puff if I let you eat any more!  You are iffy about pureed baby food, but I think it's that independence in you- you want to do it yourself, and you're not quite ready for a spoon yet :)
You LOVE your big sister, as long as she doesn't try to keep you from getting where you want to go, which she does like to do (she IS your big sister, after all).  Zoe can get you to laugh like no one else, deep, adorable belly laughter.  She fake sneezes- you laugh.  She jumps up and down- you laugh.  She chases around bubbles popping them- you laugh.  You also love taking a bath and make a funny panting noise when you hear me running the water.
We love you, little Nori!

Norah- 6 months

Oh Norah!  I can't believe that you're already 6 months... a whole 1/2 of a year old!  You are such a delight, little girl, and you bring us so much joy already!  You like to sit in the Bumbo seat and play with Zoe, be held by Momma or Daddy, and are getting quite curious.  You no longer like your bouncy seat, and if I strap you in, you scream until I take you out... but if I don't strap you in, you can flip over and crawl out backwards!  You are "talking" and chattering all the time.  I guess you feel like you need to keep up with your big sis :)
This month you got 2 teeth (on the bottom) and can sit up all by yourself, but are still pretty wobbly, and can army crawl using only your arms.  You are very interested in food and I've given you a few bites, but will start you on baby food soon.  You often smack your lips together and go "mmmmmm" when you see others eat (you also do this when you know Momma is going to nurse you)  I think you are going to be a strong, independent girl who knows what she wants and will work hard to get it!
We love you, little bit.

Norah- 5 months!

(this is being written a few weeks late so hopefully I can remember everything!)

Norah, you are growing fast, sweet girl.  I feel like every time I turn around you're doing something new and exciting.  This month has been big for you in terms of personality and mobility- and you've got both!  I feel like you are often so, so happy... or so, so mad!  You definitely know how to express your needs and wants!  You reach for anything you see that you want to get your chubby little hands on, you will spin around when we're holding you to see what you want (so we've got to hold on tight), and when you want to eat, you sure let Momma know!  You have started laughing, mostly at Zoe, and it is the cutest sound and sight.  All she has to do is jump up and down, or make a silly sound, and you have a deep belly laugh that makes us all laugh with you.
You roll all over the place, can push yourself around on your belly, have started flopping out of the bouncy seat (must buckle you in now, but you arch and scream if you don't want in there), and are starting to try to army crawl.  You're a strong girl (physically and in terms of your will), there's no doubt about that!  You are slowly  learning to like being in the car, but it still isn't much fun.  You'll arch your back the second I put you in your car seat!  Maybe someday...
The biggest thing for you this month was your first time flying and being at the beach!  What a great air traveler you were- you slept every flight and were a flirt with everyone you saw on the planes and in the airport.  Now the drive from Charlotte to the beach wasn't fun, but Mamaw and Papaw were good sports and we all just tried to tune out your screaming :)  You loved the pool water and had your toes in the ocean a few times.  Vacation surely agrees with you, because several times you only woke up ONCE at night, and that was at 4am.  Sadly you got a cold and that ended quickly.  Please start sleeping more soon, sweet girl.  Momma needs some rest!
I will say that although I want you to sleep all night AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I will miss our cuddle time at night.  That is when you nurse the best and you're so sweet when you're so, so tired.  During the day you are so distracted that it's often a struggle to get you to nurse well.  What a curious girl you already are!
I wonder what your little voice is going to sound like once you start talking.  Are you going to be silly like your daddy?  Talkative like your big sister?  What will be your favorite color, or toy, or food?  We are having so much fun with you, Nor Nor!!

Comments

If you are one of the (very) few people who read this blog, will you comment so I know you're there?  Just wondering who all actually takes the time to read!

Norah- 4 months

Little Norah, you are 4 months old already!  You have added a whole 5 inches to your length since birth, and have more than doubled your birth weight!  It's not surprising considering your love of nursing (especially at night!).  You are still a super quick eater, which makes things much easier having a big sister that needs a lot of attention too.

You are a mobile one, now rolling front to back, and when on your stomach you can push yourself backwards if you're on the bare floor!  Your favorite position is to be upright, usually with someone holding you.  Shrieking in the highest pitch I've ever heard (when excited or mad) is something you love to do, and sometimes it's so loud it makes the dog next door bark (I'm not joking).  You love, love, love your big sister, and often are pulling on her hair or face.  You are now big enough to go in the jumperoo and although your feet don't quite touch the floor, you love being upright to play with your toys or look around.

On your list of things you don't like, car riding is still #1!  We went to Ohio for Zoe's 3rd birthday, and drove overnight both ways so as to limit the screaming.  Thankfully, it worked and you slept like a champ, with only 2 stops to nurse.  You are starting to do a little better with a bottle, and have started sleeping in your crib!  Yay!  It was a rough few months with that, but now you wake up, eat, and you go right back to sleep in your crib.

You have a sweet disposition and we're excited to watch as your little personality starts blooming!  We love you, Nor-Nor!!

Oh, Zoe

The other night I was snuggling with Zoe on the couch.  "Momma, is there another baby in your belly?  Maybe it's a boy... or maybe Norah went back in there".  Time for some sit-ups, I suppose :)

Norah- 3 months

This girl is 3 months old already!  She is so smiley, and lights up when she sees her big sister, Momma, or Daddy.  She has a super strong neck/head and love to be upright.  She's rolling over from front to back and doesn't like to be in one position for long!
This month Norah went to her first circus (although she slept the whole time!), and we went to the zoo again.  She is a pretty happy baby, as long as Momma doesn't have any dairy or soy.  Poor girl has her big sister's sensitive stomach.  Her disposition is different from Zoe, although I can't pinpoint exactly how.  She does seem to be either super happy, or super mad... there isn't really a middle ground yet.  Car rides are still terrible because she screams the entire time... even if it's just a short ride somewhere!

What an adorable, perfect fit for our family you are, sweet little Norah.  These past 3 months have been a challenge but a huge blessing to us!

Norah- 2 months

This big girl is 2 months old already!  Time is sure flying!  The look Norah has on her face here is quite common- a look of surprise, one would say.  Eyebrows up, eyes wide open.  She's got a strong neck and this month rolled from her stomach to her back several times.  Norah got her first shots at her 2 month appointment and had a rather hard time that day.  It appears as though her eyes may end up being blue, just like her daddy!  She is such a sweet baby, and we're already beginning to be able to see a lot of her temperament.  She's quite different from her big sis, and is usually pretty content and laid back.  Like Zoe though, she doesn't like riding in the car and also has the same stomach issues (boo!).  As long as mommy stays away from dairy and soy, she's so chill!  She'll just fall asleep when she's tired (without much fuss) but is still a little cat napper.  She's not yet a fan of sleeping in her crib but we're working on it!  This month she was baptized, which was so special, and we took her first trip to the zoo on a rather warm day.  How we love our growing girl! 

Zoe speaks...

... and speaks and speaks and speaks! (name that cartoon) Our big girl is a chatty one, that's for sure.  Once she said her first word she never looked back!  It's so funny and weird to have a full conversation with her, about anything and everything under the sun.  She asks lots of questions, and is also very in tune with her feelings and can verbalize them easily (takes after her Momma on that one).  She keeps us on our toes and we definitely have to watch what is said around her.  Even if it seems like she's doing something, if she's in the room, she's probably listening to the adult conversations happening.  She knows if we're talking about her and gets very bothered and asks us what we're talking about!  As most toddlers do, Zoe still has some funny words for things that I'd love to not forget.

- furray!!! (hooray!)
- marote (remote)
- rabra-ta-dabra (abracadabra)
-acause (because)
- Balentime's (Valentine's)

Her nicknames for her baby sister:
-Nort
-Nor Nor
-Little Honey (said in a very sweet sing-songy voice)

We're so amazed at the verbal skills of our sweet Zoe, who won't be 3 until May.  She is able to express things that I don't think most kids her age can do.  The day after we brought Norah home from the hospital, Zoe was very sad and was crying a lot.  I laid down with her at her nap time, and as she was crying, she said "Momma, nobody can make me happy.  Nothing will make me happy".  Talk about heartbreaking!  I sobbed!  Our little girl suddenly seemed so big.  She loves Norah and will often tell me "thanks for bringing Norah to my house!" or "Thanks for getting her out of your belly, I'm so glad you're at my house Norah".

My apologies for a rambling post, but this was written over 2 weeks :)  and now a sweet picture of our big girl

So behind...

Wow.  I have a lot of catching up to do on here!  Lots of cute Zoe things and the news of our sweet Norah's arrival await!!  It'c coming, I promise!

Norah, one month

I can't believe our new little one is a month old already!  Just like with Zoe, it seems to have gone both fast and slow at the same time.  It's hard to imagine life without this sweet little girl.  She is such a sweet baby, very relaxed and calm.  She cries when she's hungry/tired/needs held/dirty diaper, but that's about it (and even then, it's only really a small protest!)  She smiled at her momma for the first time just a few day ago and has some great head control!  It looks like her eyes may end up blue, even the doctor seems to think so, which we think will be beautiful for our little Norah.  Sleeping is still getting sorted out as she only wants to sleep when being held, but for now we're just enjoying the snuggles with our new babe.  She's a very efficient nurser and is done in under 15-20 minutes, eating roughly every 3 hours (and sometimes a little longer at night, but not often). Norah gets lots of love from her big sister Zoe, and only really gets upset by the love when someone tries to pry open her little clenched fists :)

Norah Nichole Robertson

Norah Nichole Robertson was born on January 10, 2013 at 11:09am!  7lbs, 7 oz, 21 inches long with a lot of dark hair, just like her big sister.  My water broke the afternoon before around 3:30pm.  This labor and birth were not without some fear and complications, but in the end, we were blessed with a healthy, beautiful little girl.  (If you want more details, you know how to get a hold of me. I'd be happy to share, just not on here)

Our first meeting after getting checked out by the NICU

Our hearts are overflowing!

Beautiful Norah

Happy

When Zoe woke up from her nap today, she was laying in her crib, and when I walked in the room, she said "I'm happy!" and gave me a giant squeezie (hug) when I picked her up.  We were just sitting on the couch cuddling (she likes to do this after waking up), and she said "I'm happy.  You're happy.  You make Zoe Rae happy.  You make me happy, Momma".  Needless to say, this momma couldn't help but shed a tear (or 2... or 3...) We have been blessed with such an amazing little girl with such a loving heart.  She couldn't make us any happier either : )

Little Miss Chatty

So... my promises on updating this blog have been less than perfect.  My apologies to anyone who has been checking on me... but I doubt many have!  I've decided that whether or not I have readers, I need to keep this blog in order to remember things that our sweet little Zoe is doing.  I've been working on her 2nd year photo book (I plan on doing one at each birthday highlighting the previous year), and I'm having a VERY hard time remembering what she's done in the last year!  Having a blog post each month of her first year was so helpful!
We have one very, very, talkative girl on our hands, so I've got a few stories to share.  She said 3 complete sentences to me the other day, one right after the other.  "Here you go Momma.  I'm so proud of you.  You're welcome."  I couldn't help but laugh and kiss her little face.  One morning she said "Oh, it's still dark outside" so I went and opened the curtains to show her that the sun was up, and she exclaimed "They turned the lights on!" She also has been very sweet to her little brother or sister, often patting my belly and saying (all on her own) "Hi baby, I lub you baby".  So so precious!
Although she does speak quite well, there are a few funny things she says that I don't want to forget.

- for about 6 months she was calling herself NeNe, but has recently stopped and she knows her name is Zoe Rae.
- polka docks (polka dots)
- bamband (band aid)
- I lub you (love)
-baby soup (bathing suit)
-hams (hands) ie "I got sticky hams" "Wash my hams", etc.
-princenn (princess)

Each night before we put her to bed, we read books and pray with her, and we've started asking who she wants to pray for.  More often than not it's JonPaul, Carrie, Lucy and Judah, our sweet friends from Gulf Drive who now live in South Carolina.  She also wants us to pray for bunnies, birds, Jesus, and momma's baby.

She also knows that my name is Marci Rae, and that her dadda is Mark.  Every once in a while she'll call us by our given name to get a laugh out of us, even though we try to keep a straight face : )

I'm BACK!

Hi friends,

Anyone still there? Well, I've decided to start blogging again, after a hiatus (due to many things). For the time being I'm not going to make this blog private, because I think it's kind of a pain for those of you who want to read (and I WANT you to read!). I'll just be on the lookout for weird spam, and if it gets creepy, then I'll let you know I'm going private.

I'm going to be vague for now, but I hope to use this to expand a little more on what's been going on with us for the last several months. 2011 was not the best year for us, and 2012 was looking to be the same. In the last few weeks things have really started to sort of fall into place, and I finally feel a peace that I haven't felt in a LONG time. So, be on the lookout for family updates, pictures of the CUTEST KID EVER, and even some more personal stuff.

Hope you're still there, and if so, stick with me! Here's a picture of Zoe to tide you over for now. Love you all.

Going Private

So I've toyed with the thought of making this blog private before, but wasn't sure because I don't know if enough people read it or not... but after finding another unknown/spam comment on a post I wrote about Zoe, I'm either going to delete this blog or make it private. If you are one of the few readers, please let me know by email that you want added to the blog if I choose to keep it open. I'll either delete or make private by Tuesday.

13 Month Fun

There are a few things that this little cutie has started doing that I don't want to forget:

- when we hand her a book, if it's backwards/upside down, she knows to turn it the right way before she looks at it. We didn't teach her this, she just started doing it a month or so ago on her own.

- how she wants to share all of her food and toys with anybody else in the room. She reaches out her tiny but chubby arm and gives you this look like "please take my ___ , I'm adorable!" Mark and I are always more than happy to oblige, even for a soggy cheerio, but she doesn't yet understand that strangers don't want a drool covered pen.

- the paci game, where she gives us her paci, we put it in our mouth backwards and then she either takes it with her mouth or her hand. She thinks it's HILARIOUS.

- her little body as she learns to walk. The bent knees, the hard steps, the arms bent ever so carefully for balance, her little diaper bottom and the way she waddles, and the look of amazement/pride on her face as she does it. Simply adorable.

-the way she grabs all of the food we put on her tray, and then feeds herself from her what's in her hands. She LOVES food. Loves it.

- her sweet little voice. She can now say Mama, Dada, Papa, ba-ba (bye bye), hi, uh-oh (with a very cute influx on the 'oh'), ah-dah (all done) and gulga... she says gulga a lot, but we have yet to figure out what it means!

- how she plays peek-a-boo. She covers her eyes, or any other part of her face for that matter, and waits until we say "Where's Zoe?"... and she waits, and waits. Then after about 30-45 seconds, she pops her hands off of her face with a surprised look, waiting for us to say "There she is!!". She then laughs, smiles, and does it again and again.

-her rhythm! Zoe loves music, and she even dances when without music, just because she's happy. Her quickly shakes her head from side to side, she bounces & flaps her arms if she's standing up, and if she's crawling, she'll stop and slap her left foot against the floor. She's going to be a rug-cutter like her daddy!

- her eagerness to be like her Mama! She wants to eat what I'm eating, be where I am, and do what I'm doing! I could eat her up... and I do, with kisses! I love how when I pick her up she wraps her little arms tightly around my neck. Makes my heart melt. Every time.

- the other night I was combing her hair after her bath, and she grabbed her brush and started batting it at her head like she was trying to brush her hair! Little Miss Smarty Pants!

I've already added to this post 4 times... she does so many cute things! I feel like multiple times a day, one of us says "Could she be any cuter?"... to which we always answer no! What an adorable little monkey we have!

Catching up...

For anyone who still reads this blog (I may just be writing for my own memory, and not an audience... which is ok I guess!), I know I'm way behind. I started Zoe's 1 year post and never finished it... and I feel like i have so much more to blog about. But, things are busy, and now we'll be without internet for an undetermined amount of time- we're moving tomorrow! Staying at Gulf Drive, but moving into a 2 bedroom. It has been so difficult sleeping in the same room as Zoe for the past year, and our basement is not fit for a room- it's too wet. Yay for moving across the parking lot!

I'll update soon, I promise!