Nora is 19 Months Old

When every waking moment of our days is packed to the brim, it feels nearly impossible to jot down a few thoughts here and there. I've taken to keeping a book open on my counter where I record some of the minutia of our days, as it's easier to scribble down thoughts than to boot up the computer and peck out real, complete sentences. Uploading pictures is another thing entirely. (My most recent upload included eight hundred pictures. Seriously.) My days are full of hard work, and sometimes it's just hard. Yet it's a delight to come back here and see what we've been up to, so peck out the sentences I must -- even if it's only every now and again.


Our sweet, passionate little Nora is now nineteen months old. I'm constantly amazed at her uniqueness, and at how she is a perfect fit for our little family. God knows our needs and desires so intimately! She is a delight and a blessing. At nineteen months, Nora...

• weighs 23 pounds, 7 ounces (30%ile) and is 32.5 inches tall (90%ile)
  
• is finally cutting those molars. And is she ever! Three are coming in at once, and they're giving her - and us - all sorts of grief. This all happened just in time for a Tylenol and Motrin recall, but Daddy came to the rescue with Walgreen's brand. She's pretty miserable, but I'm encouraged just knowing that teething eventually ends.
• istalking all the time, of course, and now stringing many two and three word phrases together. We hear "hold you me" pretty often, but she'll also make requests followed by "please" (as in "bunny please"). I'm also sad to report that she's calling her bunny "bunny" (instead of "nimee"). She also jabber-reads books aloud, and sings along to many of our favorite songs.
• Speaking of songs, Nora loves to request "Howy Howy Howy", which is the overwhelming bedtime favorite. She also loves 5 Little Speckled Frogs, the ABC song, and the Miss PattyCake Hullabaloo Song. But she'll pretty much sing anything!
• ends books with a hearty "Amen".
• now requests tutus when she hears music, and loves to dance and twirl in the kitchen. (I'm pretty sure this is old news.)
• is a hearty eater, and is my partner in crime for weird food. Today, Nora sat on the counter while I prepared a greek pasta salad and I had to cut her off the olives and tomatoes. She was also sad to discover that the noodles were noodles, and not beans. She also licks hummus right out of the bowl.
• can identify some of her letters accurately, and she always surprises me when she does. I can take zero credit for this; I'm pretty sure everything she knows, she's learned from Phoebe or Fridge Phonics.
• identifies every color as blue, unless she's talking about pink... her sister has schooled her in pink!
  
• is intensely passionate, and we're working with her on not thrashing. It's amazing how different children require such vastly different things in terms of discipline and training! Nora is also really sensitive, and her feelings are easily hurt.
  
• is a Daddy's girl. She loves her mommy when it's just mommy...but once Daddy gets home, it's all over. She LOVES to be with her daddy, and can't stand to have him out of her sight!

Oh, how we love our little Norabelle! Happy 19 Months, Belly!