We’re going to sleep. Mommy will have a post about today tomorrow. Check back, please! 🙂
========== UPDATE:
Nora and I had a busy, busy day yesterday! I will let her tell you about it:
Hi, it’s me, Nora!
Ummm…. Let me think…
Oh yeah! I had some milkies…
And then Mommy and I went on a 45 minute drive to Aunt Sarah & Uncle Dan’s all by ourselves! We only had to stop twice.
I was a little bit angry.
Once we got there, I was happy. Everyone was happy to see me!
I love hanging out with my Nana and my Aunts. That’s my Mommy’s Mom and her sisters.
Aunt Em was still in town from her bridal shower. I wish Aunt Em and Uncle Josh lived closer!
Here’s my and my fairy godmother, Aunt Sarah.
I always know when Mommy is on the phone with Aunt Sarah. They’re pretty weird, if you ask me…
We hung out and had some beers and dinner. Well, I didn’t. I just had the milkies. That other stuff looks DISGUSTING.
Blech!
I was very, very good for the whole trip back home. Not a peep out of me.
When we got home, I waited patiently for my spa appointment (bath in the BIG tub)!
It was a very relaxing soak, followed up by a wrap. (It wasn’t seaweed wrap though)
That was enough in one day for me! I got myself very tired out!
That’s all for now!
Love, Nora
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And there you have it! She was a little vague about the two stops we had to make on our way out to Sarah & Dan’s. She didn’t mention that one of those stops was barely a mile from our house!! She wasn’t harmonizing very nicely with the Baby Einstein selection in the CD player, so we had to pull over in Jimmy John’s parking lot. She was angry that she wasn’t being immediately treated to milkies and loves. Her request was quickly granted and we were able to set off on our way again. The next stop was just a couple minutes away from Sarah & Dan’s. She just could NOT wait for some more lovings. Baby Einstein was NO LONGER of any comfort what so ever. “Turrrrn this craaaaaap offf!!!” she yelled.
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We did have a nice visit at Sarah & Dan’s, but realize that their hearts are heavy with the recent loss of Dan’s grandma just the day before. Grandma Ruthie was 96 years old, a beautiful, sweet, jovial woman who I never saw without a smile on her face. Her roommate and dear friend of about 10+ years passed away just the week before. I can just imagine, “Girl!!! You’ve got to see this place!!! Get up here!!!”
Grandma Ruthie was truly a lover of life, family and happiness. Here is a picture of her going “off-roading” (trailer hoooked up to the quadrunner) last year at her 95th birthday party! She will be missed.
Today I ventured out for the first time on my own, just Nora and I. Nora did amazingly well with only a few intervals of fusses. We went to my sister Emily’s bridal shower / Babypalooza. There were three other baby boys there all about Nora’s age — give or take a few weeks. I think they all had their eye on this gorgeous little miss!
Have you seen my mother?
Oh! There she is!
This is one of my cousins, Gracie
This is my Aunt Em
Me and Mommy
Three Little Birds!!
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18 ESV)
Things are pretty quiet around here with my brother and sister being away. Mommy sure hopes I don’t get too used to this quiet!! They flew down to Texas with our MeeMee to visit our cousins, and our Aunt and Uncle! They sent us this picture:
It looks like they’re all having fun! I miss them! Maybe someday I can go too!
Today I had great fun. I got to go swimming with my Mommy in the big tub again!
I really, really like this. It’s kind of like being in Mommy’s belly again! I like floating!
Evidence of a fun, fun time!
After that I was really relaxed and started to doze off on Mommy & Daddy’s bed.
But nothing compares to Mommy’s arms
I’m still doing very well with my saturation levels:
It’s been a nice fun day, but I’d better get some rest here. I have a very busy day tomorrow! Thanks for praying for me!!
Love,
Nora
Sing to the Lord, for he had done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. (Isaiah 12:5)
First of all, thank you to everyone who came out to Chik-fil-a today and this evening! That was so awesome to see all of your pictures and to hear about the amazing turnout! We were able to make it up there around 7:30 this evening. We loved seeing our friends and neighbors and meeting new friends! Your love and support really mean so much!
Nora was really excited about getting out tonight and wanted to get spruced up for the occasion. She had a nice relaxing bath while “3 little birds” watched over her the entire time from a tree in the backyard!
It took a little while, but she finally decided on the perfect outfit:
Um... Let's try the pink and black ensemble, please.
Does this make my shoulders look big?
Here are some pictures from tonight at Chick-fil-a:
This stuff is no good. Do they have any milkies?
Mmmm.myah.mmuch better, please.
In other news, Nora is down to an 8th of a Liter of oxygen! I think she’s anxious to be done with all of these stinkin tubes. Last night she ripped one side of the tegaderm off of her little cheeky for Miss Pam!! (Sorry, Miss Pam!! Love, Nora) I put new tegaderm on this morning, but not before snapping a cute picture of her:
Terribly sweet cheeks or what!!??
Here Nora is just before bed time after her busy day. Someone doesn’t look very sleepy!
She’s busy thinking about all of her friends that love her. Thank you again for the huge turn out today! You are all awesome!!!
I thank my God every time I remember you. (Philippians 1:3 NIV)
Mommy and Daddy took turns throughout the night on “Nora Duty” last night, then Mommy and I went on a 2 mile walk this evening. Mommy is crazy tired, so here are some pictures of me (the Big Girl in town) to hold you over:
Maybe I’ll see you at Chick-fil-a tomorrow? Don’t forget to mention me when you order!!
4980 Houston Road, Florence, KY 41042
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. (Proverbs 3:24 ESV)
Gavin & Greta were away on a play date, and William was at work. So Nana (my sweet Mom) came all the way over to accompany us to Nora’s appointment with the pediatrician this afternoon. (I’m not totally comfortable driving with no one sitting back with her to help her if need be.) I’m proud to report that we have a very big girl on our hands! Nora weighed in at 6 lbs. 14 ounces and she’s grown another inch!
She is now 20½ inches, which has almost landed her in the 5th percentile!! She’s still a little behind in other areas of the growth chart, but that is very normal for her! Dr. Bolling was extremely pleased to hear that we’ve been able to successfully decrease her oxygen flow without affecting her sats! We plan to bump it down to an 8th of a liter to see how she does with that.
Earlier in the day we took a walk up to the mailbox before it got too hot out. Nora was fussy and needed a change of scenery. That seemed to do the trick and she fell right asleep. Upon arriving back home, I brought her in her carrier seat into the living room. I didn’t want to disturb a sleeping baby!! She slept contentedly in there for awhile. Every so often I would peek in at her. At one point I peeked in, and this is what I saw:
Busted, Mommy!
She was just quietly looking around in there, as sweet as she could possibly be!
Nora is now sound asleep as I write this. “Decreased activity” is one of the side effects of her DTaP/Hib/IPV vaccine that she received today.
Nora's Nest
I’m not sure what she decided was worse–the shot or the Children’s Tylenol that they administered beforehand. She expressed great displeasure at the grape flavor. “You really ought to take this crap off the menu,” she said, “This stuff is NO good!!!” … Yet she drank the barium down at the swallow study like it was the best thing she’d ever had! (?)
Just a reminder – it’s Nora Rose Day at Chick-fil-a on Houston Rd. in Florence, KY June 21st, 11am – 8pm. If you mention Nora’s name BEFORE you order (dine in, carry out or drive thru) 15% of the sale will go toward the Nora Rose Fund. And because you’re wondering: the Nora Rose fund was set up by some dear neighbors to assist with any excessive medical bills that may come about. It is our hope that Nora will continue to do as well as she has been and that we won’t actually need to use this money for that purpose. Instead we would love to donate it all to a worthy organization(s) in celebration of Nora’s life! If you are unable to make it to Chick-fil-a, but you’d still like to contribute to the Nora Rose fund, you may do so at any Fifth Third Bank. Thank you so very much, Becky for coordinating Nora Rose Day at Chick-fil-a and to Ron & Darla for setting up the Nora Rose Fund! You’re awesome!
Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it. (Genesis 33:11 ESV)
The moment could have been molded into a collectible porcelain figurine it was so precious. I remember my Oma singing me the same songs when I was a little girl. The words were in German, but all there was for me to understand then was that my Oma loved me. That’s all there was for Nora to understand 39 years later – that her Oma loves her.
In all likelihood Nora doesn’t understand German, or English for that matter, but you had better believe this little girl understands that she is loved!
Nora and I went for a 20 minute brisk walk in the blazing afternoon sun today. Nora was all kicked back in her shaded stroller enjoying the summer breeze that was blowing through her sweet wispy hair (and the jasmine in her mind?). I asked her, as we were making our way up a steep incline if she would mind trading places — maybe she could push Mommy around for awhile? She didn’t answer me. She’s conveniently only 2 months old in moments like this…
Once back home I was a disheveled mess. The air conditioning was nice, but a lukewarm bath seemed to be in order. Nora agreed.
And there I was. Soaking in the same big tub that I was in January 9th when I received the news,”Your baby is showing an extra 18th chromosome.” My world shattered in that instant. I could hardly breathe, nor did I really want to anymore. Today, in that same big tub was a very, very different emotion.
Again there were tears in my eyes, but these were tears of intense gratitude and all consuming bliss as I looked down at the pair of sweet bright eyes looking back at me. I gently cradled the back of her head as her little body weightlessly floated around… making tiny ripples.
God invaded my piddly existence and proved Himself to me in ways that demanded my attention. Over and over again He has turned my weakness to power, my anxiety to peace, my anger to tranquility, my frustration to patience, my fear to courage, my tears to laughter, my sorrow to joy. How can I begin to think I had anything to do with this on my own? Impossible. Praise you, Almighty Lord and Savior!
From a dog-eared page of one of my devotionals: The delight of despair comes when I delight in knowing that there is something in me which must fall prostrate before God when He reveals Himself to me, and also in knowing that if I am ever to be raised up, it must be by the hand of God. God can do nothing for me until I recognize the limits of what is humanly possible, allowing Him to do the impossible.
To all who mourn,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the LORD has planted for his own glory. (Isaiah 61:3 NLT)
Happy Two Month Birthday to the little Miss and Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, my hubzbind, and to all of the great dads out there! A special blessing upon the daddies of angels. Although your little one may not be here with you in the flesh, that makes you no less a Daddy, and a very special one at that.
Our day was a busy one, but fortunately not hectic busy. We had a lot of fun! Gavin had grand ideas to bring his Daddy breakfast in bed, but William was already downstairs before I could help Gavin get things together. With his Muthr’s help Gavin made scrambled eggs and cinnamon rolls, and then William opened his presents. Nora even joined us at the table!
I helped the kids with a gift of framed photos. The first frame said, “We Love Daddy Because…” These were the rest of the frames:
Props and shouts out to Pinterest for that idea! We made a similar one for Papa (and another as a belated Mother’s Day gift for Nana).
Later in the afternoon we went to Nana and Papa’s house (over the river and through the woods, quite literally).
Happy Father's Day, Papa!!!!
Nora meets Watson
We have cute video footage of Oma singing to Nora, I have yet to procure from William's phone
2 Sleepy Heads
Funny story: While we were at my parents’ house Gavin watched in fascination as his Uncle Joe mixed up a whole bunch of “weird things” in a glass.
Bloody Mary
Tomato juice, some sort of clear liquid *wink*, horseradish, mustard, seasoning salt, and he even tossed a pickle in there! Gavin assumed Uncle Joe was just concocting some sort of witch’s brew for the fun of it. After Joe gave it a quick stir, Gavin roweled, “NOW DRINK IT!!!”
“Don’t mind if I do!” Joe retorted as Gavin watched in abject horror!! Haaa!! What must he have thought!!?? LOL
We headed back home by way of the ferry. We got Nora out of the car for a couple sweet quick pictures.
All that fun in one day makes for a tired out baby girl!
Big stretches for this sweet Big Deal! 🙂
We hope you enjoyed your day as much as we enjoyed ours! Happy Father’s Day!
The righteous man leads a blameless life, blessed are his children after him. (Proverbs 20:7)
iwillcarryyou 