Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Norah, as of yesterday, you are two! And I guess because you have big siblings to show you the way, you've already learned to be excited about your birthday. All last week we kept asking, "Whose birthday is coming up?" and you'd yell "Me! Me! and try and hold up two fingers. It was really one finger on one hand and then anywhere between one and four on the other but we got the point.  And you were so cute opening your presents. You'd get one and jump and giggle and then finally calm down enough to open it. You certainly enjoy life - and bring us a lot of joy too!

I had to (secretly) help you blow out the candles or the whole thing would have burned up. But you were quite proud of your skills. 

You are very active - climbing, scootering, digging, you just don't stop. Almost every park trip involves another parent/guardian watching you instead of their kid and worrying because your just out there keeping up with the big kids. I just smile and say "She's fine. She does it all the time!"

You love to help. Putting soap into the dishwasher and laundry into the dryer are two tasks that you insist on doing and get very upset if someone else takes that task from you. You also love to help crack and stir eggs for breakfast. In fact, you sometimes decide you don't want to wait for me and get a chair, climb up on the counter to get a bowl and the eggs and start cracking. You can crack eggs quite well. Getting them to fall into the bowl is a bit trickier. You also love to help me get my keys. If you hear me say we are going anywhere, you'll go get my keys and bring them to me. Or you'll carry them around until you drop them somewhere and then I have to figure out where they are so we can go. So not always very helpful - but very enthusiastic about helping!

You're finally starting to talk more.  You can name everyone in the family (Mama, Daddy, Do-do for Jonah, Noo-Nah for Lucy, Baby for herself). Jonah's been teaching you lots of words. Like Up and Down complete with hand motions. And lots of colors - blue, purple, brown, green, yellow. But not pink. If we ask you to say pink you say no. I don't know why. It's fun but I wish he'd stick with more useful words. Like milk or book. You love books but mostly just tell us you want one by hitting us with it. It does get the point across!

You LOVE your brother and sister. You love to give kisses and hugs to them and play with them. But you love having your own way too. You throw fits with me by gently laying down on the floor and curling up in a ball to cry when you don't get your way. But with them, you just yell, "No, Me! NAAHHH!" and push right back.

To be honest, you're a bit bossy. If I call the big kids to dinner or off the playground and they don't come soon enough, they'll soon hear a little "Do-do! Do-do! Noo-nah! Noo-NAH!" and if Jonah forgets his medicine drink and you see the sippy cup, you'll chase him around with it until he takes it - and thanks you for it! If anyone is drawing, you not only insist on a piece of paper and pencil, you also insist that someone draw you a kitty or two - or twelve.

You're also quite the fashionista. You have definitely opinions on what you want to wear right down to what shoes to pair with it. You want so badly to have long hair like Lucy so it can go in a pony but seem happy with the bows you got.

Likes: Books especially those by PD Eastman, babies and animals, swings and slides, milk and "tea" (both actually tea and watered down juice" and fresh vegetable juice (the other kids don't even like fresh carrot or apple juice but you'll chug down my romaine/celery/cucumber/lemon juice!) You love to play in the sandbox. You love to brush your teeth and wipe down your hair. You like naps and wake up so happy after them all ready for snuggling for 20 seconds before you want to know what Lucy and Jonah are up to and how you can join them.

Sick Norah realizing that everyone else just left for church without her. 

But she was clearly sick because here she is actually lying down still on a couch. This is not a staying still kinda kid. 

You dislike baths and getting any sort of dirt on your feet because you think its chicken poop (which considering our back yard, is a reasonable guess). You hate having any sort of messy diaper and it is not uncommon for us to hear you calling and walk into a room with you lying on the ground with a diaper and wipes set out next to you all ready for changing. You really hate being left behind and not (physically) being able to do what you want. It is most distressing. You clearly belong in our family and we are all so glad to have you in it!