Sucking Face

I learned today that if I linger while kissing Nora, she'll latch on to my lips! 

At least she didn't slip me the tongue like Joseph used to.  Babies crack me up!

Sweet on Mommy, indeed!

My little scientist

Joseph just put 2 pieces of paper on the table to see if the wind would blow them off (it's windy here today and our windows are open).

Love the inquisitive mind of the child!

First Foods

Tonight I made my first batch of "baby food".  I was cooking up sweet potato wedges for us, so I made some sweet potato cubes for the freezer.  I left a little bit out to give to Nora during dinner.  I'm pretty sure she liked it way better than avocado or banana!  A little bit even got swallowed, though I had to hose her down in the shower after dinner.  Three lessons learned:

1) BIBS - Why did I forget that these exist?  I don't know.

2) Sweet potatoes really bring out the blue in her eyes

3) She really wants to do it herself!  Which is messy, but at least lets me eat my food.  Haha

She's got, Personality!

Wow, this week Nora really has turned on the charm!  She's started making these super-adorable baby girl noises. (I remember them from my mom's group baby girls - I was always amazed at their sweet little voices!)  She's sitting up safely now, and loves to lunge for stuff already.  I'm nervous that my baby "golden age" is going to be short this time around!  We went out to dinner tonight and she sat in the high chair by herself, and last week she rode in the grocery cart for the first time!  I can't believe how she's growing.

Joseph seems to have turned a corner the last few days, too (knock on wood).  Tonight he went to Nora and gave her a hug and kiss - on his own.  For no reason.  Multiple times.  Baffling.  And wonderful.  I hoe this lasts for at least a few days.  Ha!

By the way, Joseph's manners are improving, too.  He's doing a lot better with not whining while asking for things, uses please and thank you without prompting often now, and was super well behaved out at dinner.  We've never had too much trouble with him, but I can really see the improvement in his behavior after the last few weeks of horribleness!

<3 my babies!

Random thoughts on Toddlers

We went to the museum of natural history today, and Joseph had tons of fun!  At first, he was afraid of the dinosaurs, but he did ask to go back to see them.  Some were "too scary" but he liked the t-rex, triceratops, and sauropods.  The museum was phenomenal, by the way!  Highly recommend if you are ever in the area.

Toddler language is just about the funniest/neatest/most interesting thing I've observed for a while!  Since they say everything out loud, you really get a feel for how their language develops.  I can't believe just a couple of months ago I was talking about Joseph's "first" conversation.  His language has exploded!  Some of the funny stuff he says has to do with his vocabulary.  I was always told that I used "too big" of words when I was a kid, and I think Joseph will be the same way.  He also has superb manners, when he remembers to use them!  Lots of please, thank you, may I, etc...

From the grammar standpoint, he works hard to get things right - sometimes going too far in one direction.  Right now he understands "yours" but instead of "mine" uses "mines" (makes sense!).

The plural can trip him up, too.  Today he had one noodle on his spoon and said "Here is one mac'n'chee".  Then he had 2, and said "Here are two mac'n'cheese".  So obviously "mac'n'chee" is the singular.  LOL!

I love watching him develop... things have definitely been improving around the house in the last few days with our moods!

Swinging, Swinging so High!

Both of my babies LOOOOOVE to swing!  We got a little swingset for the back yard, which I put together a couple of weeks ago.  Joseph and Nora are really getting a lot of use out of it.  Joseph's favorite is the "air glider", I think he's still kind of nervous on the big-kid swings.

5 Months!

Nora is 5 months old! 

She's sitting up well on her own now:

Making tons of noise
 http://domerbaby.smugmug.com/Children/Video-Clips-April-2012/i-BPJLzD9/0/S/120405untitled009-S.jpg

Dive bombing my plate at every meal and grabbing for my drink (I'm considering letting her have at it w/ a piece of banana or avocado a little early)

Beginning a nighttime routine (even if it includes wakings every 2  hours still.  Sigh)

Laughing at big brother: http://domerbaby.smugmug.com/Children/Video-Clips-April-2012/i-qrTfgmt/0/S/120406untitled011-S.jpg

Grabbing for her toes

Loving on Sophie

Being generally adorable!