Day 319- In The Morning

There is about 15-30 minutes each day after I leave for work that Nora and Brad are at home together. I leave the house between 7:10 and 7:15, while Brad leaves with Nora between 7:30 and 7:40. Even though it's rare for Nora to cry when I leave anymore, it's still the suckiest (yes, I said suckiest) moment of my day.

So, what do my 2 favorite people do for that short span of time in between me leaving and them walking out the door?

They feed the dogs.

A little out of focus...

And they catch a few extra minutes of Sesame Street.

Watching Elmo is very serious business.

I am amused by Brad's seemingly serious face in this self-portrait as he and Nora watch Sesame Street. Smile, Daddy!

Day 318- Too Cool For School

A fun "game" that Nora likes to play each morning is to point around her room for random things she wants us to hand to her before she gets out of bed for the day.

This morning, those things were her sunglasses and a book.

 

My kid is so much cooler than I am.

Day 317- Daddy and Me

You love your Daddy SO much. When he walks in the door from work, most days, you greet him with a happy squeal and open arms. And he loves you SO much. He will drop everything pretty quickly when he gets through the door so he can greet you with his open arms as well.

While you truly adore him, you don't really know yet just how lucky you are. Sometimes even I forget just how blessed we are, Nora. Let me tell you some of the things your Daddy does for you.

He dresses you, feeds you, reads to you, plays with you, takes you for rides in the car. He bathes you, rocks you, tickles you, hugs you, kisses you. He watches TV with you. He lets you have the last bite of whatever it is he is eating, if you want it. He even dances with you-- a rare occurrence for him until you decided that dancing daddy is soooo funny.

From early morning wake ups to late night feedings to 3 a.m. walking-the-floor dazes with a teething baby in excruciating pain, he's done it all.

All of these things probably sound ordinary, but you'll just have to trust me that YOUR Daddy is extraordinary.

Today was a dreary day, and we didn't take any pictures, so I'm going to take you for a little walk down memory lane from your first days until just yesterday.

 

These are just a few of the dozens of pictures I could have put here. You and your Daddy have a special relationship that fills my heart with so much joy. I just know you will grow to adore him more and more. There will probably come a time (hopefully it will be short) when you will forget just how awesome he is and how lucky you are, but I am confident that it won't last long before you get back to seeing, as I do, that you were blessed with the best Daddy in the world.



Day 316- Seusstastic!

We went to a birthday party today!

My friend Denise's son, Jace, turned 1, and she threw a sweet Dr. Seuss party. Nora ran herself ragged. It was so much fun watching her run around with some other kids and squeal with delight at the balloons.

Here are some pictures of her enjoying some of the quieter activities.

Coloring... Scribbling.

How am I supposed to choose just one?

Silly Cat!

Once we got home from the Seuss party, I thought Nora might like a cat nap (see what I did there?) but she was a-raring to go.

Dance, dance, dance!

She did eventually settle down, though. I think her last 4 molars are coming through because she ended the night drooly and clingy.

Awwww

Sweet girl snuggling up to her Daddy while watching Sesame videos.

My heart melts.

Precious girl. She had a fun day. I hope those last teeth come through soon and give her relief at long last!

Day 315- Sleepy Face

Check out Nora's sleepy face tonight.

After a fun afternoon at the park, she was so ready for bed.

It's chilly at night lately, so she sleeps in fleece PJs on top of fleece blankets. She absolutely will not sleep under blankets, so this is the best we can do to keep her warm. Thankfully, it seems to work just fine.

Day 314- Nora's First Guitar

Now I know why my friend Jessica doesn't take her daughter shopping if she can help it.

We were at Target shopping for a birthday party gift when this caught her eye. Pretty much anything with Elmo on it catches her eye, but once she got her hands on this, there was no way we were walking out of Target without it. I mean, I realize I *could have* put it back and endured the meltdown, but seeing her dancing in her seat and waving her arms about to the "rock" version of "Elmo's Song" was too cute to resist.

Day 313- Let's Move Furniture!

This is a perfect spot for a dining room chair, isn't it? Right in front of the couch. A perfect spot to watch Elmo!

Nora loves ot push furniture around. Diningroom chairs, the ottoman from her bedroom, her highchair- if she can move it, she will move it.

And if you tell her firmly that it's time to stop moving furniture around?

Oh, the injustice.