Monday, August 18, 2008

Thumb Sucker


Alright, so she didn't come out of the womb with callouses on her thumbs like her mother, but Nora didn't waste time fiddling around with her fingers. She went straight for her thumb; her right-hand thumb, to be exact. I think she's been practicing.

I love to see Nora comforted by her thumb. Mine was a trusted companion for many years.

The Caldwell Clan

Uncle Chris and Aunt Jenifer returned from their trip to Belgium to reclaim their children; Uncle Shane joined us all at Grandma's house for a quick visit before we all scattered again.

It was just long enough for Chris and Jen to meet Nora and to snap a photo of almost all of us (Nora's dad was at work and Grandma behind the camera).

Friday, August 15, 2008

Core Strength

When the cousins got together for a little swim at Petersen's pool, the attention mostly turned to the bigger kids in the pool. It seemed the perfect opportunity for Nora to demonstrate her core strength by sitting and holding her head upright.

It didn't make the ten o'clock news, but it was a big deal to all who witnessed it; Ava was impressed.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

100% Organic


Such a cute onesie from our friend, Jessica.
And such a cute little girl to wear it.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

She's All Smiles

Nora started smiling just in time to meet two of her cousins, Chloe and Storey. The girls were in town while their parents were at a wedding, and we all converged at Grandma's house.

With four children three years old and younger (6 wks, 18 mos, 2 yrs, and 3 yrs) it was an active house! Thankfully the nice weather allowed for a lot of outdoor play. We enjoyed the neighborhood park, feeding the ducks at the Riverwalk, swimming at The Beach, the Children's Museum, and the Morton Arboretum. Whew! It was a lot of fun ... and Nora won't remember any of it.

Not only is she six weeks old, but she slept through most of it! Comfortable in my front-pack, the little girl would fall asleep when we left the house and wake up when I took her out of it, safely back at home. I loved having this time of closeness with her.
Whether she was awake or asleep, her cousins doted on this new little girl, wanting to hold and be close to her. Somehow it's fitting that her first smile captured on film is in Chloe's lap.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Best Friends, Take III

With moms who are best friends and older brothers who can't get enough of each other, Josh and Nora have little choice but to either fall in love or be forever devoted friends. They're stuck!

Ha. No pressure, though!

It would appear that we won't have to force a friendship. At eight months, Josh was already curious about six week-old Nora. And Nora had a smile, or two for Josh. Though none were captured on camera ....
Here's to a long life together.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

One Month!

One month old already.

With four+ weeks under her belt, Nora has fully embraced life. She's eating and sleeping well, and is hitting the expected milestones. In fact, she demonstrated such potential at her two-week check-up that the doctor gave her a pass on her one-month visit.
We'll go back again at two-months, but for now, here are her stats (give or take a couple of weeks).
Height: 25" (>100%)
Weight: 12 lbs (85%)