Nora's 2012 Christmas Letter

Momma always says she’s tired, and Daddy’s busy finishing school, so they’re making me, Nora, at 15 months, write the Christmas letter this year. I’ve never done this before, but Momma says I just tell you what we did this year (just in case you’re not in the Facebook loop, and aren’t caught up on every little thing that happens around here). 

Well, to the important stuff, the stuff about me. In January, Daddy and Grandpa Jack were trying to teach me how to crawl, and when I was 6 months in February, I could do it all by myself. I liked finding new things that Momma wasn’t always thrilled about me finding. (I think I still do that, because they keep putting things up higher & higher.) It was around that time too that they started letting me eat real food! Squash, avocados, carrots, applesauce… I love it all! (Now that I’ve got teeth, they don’t mash it up for me, and I get to feed it to myself or throw it on the floor – that’s usually followed by a “no, no” though.)

For my 8-month birthday, Momma took me swimming for the first time, and I loved it! It’s just like bath time, but the tub is way bigger, and Daddy didn’t keep trying to scrub me down. A couple weeks later, Momma and Daddy left me with Grandma & Grandpa overnight while they went to Daddy’s cousin’s wedding. It was great! Momma says that Grandma always spoils me… if that means “lets me have lots of fun and give me lots of treats,” then yes, yes she does!

On May 19th, we went to a cemetery and released balloons. It was fun to see them fly away. Momma & Daddy said we were sending notes to my big sister for her birthday. She’s the one in the pictures around the house. I like to point at the pictures and say, “bebe,” then Momma tells me, “baby Danni.” (Doesn’t she know I’m still learning to talk? “Bebe” is the best she’s getting out of me!)

In June, when I was 10 months old, Momma & Daddy were babysitting my baby cousin, Reese, and I was jealous that they were giving her all this attention, and not me. I got their attention alright though. I walked straight across the living room! I probably could have done it a while ago (I’d take a step or two, here and there), but, man am I glad I saved that trick until that day! I got their attention back real quick!

Sometime in July that I started noticing Momma’s tummy getting bigger, I thought she was just eating too much, but then she started pointing at her tummy and saying “baby.” I can’t figure out why she would eat a baby, they’re so much fun to sit on the floor next to and watch. (Sometimes I like to poke their eyes and say, “Aye!” Then Momma always grabs my hand and tells me to be gentle, I do it to myself all the time though, and it doesn’t hurt, so I don’t know what she’s so concerned about.) One day, Momma showed me her tummy and asked me to kiss the baby. I felt bad for the poor baby, so I did. I even gave him a hug. Daddy says I get to meet the baby shortly after Christmas.

Oh! Let me tell you about all the places I went! Momma & Grandma took me to Oregon again to play with my cousin, Madison. I liked checking out Great-Grandpa Joe’s wheelchair too. I just can’t get over how cool that thing is! Momma & Daddy took me to Duluth in August, after my 1st birthday. I fell off the hotel bed, and hurt my arm. But, I had a lot of fun playing with the pebbles by this really big lake. Then, they took me up to Daddy’s uncle’s cabin. Boy, was it cool walking around in the woods, watching the big guys cut up wood, and play with my cousins. We also went up to the farm to get pumpkins and visit Momma’s Godmother. I loved seeing the cows (they say, “moo,” you know), and the kitties.

In September, Momma started leaving me with Daddy in the evening sometimes. She said she was going to work, something about tutoring kids at Mathnasium. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t like it when she leaves, and I don’t get to go with her. Daddy, too, has been leaving the house a lot lately dressed up really nice. Momma always tells him, “Good luck with your interview.” I don’t know what that is either, but I like giving him kisses when he leaves.

Love,
Nora, Daddy, Momma, “Bebe” Danni, and the “bebe” that Momma ate


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Ender, the Little Bugger

Alright, so if you've read the book, you'll find the title of this post amusing. Though, I don't mean that Ender is an alien trying to take over planet Earth. Although, maybe that's how the world ends on December 21, 2012...

So, I kind of have a lot to post about. With both girls, I was so much better about staying on top of posts. Although, I will admit, I never actually finished the post about Danni's last appointment. I think I wrote a sentence or two, and afterwards, I didn't want to go back and write about it.

To start, I had an appointment last week. At this point, I don't remember a lot of the details, but I do remember that Dr. Mahan said he was breech, and we were going to schedule the c-section for December 26th. Monday, I had an ultrasound (oh, boy, was that a long appointment!), and yesterday, I had another appointment with Dr. Mahan.

Adam and Nora came with to the ultrasound, and as we were sitting in the lobby, I asked Adam if I had remembered to ask to be scheduled for Krista's room, when Jill, a new ultrasound tech with Allina, called my name. She said that she was going to start the ultrasound, and Krista would come in at the end. Well, when she first scanned, Ender was breech. She went around checking over the usual things they check at a level 2 and a growth ultrasound (though, she only needed to check the growth). She got two pictures of his foot for us while she was scanning, and found that the placenta hasn't really moved. :( She also found that his heart rate was 128 bpm.

Eventually, Krista came in, and Jill asked her a few questions about how to get good pictures of certain parts (being as he was breech, it made some things hard to see). She had problems with parts of his heart (everything is fine, she just couldn't see, if I remember correctly, the RVOT very well, but Krista found it just fine), and with his diaphram. Not that I know much about how to hold the probe to get the pictures they want, but I did know that what she was looking at was not a good picture of it. She was angled wrong, I guess. I just knew it didn't look right, since I saw Danni's diaphram so many times when they would do BPP and check for practice breathing. Krista gave her some pointers though (like looking for the bright white circle of his ribs) to make sure she was at the correct angle.

His big foot up by his head

Before we wiped the jelly off my belly, Krista pulled out the 3D probe, and told Jill she had promised to get some 3D's at this ultrasound, since she couldn't at the last one. At this point, Ender had decided to move to a transverse position facing downward. I'm not sure it made the 3D's any easier to capture though, since he had his hand in front of his face most of the time.

A little distorted since she had to crop out his arm.

Cuddled in, sleeping on his arm.

Once Krista had gotten a couple pictures for us, she told us Dr. Ledella, Dr. Ledella!, would be in to chat with us. I saw her through most of my pregnancy with Danielle - and love her, but only once with Nora, since she was out on medical leave (and I was being seen at Comprehensive for my appointments - just ultrasounds at Perinatal). I guess she had gotten tied up, and was running a little behind (Krista came in twice to let us know her status). But she eventually came in, and scanned again to see that the placenta still had about 3 cm to go, which meant it wasn't going anywhere in time for delivery, and to find that Ender, the little bugger, had now moved to a head down position. Holy buckets kids, do you ever sit still?!

I think one reason I love Dr. Ledella is that she is a woman of faith. While we were chatting, she commented about how Ender was a blessing from God. He is, and it's nice to hear a doctor say it. She talked the same way with Danielle, and how the small victories each week at her appointments were God-given.

Alright, onto yesterday, our appointment with Dr. Mahan. She found his heart rate to be about 160 bpm, and that he was in a head down position still - or probably again... I'm sure he had done several back flips between the ultrasound and the appointment the next day. We talked to her about the possibility of moving the c-section to December XX instead of the 26th, since that would be exactly 37 weeks according to the due date that they have (mine is a little off from theirs, though I tend to believe mine). So we did. I also asked her about his position again (I did at the last appointment too), and how they would have to slice me open. (With a bikini cut, you can VBAC, but if they make a "classical" cut, then you can't.) She said the only way that she would have to make a classical cut is if he is transverse and face up, since there would be nothing for her to grab to pull him out. I told her how he was doing acrobatics at the ultrasound, and she said that they might end up having to scan me before hand to make sure of his position. I'm kind of afraid that he won't be in the right position, and I won't be able to VBAC again. (Prayers for optimal positioning would be nice!)

How far along?: 34 weeks 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: About 22 pounds. I think that's the most I've gained with any of the kids, but I also started at a much lower weight this time, since I was still nursing Nora.
The Bump: Large & in charge. Though, I feel like when I wear my extra big winter jacket zipped up that people might not be able to tell.

32 weeks 4 days

32 weeks 4 days

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: The big day when we meet baby *blank.* (Yep, I think we have a name picked out other than Ender! And, nope, we're not sharing)
Maternity Clothes: I don't even feel like this should be a question anymore...
Symptoms: Just 3rd trimester uncomfortable-ness. Back pain, sleeping, rib kicks...
Belly Button in or out?: Out... I wonder how long it will take to go back in.
Food Cravings/Aversions: Still milk/ dairy. I've been making warm milk with flavored creamers lately. Once in a while hot chocolate, but mostly warm milk.
What I miss: Being able to play with Nora like I used to. I've found other ways to make her giggle & laugh, but still.
Milestones: Supposedly at this point baby is supposed to be "head down and preparing for birth." Not that Ender is, but his lanugo hair is disappearing.

Ender's All Over the Place, and So Are We

I had two appointments this week. One was my regular OB appointment, the other was an extra ultrasound I decided to get for free from Argosy University to see if the placenta has moved at all.

Tuesday was my OB appointment. Adam stayed home with a napping Nora and got ready for one of his interviews, so it was just me. I met the new RN, Justine Politz. I really liked her. I guess she works at Woodwinds also, and used to work at Abbott, but said that the "abnormal was becoming normal," and she didn't like that. It's kind of funny, because even though this is "normal baby #2" for me, the normal routine of appointments still seems somewhat strange to me, as the abnormal with Danni was my normal. (Maybe that's another reason I wanted another ultrasound... that's my "normal.") She measured my tummy, and felt my tummy to find that the baby was in a transverse position (laying across my tummy instead of in a head-down position). She said that was actually good, since I have placenta previa. Then he's not putting as much pressure on the placenta and my cervix. Then she pulled out the doppler, and found is heart rate to be in the 140's again. She mentioned that at my next appointment they would do the Group B Strep culture, but I asked if that was necessary if I am having a scheduled c-section, and I never had one done with Danielle. She said that since she's new there, she would ask Dr. Mahan. So as she walked me out, we stopped and asked. Dr. Mahan said they still do it, just in case my water breaks or something.

Then, on Thursday, we had our free ultrasound at Argosy University. When you sign up for one you have to have already had your 20-week anatomy scan, and you have to bring proof (a picture from it works fine). So we grabbed our ultrasound pictures and off we went! One of the students (whose name was also Sarah) came down to get us, just like if you were going into a clinic. (At the end, we were asked to fill out a survey about how professional they were, and she did great!) When we got up there, I laid down on their table, and she asked if we knew what we were having. We told them we were having a boy, but wanted to know if my placenta had moved at all. She looked right away, and said it was still covering my cervix. I asked her if she could measure to see how far it would have to move yet, but she said her professor, Heidi, would have to do that at the end. Sarah had about 15 minutes to take some anatomy pictures that she needed off her list. She found that he was breech that day... moving all of the place, I guess! She did ended up getting a really great picture of his little boy parts! Since Krista couldn't get him to sit still long enough to get a good picture, I was kind of excited to see that he is indeed a boy! Then two other students had their turn to scan and take pictures off of their lists as well. They gave us a CD with all of the pictures, but they are mostly boring pictures of arm or leg bones, the spine, or a couple of the heart (alright, so I think the heart ones are still pretty neat, with all 4 little chambers!). After each student had their turn, Heidi, the professor had her turn to take some fun pictures. She took some profile pictures and checked how far the placenta would have to move. She said about 3 cm. :( That means in ten weeks, it has moved about 1 cm, and now has another 10 weeks to move 3cm... I don't think that's going to happen anymore, so it looks like I'll be sliced and diced again.

Ender's profile

Looking right at us

He's gonna be chubby! :)

Must be flexible!

He's got hair, just like his sisters did!

How far along?: 31 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: About 19 pounds... 1 1/2 pounds of which are just in the last day... I think I might need to check my scale again.
The Bump: Well, there's definitely no denying that I'm pregnant... It's funny that it changes shape from day to day (or sometimes hour to hour), because he still isn't sure if he's more comfortable transverse, breech, or head down.

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: I think at this point, just getting to see Nora meet him and interact with the "bebe." She's kind of jealous when Adam or I hold another baby, but if someone else is, or if the baby is laying on the floor, she very fascinated by them.
Maternity Clothes: Yep. I'm so glad I've had 2 wonderful people lend me some of their maternity clothes. I feel way more fashionable this time around than with either of the girls! (Thanks, Jacque & Theresa!)
Symptoms: Not sleeping through the night, and sciatic nerve pain... that's about it, I guess.
Belly Button in or out?: Out. With both girls I remember people telling me how back in the day when they were pregnant women would put band-aides over their belly buttons so people wouldn't see them sticking out. No one has said that this time around.
Food Cravings/Aversions: Milk. Hot chocolate sometimes, but the past few days if my tummy's not happy, I drink some warm milk with vanilla & nutmeg (like my mom would make us when we were kids), and my tummy is happy again.
What I miss: The hope of having another VBAC.
Milestones: He's about 11.4 inches long and weights about 4 pounds at this point, and gaining weight more rapidly... maybe that's why I gain 1 1/2 pounds in a day!

Getting Closer...

I had another appointment almost a week and a half ago (Oct. 23rd), and am now starting appointments every other week. (That means we're getting closer! :) ) Since it was my 28-week visit, I got to drink the lovely orange-flavored Glucola before going in. I had eaten lunch right before and had an apple (higher in sugar than the rest of my meal), and after I drank the stuff I started feeling slightly dizzy/ light headed, so I was kind of worried that I wouldn't pass the glucose test. But, at the same time I was fine with the first two, so I wasn't super concerned.

We waited in the waiting room for a little bit, and then were called back to the lab. I couldn't remember if it was a blood draw or a finger prick, so I asked the nurse (in case it was a blood draw, I needed to lay down). She said she already checked my chart, and that I'm Rh+, so it was just a prick. I asked why Rh- people had to have a blood draw instead, and another nurse in the lab told me that since they have to check for antigens (or maybe antibodies... I'm not even sure what the difference is), they just do it all at once, so that you can get the RhoGAM shot. While she nurse was getting ready to prick my finger, Adam & Nora stood in the doorway, watching and waiting for me. Nora must have remembered a similar setting from her one-year check-up, because any time Adam got close to the doorway, she started fussing. So they ended up walking up and down the hallway, with Nora peering in to check on Momma. I kept smiling at her, hoping that it was reassuring her that everything was okay, and leaving a better impression on her. Then maybe next time she goes in it won't be as scary for her. I waited for my results, and they came back fine (well below the allowed amount), and I guess my hemoglobin was also fine.

On the way back to our room, she asked if I wanted a flu shot while I was there, so she came back with that as well. Nora, again was a little leery when she saw what was coming at Momma, but didn't fuss this time, just clung to Daddy. Then we waited for Dr. Tumaneng.

We had a long list of questions for her, many concerning some preterm labor signs I have been having, and what bed rest should all entail for me. It seemed more like pelvic rest, with taking it easy (especially when I'm starting to feel more contractions or back pain), but she said I could still walk around the mall for an hour or two, as long as I wasn't there the whole day. With preterm labor/ deliver on our mind, we also wanted to know where we would end up going at this point, since we knew Woodwinds can't handle all premies. I was hoping St. John's, as that would probably be my second choice, and it was. Woodwinds can handle 34 weeks gestation and beyond, so once we hit December we'll be able to go there no matter what.

Since our experience with a c-section at Abbot left much to be desired, I wanted to know what to expect at Woodwinds for a c-section, so I had her kind of walk me through it. It turns out usually (unless the rooms are all full) you're only in two rooms: your room, and the OR. They do all the surgery prep in the same room that you will be recovering in, and staying in until you leave. We liked the sound of that, since at Abbott we were in 4 different rooms (plus Danni's room, of course, but that was kind of a special circumstance).

Once we got through all our questions, Dr. Tumaneng pulled out the doppler. I will miss how great she is with kids at appointments when she leaves. When she was using the doppler, she held it out for Nora to see and touch while she used the wand to find her little brother's heartbeat (it was about 148 bpm). Nora was thought this new "toy" was pretty interesting, and touched it and listened.

This was my last appointment with Dr. Tumaneng, and on the way out I scheduled my next couple appointments with the other providers. I'm trying to meet with each one again (and meet the new one, Justine) before we schedule the c-section.


How far along?: 29 weeks 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: About 17 pounds.
The Bump: I'm starting to feel big, especially since I'm doing the pregnant waddle more often now.

27 weeks 1 day

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: I scheduled an ultrasound for this coming Thursday at Argosy University to hopefully see if the placenta has moved. I'm not sure if they'll look or tell me, since it's considered a "fun" ultrasound, but I'm hoping they will. (And I'm hoping it has moved!)
Maternity Clothes: Oh yeah! Pants all the time, shirts most of the time. I can still wear a few of my non-maternity clothes, but it's getting to be fewer and fewer. (The day before Danni was born, I was wearing a non-maternity tank, so I'm sure this answer will be pretty much the same from here on out.)
Symptoms: Well, the whole time I've been complaining about back pain, and it seems to be less -or, dare I say, gone. I know lower back pain often accompanies placenta previa, so I'm hoping this is a sign that its gone! I still have worse sciatic nerve pain than I did with either of the girls (with them it actually got better!).
Belly Button in or out?: Totally out. There's no going back!
Food Cravings/Aversions: I was on Pinterest and found a yummy looking pumpkin bread with a cream cheese filling that I was craving. I found a similar pumpkin bar recipe that I had the ingredients for and made it, but then found I really wasn't craving it all that much. (They're still really good though!)
What I miss: Sleep. I wake up most nights and can't fall back asleep. Though it's helped now that I have Adam getting up with Nora if she wakes up in the middle of the night.
Milestones: At this point he has rhythmic breathing (but his lungs aren't fully developed), his bones are fully developed, and his eyes respond to light. He's getting ready to come out and meet the world! :)

Bed Rest? What's that?

When I was pregnant with Danielle, I never went to an appointment alone. With Eleanor, I went to one appointment alone (right after Adam's mom died, and they were planning the funeral). Two weeks ago, I went to my first appointment with Ender alone. It was with Aimee, the nurse practitioner, and all went well. She measured me for the first time (right on track), and checked his heart rate (150-155 bpm). I didn't really have any questions for her, but she reminded me that at my last appointment Dr. Tumaneng put me on modified bed rest since I have placenta previa. I asked her what that all entailed, since I had forgotten I was on it, and since I really didn't have a good explanation of what I could and could not do. She said she wasn't the best person to ask, so I ended up Googling it when I got home. Pretty much everything I had been doing, I shouldn't have been doing. I started a new job, and you're not supposed to be working, let alone driving. While I've still been driving and working (where I think I actually get to sit more than I do at home!), I've tried to lay off the housework a bit. It's tough though, because I like a clean house, I like checking things off my to-do list, I like making dinner for my family... However, it's starting to get a lot tougher to do many of these things. While its tough to do when you're pregnant often anyways, I'm finding that if I do my "normal" stuff, I get super sore, and have more contractions. If I take it easy and don't do much, I have maybe one or two, and sometimes none at all. I know it's probably best for the baby at this point, but I think if I get put on strict bed rest, I will go mad! I can't sit still that long!


How far along?: 26 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: About 12 pounds.
The Bump: I still don't feel super big, and I was telling Adam that the other day. I was telling him that I wonder if it's because out of the 3 1/2 years we've been married, I've been pregnant for almost 2 of those years.
What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Oh golly, I don't know... maybe seeing Nora interact with her little brother when he arrives.
Maternity Clothes: Pants, yes. Tops, mostly (my tummy is starting to show out the bottom of most of the ones that aren't).
Symptoms: Back pain, back pain, back pain... oh, and did I mention, back pain.
Belly Button in or out?: The other day I was laying on my back and it went in a little, but it's still totally out.
Food Cravings/Aversions: With Danni, I'd say it was apples. With Nora, I don't think I really had one. With this one, I'm thinking it's chocolate & sweets, but mostly chocolate.
What I miss: Since I'm supposed to be on modified bed rest, I miss being able to do my normal things. I don't like that making dinner is sometimes such a chore and effort. It drives me nuts that I have stuff I want to get done, but I'm afraid of what I'll feel like afterwards (see "Symptoms" above).
Milestones: Well, his eyes open and he can cry this week. And I didn't realize it until I looked at chart, but Sunday ends the second trimester! This pregnancy seems to be going a lot faster than the girls' did...

ICAN Meeting

Even before we scheduled our c-section with Danielle, I had gone to the ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) website. I wanted to be informed about how I could have a c-section and make my chances of having a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) the best they could be. I used information found at their website and other places I researched to write a birth plan and talk to my doctors. I knew they had meetings, but never even thought about going to one, until yesterday.

My doula that I had with Nora, Ashley, had posted on Facebook to see if anyone wanted to go to next month's meeting. It turned out to fall on Adam's birthday, so another friend of mine (who has also had a c-section and VBAC, and is expecting again in December, similar to us) and I decided to go to this month's meeting last night. While I fully support the efforts of ICAN in making mothers more aware of their choices in birth, and letting them know that a VBAC is, in most cases, an option, I, myself, will not be going to another meeting. I want you to know while reading this that I understand that going though a c-section can be a traumatic event, and some women do suffer from postpartum depression (and some, who go through traumatic births, apparently suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder). These are often chemical imbalances in your body, and you aren't really able to control them.

At the beginning of the meeting we went around and did brief introductions (Hi, I'm Sarah. My first was a c-section, my second was a VBAC, and I'm pregnant with number three, who will likely be another c-section.) Most of the women said something such as, "mine was your typical reasons for a c-section... not progressing in labor properly." I didn't even mention that mine was scheduled, mine was because my daughter had a severe heart defect, mine was much different from all of your stories.

While, everyone (sans me) was sharing different parts of their birth, their feelings during and after their c-section, what they wished the medical staff would have done, and such, I stayed quite. I don't usually mind talking about Danielle and her story, but I didn't feel comfortable doing it here. Just about every woman in the room said that the worst thing people had said to them in reaction to their traumatic birth was, "at least you and the baby are healthy," and every woman said how much she hated it when people said that, and how much it hurt them in different ways. The first time one of them said it I thought about chiming in, but soon they were all saying it or agreeing with the statement. That is the point at which I shut myself off at the meeting. I couldn't handle not saying, "Well, yeah, they're right." There were a few points where I felt as though I needed to get up and walk out (not leave, because I still needed to give my friend a ride home!), but I stayed, and in hopes of getting something out of the meeting.

After that, I listened to them share how they had problems bonding with their baby for months and months, breastfeeding issues (or successes and how it was healing), and other things. One women shared how she had preeclampsia and her baby was in the NICU. She said that she didn't get to hold her baby until hours later when they wheeled her recovery bed over to see her baby. I was at least able to tell her that she's lucky she got to hold her baby the day he/she was born, as they wouldn't let me hold my daughter while I was still on the bed, and I wasn't really able to get up until the next day. What I didn't say is how in the few hours that I held her or was with her, I didn't get much of a chance to bond with her. I knew the moment I laid eyes on her that I loved her so much my own heart could burst. But I never got to build that nursing relationship, since I only nursed her once for a few moments (even though the doctors didn't want me to, the nurse let me).

I really didn't get anything out of the meeting, and I would never go back, but it was a funny coincidence that three and a half years after our wedding, I ran into our wedding photographer, Danica, (who was there, I'm assuming to drum up business, as she doesn't have any children), at this meeting. Worth it? Maybe, maybe not. But making it through the meeting was an experience, and one I will choose to not have again.

Look What Nora Can Do!

I kind of wanted to make a list of things that Nora has learned how to do so that when she's older and has kids of her own she can see how much trouble sweet she was. I wanted to do it at a year, but never got around to it... So at 13 1/2 months, Nora can...

- point at a puppy/ dog and say "PU-pe"
- say "be-be" when she sees a baby (she has been very gentle and nice to babies thus far, and I'm hoping it continues when her little brother arrives)
- say "mama," "dada," "gmpa," "abby" (or "addy," we're not really sure which) and babble ALOT
- makes a new noise that I can't even replicate (no idea where or how she came up with it, but she really thinks its fun to make!)
- walk
- climb upstairs and she's starting to walk downstairs (like an adult!) when she's holding onto something or someone
- climb from the kneeler in church onto the pew
- bring you the stuffed Tigger grandma bought her, when you ask "Where's Tigger?"
- "bounce" by bending her knees when asked "What does Tigger do?" or "Can you bounce?"
- dance by stomping her feet to any one of her toys that makes music
- give dolly or Momma (or anyone/ thing) a hug or kiss when asked (and sometime when not asked) :)
- point to her nose when asked "Where's Nora's nose?"
- point to someone else's nose when asked
- point to your eyes and say "hi-e"
- point to her eyes when asked
- show the sign for eat when asked if she wants to eat
- go to her highchair when asked "Where do we go to eat?"
- go to the gate going upstairs for bedtime or naps, diaper changes, or just when told "Let's go upstairs"
- go to the gate going to the main floor when told "We're going downstairs"
- say "hi" and wave
- wave bye-bye
- wave bye-bye to Daddy when we I tell her we are leaving (making sure he sees her and waves back), then goes to the gate to go to the basement
- point to things she wants when asked, "What do you want?" (mostly food, but sometimes other things)
- try to put lids on containers (never the right ones though!)
- run to the garage door from the car, walk over the door threshold (with a hand from Momma), and run over to the stairs to climb up before I can even put down the diaper bag
- walk backwards until she feels a "chair" (like grandma's front step) and sits down
- shut drawers or cabinets when told to "shut" (then claps because she did a good job)
- put things "in" or "on" other things when asked to (drawers, shelves, etc.)
- pulls things our then *sometimes* puts them away again
- use a spoon to put things in her mouth (but someone has to put something on the spoon for her)