Sweet Little Nora,
I am loving this stage with you right now, Nora. You are bright and happy and make us all laugh with your dancing, your noises, and cute expressions. You know you're cute, too, which just makes it all that much cuter! You are sleeping well at night and are down to one afternoon nap a day, you can feed yourself and aren't quite as picky as you used to be, and once you feel comfortable, you like to get down and walk around now when we go to parks and play places. And you love, love, love your brother. You just laugh to no end when we are at the table eating our meals and you two can get really crazy.
I can tell that you understand so much of what I'm saying now. When I say we're going to get Luke in the morning, you walk straight to his door, ready to walk in as soon as I open it. When I say it's time to put on your shoes, you walk to the drawer in your dresser, sit down and put your foot up. When I say it's time to look at books in your room, you walk to your crib for me to put you in along with some books and turn on your music for some independent play time. At first you would cry when I left, but now you seem perfectly happy to be in there while I get ready in the morning.
You have also become a little more bold and shown some beginning signs of defiance. When I dropped you off at ibloom a few weeks ago, you cried, as you always do, but this time you also swung your arms and hit me. You were mad at me for leaving you there! Last week you climbed half way up our stairs right after I had corrected you for going up one stair. I gave you your biggest spanking yet and you cried hard and I felt bad about it. But you needed to know not to do it again. I have started putting your hair in little pony tails and it's so cute. It also keeps your bows in better, but I do have to correct you when you take your bow out. You don't get spankings for that, but I will tell you "no." :)
You do well mimicking expressions and sounds. Your most repeated sound resembles "touch it" and you will adamantly point to things as you say it over and over. When I have said the words, you have repeated "apple" and "dog." You also say "dad-n, dad-n, dad-n" and love it when we say it back to you. Luke, especially, likes to use your language to communicate with you and it's clear that it makes you very happy!
I have enjoyed the extra time with just you while Luke is at preschool. Dropping him off at 9 gives us about 2 hours before you start lunch around 11 or 11:15 in order to get down for your nap at 11:45. We have done a couple fun things just for you, like toddler time at the library or playing at Chick-fil-A, and it seems like you get that it's special. Other days we have gone to Ross or Good Will and you do perfectly well in the cart with some crackers in your snack trap. You also have done well at the grocery store or out to breakfast with our friend Mrs. Dalya.
You are the sweetest, Nora, and we just love you so much!
Love,
Mommy
