Week Fourteen

This week, we celebrated Nora's birthday with a party at the Little Gym. Her birthday guests were Amelia, Ella, Sophie, Levi, Jon Loran, Beckham, Culver, Liam, Fisher, and Faith. We also had her 3 year well-visit with Dr. Joe where we learned that she has grown perfectly on that same curve she's been on her whole little life. She weighs 35 lbs and is 39" tall. That puts her in between the 75th and 90th percentile for both her weight and height.

I also did Nora's first ever birthday interview this week. Her answers were sweet, thoughtful, and funny. The English teacher in me loves that she answered most questions in complete sentences.

This is Nora's first ever birthday interview:
What is your name? Nora Lyle (sounds more like Nowa)
How old are you? 3 candles on my birthday cake!
What is your favorite color? My favorite color is pink.
What is your favorite letter? My favorite letter is W.
What is your favorite number? 2!
What is your favorite animal? A cow says mooo and a pig in the mud.
What is your favorite food? My favorite food is chicken nuggets and apple sauce and yogurt.
What is your favorite book? I like the Hippo book (Hippos Go Berserk) and my Colors Book.
What is your favorite song? My favorite song is Chicken Baby (a Lyle original!)
What is your favorite tv show? I like to watch Peppa Pig.
What is your favorite movie? My favorite movie is Anna and Elsa.
What is your favorite toy? I love my princess magic wand.
Who is your favorite princess? My favorite princess is Elsa.
What makes you happy? My favorite happy is mommy and daddy.
What makes you sad? I sad when I'm crying.
What is something you do well? (I had to ask this several times, several ways) Well, I don't know. (I suggest that she is good at dancing.) Yes, that is awesome! It's the Wild West! (What??? lol)

We were in her bed when I asked her these questions, so when I stopped asking Qs, she said, "I'm ready to sleep. Good night. Sweet dreams." My sweet girl.

I love my big girl so much. She is silly and sweet and sassy. She's kind and compassionate and loving. She's everything and more than I ever could have hoped for in a daughter. I'm so proud of all that she has become and all that she has learned in the past year.

This week is obviously picture heavy. Enjoy!

Discovering some of her birthday presents early in the morning:

Her regularly scheduled gymnastics class:

Back to the gym that evening for her party:

Upon arriving home after the party, she was happy but tired. Perhaps reflecting on her day?

Here are her birthday pictures we had taken at Portrait Innovations:

And finally, her traditional "orange chair" pictures:

Two wasn't that terrible after all, and while our 3 year old is definitely living in the land of the "threenager" (She says, "I do it myself!" "This is booooring." "That's the most awesome thing in the whole world!"), she's also one of the sweetest sweethearts I've ever met. I'm pretty sure we'll all come out the other side more or less unscathed.

Week Thirteen

Week thirteen was one where all 3 of us were healthy and happy. Nora got to spend some time outside since the afternoons were mostly sunny and warm, and we also spent some time with family and friends.

In the afternoons, when we get home, Nora likes to visit her "flower garden", as she calls it.  Here she is basking in her flower garden.

Sittin' pretty

Picking flowers

Flowers for mommy!

Brandy wants in on the flower action.

Don't judge- I change into PJs as soon as I get home most afternoons!

Omg, that dimple. I could eat it.

On Saturday, before the Little Gym, we joined Amelia, Allison, and Hugh for lunch at Tomato Head. After the gym, we took the girls for frozen yogurt at Yogli Mogli. As usual, they were so silly together.

Nora must have played extra hard that morning because we didn't even make it home for nap time.

She took an hour and a half car nap, and then she slept for another hour in my arms in the recliner before heading over to Kaitlyn's for a sleepover. Yes, a sleepover. Jessica offered to keep Nora over night so Brad and I could go out and celebrate my birthday, which is on Tuesday. We went to Cheesecake Factory and then watched a movie at home before going to bed and sleeping through the night in my own bed for the first time in..... I have no idea the last time I got to sleep in my own bed all night. It was glorious.

Today, we had a little family birthday lunch (for Nora and me) at Dede and Grandpa's. For the 2nd week in a row, we got to see Naomi. Sunday is probably my most favorite day of the week now for this reason. Elisabeth and Patrick gave Nora her 3rd Precious Moments birthday train piece, and Dede and Grandpa gave both of us gift cards to Kohls. Nora ate just a little lunch but a generous amount of cake and ice cream.

I'm looking forward to week fourteen when we'll officially celebrate both of our birthdays-- her 3rd and my (gulp) 37th.

Week Twelve

Last week was spring break, and while the weather warmed and cooled, warmed and cooled, Frozen (the movie and the Little Golden Book) came to our house.

As if we didn't already have all of the lyrics to all of the songs memorized, and as if we hadn't already established our roles (Nora is Elsa; I am Anna), now we are getting close to memorizing all of the dialogue as well. No complaints from me, though. If I'm stuck watching a movie over and over, this one is a million times better than the Little Mermaid phase we went through around Christmas time. Sorry, Ariel, but you could learn a thing or two from the 2 newest Disney princesses.

Nora also got lots of play time this week. First, we had a cook out with Jessica, Jason, Nhyle, and Kaitlyn. Nora mostly played and hardly ate, but all of the fresh air and running around knocked her out once we got home that evening.

On Saturday, after our regular Little Gym class, we had a picnic lunch and some play time with Allison and Amelia. On this particular day, the girls played so hard that Amelia crashed for a long nap as soon as Nora left, and while Nora skipped nap time, she was asleep for the night by 6 p.m. (If only she'd stay asleep all night and let me sleep in my own bed!)

Finally, on Sunday, the day we have been waiting for 7 months (and almost 8 months before that!)... Nora finally got to meet her cousin Naomi! Nora was stand-offish at first, but after lunch, she and Naomi had some bonding time.

Nora hasn't stopped talking about "baby Naomi" and "baby Naomi's giraffe" since Sunday. It's funny to look at them now with Nora seeming so much bigger and older than Naomi knowing that a year or two from now (and for years to come), they'll be into everything together!

Weeks Ten and Eleven

It's Springtime in Tennessee.

Welcome to the season when you never know from one day to the next if you'll need a winter jacket and boots or shirt sleeves and flip flops. The past two weeks have not disappointed with temperatures ranging anywhere from the 30s to the 70s during the day.

On the few days over the past 2 weeks when it made it up into the 60s and 70s, we got into a routine of picking Nora up from day care and heading to the playground. Each day, Nora would ask to go to "the restaurant" (she's her mother's daughter).

So on one of those afternoons, after we played, and while Brad was working late, she and I stopped by McAlisters. She's always a sweet little dinner date.

Another afternoon, I got home early and packed up some food for a picnic before getting Nora from day care. She was SO excited to learn about our picnic. It sounded like a great idea in theory, but once we got there, she was much more interested in playing than eating.

On her plate, she has rotisserie chicken, pea salad, a roll, popcorn, and there is a bowl of fruit in front of her as well. What did she eat of this magnificent picnic feast?  The popcorn.

Then, bubbles and the jungle gym were calling her name.

Normally, I'd insist she eat a proper dinner, but every once in a while, I guess you get to eat popcorn and blow bubbles instead.

Eat popcorn, blow bubbles, and share mommy's popsicle.

Since then, the temperatures have continued to fluctuate, and all 3 of us have been under the weather, but spring break has started, so I'm hoping we can all get some rest and get well.

Week Nine

This week was the first full week with our house on the market. We've had no showings yet, but a group of realtors will walk through on Wednesday just to see the property and give Marcia some feedback, and next weekend, we will have an Open House. I have grand illusions of selling the house quickly, but that's not really the state of our real estate market in Knoxville right now, so I guess we'll have to see what happens.

Nora had a busy and fun-filled weekend that included a Dr. Seuss birthday celebration, her gymnastics class, the playground, and her first experience with "the ice cream truck".

One of the local YMCAs held a Seuss celebration on Saturday morning that included face painting, coloring, story time, games, plus some goodies for the kiddos to take home with them.

Every child left with a new book

Cupcakes!

Kaitlyn getting her face painted

Crayon time!

Super-sized bowling

Nora helped pick up the pins after her turn. (The "cat" was one of my former students!)

Storytime

Leaving the celebration- on our way to the gym

We stopped by Dede and Grandpa's for a quick visit before gymnastics class. At the gym today, the kids got to play on a makeshift jungle gym. It was a huge hit! It was a kid magnet for sure, and even when 6 or 7 little ones were climbing at the same time, they did a great job taking turns and watching not to step on each other.

Today, we followed our regular Sunday routine. When I told Nora we were getting ready for church, she said, "Yay! Church! Thank you, mommy!" You can't beat that reaction. After church, we had lunch with Dede and Grandpa, and then we went to the playground where Nora had her first treat from the ice cream truck. It was a defining moment in her life, I could tell. Ice cream. From a truck. At the play ground. Pure bliss. I wish I had a picture of her sitting, care-free, on the bench, with her cotton candy flavored treat. She was in heaven.

Nora didn't take a nap this afternoon, and she didn't sleep well last night. The result?

This is how I found her after I went to the kitchen to take up my dinner. I found her dinner sitting on her table, untouched. I asked her if she was going to eat, and she said, "I don't want to eat it. I'm sleeping." This was at 6:20 p.m.- about an hour ago. I transferred her to her bed and I haven't heard a peep since. She's either going to have an epic night sleep, or she's going to wake up just as I collapse into bed tonight. Wish me luck.