a. b. c. d.....

disclaimer... the video is long...  nora has these alphabet cards.  every so often, she will hand me one and say the correct letter.  it shocks me!  but, i think she can actually recognize a good handful of the letters.  it amazes me!  other things we can do... mostly say the alphabet, put toys away (with some assistance), say please, thank-you and you're welcome unprompted (and sometimes, just to herself...  ), recognize colors, say her age and future age (ie... "how old will you be on your next birthday?")

so, that's my bragging...  or maybe, realization that i have this toddler... not a baby!  actually, my mom asked me the other day if it blew my mind that i had two kids.  the two (versus having one) doesn't blow my mind.  it's the fact that I am the mom.  i am the adult... the one (of two) responsible for shaping these children's futures.  i don't get to give them back, don't get to go home, they are MINE!!  and it doesn't matter if there is one or two...  or five for that matter!  that's what blows me away.  (yes, i have been a mom for 22 months... you would think i would have gotten it by now!!!)

cheese.....

at a party last night...  this is the two-star admiral, helping nora with her shoes!!!  at one point, he was telling me there was nothing down low enough that nora could get into, or hurt her.  just as he finished saying that, she fell into one of the weights and cut her lip...  i think he felt worst of us all!  nora was fine, but looked up at everyone with a very brown mouth.  i think everyone's heart stopped.  then, david told us she had a brownie in her mouth!!  (there was a tiny little bit of blood mixed in with that brownie!!)  she just has a little swollen lip now...  

cheese

james got new jeans yesterday (poor kid didn't have a pair!!!)

we went to play with our friends, kayden and jace.  kayden LOVED baby james.  he wanted to hold him, play with him, share his toys with him...  such a good little helper!!!

sleeping on my couch!!!  

nora is getting particular about when her picture is taken.  many times, i hear "no cheese, mommy".  then, other times, she will look at me and say "cheese???".  it's actually quite cute.  so her pictures on this post are of when she asked to have her picture taken. 

for quite awhile, nora has only had her cupeez when it was bedtime.  we don't let her just walk around with it.  and she has been fairly good about that.  she will even say "cupeez away".  but, for the last week or so, she has been asking for it quite regularly, and not wanting to give it up.  so, she stays in her bed until she is ready to put it away (which is usually not longer than 30 seconds...).  she also has become very aware of her blankets.  she has a few that she likes and can tell you who made them (and that's how she asks for them).  all of them are "new blankies".  she will ask for "new blankie" as she is getting in bed (regardless of the fact that she has had the blankets and slept with most of them since she was born...).  well, recently, it's been "grammie haile new blankie".  grammie haile made nora a quilt.  sometimes, she wants to be wrapped up, "snug as a bug", and sometimes she just wants to be covered.  again, she knows what she wants.  

the other day, nora was at a friend's house while james and i went to the clubfoot clinic.  then, we switched and my friend got her haircut.  (i got the WAY easier end of the deal...  all three kids slept most of the time i was watching them...)  anyway, i brought (THANKFULLY) "grammie haile new blankie", just to throw over her, just in case.  well, after she went down, she was screaming her head off.  it's not normal for her, so i went in there.  she was screaming for "ghnb", which we had forgotten to put in!  so, i gave it to her.  

a comparison...

james...

nora...

okay, so i just looked it up and nora was 12.5 pounds at this age... and james is 13 pounds, 3 oz.  funny how nora was 90% and james is only 75th.  otherwise, they seem to be doing things about the same.  they both smiled first around five weeks.  and love to do it!!!

as an aside, i pulled out the sheet they gave me at the doctor's that had james' weight on it.  it gave parenting tips...   such as... if your baby is crying, he may be hungry or tired or have a dirty diaper.  (or be hit by another child...)  if i haven't figured this out by now... i am in trouble.  i am sure they have to give and say all that stuff, which makes it all the more sad.  some parents haven't figured that all out yet (especially by the time they get to subsequent children!

as for the vid...  nora loves to have music on when james is in the swing.  and you can tell what a first child/little mother she is by the meticulous way she put elmo in the swing (and just asked me for a new diaper for elmo...).  she's SUCH A JOY!!

david in the news...

click on the link, then watch the video... david is shown at least four times... from the beginning to the very end.  so cute!!!  that's how he spent his memorial day!  

also.. james is 13 1/2 pounds, and only in the 75%... not quite the chubber his sister was!  he's also 23 inches long... the 50%.  but, all else looks perfect!  we had our two month (2 1/2 hour) checkup today.  when the doctor "shushed" nora, i about lost it!  we had been waiting for over two hours at that point.  she had every right to be antsy!!  she had been an ABSOLUTE angel!  

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happy day to you daddy!!!

i love my husband!!  (it's an old pic, but i love it...  he's such a good man!!)

 

  

what's a little bathtime among friends???

cheese!!!  the kids were quite dirty and sweaty...  so they all got thrown in together!  (thanks tania!)

i'm thinking.....

"happy day to you daddy"... that's how nora says "happy birthday daddy!"  it's so cute.  and, today is my fabulous husband's birthday.  we are so incredibly thankful for him!  last night, we were at a bbq at a friend's house.  david just played with all the kids and they flocked around him.  it was so fun to watch.  he is such a fun dad...  nora has the best laughs for her daddy.  

i am so fortunate to be married to such a great guy!  he works so hard and provides so well for us.  and he loves us so much!  we laugh together, and he lets me cry!  (and knows to just give a hug, and not try to always fix the problem.)

jealousy...

two babies in a chair...  

daddy holding two babies!!!

leaving church today...

yesterday at the pool... caleb and james slept so well!!!

nora got to "hold you baby caleb" (which sounds like cay yeb)
nora hasn't expressed too much jealousy at having a new brother.  she got mad (at me) yesterday, and i was holding both kids.  she went to hit james, and stopped herself, before i even had to say anything.  and she really doesn't get mad at him too often.  

i should mention now that she wasn't LOCKED in her room, just shut the door...  and told me to "away".

okay, so back to today.  we are watching jeffrey (trying to repay the favors chelsey has done of ALWAYS watching one or both of our kids...).  nora is insanely jealous of ANYTHING jeffrey does.  if he gets held, she wants to be held.  if he gets a snack, she wants the same thing.  jeffrey just goes along with it.  he's such a cool kid... which may be why my daughter wants to model him so badly.  david picked up jeffrey when he cried for a second, and instantly, nora said "two babies"... like, daddy, hold me!  they actually do play really well together, and there hasn't been any fighting between them at all.  and i am sure we were a sight walking into church this morning.  me, with the two kids and david with james in the carseat.  i am sure people thought we were nuts with "twins" and a new baby!!  ha ha...  

i really am so glad that nora has such a good friend!  they have had the best time.  it's so fun to watch them play...  (and david noted how two the same age is so fun, because they entertain each other....hence i can blog with three kids!!!  one is sleeping...)

BEST. HUSBAND. EVER....

sitting on the beach

our view

dinner time!!!

nora's new box!!

daddy and his girl at the pool...

james' tried to get in, but found he didn't like the chilly water too much!!!

my big girl!!!

asleep in the swing!!

nora reading... her head is whipping around to say "no cheese"!  very sternly!

maybe a bit of a smile??

my in-laws warned me that i married david without living through a march madness season.  that all that would ensue was my own fault!  my husband has a, shall we say, passion for sports.  so, a few weeks ago, a friend offered swap babysitting this weekend.  i asked david which night he wanted.  he chose friday night.  then on thursday, i offered him an out (he watch kids and my friend and i go out).  he said whatever i wanted...  he was fine with going out.  we were on our way out to dinner and i offered a sports bar (as we listened to the game on the radio).  he said he wanted to take his cute wife out to dinner.  i did remind him it was HIS BIRTHDAY, and he got to pick what we did.  i was FINE with going ANYWHERE!!  he chose a nice dinner....  and he got to sit facing the big tv at the bar with the game on (at least until the padres game started and the channel was changed).  we had SUCH fun night... and even made it back to the car (after our romantic walk on the beach) to hear the last 9 seconds...  

we have a new restaurant to take visitors to!  i had alaskan halibut that was macadamia nut crusted with a peanut/teriyaki/mango sauce, david had lobster and filet.  awesome clam chowder and crabcakes....  topped off by an "on the house" chocolate lava cake!  (not as good as trader joe's lava cakes, however...)  a traditional david haile birthday dinner!  

alright, nora has locked herself in her room, because i won't give her her cupeez this morning (it's not a new thing... we don't get it except at bedtime anymore!)...  so, i should go check on my 13 year old... i mean 22 month old!!!  by the way, did i mention, when she is getting punished, she consistently closes her eyes and REFUSES to look at you?  it's awesome!  i really do have a 13 year old on my hands!

mommy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow...

some zoo lovin...

it kept nora from running off...  but mark soon tired of being dragged everywhere!!!

the kids sat like this for oh, 0.5 seconds.  it was lunchtime...

the kids enjoyed seeing the macaques...

nora and nolan....

sweet girl!!!
well, we went today, actually.  we travelled VERY slowly through parts of the zoo, and had a good time.  we mostly enjoyed the time with our friends, as the animals didn't feel much like being outside in the 80* weather.  i told nora at one point to call the bears and tell them to wake up and play peek-a-boo.  she did... and the whole way home, as we talked about what we did, she kept saying "wake up, aboo!!!".  it was so cute!  

today...

so, this morning started bright and early again for me.  sadie and i went for a run.  it's fun to see how i have improved over the last week.  today, i ran longer and further than i had previously.  did i mention i made the kids and david do three miles with us on sunday?  just bragging a little because i haven't run that far since college... or maybe OIS.  but it's been about six years.  you may wonder why this new passion (or hate) for running...  the plan is to run a half marathon in august.  so, if anyone is a glutton for punishment and wants to come run the "america's finest city half marathon", join me!!!

nora was up when i got back... SUPER EARLY for her!  and then we spent the next two hours on the potty... one success and one miss.  but, for the most part, i can't get that girl out of the bathroom!!!  in my plan, we were going to introduce this week, and not start "training" quite yet.  i have a friend babysitting her today, we are going to the zoo tomorrow... too much life in the way this week.  but, she asks to go, then doesn't want to leave!  i think i have to three times for her once!  anyway...  we'll see!  

a cute pic of jamie...  supporting his dad's favorite team!  oh, so nora... we had breakfast about 8:30, and then she asked for her cupeez and a nap.  so, she's in bed!  sometimes, she'll ask that, but not be serious, and protest when she goes to bed.  i haven't heard a peep!  

time to go get some stuff done... that i planned to do while she slept in!  

the magic swing...

at dinner with amy grace... more on that later!

sweet boy... wondering why his mom is taking almost naked pictures!!

i love that face... nora wanted to "hold you baby jamie", but wouldn't let me get her in the picture.  i told her i was only taking one of jamie.  

sweet boy, continuing our photo shoot....

little boy, loving his bath!
okay, so nora talks about the potty a lot.  then, this last week, she has been telling me to change her diaper RIGHT after she goes.  (if you don't have kids... it's just obvious!)  so, we decided to buy her a potty and start introducing it.  well, now we can't get her off of it!  she LOVES it!  and, she's gone twice today on it!  (then we had to go out...)  i guess we are almost potty-training, but mostly by default.  i guess i am going to have to dedicate some time to staying at home and doing it.  i am dragging my feet, and don't have a "by hook or by crook" attitude.  anyway... this was a video i took as she sat there for a HALF HOUR today.  if she would get up, i would tell her we had to go put a new diaper on, and she REALLY didn't like that idea.  once she went, she was ready to get a new diaper on!   crazy...  so, we watched some youtube, took a video and chatted!  

we got to have dinner last night with amy grace and her friend.  yesterday was a tough day.  i was definitely the mom carrying her child to the car, upside down, because the child was trying SO HARD to get out of my arms.  she was also the child with ALL HER FOOD underneath her, and squashed because she then stepped on it.  she was "that child" in the restaurant yesterday.  now, whenever we pick her up from the nursery or bible study, they always tell us what a GREAT child we have.  she is usually well behaved.  in fact, we can go days without really having to punish.  (usually a threat will suffice... and we only do one of those...  i can't stand those parents who say "if you ...  one more time, then i will..., but never get around to carrying out their threat.  it's always "one more time...")  yesterday wasn't that day!  but, it really makes me thankful that we do have such a great daughter and THOSE days are few and far between.

the swing...  james really only poops in the swing.  and the only times he has pooped all over his clothes has been in his swing.  it's a borrowed swing (kate, it looks just like yours...), and magically, the poop never gets on the swing... just his clothes!  but, if i need him to go, i know where to put him!  in his 8 weeks, i think he has only gone once or twice NOT in the swing...  alright, enough about my kids' elimination patterns... enjoy the abc's!