The Big Reveal...

We had a very exciting Doctor's visit today! Patrick and I saw all of the healthy baby parts-- a beautiful face, a beating heart, spine, lungs, kidneys, stomach, five fingers and toes!!!















And then we peeked between the legs!!!

Good, happy news all around! (and she sucks her thumb...what a baby!!!)

Didn't see this one coming

I find it ironic as I log on to post pictures of the DC Blizzard that, only two weeks ago, I was "making the most" of two pitiful inches. Eighteen inches later, I've learned to be careful what I wish for! It was a lot of hard work and of course a lot of fun.

Patrick is in Guyana right now, so the first thing I did when we woke up Saturday morning to six inches with twelve more on the way, was to load the girls in the car and head for Eleanor's house on Capitol Hill where we'd be sure to have electricity and good company.

Three refugees and a kind hostess:

It started slowly Saturday morning. Yes, those are grocery bags on Norah's feet. They work.

Licking snow balls. Awesome.

Norah lost in the sea that was Lincoln Park.

Sunday morning, we woke up to a foot and a half of beautiful snow. We could also see well-plowed roads, so I got the itch to get home.

Eleanor and the daunting task:

Thanks, Sweetheart. That's a big help.

We got home easily, and found this:

Here is what I found in the backyard. Norah's tricycles are completely covered in the foreground.

I was overwhelmed by the kindness of our neighbors who came to our rescue knowing Patrick was traveling.

Here are Jakele and Tom shoveling the front:

And Sam shoveling the back:

Norah watching the workers. Happy to be home!

December

Norah meets the Christmas tree! Her first word was, "touch?" So hard to resist...Ok, maybe just a little bit...

Norah and some big, round lady checking out the tree.

The snowglobe is a big hit. Really, I just wanted a picture of the hair, though...

Our own reindeer.

Making the most of it

We had a weee bit of snow yesterday in DC. Less than two inches, but enough for Norah's first snowballs and first mouthfulls of the white stuff. She also quickly learned how hilarious it is to throw snow at Stella. Nice.

Good stuff in Indiana

We just spent the week with Patrick's parents in Indiana. Norah played with her Dad's old toys, watched Zedal's choo-choo train go around the tracks and played dolls endlessly with her Baba. Here are some pictures of some other highlights:

The age-old dilemma: banana or woobie?

Why should a girl have to choose?

Baba bought Norah some *fabulous* dress-up shoes that went perfectly with her lovely dress.

Clicking across a tile floor-- one of the many joys of heels...

Eeeeeee!

This started as just a quiet evening, filming Norah playing for a bit....until Eleanor (Eeeee!) comes to the door. Utter happiness.

Norahween '09

Here are some pictures from Halloween today...followed by some of the random awesomeness of a 1 1/2 year-old.

Little Red Riding Hood dropped by this morning on her way to a very fun neighborhood Halloween playgroup.


Thank you, Bridget and Louis for the fantastic red cape!

Norah in her Boo! shirt (as she calls it) with her best friend, pumpkin.

And here is some of that random awesomeness I spoke of earlier...

Starting to have an opinion on her outfits.

And shoes, shoes, shoes, anywhere, anytime.

Norah and the Giant Bean

...just one of the many highlights from our weekend in Chicago!

Here is Anna Mae, Louis, Caroline, Norah, Patrick and Larry in front of the Bean in Millenium Park.

The absolute best "fountain" ever...Bridget made sure we were prepared, bathing suit and all!

and the favorite activity...wagon rides with Baba!

Hanging with E

Patrick spent 10 days in Armenia this month and during that time, Aunt Eleanor stayed with us while she looked for an apartment in DC. Here are some of Norah's adventures with her Auntie E...

Reading magazines just like E


We went to the petting zoo at Columbia Heights day. Not a camel fan.


Running with the older kids on the new astroturf field.

Auntie E and the racecar diaper box.

Dad came home Friday, and we took a hike at the Patuxent Nature Preserve. This is Norah's first pinecone collection...

Big Apple

This past weekend we drove up to New York City to visit with our friends Mary and Neal. Norah has now explored Brooklyn pretty thoroughly-- here are some of her favorite parts:

Bananas at a coffee shop with Mary


Hi. At the playground in Fort Greene Park

Bravely staring down the slide

Splashing in the puddles by the sprinkler at the park. What came next is when she leaned over and licked the puddle....yumm, New York!

Henry Reunion

Last weekend was the Henry family reunion in Steubenville, Ohio. Norah met lots of new family members and enjoyed time with her godmothers and grandparents. She especially enjoyed all of the food-- embracing her heritage and stuffing herself with pierogis and Di Carlo's pizza...

Norah tasting pierogis at Iggy's

Leaning in for a kiss with Zeda

Eating cabbage rolls with Aunt Lori

New Lid

Norah fell in love with Uncle David's dog hat last month in Mississippi. Friday, Norah got her very own magic barking dog hat in the mail! Wait till you see how good it looks on her...

Antietam

We took a little outing today to the Antietam Battlefield National Park. It was a great day...just a little stick collecting...


and hiking...


and watermelon as the reward...aaaahhhh.

Blocks and Slides

Here is a quick video (with the new camera!) of Norah getting creative with her blocks:

And, for those who haven't yet seen Norah's network television debut:

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/072909_four_senate_pages_have_swine_flu_symptoms

Doing the Deep South

Last week, we headed South to visit Nana in Birmingham before Cousin David's wedding in Oxford, Mississippi. Here is Norah in Nana's kitchen, eating her first graham cracker.


Nana and Norah enjoying a book during a rare still moment.


The Henry family at a picnic before David and Liz's wedding in Mississippi.

Norah sunning and lazing-- enjoying her summer to the fullest!