Happy Halloween

Since we didn't want the halloween fun to end, we headed to Mariah's classroom to celebrate with her kids. CJ (the cute, tiny kid with the bottle cap glasses shooting baskets) saw Norah in her duck costume, got scared and went running from the classroom. How sweet is it that he was scared of a baby dressed as a duck!

Trick-or-Treat Street

Trick-or-Treat

Not satisfied with one Halloween costume, Norah has three. We were especially excited about the duck costume because she makes a noise that sounds like a duck quaking. We took our little duck down to the neighborhood street fair where Nana gave her her first sucker that was so tart she kept flinching but tasty enough that she kept eating it. We also took time for a photo opp with our local fish monger.

9 Month Check-Up

Norah had her nine month check up today. Her current stats are:

28 1/2 inches (60%)
18 pounds, 2 ounces (40%)

Halloween Preview Take Two

While we were at a fundraiser, Rick and Mariah took Norah to the harvest festival at Mariah's school. She showed off her bovine best.

Cow in a candy tub:

Cow in jail: Cow in jail with a parrot:

Snow Storm

On Monday, we had a record-high, 80* day. Wednesday brought eight inches of snow and lots of broken branches, including this one that's still living in our neighbor's yard in front of our house. One of the branches in the backyard fell on an electric wire that snapped and left a tree engulfed in 15 foot high flames. Needless to say we were without power and out of our house for a couple days.

Norah used the weather as an opportunity to make new friends who kept trying to feed her snow.

Halloween Preview

Since there's no class next Monday, it was costume night in Baby and Me Music class tonight. Good thing Norah wore her penguin costume and decided to leave her cow costume for next weekend. It's always so embarrasing to show up to class in the same outfit as someone else.

TP

I wondered why she was playing so quietly.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep...

For her baptism, Norah was given a doll that says a prayer when you press her belly. Norah LOVES the doll; there is simply no way to overstate how much she LOVES this doll. As part of her bedtime routine, we pray with the doll every night and conclude with all of us saying, "Amen." Last night, as Nick put Norah to bed he concluded the prayer by saying "Amen," and Norah responded by saying "Amen." I still haven't heard it myself, so I'm skeptical. Nick accuses me of being skeptical because I don't want to admit what it may mean if my daughter's first word is "Amen."

Dutch Heritage Tour

Norah explored her Dutch heritage on her first trip to Lynden. Nolan taught her all about his trucks, especially the front end loader.

Oma sang Dutch nursery rhymes with her......and introduced her to Benji.

Aunt Cindy took her shopping.

The whole family took her to a local farm......where she went on a hay ride with Great-Grandpa......played in a pumpkin patch......with Alexa......picked apples with daddy......played with Jenna, Jessa, Alexa......and her Joma......and enjoyed her very first donut, thanks to Great-Grandma. Who could have guessed that she would love fried dough covered in sugar?While we were in Lynden, Nick and I thought it would be fun to give Nolan a special surprise: a gecko! (Jackie already looks forward to repaying us for our generosity.) After naming him Keith and declaring him "so beautiful," we discovered that Keith is a particularly good cricket-hunter.

With Alexa's fourth birthday right around the corner and still in the pet-giving spirit, we took another trip to the pet store where Alexa picked out Sushi the beta fish. Knowing how many times Alexa asked to pet Sushi while we were there, we hope he lives to see his fourth birthday.

Happy 60th Birthday Nana!

We wish were in town to celebrate with you, but we're glad you are going to celebrate in proper Irish fashion! Happy birthday to the best Nana we know!

Eight Month Birthday

For Norah's eight month birthday, we went to another CU game. She actually saw Ralphie run this time, but that's about all she saw. She slept from kick-off until the end of the third quarter.