Saturday, December 1, 2012

How are you 4 months old already!



Dear Sweet Norah

You are 4 months old! You weighed in at 13 lbs, 14 oz and 25 inches long! You had so many firsts this month. Your first Halloween, your first laugh, first time you rolled over, first Thanksgiving, first time to visit Grammie and Papa's in Fresno, it’s been crazy wonderful!


This has been the month of you discovering the impact you can have on the world around you. You finally figured out your hands. You reach for things with such focus now, you’re still clumsy and often hit your face in your effort to bring ALL things to your mouth, but you’re learning. You also found your feet. You pull them up with your hands, bringing them as close to your mouth as you can get.

You also learned about people this month. You laughed for the first time just looking at your cousin Quinn. It was adorable! That same day you gave some laughs to your Grammie. We get a little more out of you everyday! You love to smile, pretty girl. You look around the room and make eye contact with people, eagerly waiting for them to smile at you. The moment they do you smile back gleefully, and then bashfully bury your face in my shoulder. I pray you always love people as you do now. You make no distinctions…people I’d never say hi to, you make light up with your smile. You’ve opened doors to conversations with strangers and bring out a genuine warmth in them. You’re teaching me to see people differently, more like Christ sees them. What a gift!

We had a terrible time with Daylight savings, you were waking up crazy early for a while, but we’re slowly recovering from that.  It seems like we are finally getting past the 45 minute intruder that has plagued your naps for so long, hooray! You still spit up, although there are some better days mixed in now.

I’m still learning what it means to be a mom, a wife, a professor, a friend, a sister, a church member, etc. Learning how to blend so many things, and ever aware that who I am today will greatly impact who you are tomorrow. I was really encouraged by a friend this month. We were talking about my situation, having to work part time, and she said, “Sometime we miss how God has already provided because we’re still looking for him to provide in the way we expected.” What true words those were. God has so generously provided for me with my job. A job I love, that allows me to be home with you the majority of the time. I hate the thought of leaving you more next semester, but it’s still less than what so many moms have to do. I just have to take it one semester at a time, trusting God to give me the grace to endure and the strength to pull it off.

You turned 4 months old on Thanksgiving day. It was quite an emotional day for me. It seems like yesterday I was at my mom’s for Thanksgiving, announcing you! And there I sat, looking around the room, a table full of faces I love, food that we eat year after year, and I watched it through your eyes. This family is all new to you, and I hope you will grow to love them as I have. I hope you will cherish the chaos, the loudness, the laughter, the traditions, the beauty, all of it. You are one of us. I hope this family brings you the strength it has brought me. I miss Papa. I missed Thanksgiving with him, I miss dinner with him, I miss conversations that aren't about cancer. But through this, what strength your aunties have given me. Love our entire family, and they LOVE you! Praying you will one day get to know the Papa I know!





Playing with Nonni



Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving with Grandpa John and Gigi...also, first time in your Bumpo, a little hunched over :)
Fresno Trip




Halloween

Cousins!
Auntie Brooke



Best friends! It's been a big year for us! Sam got married, I had you, Whitney had Brynn, Natalie is pregnant with Johnny, Bri is pregnant with baby girl, and Brooke bought a house! Whew! God is good!




Pretty girl...wearing the dress Auntie Summer got you when we found out you were a girl. You wore it for the first time to her engagement party!

Me and you

Rolling over!
Papa and his grandbabies on Jude's 1st birthday