From Mama

Nori,
I have loved these last days of us as "threesome." You are truly the delight of our hearts. You sparkle so much. And cause my heart to sparkle in return. We love your passion, your zeal. You exhaust us with your volatitily and dramatic-ness. But we wouldn't want you any other way than as you.
Can I really love another as I love you? But they say our love will only grow for you, but I am sad to imagine another capturing our hearts. But our hearts will grow to love you more because of her and to love her more because of you.
A prayer for my sister daughters-
May you always embrace her as your sister. The one you shared my womb with. The one who most closely shares your blood and flesh. May you always spur each other on to be better. To love others more, to love yourselves more, to be reflections of God's grace. To forgive each other and yourselves. May your relationship come from a place of authenticity and may you each be truly unique in our eyes and in yours.Amen.
We love you and believe in you Big Sister!

Mama

She's Coming!!!!

My Baby Sister is almost here!!! I can hardly wait. When I get excited that something is about to happen, I ask Mama, "To-Now?!!!" There's today, tomorrow, tonight, why not to-now? Mommy says no, not to-now, but soon!!
Mama has been talking to me a lot about Baby Sister. She says that when she comes Mama is going to have to rest in bed for a few days. I am going to be her BIG helper. And I will have to play by myself more because Mama will be nursing Baby Sister. I pulled my shirt up the other day and discovered that "I have boobies too!" And that I will have milk for Baby Sister too, then Mommy can rest more.
Daddy says he doesn't have any milk, I guess he won't be doing any nursing.
Sometimes I look in Mommy's belly button and see Baby Sister, she is SOoooo cute. She likes to kick me sometimes. Mama says when she comes out she will give Mama an ouchie and I said, "Baby Sister- don't hit my Mommy!" I like to listen to Mommy's belly too. The other day, Baby Sister told me she wants to come home now.
And then there's the whole bit about sharing. Daddy and Mommy both like to talk about sharing A LOT lately. I think sharing is over rated. Who likes sharing and why? Mommy and Daddy's friends like to say, "I am in for a big suprise," when Baby Sister comes. I love suprises, so this doesn't sound too bad to me.

In other news, I started SCHOOL a few weeks ago. I love it! I love the teachers, the art projects, and all my new friends. I still cry "just a little bit" when Mommy and Daddy drop me off. They say I am dramatic. I guess they are refering to how I flail my body around and scream when they leave. Then within a few minutes I get into my day at school. Mommy and Daddy really love my school too, they say it is better than they expected and that they like the curriculum, the teachers and all the stimulus it gives me. The other day I told Mom (I like to call her this every once in while to show her how grown up I am) that "Sometimes I ride the school bus to school." She was impressed, but then I heard her talking to Daddy- something about my first lie. I wonder what a lie is.

When Baby Sister comes, I am in charge of getting her party ready!! I am so excited! I picked out a cake mix and I am going to blow up balloons.
Mama and Daddy are going to go to the Doctor's to get her. I go with Mama to the Doctor's to check on her every week now. I get to hold the tape measure to measure her, press the button to listen to her heart, and then I get my heart checked to.
Mama says that I was born at the same place. When I came out, I was a little baby too! Now I am growing up! I can even dress and undress myself most days.  Sometimes at night or in the morning I get dressed by myself on top of my PJs. I also like trying on all my different shoes. Mama found me once surrounded by three of my favorite pairs, fast asleep. I wear underewears now sometimes too. I like to try to use the potty at least once a day, but usually nothing comes out except farts.

The three of us have had SO much fun this summer. We went camping!  I got to ride in a boat, roast marshmallows and sleep in a tent! We had lots of fun day trips too. I went to Nana and Pappy's for a weekend with Mama. Mama and I enjoyed our days together during the week so much. We felt like the perfect duo. Yesterday we took the blanket to the playground so we could lay back and imagine what all the clouds could be. And I have been swimming LOTS. We found a pool where I can where my floaties and swim without any help from Mommy or Daddy! Mommy says I am "pure delight" when I swim. I feel like I just bubble over with joy because I am so happy and feel so many wonderful sensations swimming in the water.

I guess I will have to "share" my blog with Baby Sister too. I wonder what we call it now.
Wish me luck! I will write again once she is here!

My Dog Park Room

Now that I am going to be a BIG sister, I got a new room! Mama calls it a "forest" theme. But the only forest I go for walks in is the dog park, so I call it my dog park room.

Outerbanks 2012

OBX

Vacation number two this spring was our family vacation in the Outerbanks. The past 6 weeks have been such a blessed season for us that we hardly felt like we "needed" a vacation. Nori has been in a wonderfully content and fun stage and we have been fully enjoying all of springs wonders: the garden, swimming, and longer days.
Our trip to the beach was an extension of that joy and we loved spending time together. Instead of feeling the need to pull away for our own rest, we wanted to spend all the time we could with her.
She loved it all!
Here's what she had to say. . .
I stayed in a PINK beach house for a whole week. At first I called it "Hannah's beach house" because I thought it was where she lived, but then Mama told me it was mine too!
I got to ride on my tricycle everyday down to the beach. I still don't want to let them know I can pedal, so I place my feet up high and enjoy the ride. I liked carrying my bookbag and my beach chair on my shoulders. I looked SO grown up.
I also got to take trips on the back of Mama's bike-fun!
Everyday I was more brave with the ocean. At first I just liked to get my feet wet, but by Friday I loved being held up to my chin as the waves took me up and down, "up and down" I would say and scream with delight.
One day I had a BAD ear infection and had to go to the hospital. When we came back, Mama took me down to the beach just to say hi to everyone and then go back to the house to rest. But it ended up being the therapy I needed. I cozied between Mama's legs as she sat in the surf and for the first time all day was not crying or thinking about my ear!Mama said she was so happy to see my smile again. I think the surf was therapy for her to after hearing me scream for so long.
But even more than the ocean, I loved the sand. At times, I just layed on my belly and felt its goodness all over me. I loved building, and using water to make masterpieces. Daddy helped me make  A LOT of sandcastles, mouts and animals, my favorite was the crocodile.
Nana taught me how to look for shells. Sometimes I would go for a walk and collect them in a bucket and other times I would go in the surf and see what the sifter would pull up.
I liked putting the shells on my necklace.
Daddy helped me fly my kite!! twice! It was so fun to hold it and make the fish move through the sky.
I had tons of fun with my cousins. I played well with Hannah and Emma but Molly and I kept fighting over the same toys. She doesn't talk yet, but surely knows how to push my buttons!
We went fishing at the nature center but didn't catch any fish.
I had so much fun, that when it was time to leave, I cried, "I don't wanna go home." Mama cried a little too because she said it broke her heart to see how sad I was. But then she told me we get to go back next year- can't wait!!

First Phillies Game

I had so much fun at the Phillies game last night! I loved all the people, but whoah- there sure were a lot!!
I held tight to Daddy's hand. I liked watching the players down close. Then when we went to our seats, I kept saying "I want to go down there and play with the ball." It seemed so far away!
I don't know why, but every once in awhile everyone would stand up and scream and clap. I loved it and yet it made me want to cover my ears!!

My favorite part was that EVERYONE had on my shirt! I couldn't believe it. All those people want to be like me!

Nori's Vacation from her Parents

The first week of May, Pete and I went on vacation for a whole WEEK to Belize. In preparing to leave, I had waves of angst and doubt. Is it natural for parents to "abandon" their child for a week? Will she understand? And I had equal moments of justification. I NEEDed a break. It is okay and good to care for ourselves. In building and nuturing ourselves and each other, we will be better parents. A few days before we left, she had another ear infection and somehow this internal battle shifted to- "I am leaving and deserve a break. Nori will be fine, more importantly I will be fine. Adios." We left and did we EVER enjoy it. It was such a peaceful and non stressful vacation. The beach was gorgeous, the water, the sun, the lack of schedule. The big open expanses of time with nothing to do! And the adventure of good food, snorkeling, jungle treking and tubing. And of course, by mid week we sorely missed Nori. I had to discipline my heart to not dwell on her and didn't look at her photo until on the plane home. By day 4-5, our schedule had slowed down it was hard to not feel heart broken. But that was okay, to miss her, to feel the distance that separates us not only when we are miles apart. Even living under the same roof- we are separate people. And this was a good reminder. We checked email several times a day to hear news of her, and it was all good news, according to my sister she was doing great.We hoped this was true, but could hardly believe when it was not only true, but beyond that. She slept perfectly, she didn't ask for us once?! and played well with her cousins. When we returned home, I expected some regression, but much to our suprise- she had taken a huge step forward in her development. I saw it in her eyes, the first Monday we were home: independence. She is okay in herself. She doesn't have as much anxiety leaving us when we go to work. She is falling asleep on her own with no crying or stress. She figured out that she is part introvert. She needs her time waking up along in the morning and unwinding at night. So, in the end, she needed a vacation from us! We are so proud of her for taking this development step. Not to mention, proud of ourselves for allowing her the space to do it.