Four Months

Baby girl is growing!!

We had our four month check up (shots included!!!) a week or two ago and everything is going well!

Her four month stats:
14 lbs 5 oz
25 1/4 in

holding her head up so well! 

looking at her feet 

reaching for the toy 

playing with her musical flowers

Updates on her three month accomplishments:

"scrunchy-nosed" smile: Nora smiles ALL the time and these HUGE happy smiles. I love seeing that happy girl!

silent laughing: She is giggling now! It takes a little bit of work to get her to really laugh, or sometimes nothing at all. You just never know!

grab her feet with her hands: Still a favorite activity especially if they have little monkeys or bugs on them.

drools (all. the. time.): Ya... still drooling.

holds toys & other things: She is holding those toys and bringing them to her mouth. She reaches for them and interacts with them, too!

squeals: I love how vocal she is!

rolls on her side from her back but not all the way over...: She can roll from tummy to back, but still not the other way around. I don't think she has any desire to be on her tummy anyways!

grabs for things (everything and anything): Her new favorite: my face. My lips, my nose, my cheek... And it HURTS! Those little nails are killer.

"stands" with help: She LOVES this. She thinks it is the most fun thing ever to be a big tall girl. I think she really likes to look around and see what's going on.

holds up her head: She's doing really well with this and so we've even started a little spoon feeding. She's not too into it yet. 

sits with help (Bumbo!): She's REALLY trying to sit up on her own. She totally can't but she wants to very, very badly!

talks... lots of talking...: Again... our little social butterfly!

complains (when she's tired!!): Hey, she knows what she wants I guess!

Things that she can do at four months:

roll from tummy to back

giggle

reach for and grab everything

sleep un-swaddled

bring her pacifier to her mouth

eats some rice cereal (kind of)

plays with toys independently

plays with her lips and tongue (razzing!)

Spring break will be our next doctor visit! Time sure does fly...

2013

Happy New Year from Nora Lane!!

Christmas in Illinois

Over our holiday vacation, we made our first two trips away from home with Nora - a big deal! First, we went to Austin to visit some friends. It was a good experience so we could have a little idea of what to expect for our big trip to Illinois, airplane flight included!

Trip to Austin in our burnt orange!

First of all I must say... how do people travel alone with children??!?? There were three of us and it took all six of our hands to get through the airport with all the goods that are required and most of those for the baby. We had seven pieces of "luggage" to tote around! And, my parents had taken the pack and play with them in the car, so that was one less thing to take. Goodness gracious.

So, the flight went alright... I think. I don't know if it was more because she didn't nap well away from home or if it was actually the flight or if it was that we were in a small plane with however many people but there were a few moments I know that I felt a little self conscious. It was a good thing we had some extra bottles because they saved our sanity. Or at least those around us. Considering that we had four take offs and landings in our round trip, I think we did pretty well.

For anyone who is flying with a baby in carrier: they cannot stay in the carrier for take off and landing. Not fun taking a sleeping baby out of it! And, you will be bomb tested.

Happy girl! (pre-flight)

 Sitting with Auntie K on the flight

The night after the flight there was a little shaky for us for unknown reasons, but the rest of the weekend went great! We saw aunts, uncles, and cousins on both my mom and dad's sides of the family, including my grandpa, Nora's great-grandpa Gruben! It was really great to see family that I don't see often and show off the cute girl to them!

Nora got to meet her Aunt Amy and Uncle Joel for the first time!!

Nora with her favorite uncle!

My talented cousin took some pictures of Nora with my Grandpa Gruben!

Four generations photo, part two! 

Nora with her great grandpa!

We learned a lot about traveling with a baby, including that weekend trips are just too short! But, by the next time we travel on a plane with Nora, who knows how old she will be! Things are just changing all the time...

Nora enjoying her new toy from Aunt Diane!