Happy Fall

Well, I just don't know where September went! Sorry for the long time without updates. I still have to "show" you all our place. I've been waiting to get a few more pictures hung up but who knows when that will happen so maybe I'll have to do that soon.

Nora is now 13 1/2 months and definitely a toddler. In fact, I had to cherish these top two pictures of her standing still because that doesn't happen much anymore!

This is what she's usually like-exploring every little thing! BUT she is getting so fun and I've loved this past 1 1/2 months more than all of last year. I have so much to update you all who haven't seen her in a while. She has changed so much since she's turned one and literally learns new things each day. For example...

She is always imitating us now-facial expressions, blinking, coughing, throat clearing, blowing her nose with a kleenex (at least bringing it to her nose and making a sound), shakes her head no, dances to music, and pretending to sweep when I set the broom down.

She's starting to understand more of what we say too. When I say: "It's time for a bath"-she books it upstairs, "It's time to eat"-she goes to her high chair, and "Where's you water?"-she goes to the fridge and tries to open it up. I've also started asking her where animals are in books-she will point to bears and cats about 50% of the time.

Physically-she's walking backwards, spinning in circles, walking quickly, sticking her tongue out, giving kisses and hugs on occasion, covering her eyes and then uncovering them, and trying to open up anything with a lid. She also just got 3 of her molars, bringing the total up to 11 teeth!

Verbally-Her pediatrician said she's right on track with language development-yay. In fact, I don't think she ever stopped blabbing the whole time we were at her doctor's appt. This was a slight concern since we have been teaching her sign language for some time now and delayed lang. dev. is one of the criticisms. She says "Hi" (and waves), "Bye or Bye,Bye", "Mama", "Aba" (means Grandpa) and all other kinds of alien sounding gibberish. She also says "Ba" which can mean Ball, Book, Bath, Banana or Bear depending on what we're near-good thing she's starting to point too! As far as signing, can sign a bunch of words which is handy to decipher what she's trying to tell us. She signs: Water, Milk, Eat, More, Dog, Cat, Bird, Fish, Want, Baby, Bear, Grandpa, Daddy, Bath, Book, Ball and Light. I'll have to shoot a video of this to show you all before she completely ditches signs for talking.