Nora
Holiday Gift Giving, Part 2
Nov 16th
In addition to some joint gifts, my girls will each be getting gifts of their own this Christmas. Though I am almost positive that they’ll end up playing with each others toys regardless of how age inappropriate they may be. Case in point: Nora loves to play with Brinley’s LeapFrog Scribble and Write even though she doesn’t know the right way to use it and Brinley is equally excited to play with the shape sorter and ball popper even though she’s four. Anyway, I digress…
It’s a little difficult to figure out what to get Nora for Christmas this year. We’ve already got most of the toys that kids her age play with because we had them for Brinley. Sure, they’re hand-me-downs in a sense but it doesn’t bother her (thankfully). However, Nora is interested in a lot of things that Brinley never liked. You see, Brinley was (and mostly still is) a very passive player. At Nora’s age, Brinley enjoyed books, puzzles, coloring and flash cards (I kid you not!). Nora, on the other hand, prefers to throw, break and destroy said things. She’d much rather be climbing, running, dancing and generally causing trouble. So, in that sense, there are many things that she’ll like that Brinley never had.
Here is a list of some of the things that I think we’ll be getting Nora for Christmas..
First is the Playskool Sit N’ Spin
The funny thing about this toy is that we had one for Brinley (it was handed down to us from a friend) and she never could figure out how to use it. She’d sit on it and try to her hearts content to get going, but just couldn’t manage. It frustrated her so much that we eventually gave it away. Nora, though, loves it. There’s one at the playgroup we attend and she got on it one day and started spinning and spinning. I was so amazed that she was able to figure it out so fast. A perfect gift for her, for sure!
Next up, a ball hopper
This one has Disney Princesses on it but I may opt for a more generic one. Nora is not really into princesses yet, but Brinley might like it 
This is another one of those toys that Brinley didn’t care for that I know Nora will like. She loves to bounce and jump and even if her little legs won’t quite reach the ground yet I know she’ll love for me to bounce her on it.
Then comes the toy vacuum
Nora loves to mimic what I am doing. She’s always grabbing the broom and walking around saying “dirty, dirty”. She loves to sweep and wipe up messes which is nice since she’s so great at making messes! I think she’d get a kick out of having a vacuum just her size. I haven’t decided if I want to get one of the working toy ones or not. I’m torn between thinking it would be helpful and thinking it’s child labor
And finally, the Fisher-Price Classic Record Player
This gift might be more for me than her I had one of these when I was little and I remember playing with it all the time. I loved it! I think it will be so cool to see my girls playing with it. Ah, nostalgia!
That about wraps it up. I’m sure there will be some other little trinkets and stocking stuffers (and gasp! clothes) thrown in but those are the “big” things. Stay tuned for Brinley’s list in the next week or so. What will you be getting your 18ish month old for Christmas this year?
A Probing Question
Oct 26th
Nora has a blocked tear duct. She has had it since birth. Basically the duct in her eye that is supposed to drain her tears is blocked by a thin membrane. As a result her eye always looks teary as if she has been crying. Excessive tears roll down her cheek. It causes no harm to her and does not effect her vision. The annoying part is that I have to constantly keep cleaning her eye and wiping away the tears. The even more annoying part is that people, mostly strangers, always make comments like, “Oh you poor thing, why are you crying?” when she is perfectly happy. It has gotten to the point where I just smile at them and continue on my way. I used to say, “Oh, she’s not crying, she has a blocked tear duct.” To which the person would look at me like I had ten heads and ask what I was talking about. Hello? I don’t really have the time to stand here and explain to you what it is. Just Google it, please! Anyway, they no longer get an answer.
So what’s the big deal, you might ask. Well, typically a blocked tear duct will unblock itself by the time a child is a year old. It is recommended that the area is massaged daily and rubbed with warm compresses to help it unblock. I have been doing these things day in and day out. Nora is nearly a year and a half old and since the duct has not become unblocked on its own, her pediatrician has recommended that we take her to a pediatric ophthalmologist, a baby eye doctor. They will want to probe the duct opened. The thought of it makes me queasy and nervous. Basically they would take a thin metal probe and stick it into her tear duct. I’ve been told that it is a very quick and simple procedure that has no lasting effects. However, silly me decided to look it up and now I’m not so sure what to do. There are pros and cons to having it done versus not doing it and I simply can’t decide. Nora has her 18 month well visit in 2 weeks and I’m sure that it will be brought up again (unless of course it happens to unblock on its own by some miracle).
So, I’m reaching out to my readers to see if anyone has any experience with this. Has your child had a blocked tear duct? Did it unblock on its own or did you have it probed? What was the procedure like? Where there any side effects? Did it work? Would you do it again if you had to?
Just like her sister.
Aug 23rd
Raising two daughters is truly an amazing thing. My girls are 2 years and 8 months apart. They annoy the crap out of each other yet love each other so much. The dynamic is both heartwarming and nerve wracking at the same time. From the moment Nora was capable, she has made it a priority to do exactly what her big sister is doing. She mimics Brinley to a T. If Brinley is reading a book, Nora is reading a book. If Brinley is coloring, Nora is coloring. When Brinley brushes her teeth, Nora wants to brush hers. If Brinley is having a drink, Nora needs a drink. If Brinely has to go potty, Nora has to go potty. And it’s not just the activity that she has to copy, it has to be done the same way – sitting in the same chair, coloring the same picture, going through the same motions, using the same cup.
It’s crazy how much she wants to be just like her big sister. Last night, Nora really proved just how much she wants to be like her big sister. You see, a little less than two years ago, Brinley had her first visit to the ER. She fell and hit her head on a wrought iron fire place basket and wound up with six stitches right in her hairline on her forehead. Nora wasn’t yet born back then, but she was with us through it. She was a mere 8 weeks along in gestation. I know she was taking note of it all.
How do I know this? Well yesterday we had a BBQ. It was raining so it turned into an indoor event. After we had enjoyed our food we headed down to the family room to play some Guitar Hero. The kids were making a phenomenal mess with the toys and the adults were taking turns playing Wii and supervising the kiddos. It was just about 7pm and we were getting ready to call it a night when we heard a loud thud. We all turned toward the direction of the sound and saw Nora face down on the brick fireplace hearth. I ran over to her and turned her over and she had a gash on her forehead that was bleeding a lot. I picked her up, brought her upstairs and put pressure on the wound. It just so happened that we had both a doctor and a nurse in the house. Once the bleeding stopped, both doctor and nurse had taken a quick look and Scott stopped vomiting (he has a weak stomach at the sight of blood), we got in the car and headed to the hospital. We left Brinley home in good hands with our friends.
Now I am not a fan of Emergency Rooms at all (not that I can imagine anyone is). The wait is always very long and it’s no fun to see all of these sick/hurt people waiting for care. But I have to say, it was as good of an experience as a visit to the ER could possibly be. We were in and out of there in less than an hour and a half. Nora, unlike her sister, did not require stitches. The doctor was able to use Derma-Bond glue to close the wound. Though both girls hurt themselves on or around a fireplace and had their wound on the same side of their forehead, Brinley’s was up much higher near her hairline while Nora’s is more right in the front of her forehead. It fits her personality. She’s a bruiser.
She will not be out done by her big sister!
Kids do the strangest things.
Jul 22nd
It’s no doubt that kids can be strange. They tend to do things that grown people would never do. They attempt feats that no sane adult would try. I’ve witnessed both of my children perform things that just boggle my mind.
Nora is quite the stunt woman. She thinks that she can defy odds and walk on water. She’ll be sitting on the couch and stand up and think that she can take a step and just be on the floor again. It doesn’t seem to click in her small mind that the couch is 2 feet off of the ground. She tries to climb everything and can’t seem to grasp that certain objects weren’t meant to be stood on. This results in quite a number of boo boos. She has mastered putting her hand on her head and announcing to us “boo boo”.
However, what really drives me crazy lately is her eating behavior. Now maybe her taste buds aren’t fully developed yet or something but the manner in which she consumes food often grosses me out. Case in point: Last night for dinner we had tacos and Mexican rice. She loves this meal. I piled her tray with seasoned beef, shreaded cheese, rice, olives and pieces of taco shell. She shoveled the food in her mouth so fast I doubt she could even taste it (which may have something to do with the following)! She finised her food before anyone else was done. At that point she was twisting and turning in her high chair and exclaiming “uck, uck” (stuck). I kept telling her, “No, you’re not stuck. You’re sitting in your chair while we finish eating.” Realizing that she was just going to keep trying to get out of her chair, I decided to give her something to keep her quiet. Enter popsicle!
I opened up a green apple flavored mini pop and handed it to her. She devoured it in about 2 minutes. Not quite enough time for Scott and I to finish our food. I assumed that she’d go back to trying to get out of her seat and yelling “uck, uck” but instead she did something that sort of grosses me out. She picked up some small pieces of beef and rice off of her try and ate them. Then she asked for more. So I gave it to her. It sort of bothered me that she had just finished eating a cold, sweet, popsicle and was now putting pieces of beef and rice in her mouth. That is something that I’m pretty sure a grown person would never do. This is also not the first time she’s done this. She’ll finish her food and have “dessert” and go right back to eating whatever the meal was. Maybe I’m the strange one, but I can’t stomach eating spaghetti and meatballs then having some ice cream and going back to eating the meatballs. GROSS!
Looking Back a Year
May 3rd
We celebrated Nora’s First Birthday on Saturday. It’s hard to believe that she is a year old already. It truly is unreal how quickly the time passes. Nora has filled our lives with so much joy. She is such a character and watching her grow and change every day is just awesome. Looking back at some of her very first pictures as a newborn, I am amazed at all of the changes she has gone through.
Right after she was born, Nora gave us quite a scare in the hospital. Scott and I were just about to (attempt to) settle down for the night when he looked in her little glass crib and noticed that she was very red. She seemed to be struggling to breathe and eventually coughed up quite a bit of mucous. We paged the nurses and within seconds a group of them came rushing in to see what was the matter. They ended up taking Nora to the nursery to check her out a bit deeper. She appeared to be fine and the chalked the mucous up to her being birthed so fast (5 minutes, 3 pushes) and not having a chance to get a good squeeze on her way through. Well, within a few minutes she had another repeat episode. This time it landed her a spot in the NICU. Luckily for us, I gave birth in a hospital fully equipped with a NICU and Nora didn’t have to be transferred to another hospital.
To make a really long, emotional roller coaster of a story, short, Nora spent 9 nights in the NICU as a result of having an immature breathing pattern and being unable to keep her oxygen saturation stable. Of course we were nervous, scared, heartbroken, you name it, about having to have her there, but we realized how much worse it could have been. It was so hard seeing some of the other babies that were in the NICU and knowing that Nora would be fine but just needed a little more time to mature.
The most difficult parts of having Nora in the NICU were traveling to and from the hospital on a daily basis, maintaining exclusive breast milk feeding, and trying to take care of two children that were in two different places. Somehow I succeeded at doing it but not without the help of an extremely amazing husband and truly supportive family members and friends. You see, our house was 45 minutes away from the hospital (without traffic). Once I was discharge and went home, I would wake up every morning, spend a few hours with Brinley and then drive in to be with Nora. While I was in the hospital with her, I would nurse her, hold her, take pictures of her, watch her sleep, and cry. I kept my sanity by going on walks around the city while she napped and by being blessed with some of the most amazing nurses ever! I’d spend from 11am until 11pm daily at the hospital. I’d nurse her while I was there and then when I went home, I set an alarm clock for every 2 hours so that I could pump and bring the milk to the nurses who would use it to feed her when I wasn’t there. I am extremely proud of the fact that during her 10 day stay in the NICU she was fed breast milk exclusively!
It’s so crazy how fast the past year has gone. Nora has been such a joy. Her smile can light up a room and her hugs just make me melt. She’s walking and “talking” and trying really hard to keep up with all of the things that her big sister is doing. I can’t imagine my life without her and I am truly blessed to have TWO such wonderful, beautiful, amazing daughters in my life!
Happy Birthday, Nora Jade!
