No one Nose

Really, is the nose picking so important that nothing stops it? I've tried taking away toys, bandaids to keep her fingers out, I've tried telling her how disgusting it is, telling her she has to get a tissue if she does it, that she has to do it in the bathroom. NOTHING is working. It's truly gross and I can't make it stop no matter what I try. I'm truly at the end of my rope regarding her nose. She's even picked it to the point of giving herself a bloody nose and nothing has made one single shred of difference. I don't even know what to say anymore. It grosses me out that she does it, but more so because I later find whatever she found up there, wiped in random places. Any ideas?

Birthdays

Would you believe that I'm in shock that one week from today is Norah's Birthday. My very last baby is going to be ONE. I just looked at the calendar as I typed this thinking "That's just not right, it can't ONLY be a week" But yet, it is. She's grown and changed so much in the last year, and it's been so hard sometimes. Her little smile (even the sneaky one) makes me melt every time.

We're down to less than two weeks before the girls birthday party. I'm having a bit of a hard time. I think in theory I know what I want to do, but I invited a super good friend of ours, and her son has severe food allergies, so I'm trying to accomodate what will make their life easier and more stress free about being here. Otherwise I think it will be some good snacky foods, cake, and some tofutti cuties that David can have.

Hannah is also back to not feeling stellar. I don't know what's up with her, but yesterday she napped on the couch, and was a mess when she woke up. Even spiking a fever. So far she's doing ok after some tylenol and dinner. She seems ok so far, so school is a definite today, but I'll see how she is when she gets home.

And a nice picture of the girls sharing some goldfish at Meema's house last weekend.

Teething

Poor Norah, she's so very unhappy with getting her teeth in. Her nose is running constantly, she doesn't want to eat, she wants to be carried nearly nonstop and only by me. It makes me so sad that she has so much pain. It seems really unfair that kids that little have to try to deal with so much pain. She's currently working on 3. It was 5, but two of them are far enough through I can't see that they're causing her pain. The problem is, two of them are molars, and of course the flat part is just nightmarish.

I guess the good news on the horizon is that I have hope she won't be on bottles forever. She's bad at tipping sippy cups, so I gave her a straw cup, and she loves it. She drinks milk and water out of them like nobody's business. So as soon as she eats better/more and drinks regularly I think we'll start cutting out/back bottles!

Jinx

Ok, so I haven't said anything here because I was paranoid, but I think that enough time has passed it's really a non issue anymore. Some of you already know, but Hannah is a big girl. She sleeps with a teddy bear but No Binky! This was monumental as it was something that just the mention of not having it would send her into fits. She has apparently settled down about it, and last Friday (Feb 6) she slept her first night without. Saturday we made a trip to Build a Bear where she placed her binky inside a bear of her choice (complete with trashy Fredrick's looking PJ's) and then on Sunday she received her last prize, a Fish Tank, complete with Fish!

It's just wonderful to know that she did it, and with no fussing or crying at all. According to her Dentist she has an overbite, caused from sucking her binky, so we ditched it asap since I was told it could self correct if she stopped right away. Obviously it's only been 10 days, so who knows if it actually will. I'm thrilled that Norah doesn't have that issue. Apparently I've been told that her issue is that she's clingy, specifically because I put her in a sling. I won't say who would say something like that to me, but I know it's someone who reads now and again, so I'll put this out there:

Putting her in a sling doesn't MAKE her clingy, it makes my life easier when she IS clingy. I do not put her in for entire days, never letting her out to do her own willful 11 month old thing. She is on the floor playing an amazing part of the day for someone her age. I don't put her in a sling to fulfill some weird fantasy that I'm cool, or it will make her love me more, or that she'll stay little forever. I put her in a sling because it means I get dinner done, I get to read to Hannah, I can fold laundry, I can wash dishes, I can EAT without having my food taken. I put her in a sling to satisfy her need to be held AND accomplish all I can being a Stay at Home Mom. If that's wrong, then lock me up, plain and simple.

MP3 Playlist

Lisa tagged me, so I'll play along.

Guidelines:

1. Put your iTunes or Windows Media Player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your next answer.
3. You must write that song name down no matter how outrageous it sounds!
Tag friends who might enjoy doing the game as well as the person you got the note from.
**Note: As has been noted before, this was written with teenagers in mind…still, it’s kind of a fun exercise to see what pops up on your iPod.




IF SOMEONE SAYS, “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? "6th Avenue Heartache - Wallflowers" Um, hmmmm

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? "Love Me - Colin Raye" Yep, I'm a Cancer through and through

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?"Start me up - Rolling Stones" LOL

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?"Falling in Love - Lisa Loeb" Yep, and that's what happened over and over"

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?"Isn't it Ironic - Alanis Morrisette" Yep, so SO true

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?"Salvation - Cranberries" LOL, probably not

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN?"Adia - Sarah McLachlan" Hmmm, maybe?

WHAT IS 2+2? "Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers" Too bad I didn't get 99 red balloons too ;)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?"Love is a good thing - Sheryl Crow" I LOVE my best friend :)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?"Bring it on home - Little Big Town" Yep

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?"One Week - Barenaked Ladies" So true, I spend my life arguing with my love

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? "Wishing Heart - Lisa Loeb" I do spend a lot of time wishing

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?"Holding onto you - Brad Paisley" Not unless he's going somewhere... hmmmm

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?"Angel - Aerosmith" NO WAY, lol.

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?"I will remember you - Sarah McLachlan" Would be perfect.... nope though.

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?"I do - Lisa Loeb" I think my mp3 player just likes Lisa Loeb

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?"wherever you are - Jack Ingram" Sometimes

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?"Is it Raining at your house - Brad Paisley" That's not my ONLY concern when visiting friends :)

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?"Yellow Submarine - The Beatles" hmmm, I do LOVE the beatles, and Yellow Submarine, so if that's the WORST that could happen....

HOW WILL YOU DIE? "Nervous Breakdown - Brad Paisley" Yep, most likely, I live in a house full of Fields

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?"Boondocks - Little Big Town"

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?"What if she's an angel - Joe Nichols" Nope, not really
WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?"Whiskey Lullabye - Brad Paisley" Yes, I LOVE this song, makes me cry

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?"He didn't have to be - Brad Paisley" UM, what does that mean?

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?"Oh Marie - Sheryl Crow"

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?"Closing Time - Semisonic" LOL so only if I'm at a Bar

And I'm not tagging anyone, because... well no one reads this :)

Valentines Day

We had a pretty quiet, mellow Valentines day. Hannah woke up MUCH too early, and when I finally deigned to go in and see what her deal was, she yelled "It's SATURDAY, Meema is coming to get me" Yep, too bad it's not for 4 hours. So she was very happy to see Meema, which is always nice and makes her day. Then we packed up Norah and headed out to do some shopping. She was very sweet and relaxed, so unlike what Hannah was at this age. We spent the whole afternoon out picking up birthday gifts for parties, and discussing what to get the girls for their birthdays. Then we had Panera for dinner, which was yummy as always. Norah spent the entire time trying to figure out how to get people's attention and smile and wave at them. It was adorable of course.

Then yesterday we went to pick up Hannah and then stopped at Meme's to drop off her garage remote from checking on the place while she was on vacation. Hannah was thrilled to see Meme again, and was even more thrilled that she will come get her for an afternoon this week while it's vacation.

And Sara is coming down tomorrow as far as I know, which will be nice because the girls both seem to think she's a pretty special Auntie.

Under the Weather

I managed to catch the cold the girls passed around, so I was feeling like death all of the weekend and beginning of this week. The good news is that I'm finally feeling better, though the lingering cough is of course, still lingering.

Today is Hannah's Valentine's Day Party at school, so yesterday we sat down with scissors, paper, crayons and the like and made 12 valentines for all her little friends. She sat on my lap and wrote their names on each one (with very little help) and then signed her own name.

Then this morning I made the cookies I promised to bring for her party. Cream Cheese with pretty, festive hearts in all the appropriate colors decorating the top. They're really nice looking, though more importantly they're nice tasting. I love me some cream cheese cookies. They're one of my favorites, but I despise rolling dough, so I don't make them as often as I'd like.

I'll be attending the party this afternoon, so I'll take my camera and hopefully get some pictures of all the kids in action.

You won't believe this

My baby has a pony tail. A real, little, tiny ponytail. That she needs to keep her hair out of her face and her food. Insane isn't it? Especially since even much older than Norah, Hannah barely had enough for barrettes. I'll post two pictures to prove it. One of Norah from today at 11 months and one of Hannah from September of 2006, which would make her 18 months.

WHERE IS SPRING!

Seriously. I'm over winter, snow, and all of the germy sickness that comes with it. Hannah came home last Thursday saying she was tired, and it's only gotten worse from there. Last night was the first night she slept peacefully and in her own bed the entire night. She's FINALLY going back to school today, and I've missed her going as much as she misses being there. Norah's sick too now, so no amount of hand washing and what not keeps anyone from getting it around here. She's coughing and snotty and yesterday had a fever and was miserable. She just wanted to snuggle and be held all day.

On another note, I have just over a month until the girls birthday party... March 7, afternoonish :) I'm trying to determine what's the best way to do things, since there are a lot of people who want to come, and not everyone wants to be here late into the evening. I think what we'll probably end up doing is that I'll plan lunch for any of my family (you know who you are) who want to come down after church. Then anyone who lives around here that wants to come over around 2:30 or 3 can do that, then we'll have cake and maybe order a pizza for anyone who sticks around. It sounds like a plan to me, and in my head.

I'm also thinking that maybe we should try to do a book exchange party. Really, the girls don't need any gifts, they have plenty. So I was telling Steven that I've heard that everyone brings one book for each child they're bringing, and they also leave with one book for each child, though they get all switched around, so everyone gets something new. I think it's fair, the girls will each get a new book, and I won't get a mountain of toys from their friends that they don't *need*.

In case you're wondering

Why there are a whole bunch more years/posts on the side, it's because I merged the journals from the girls babiesonline sites onto here, so everything is comprehensively in one place. That is of course assuming you ever noticed, because some people don't I'm sure.

Hannah is still sick, though slept in her own bed last night and both girls slept until 7, which was wonderful and clearly did Hannah a world of good. She is much better today than she was yesterday. Still has the awful cough, but it seems like the fever is gone. We put some baby vicks on her last night, put in a vapor plug, and gave her the "good" cough syrup. She obviously slept well. She must still be under the weather though, because it's 1:45 in the afternoon and she and Norah are both sound asleep :)