Noelle News

2010-05-10T21:36:00.009-04:00

2010-05-08T05:42:00.002-04:00

New Words:

Boat

Chair

Flower

We've been taking temperatures a lot around here lately. So much that Noelle turns her head and leans against my chest for me to put the thermometer into her ear. She also tries to do it herself.

18 month check up = 97 percentile for height. 79 percentile for weight. 100 percentile for intelligence. ;)

My Muse

2010-04-30T21:37:00.002-04:00

Noelle got her little mits on a necklace I made and was trying to photograph. She put it on herself and then wanted to get in the pool.
My baby is 4 days shy of 18 months. I just thought her little legs looked so long and grown up in these shorts, I had to snap a picture.

Talker

2010-04-28T20:40:00.005-04:00

So were driving down the road today when Noelle points to the biug yellow school bus crossing infront of us and says "BUS". Plain as day, out of the blue. Apparently she said "go sleep" repeatedly with friend the other day. I would say she is officially a talker these days. Here's a list of what she can say even if her versions aren't perfect:

hello

bye

hat

mama

dada

coach = joosh or chew

water = wa-wa

poppy = pah-pah

fish = shw-shw-shw or ish
yaya = yaya or ahya

nana

hot

papaw

baby

bus

dog = dah

egg

bath

ball

elmo

yellow

purple

bubble

bottle

diaper = die-pah

light

boo

taco = dah-doh

poo poo

owww

shoe

cheese = cheee

banana = nana

apple

clock = toc

thank you = da-doo

uh-oh

ahh, ahhh, ahhhh, choo

home - ho

book

shoot = at least it's not sh#$

ho, ho, ho (for santa clause)

choo choo (for train)

pool

brush

She has had a repertiore of animals sounds for a while now including:

snake

elephant

sheep

bear

lion

tiger

owl

cat

dog

monkey

fish

pig

cow

horse

bird

alligator

mouse

bee

I'm pretty proud of my 18 month old!!!

Stevie

2010-04-28T20:36:00.003-04:00

Last night I was dressing Noelle in her pajamas or at least trying to when she showed me her impression of Stevie Wonder. She was running around in her diaper after she escaped my clutches when I started singing "When you wish upon a star". She stopped and listened and then started to dance. Nothing unusual about this; she rocks or sways left to right to the music. But this time she had her head tilted back, eyes squinted and mouth shaped like an 'O'. Maybe she temporarily went blind, maybe she likes Stevie, or maybe she's just my funny bunny.

2010-04-28T20:32:00.001-04:00

2010-04-28T20:28:00.002-04:00

Friends and Hats

2010-04-12T15:09:00.002-04:00

Bring on Senor Sun!

We went to a post-Easter egg hunt at a park. Noelle decided that she would rather use the toy dump truck as a wagon. Her new friend, Yorgos, wasn't wuite sure what to do.

Poolman

2010-04-12T15:06:00.004-04:00

Cock-a-doodle-hair-do!

I've got the CUTEST poolman I've ever seen...poolwoman that is.

Catch Up

2010-04-07T16:55:00.015-04:00

Hello world!! We are back online. New camera, new software, new laptop....hopefully we're back in business. I will try to catch us up to speed.

These pictures begin in mid-March. I had surgery on my left hand on the 15th and my mom was here to help for a couple of weeks. Thank God! We had a great time with her here and didn't want her to leave. I think Noelle finally understands that Ya-ya doesn't solely exist in the telephone which is where she usually hears her voice. Noelle, Ya-ya and I were in the backyard sharpening our egg hunting skills for the upcoming hunts we were to attend. Noelle took right to it. Now that we have practiced many times and attended 2 official hunts, she is quite the pro. Here's how it goes:

See egg,

gasp or squeal and point (in unison),

run to said egg,

pick up that egg,

toss it to the side only to spot another and repeat.

2010-02-10T10:47:00.005-05:00

Glas-mas 2009

2010-02-10T10:27:00.007-05:00

Lex-mas 2009

2010-02-10T10:09:00.006-05:00

Christmas

2010-02-10T09:57:00.002-05:00

Hello blog...long time no see. So it's been a while. In attempt to get caught up I am just going to post the highlights from Christmas and leave it at that. We spent the holidays in Kentucky and had a great time. It was challenging to get there because we got on the road at the beginning of what turned out to be a blizzard. Note to self...never, ever, ever again underestimate the debilitating power of snow!!! Long story short, we left Friday the 18th and didn't arrive in Lexington until Sunday the 20th in desperate need of showers. At one point we were stuck in the car with dog and baby in the same spot on the interstate for 13 hours. Anyway, we finally made it without any help from Santa.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-10T09:51:00.002-05:00

Recent Pics

2009-12-10T09:36:00.009-05:00

Best Buds

Read to Take the Plunge
Some Light Reading Before Bath Time
Ho, Ho, Ho

My First Turkey

Thanksgiving 2009

Reindeer Paws

PaPaw

2009-12-07T16:59:00.003-05:00

We were sitting at a stop light today next to a red pick-up truck with one of those big covers over the bed. Noelle kept saying, "Hi...hi...hi...hi..." louder and louder each time. I couldn't figure out why. I was telling her that they couldn't hear her and saying hi back to her so she didn't feel completely ignored. Then it dawned on me when she said, plain as day, "PaPaw". I believe she was saying hi to what she deduced must be PaPaw in his big red truck.

Noelle's favorite thing to do for the past couple of weeks has been to place anything into a container or any sort and take it back out again. She places it in the container, steps back and looks for a couple of seconds, and goes back to retrieve it---over and over again. It has sort of envolved into doing the in and out trick a couple of times and then delivering the object to someone and receiving a 'thank you'. This has already proven very helpful when emptying the dishwasher and she hands you one little fork or spoon at a time.

Our camera is currently not uploading at all thus no new pictures.

Dairy Queen

2009-11-20T09:36:00.006-05:00

Noelle takes the headband off my head and has learned how to put it on herself.

-Noelle continues to amaze me. A couple of days ago I ask her if she wanted to go color. I could have sworn she answered, "uh-huh," but I wasn't looking at her so I thought, nah, surely not. Then I asked her again and she walked right to the coloring crayon box and touched it with her hand. She has gone from stabbing at the paper with the crayon to actually making continuos lines back and forth.

-We were reading and I showed her a XYLO-phone. She put her fisted hand to her ear as though talking on the TELE-phone.

-She thinks Poppy land Gram live in the computer with a second home inside my phone and says one of their names everytime I open them.

-She likes to name the men in her life. Dada (over and over again), Poppy and Papaw.

-She walks very well on her own now and I think I forgot to mention her dance moves. The child is going to have some seriously developed leg muscles. She bounces to music but her bounces are full on squats. She also twists and shakes her head back and forth.

-She is the friendliest little thing I have ever seen. We make friends everywhere we go. Anyone who frequents Target knows about the dollar bins in the front of the store they use to squeeze one more buck from your pockets. They currently have toy versions of Dairy Queen's frozen treats. Noelle saw a package of one soft serve cone and another dipped in chocolate. She wanted them and I gave them to play with thru the store. She was licking the package top to bottom so I decided we could spare a buck and opened them for her. I didn't think she knew what they were; I just thought she was licking the package because she mouths everything still. On the evening of her birthday we had goone to McDonalds and each got a plain cone of soft serve and sat on the floor to eat it. She loved it. Anyway, she held one in each hand and proceeded to act like she was eating the ice cream. Everyone who passed our cart was offered a lick of the tasty treat. It was pretty funny and I couldn't believe she knew what to do with the ice cream.

Mad Skilz

2009-11-12T22:43:00.004-05:00

Noelle has learned a few tricks by now and I managed to catch a few on video today. She is turning into quite the comedian. She now can say, "mama, daddy, baby, pumpkin, hi, bye, paper, poppy, ya-ya, papaw" and I think she's working on "diaper" but I'm not sure yet. She recently started humming too when she hears someone singing. The bottom video isn't the best example but you get the idea. Enjoy!

Pasta Anyone?

2009-11-12T22:29:00.002-05:00

Noelle emptied out a box of mini-pasta shells today. I knew she had the box but I didn't think it was open. You can hear Coach crunching shells in the background.--Above she is playing in a birthday present.

Party Night

2009-11-09T09:10:00.004-05:00

We went to dinner after the party (and a nap). While waiting for a table I had been chatting with the restaurant owner who later surprised us all with a mini-sombrero and a birthday sunday.

Party Time

2009-11-09T08:42:00.019-05:00

We celebrated Noelle's first birthday this past Saturday November 7th with a few friends and family. It was a small affair big on style. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, especially the kids. Coach about had a nervous breakdown but, most importantly, Noelle had the time of her life!! (me too)

The tunnel turned out the be the hit of the party. Giggles and squeals could be heard for miles I'm sure. Noelle never did crawl through, she listened to her own drum beat and crawled along beside.

Clearly, balloons were the theme of the day.

We had balloon cupcakes, chocolate dipped balloon rice krispie treats, a chocolate hot air balloon cake and Noelle's very own red balloon cake.

Noelle's personal red balloon cake

2009-10-31T00:37:00.013-04:00

October 30, 2009
Okay, so I have totally neglected the blog for about a month. In order to get caught up I've posted some pictures. In summary, we've been to Kentucky twice since I last posted, once for an unexpected funeral and once for a baby shower and ballgame. Noelle has changed even since these pictures were taken. We always love being home and have a great time. We also went to a Halloween/birthday party on October 17th. Noelle was a wee witch for the party and will wear the costume once more tomorrow for Halloween. There will be more pictures later, of our trip to Lexington, but my camera is currently in Lexington. Enjoy!

Giggler

2009-09-30T08:03:00.004-04:00

I realize these first two videos are redundant but they were so great that I added both. This was last night while cooking supper.

Below is a clip of Noelle operating from inside her toy basket. I think she is going to be a mountain climber.

Playtime

2009-09-29T23:07:00.003-04:00

In the box

Why make pie?

Fall Festival

2009-09-29T22:45:00.011-04:00

Go Cats!

Over the gate...

2009-09-29T22:44:00.000-04:00

Sink Graduate

2009-09-23T19:42:00.005-04:00

Okay......so we've been doing bath time in the kitchen sink for a while now and it's been fine. In the past week or two though, Noelle has been trying more and more to stand in the sink instead of sit. When I get her out and sit her on the towel I usually cover her head and lie her down on her back. As she obviously knows what to expect, she has started to just through herself back onto the counter ready to lie down. We have known it was time to move to the big girl bath tub but just hadn't yet made the transition. Tonight everything was washed and then rinsed and she took it upon herself, with no help at all, to turn around and climb out of the sink onto the towel in the counter and sit there ready to be dried. Tomorrow night I think I'll just hand her the wash cloth.

Changes

2009-09-23T16:17:00.002-04:00

-Noelle continues to change almost daily. She up to 5 'words' now including: mama, dada, hi, bye-bye, and baby. Granted it takes an expert ear to distinguish between her versions of baby, bye-bye, and ba-ba-ba-ba-ba but there is a difference. We are also pretty sure that she tries to immitate Coach's barking. She's actually been doing this for a while but we didn't realize what it was. Thanks to Coach for teaching her first word.
-She likes to point at things and makes a little noise until you tell her what they are called like squirrels and birds and trees especially.
-She has also started standing for extended periods on her own without support. Today we went into the backyard and I learned how well she can walk while holding only one hand or finger of mine. It won't be long now for sure.

First Steps

2009-09-17T22:53:00.003-04:00

I almost forgot to post it but yesterday Noelle took what I think qualifies as her first step. She was standing with her hands on the foot stool reaching towards Daddy. She couldn't reach his hands so she left go of the stool, moved her left foot forward, and was then able to reach Chris's hands for support. It won't be long.

What a Grown-up...

2009-09-17T22:36:00.004-04:00

This picture is dark but if you look closely you will see Noelle has one of Coach's toys. She is taunting him with it trying to get him to take a bite.

9-17-09 Today Noelle was playing beside me while I was ironing. I was glancing down at her every few moments. Suddenly, I found she had undressed herself. Wish I had caught her in the act.

I made sure the doors were locked, stairs gated, toilet seat down, outlets plugged and left Noelle contentedly playing in the den while I ran to the basement, picked something up, and ran back upstairs. I couldn't find her. She was no where. I thought, "Don't panic. She can't have gone far. No one came in and took her. Figure this out." I was calling her name with no sound or response. Then I found her hiding between the radiator and the end table. She was peeking out at me through the table watching me search. Of course this whole scenario took about 10 seconds but it felt much longer.

Zoo

2009-09-17T22:19:00.006-04:00

While the Durbins were here we were able to spend the day at the zoo. Here are some pics.What species is this one?

Look Daddy, there's a Florida Gator!

Hi everybody!

Nana & Pa Paw

2009-09-17T22:10:00.004-04:00

Nana and Pa Paw came for a visit this past weekend. It went fast but we all had a great time. Noelle especially loved all the attention. She is still peeking around the corner after she wakes up to see where all the members of her fan club are hiding. Or she yells down/up the stairs looking for 'the others'. I tell her, "It's just you and me kid."

Nana, where'd you go? Come back!

Storytime

Sharks

2009-09-07T20:39:00.002-04:00

Noelle has begun pointing at things with her index finger only. I don't always know what she is aiming at when the finger is in midair but it is a new skill none the less. She has also learned that Coach is a sucker for a treat. He circles around her seat like a shark at meal time waiting for some tossed or dropped scraps. These days, if Noelle takes notice of him while leaning over the edge of the seat, then she graps as much food the she can fit into her hand without even looking at the tray and throws it over board to watch him feast. We've had to start quarantining Coach to the backyard during mealtime. Better news is that she is eating table food better and better. Interestingly, she prefers fruit pureed but vegetables solid. Whatever works!

10 Months Old

2009-09-05T00:19:00.003-04:00

Noelle is 10 months old today. It goes without saying, that I find this remarkable. She has grown so much and developed into a little person. It's incredible. We watched a little Sesame Street today and had a celebratory popsicle on the porch. 11-04-09

Ham It Up

2009-09-04T16:15:00.000-04:00

Anybody want a little 'HAM' with supper?

Wild Blue Yonder

2009-09-04T15:48:00.000-04:00

We've had some cooler days lately that have just been fabulous. In spite of not having a screen door and windows that won't stay open I have managed to make it work. It's okay for me and Noelle; the only draw back is a fly here and there and of course when, Coach our ferocious lion of a dog, decides to go airborne from the den to the street in 2 seconds flat. As I over heard the neighbor boy say one time, "That dog is CRAZY!" Anyway, Noelle loves to gaze outside. I don't know exactly what she is looking at, everything I guess, but it successfully occupies her for a good while. She looks so cute standing on her own peering out into the wide blue yonder. She's working on scaling the gate just like Coach...just like an older sibling to teach naughty tricks.

Silly Facer

2009-08-28T09:22:00.000-04:00

I caught her in the act this morning. Here's her silly face. 8-27-9

This just in...

2009-08-28T00:05:00.000-04:00

I was wrong about Noelle's upper front teeth. She's getting all four of them at the same time. The left 2 are a bit ahead of the others but they are all coming. In spite of being a bit grumpy she is still a mover and a shaker. She currently has bumps and bruises on her noggin from squirming around everywhere. She managed to climb up the entire staircase today and was so pleased to turn around and look down once she had reached the summit.

In other news...she now knows how to give a perfecct 'High Five' (just in time for football season). She also has a new face that simply cannot be named. It is weird and funny at the same time. It has yet to be photographed so if you want to try it out, I'll tell you how it's done. (This should only be attempted in the privacy of your own home).

--Tilt head back, nose to the sky

--Squint eyes tightly

--Scrunch up nose

--Open mouth so as to display upper gums

--Now open and close mouth rapidly

Hot Sunday

2009-08-24T22:53:00.000-04:00

August 23, 2009

Uh-oh...

2009-08-24T22:45:00.000-04:00

August 19, 2009 - Now we're in for it. Noelle and I were downstairs in the morning and she heard Chris get out of bed and go to the shower. No different than any other weekay but for some reason she decided to go check it out. Then, knowing no obstacles, she decided to go see Daddy. Time to break out the gates.

Stepping Stones

2009-08-24T22:43:00.000-04:00

It used to be that Noelle just wanted to get in Coach's toy box. Now it serves as a mere stepping stone to more fascinating delights. She climbed in on her own and I had to snap a shot.

Jaws

2009-08-24T22:40:00.000-04:00

I combed Noelle's hair straight back this night so it dried funny. I tried to get a picture of her hair but it turned out more like a 'oral exam'.

Five Generations

2009-08-24T22:33:00.001-04:00

My great grandmother, Grandmother Sugar, will be 102 years old this October 24th. Grandaddy will be 80 years old on September 4th. The rest of us will leave you guessing.

If I were a lumberjack...

2009-08-24T22:28:00.001-04:00

We were having some trees cut down and it was lots of fun to watch. That's me in the bucket truck. Pretty cool!

Wiggle Squiggle

2009-08-24T22:03:00.000-04:00

Claudia and Rayne

2009-08-24T21:59:00.000-04:00

Cousins

2009-08-24T21:19:00.000-04:00

Big Sitter

2009-08-23T22:05:00.000-04:00

2009-08-23T21:50:00.000-04:00

Nana Time

2009-08-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

Poppy Play

2009-08-23T21:19:00.000-04:00

My Gigi

2009-08-23T15:47:00.001-04:00

Baby in Motion

2009-08-23T15:32:00.000-04:00

Uncle Al

2009-08-23T15:25:00.000-04:00

At the Club...

2009-08-23T15:08:00.000-04:00

Noelle's first golf lesson

Family Fun

2009-08-23T12:02:00.000-04:00

Noelle's Boyfriend

2009-08-23T11:57:00.000-04:00

When their eyes met Noelle got all mushy; she was entranced. She just held still laid back and gazed up at my cousin Dean's face dreamily. True Love...at least she thought so. Dean is a senior in high school and does very well with the ladies--the little ones, I mean.

Uncle Alex & Aunt Cheryl

2009-08-22T23:48:00.000-04:00

PIX

2009-08-22T23:40:00.000-04:00

Pool Party

2009-08-22T23:35:00.000-04:00

Catch up

2009-08-22T22:20:00.000-04:00

August 22, 2009
So it's been a while since my last post. Let's recap. I had surgery on my right hand that went well. A few days prior to the left hand's scheduled surgery date it began to return to normal. Unbelievable that after being numb for almost a year, after all arrangements had been made, it decided to 'heal' on its own. Go figure!

My mom's help while she was here and while I was there were essential. We are talking about a 6 week time period here and Noelle is not the same baby as she was when this journey began. While I've been away, from the blog, she has learned to wave, clap, say "bye-bye" (sometimes), crawl, pull-up, walk with the push walker, say "mama", and most recently and , at least to me most amazingly, climb stairs. She still thinks it's funny when she sneezes, loves the water, is soooo ticklish, likes to play peek-a-boo, prefers to view the world with her head tilted horizontally from time to time, doesn't care for her car seat but loves to fill her pants every time we get in it, and love to grab Coach's beard.

She now loves to drink ice water and eat itty bitty ice cubes. Now that she is crawling everywhere she has discovered that she can chase Coach. He is a nervous wreck until she goes to bed at night. Sometimes he pounces around her as she tries to get him with his tail wagging a mile a minute. For now he's faster than she is so she changes direction over and over again. It's funny to watch.

Noelle is teething right now. Of the front four teeth she's getting the left two. I suppose her smile will be a little off center for a while. She likes to rub them together with the two teeth on the bottom. It sounds awful but it must not bother her. She has also discovered Coach's food. She has managed to dump the bowl once or twice and yesterday took a handful and put it into the water bowl. One last antecdote... she mozied into the bathroom the other day and shut the door behind her. I waited to see what she would do. After a few minutes she was yelling for help and I found her stranded at the toilet, standing up drumming on the closed lid.

Wittle Walker

2009-07-12T22:13:00.000-04:00

July 12, 2009

Noelle is still trying her darndest to walk. It won't be too long at this rate I'm sure. Now we just need some words. I can't wait!

Wave Wonders

2009-07-12T22:08:00.000-04:00

July 12, 2009

Noelle has a new skill. We've been working on it for a few days and today she got it. Here's a video of Noelle waving hello and good-bye. Later on this night she continued to wave while eating a bottle and at the television.--In my previous blog entries I forgot to mention that she can kick her feet and splash with her hands when told to...most of the time.

Miniscule Mohawk

2009-07-12T21:56:00.000-04:00

Standing Tall

2009-07-05T22:13:00.000-04:00

Echo Location

2009-07-05T21:41:00.000-04:00

I knew Noelle loved the water but I didn't realize she really was part dolphin until today. She added a new sound to her repertoire today. She clicks. It's so funny how she suddenly has these new abilities. In the past week she has been very clingy and not sleeping as well as usual. Turns out she was undoubtedly having a growth spurt. Last night none of her pajamas fit. They are all too short. Her behavior has also changed in the past few days in that she will have nothing to do with lying or sitting. She is unhappy unless she is standing up all the time--a difficult task since she can't do it on her own. She has been able to pull up on her own a few times as long as she can get her feet into position first. She has also has learned 'nose' this week. She will grab mine when asked "Where's mommie's nose?"

Chris has been out of town since Thursday and last night Noelle had a little love affair with his picture. Our wedding portraitis hanging in our bedroom and while I was putting her to bed. She was looking at it intently. I took her near it and started talking about Daddy. She cooed and patted him in the picture several times. Then she alternated between staring at him and looking at the bedroom door for him to appear while she finished her bottle. True Love.

Best Friends

2009-07-03T23:12:00.000-04:00

Star Power

2009-07-03T22:35:00.000-04:00

July 3, 2009
Unwanted attention, unflattering photos, gossipy rumors......okay, it's not that extreme but no longer do I run errands quietly and anonymously or efficiently for that matter. Being in public with Noelle is becoming much like being a celebrity, or at least a celebrity's body guard. As she gets older she is naturally more and more interactive. It seems that everywhere we go she makes friends. People love her. I am accosted in stores, parking lots and restaurants. Last week an Italian man was talking to Noelle in Wal-mart's check out lane and she just leaned over and reached for him. He took her and LOVED it! Mom and I went to dinner tonight and the waitress hardly left the table. She took Noelle for a walk around the restaurant before we could go home. Sitting in the dressing room at Talbot's, Noelle entertained five or six employees for a good while as we were waiting. Later a five year old kid just came and sat by us. He said, "I'm waiting for my mom." I said,"Me too." He wanted to play with Noelle and she gave him a hug. We get comments galore and love them all. I think she is quickly learning to play along. A gentle turn of the head, coy grin and they are all putty in her hand. Who wouldn't be? I guess that's how stars are born.

Bouncy Baby

2009-06-27T21:32:00.000-04:00

VIEWING INSTRUCTIONS: (TURN HEAD 90 DEGREES DUE WEST)

Noelle is about a week and a half from being 8 months old in these pics. She is getting quite strong. She has managed to pull herself up to standing postion while inside the crib if I put her feet into position. She hasn't figured out how to place her feet in order to do it herself. She's got two little teeth on the bottom. No talking or crawling just yet but she gives sloppy, wet kisses often and sometimes upon request. She identifies Coach, Daddy and Mama by looking their way when asked where they are. She is extremely ticklish: her feet, her underarms, her thighs, her calves, her knees, her hips and her tummy. We've been trying to get her to wave and say hi. Like I said, no words yet, but yesterday and today she has been holding her hands up and opening and closing them. She did it today when I came down the stairs and she saw me. Maybe a wave; maybe not....time will tell. Her interpretation is a bit different than mine or Chris's.

P.S.--Sorry for the sideways video. I forgot that I couldn't rotate the uploaded videos like I can the still pictures.

Pink Planter

2009-06-27T21:26:00.000-04:00

Noelle and I often swing on the front porch late in the afternoon. Here she is in her pink overalls. She and I were 'talking' and imagined that she runs her farm in style by raising pink pigs, pink flamingos, and pink petunias.

Saturday Sights

2009-06-27T21:22:00.000-04:00

We made a trip to the White House and the Corcoran Art Museum last weekend followed by dinner with the Harpers. After dinner we all strolled around the National Cathedral. Anna Banana wanted to do all the stoller pushing.

Greener Grass

2009-06-27T21:16:00.000-04:00

In spite of the plethera of toys at her disposal, Noelle seems to find Coach's toy basket much more interesting. She put one of her rattles in his basket and grabbed an old cup Coach likes to chew on. She actually got it before I could stop her; I didn't think she could get to it. I suppose the grass is always greener at any age.

Summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime...

2009-06-08T23:47:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist doing the lifeguard nose.

June 8, 2009

We broke out the swimming pool this past Sunday. After a day of heating in the sun it was the perfect temperature today. Noelle, as always, LOVES the water. She has no fear yet about diving in head first...of course she hasn't fallen in head first yet so that may change. She's a little fish. Next stop: the Beach!!!!!

Seven Month Sillies

2009-06-04T22:34:00.000-04:00

June 4, 2009

It's almost unbelievable but Noelle was 7 months old today. She has been sitting up since she was 6 months and 1 week. She can, of course, turn over front-to-back and back-to-front at will. She has one tooth coming in on her bottom left that is about 1/3 of the way up. She gives smiles freely and loves to tug Coach's beard. In the past few days, she has started yelling at me. Just random loud noises because she can. She was talking to everyone at Subway last weekend and amusing them all. She has learned to feed herself fairly well by putting hand to mouth--no utensils yet. She does NOT like slimey chopped bananas but she loves the baby food version. They made her almost gag and shake her head back and forth like she had chills. All in all it is amazing to watch her progress and remarkable to think that in another five months or so she'll be walking and talking a bit. Happy 7/12 Birthday Noelle!

New Faces

2009-06-04T22:26:00.000-04:00

June 4, 2009

In the past few days I have noticed Noelle doing this new face sometimes. At first I thought it was because she was itchy eyed or sleepy but now I am pretty sure she is just practicing making faces and doing it deliberately. It's hard to capture on film as you never know when it's coming but I think I caught a couple of her faces in this video. She goes from smiling to this sort of face scrunch with eyes squeezed tightly and mashes her mouth closed so it makes a straight line from one ear to the other. It's is pretty funny.

Laid Back...

2009-06-04T22:24:00.001-04:00

...with my mind on my mommie and my mommie on my mind.

Back Porch Playin' and Grillin'

2009-06-04T22:03:00.000-04:00

Durbin Time

2009-06-04T21:57:00.000-04:00

We recently had a visit from the Lexington Durbins. We did lots of playing and visiting and all had a good time. We went to the newly renovated American History museum and also went to a park.

Sailor Stripes

2009-06-04T21:55:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day

2009-06-04T21:52:00.000-04:00

I must say I have a new favorite holiday. Mother's day is the BEST! We had a great day. We went and ate brunch where I had a mimosa followed by raspberry and cream cheese stuffed french toast. It was divine! Then we ran around in the car and bought some plants for our porch and came home to hang out on the deck. It was fabulous. I enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you Noelle!

Shades

2009-06-04T21:51:00.000-04:00

Sunny Smiles!

2009-06-04T21:50:00.000-04:00

Days Gone By

2009-05-02T00:29:00.000-04:00

May 1, 2009
As I was working on the blog tonight I was somehow struck by how much time has past. I can't believe it's been almost 6 months already. I looked back at the early pictures and cried at how small Noelle used to be. It's amazing to me that only 6 months have gone by yet already I had almost forgotten how teensy she really was. It is so hard to revel in the early moments because they are also so trying. I guess you learn how to really appreciate what was after it is no more. Noelle has just become, Noelle, a person that I know in my life. My daughter. She is no longer 'the baby'. She is my daughter. I forget to see her objectively now. She is just my daughter. I am so used to her being here that I can't imagine life without her. I love her more than ever. I am moved by our progress and feel truly thankful as each day with her is a gift that I cherish. I am so in love with her that it hurts. It is truly incredible.

Mail Call

2009-05-02T00:02:00.000-04:00

May 1, 2009
Noelle likes mail time around here. She likes the colors, textures and sounds of the different papers. She has even figured out how to rip them, the thin papers at least.

Cracker Contraband

2009-05-01T23:26:00.000-04:00

Noelle has not yet been cleared to try anything other than baby food. However, since she is reaching for everything I have in my hand or in front of me, I have been experimenting just a bit. I think she's doing great. We have toyed with the puffed rice pieces and she seems to like them. She can't consistently get them into her mouth but when she does it's hilarious. She's like an old man without his dentures. Here is a video of her learning to chew, or rather, learning to gum her food.

Movin' On Up

2009-05-01T23:24:00.001-04:00

We finally decided Noelle was ready for a highchair so she can start sitting up like a big girl. Here is a quick shot of her testing it out.

Easter Eggs

2009-05-01T23:17:00.000-04:00

April 18, 2009. Hosted by the Jefferies, we attended a Easter egg hunt at their neighborhood park. It was a beautiful day with good food and great company. Noelle didn't find too many eggs this year but she got to swing with her buddy Harper Jefferies (6 months Noelle's senior). Actually, if you can tell from the picture, Noelle isn't yet able to sit up in the swing so she busied herself with gnawing on the tasty black rubber. Gross! "She'll learn."

Derby Daze

2009-05-01T23:11:00.000-04:00

Derby Party

2009-05-01T22:51:00.000-04:00

April 25-26. We had a great weekend with friends and family. All attended the Kentucky Society's annual pre-Derby party. It was quite "balmy" that day and the events somehow seemed more tame than previous years. It probably had something to do with the fact that everyone was sitting in the 'family section' --- at least it was shady. We had blankets and chairs to share as we chased the shade through the afternoon. As usual, our visits could be aptly described as fast and furious but we'll take what we can get. It was a fun time! Noelle loved being with the group and outside and was content the whole time. Soaked in sunscreen, she still managed to get some color. She was named the 'Gerber Baby' by some passers-by and everyone thought she was gorgeous. Of course, we agree and will always take compliments.
Derby Dolls

Here are all Derby Durbins plus one interloper.

Noelle made a new friend at the Derby party. His name is Andy Chatterjee and is 1 month older than she......future boyfriend perhaps?

Easter

2009-04-16T23:39:00.001-04:00

Easter Sunday

2009-04-16T23:36:00.000-04:00

Noelle was all gussied up for Easter. She got a giant Easter duck, a little bunny, a fancy bib, some new clothes and lots of Easter eggs--no chocolate this year.

Swings

2009-04-16T23:25:00.000-04:00

Justa' Swangin'

2009-04-16T23:14:00.000-04:00

Noelle and I went to the park for the first time a few days ago. We walked to one between our house and the King Street metro. Chris met us there after work. Noelle always loves being outside. She is immediately calmed by going outside. We didn't get any thrilling reactions to the swing or the slide but we enjoyed ourselves anyway.

Arghhhh!!! Ahoy Matey!

2009-04-16T23:11:00.001-04:00

Noelle has been eating carrots like a growing bunny should. Here she is looking like Red Beard the Pirate instead of an Easter Bunny.

Junior Golfer

2009-04-16T23:05:00.001-04:00

We had such nice weather we were able to eat outside on the deck one night. It was then that Noelle decided she will be the next Tiger Woods, her poppy's dream come true. She looked more like a little rascal than a junior golfer. (On the front, the logo says Titlest.)

More Cherries

2009-04-16T23:00:00.000-04:00

More fun at the Festival. It was a great day and we had great weather. The ride on the metro was near madness but we all survived the trip. Noelle was thoroughly entertained the entire trip. We even went to dinner afterwards with no meltdowns the whole day. That's a success in my book!

Bowman Visit

2009-04-16T22:44:00.000-04:00

On April 4th, my parents came for a visit. We ventured out a lot more than Noelle and I are brave enough to do on our own. I think Noelle loved it all. We drove to Annapolis and saw the Naval Academy and all got a single blue crab along with a tutorial on getting to the meat. All in all it was a good experience, but not one any of us were in a hurry to repeat. We'll stick with chicken!

We also went to Mount Vernon, at least we did a drive by, and explored an old fort, Fort Hunt. Above are some pictures of Noelle at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Cherry Blossom Festival

2009-04-16T17:37:00.000-04:00

Mouthy Maneuvers

2009-04-16T17:23:00.000-04:00

We are still eating baby food veggies; no fruits yet. Here is Noelle eating peas that make her work her tongue like a snake. I was only able to capture it for a bit.

On April 4th, her 5 month birthday, Noelle just started blowing air through her lips and making noise. Again, these things are hard to capture on video bit I caught a little. It's funny, she had never done that and, all of a sudden, had a new trick up her sleeve.