one year.

I know I've posted this one online before, but it's one I can sit and stare at forever. such peace. and wasn't this just yesterday? no?

well I've decided I don't have any good words to describe my feelings today or how much I love this girl, so there's that photo. I'm going to go hold my one year old for as long as she'll let me. 

love..

eleven months, an anniversary, and she's almost one.

our girl hit eleven months in April and once again, I didn't blog about it. but she's a busy bee and I just haven't had a chance to sit down and write.

eleven months.

we just got back from a celebratory trip to Idaho, visiting old friends. April 30th marked five years of marriage for us, and Norah turns one tomorrow. so we planned our first vacation without any other family since our honeymoon. so very adult of us. we spent some quality time with lots of old friends, chased our little bird around, cut a nasty tooth, climbed and drove through mountains. beautiful, beautiful mountains. I nursed Norah on Picture Rock and later that day I looked at her and said, "Norah, I fed you on a mountain! I love my life!" it was so refreshing and the days seemed to fly. please excuse these grainy, ultra-filtered iphone photos.

photos c/o christy.

and today was so long. haha. but at the same time, I'm not wishing it away because that just means tomorrow will be here and I'm. not. ready. I can't believe Norah will be one whole year already! she is the sweetest and we love her so much. here's to a week of celebrating her and us and wrapping our brains around the fact that we made it. (; more tomorrow.

love..

nine and ten months and more kind strangers.

nine.

ten.

I have missed months nine and ten by a long shot. so as eleven nears, I thought I'd throw a few photos out there and tell you this girl is crawling all over the house, standing once in a while on her own until she realizes she's not holding on to anything, and saying words I didn't think I'd hear until well after she turns one. she's real busy.

today I went grocery shopping. I made trips to two stores to get the best foods for this bird. because it's never as easy as getting everything you need at one place. I wasn't upset about that, but as everyone knows, it's not ever a quick trip to grocery shop with kids. but I had no other agenda so I just tried to take my time and not stress as she started to get a little fussy at our first stop (she fell asleep before the next one so all was well). when I got the the register at my last stop, I realized I forgot my wallet in the car, so I had to run out and get it. the cashier was great, and it wasn't an issue, but hello, Norah was napping and I was losing my hands free window. (; anyway, I was loading everything into that car and someone parking next to me said, "it's hard work grocery shopping with a baby!" you're so right sir. thank you for noticing.

he didn't stop there though. he kept talking as he got out of his car, and I thought he was either going to be a little bit weird or he was trying to encourage me. and then I saw his shirt. it said something about prayer 24/7. I've encountered people like this. some are genuine. others feel like they're supposed to say something profound, reciting a script and I walk away a little annoyed (just being honest here, sorry). he and his wife have five kids and he said she likes to grocery shop alone. he said a couple of things I hear often, like we need more full time moms because it's good for the kids and it's the hardest and least paid job there is. and he said he notices how hard it is for her and how much she works and, "so I just commend you", as he walked away. 

I could have walked away annoyed, assuming he was reciting a script. but today it gave me the fuel I needed to get home and get all of the groceries in and shove some lunch in my mouth as I wrangle my super curious and brave babe. and get through the long day. and blog. blog? what is that? I know this was God encouraging me through another stranger. they're not all bad. (;

it was just a good reminder to notice. notice the mom with the baby in an ergo, pushing her cart with one hand. I now know how hard that is. and notice the brand new mom with a sad baby in a corner probably just wanting out of the house for a minute but sort of regretting it. I now know how hard that is. notice the moms. notice the dads. notice the people. little things we might not acknowledge, but should. and then we should commend them because we know. and we get it. and sometimes they need to know someone else gets it. 

I know this stuff has been said online a lot lately. this isn't some new revelation and there is a great movement of women I see online trying to make sure moms know what they do is hard and worth it and so important, no matter what it looks like. and I know sometimes even people without kids have hard days and barely make it to the store. this has all been said before. I was just encouraged and hoping this will meet the right pair of eyes tonight.

I notice. and I commend you.

love..

eight months.

this is a little glimpse of Norah right now.

she's got five teeth and one working its way through. though it's probably more like ten that I just don't know about, because she's apparently going for the gold medal in teething. | she hasn't been interested in food, really (I'll take any encouragement in that area). we did try carrots the last two days though, and she's kind of into it. carrots win! actually, breast milk always wins, but that's okay with me! | somewhere around nineteen pounds. | she's been sitting up like a pro for a couple of months now, which made her start to protest tummy-time because, who wants to do that when you can sit up, I guess? | scooting backwards (and spinning in circles) when she does decide tummy-time is okay. I think she'd run, if she could. | she started saying, 'ooh' right before we left for Michigan.. cutest thing. I wish you could all hear it. | she's also babbling and teaching herself to scream a lot and says, 'mama' when she wants to be picked up (oh, my heart). | she just started mimicking a cough or laugh and we'll go back and forth for a minute. she thinks that's pretty funny. | already knows what to do when I say, 'hi-five!' and hold up my hand. she's fun. | still likes napping on me the best. | she has lots of blonde, fuzzy hair coming in and looks a bit like Jack Nicholson (see here) in the bath or after a good, long nap in her car seat. | I think her favorite toy right now is paper or cardboard, which is unfortunate for her books, but made for a fun Christmas. | she's really fond, and probably most content, when we read or sing to her. the ABC song is her jam.

one of the sweetest things.. since we've been back from Michigan, when Chad gets home she lets out a little shout. I think she loved having extra time with him while he was off for Christmas and now gets so excited to see him when he gets home from work.

love..