My Baby Girl: Predictions

Nora's personality is really shining through now that she's got a little more independence and is able to express her likes and dislikes. It'll be very interesting to see if the same traits are as prominent as she gets older.

Setting aside the obvious (that she's brilliant and beautiful), here's what I see in my nearly-eight-month-old:

She's incredibly observant. People always comment that she seems aware and interested in everything that's going on around her. When I take her for a walk in the stroller, she sits ramrod-straight at the very front of the seat with her arms out to each side, forming a "w," and just watches everything.

She waits to pronounce judgment until she's really checked something out and weighed its pros and cons. She studies the new thing very seriously, which usually involves smacking it repeatedly.

She's persistent. Nora will work at a problem until she's solved it. I love this about her. Whether it's turning a big, heavy toy over, or reaching an object that's out of her reach, she'll focus on finding a solution until she's got things the way she wants them. She seems to have a very high frustration tolerance. And hopefully this signals high self-esteem too-- that she trusts herself to be able to do difficult things.

She's comfortable in a crowd. We've been taking Nora to parties and out to dinner wtih friends ever since she was only a couple weeks old, and she's always seemed to enjoy being out with people. She doesn't necessarily beam at strangers right away, but neither is she instantly afraid of them. As long as her daddy or I are there to reassure her, she's a good sport about being passed around.

She's funny as hell. She just is. She likes to laugh and to make us laugh in return. She thinks it's hilarious when I pretend to eat her foot. Truth be told, so do I.

Nora the Explorer

After a few weeks of one-legged scooting, Nora finally figured out how to crawl this week! We managed to catch it on tape the second time we saw it.

Hello, houseproofing, baby gates and brand-new, dog-pee-free living-room rug! Goodbye, extension cords, freestanding bookcases and open bottles of bleach left lying around.

Nora also managed to feed herself Cheerios today. I think she got sick of me trying to eat my own dinner while feeding her. She still often puts the wrong (i.e. Cheerio-less) end of her fist in her mouth, but enough of them manage to find their way into her mouth for it to be worthwhile.

Same Day, Different Cuteness.

I normally wouldn't have posted this, but my mom, who's missing her grandbaby from her vacation in Florida, is begging for more Nora. Enjoy, Noraphiles!

Three Minutes of Cuteness, Plus an Origin Tale

Nora is this close to crawling. We thought today might be the day, so we got the video camera out. She didn't exactly crawl, but she did reward us with ridiculous cuteness and almost excessive chattiness. We think she was trying to tell us a Native American origin story. You be the judge.

Happy Seven Months Birthday!

Suddenly today Nora likes Banana Puffs (a kind of cereal that melts in your mouth) and green beans. It's a 7-month-birthday miracle!

More Photos

Look. This blog is by and for people obsessed with Nora, so when I get a bunch of new photos, I don't feel compelled to edit down to just a couple of representative snapshots. I may include every halfway decent shot. The people compiling the slideshow for Nora's Comedy Central roast or the party celebrating her latest Nobel Prize will have plenty of material to choose from.

With that caveat in place, here are yet more photos.

Mom and I took Nora to Summerfair last weekend. She was a great sport and barely complained. She refused to keep her hat on, though.

Nora has figured out how to pull herself up onto her knees from a sitting position, so we figured it was time to lower the crib mattress.

Don't look too closely at this one; there's a little poo on the mattress. On the plus side, doesn't my girl have some impressive guns?

And finally, here are a couple of pictures taken in the sunroom as Nora was starting to doze off after a midafternoon meal. Somehow the light was just right, and these pictures look exactly like oil paintings to me.

She's luminous, huh?

Namaste, Baby!

Aunt Elizabeth just got back from India, and brought Nora a lovely sari covered with choking hazards. Unfortunately, the skirt doesn't fit over her badonkadonk, so we tried on just the top and scarf.