I'd like to be able to start this post by explaining that we (I) have not posted recently because we were having so much fun making great family memories and relaxing by the fire with our soft music playing...but, yeah, THAT did happen! We have had a pretty busy fall since our last post. Most of the time, it seems, has been spent in a doctor's office. Between David and I having our physicals for the adoption and Norah Kate having her regular check-ups, flu shots, and THREE ear infections in 1 1/2 months - I am more and more thankful for health insurance. David and I have both celebrated our 29th birthdays and we enjoyed a great 5 day Thanksgiving break in Pocahontas with my side of the family. This past weekend we also got to spend some time with David's brothers and their families since they were all in Memphis for the St. Jude Half-Marathon. Ben (David's brother) and Julie (Jonathan's wife) both DOMINATED the half marathon. I'm not certain on how Ben's time compared to previous half-marathons, but Julie took off 9 mins (WA-HOO).
As far as the adoption goes...there hasn't been a whole lot accomplished since my last post (unfortunately). We did finish the remainder of our documents for the home study (verification of health insurance for the child, life insurance for us, shot record for the dog (yes, you read that correctly), etc.). We have been told that our home study write-up should have been completed this past weekend. I HOPE HOPE HOPE that was the case. It just really seems to drag on and on. I guess that is how it always seems when you are not in control of something yourself, huh?
And now for Miss Norah Kate! Today she is 21 months old! Unfortunately, health-wise, these haven't been her best few months. This girl just cannot get rid of the crud. She had her first ear infection in the middle of October and since then she has had 2 others (this last one was a double ear infection). I am really hoping that this antibiotic does the trick, but today she really complained when I tried to wash her ears during the bath. Good or not, I really would just like to ignore it and see if it goes away (haha!), but she is suppose to go in Friday anyway to have them rechecked. So we will see.
Otherwise she is just really coming along! She is 26 lb and I'm not sure about her height (maybe I can ask them to check it when we go in on Friday). She is a great eater (unless there is an undiagnosed ear infection), but mostly likes to "dip" anything she can in ketchup, bar-b-q sauce, etc. She will repeat any word she can, even though it isn't very clear. She has a first words book that we go through and last night she got all but 2 of them correct! I hear "Mama...Mama...Mama!" about 4 million times a day, but it hardly even gets on my nerves because i love her little accent. The other day I fell (that's another story) and she said "Mama! K?" (as if Mama? are you okay?) So sweet. Then when we were at my parents for Thanksgiving David had gotten up with her one morning and let me sleep. My sister told me that she said "Shh, Mama sleep." Haha!!!
Her spanish is improving as well, and there have been several times when I have thought, "I really just don't understand what she is trying to tell me." For example, the other night we were about to eat supper and she kept saying something over and over. I finally said "Baby, I don't know what you are saying," and about that time David walked in the room and said "She's saying 'pollo'" (chicken) I suspect we will have several moments like this.
She continues to be our little social butterfly. She has also started to pee pee on the potty, but is really not very consistent with it. We are not in any hurry and so we really don't push her. We are just asking her fairly often if she needs to potty and usually if she says yes then she means it. Nowadays she usually tells us "night, night" when she is ready to go to bed (about 8p or 8:30p) and many times she doesn't wake up until we are ready to walk out the door around 8am. She is running everywhere and thinks it is the coolest thing in the world. (we do to when she doesn't fall AND it makes her sleep better!) All in all she is doing great. So...We are looking forward to her excitement this Christmas!
