Birthdays

Wow, what a crazy two weeks it has been!  Last Monday, Leo turned 5 years old.  It doesn't seem right for him to be 5 already.  For his birthday, we took cookies to his preschool for snack and took him to Chuck E Cheese.  I really am mother of the year for that one.  I'm pretty sure that my version of Hell is a crowded Chuck E Cheese!  Thankfully, it was a Monday afternoon so we had the place to ourselves.  Leo had a blast, of course and even Nora got in on the fun.  She loved dancing to the music and crawling around.  We also took Leo to Toys R Us (or Toys That R Us as Leo calls it) to pick out any toy he wanted for his birthday.  It was a fun but long day (the Chuck E Cheese and Toys R Us were an hour away from our house).

Today is Nora's first birthday.  It's even stranger to think of her as a toddler now.  For Nora's birthday, we had the traditional birthday party at Nana's house.  She loved being the center of attention and eating her cupcake.  It was a lot of fun to see friends and family from Birmingham.  Tonight for dinner we are having all of Nora's favorite foods, mac and cheese, oranges, and peas.

I'm both relieved that we survived Nora's first year (and the adjustment of having two kids) and a little sad.  Honestly, I'm not sure if I will miss the baby times.  It is a lot of fun now that Nora has a little personality and can actually play with Leo.  Since we are not going to have anymore children, it's time to say bye-bye baby and hello toddler!

Pulling Up

Over the past couple of weeks, Nora has started pulling up on everything.  Last night she pulled up and holding on to the couch tried to take a step.  I panicked.  I'm so not ready for Nora to walk.  It's funny how with Leo I just couldn't wait for him to pull up and take his first steps.  I would watch him so closely just hoping I wouldn't miss it.  Now with the second baby, I find myself wishing for a few more weeks (dare I hope for a month) before cruising around the furniture begins.  Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy and thankful to have a healthy baby.  I get as much enjoyment watching Nora figure out how to do things as she does.  However, having been through the toddler stage before I know what is coming next.  Taking a few steps while holding on to the furniture leads to walking, which leads to running, and before I know it I'll be chasing after a wild toddler with mind all her own!  It is totally selfish but please Nora give your mom a little more time to get use to the idea that her baby girl is growing up.