Tired...

I've been tired lately. Unbelievably tired. I've been going to bed at 8 and 8:30 the last couple of nights. It's now 7:30 and I feel like I could drop dead right here. Why? You might wonder. It's all because of a little thing called work, followed by a cute little thing called Nora, and to top it all off is a little lime I've got inside me that was the size of a fig last week and next week will be the size of a medium shrimp! Gotta love the babycenter descriptions, huh? We had our first ultrasound yesterday and it was so great to hear the heartbeat. We are looking forward to this new addition to our family. It's still a little weird to imagine that Nora's going to be a big sister instead of our baby girl, the one and only. We will be finding out baby's sex this time, so near the beginning of January we'll know a little more. I wish I could make this post more eloquent or a little more informative, but as the title lets you know...I'm pooped. But speaking of poop, and no I did not do that on purpose...Nora has a favorite book that makes me laugh every time we read it. It's called "Everyone Poops". She absolutely loves it! Well, I wannna go snuggle up with Hiram before I have to crash for the night. Here's a couple of cute ones of Nora from this last few weeks of fun. After re-reading my post today, when I'm not quite as tired yet, I realized I could have told you that I'm coming on 13 weeks along and am due around May 15th. So Nora will be turning 2 just a couple weeks later. A 2 year old and a 2 week old...can't wait!!


I just love this picture from bathtime.

Nora chilling with each of her legs over either of Hiram's shoulders.

She wasn't so sure about the cold goopy pumpkin. In fact, she really didn't want anything to do with it.

Playing dress up...

It's a little big still.

Fall Break at the Apple Orchard

Just a quick post about our trip to the Hobart apple orchard. We went up to spend some time with family during our Fall break. Hiram and I both are working for the school corporation, so that means we get all school breaks! It's a wonderful perk. Anyway, back to the apple orchard. If you are ever in the area you simply must get some of their doughnuts...wow! that's all I can say about them. It was a really great place. Nora had so much fun, so it was a lot of fun to watch her explore and enjoy. Hiram and I were talking afterwards about how it's neat to see that our joy is now seeing Nora's joy and happiness.


I like this picture a lot. It shows her sweet calm disposition I think.

Nora intiated this handhold. She then proceeded to lead her cousin around the entire store.

She really enjoyed playing with these streamers. The next picture while not very great, shows her enthusiasm with them blowing in the wind.

Grandma Christy got Nora this coat...thank you!! It was very much appreciated on this cold October night!

My handsome husband with the kiddos. We had so much fun with them this weekend. We weren't sure if we were going to make it cause Hiram had a nasty two days of fever and flu which cut into the trip a little, but he woke up after that second day feeling great so we drove on up and had a blast with my brother and his wife and kids. Thanks for the fun!!

Nora typically says hi to her uncle Tyson and she's lucky if he acknowledges her...but she has continued to say hi each time she sees him and I think she's winning him over. The other day he was listening to his ipod and Nora walked over to see what he was doing. He took off his earphones to let her listen. She couldn't help herself and broke out dancing without any prompting from us first. I only got the camera in time to catch a glimpse but I think it's just darling and worth the share.

Our Big Little Miss

Maybe it's being away from her for 6 hours of the day, but Nora sure seems to be growing up fast. She's almost 16 months and such a joy to us!! She's saying all sorts of new words each day. She's learned the word "fit" after I asked her if she was having a fit. She likes to repeat it after I ask her. She's provided plenty of fun times at church. A couple of Sundays ago we were in Relief Society together. The teacher said something about not being a good friend and some of the ladies laughed. Well Nora joined in, only a little after the fact, with her deep growly laugh. Oh, my baby is the greatest!!


She's feeding herself and does such a good job of it too!!

She likes to play dress up!

Update

Just a quick update. Hiram and I both found jobs. Hiram is working as a 1:1 aid for a 7th grade boy at a middle school. The boy is nonverbal so Hiram gets to learn sign language, which will be a great asset for him to have anyhow. He's really enjoying it so far. I am working as an ESL parent liason for the school corporation. I just finished my first week and I AM TIRED! I can't say that I love working, I absolutely hate being away from Nora for that long each day. When I was first lining up babysitters for her, it took me a half hour to make the call because I did not want to be doing it. Then I proceeded to cry myself to sleep because I was afraid she'd feel like I abandoned her. But, we found a wonderful sitter and Nora has so much fun each day. I'm sure it's been more traumatic for me than her. My job will require me to polish up my Spanish speaking skills. It's been quite a while since I've really spoken it on a regular basis. But, we are doing good. Adjusting to this new part of our lives. And I for one, am counting down the days till the weekends, as I seem to have found a new appreciation for them.

moving day, labor day, and birthday fun

So we are here in Indiana now. We've been job searching for the last couple of weeks. Hiram's finally pinned down a job (99% sure) with the school corporation here, full benefits included! I've applied for quite a few jobs one of which that I would absolutely love at Riley Children's Hospital up in Indy. Not sure how it will turn out because I don't officially have my license to practice yet, so they won't send my application on unless I meet the requirements. I'll make some calls today and try and figure some things out.

Here are some pictures from this last weekend. We had a little family gathering. Nora's cousins Ashton and Wyatt just adore her! It's fun to see them play together. Sorry the picture quality isn't the best, I haven't taken the time to play with loading them through another way that looks better.

Also, today is Hiram's birthday! He's 27 years old. He went paragliding in Utah, before we moved, as his birthday gift, but our camera was up with Hiram in the air and he didn't take any pictures. I might be able to get one from Kev (hint hint) but otherwise we can just use our imaginations right? Happy Birthday honey!! You are awesome and we love you so much!

Today is a special day...

It's our third anniversary! As I sit surrounded by boxes and bags that need to be filled, I just want to thank my dear husband for all that he has done for me over the past three years. Right after we were married, he whisked me away to Japan, where we learned many lessons and grew to love everything about that wonderful country. Well to be honest the one time I went to the doctor while I was there left me feeling homesick on top of not being able to drink, eat, or breathe without it hurting. But nonetheless made me grateful for health and private rooms for doctors to meet with you in. Hiram was a great nurse and took such wonderful care of me. He protected me when I needed protecting and encouraged me when I needed encouraging. Upon our return to the US, he has worked tirelessly and endlessly to provide me with a comfortable home and we have never gone hungry. He was such a wonderful support as I complained my way through the last year of my masters program; and after I graduated he never let me give up until I finally took my licensure exam. He is constantly helping me around the house and he never gets tired of playing and caring for Nora. He loves to share whatever knowledge that he gains with me and his insights are enlightening for me. He is happy when I succeed at something and helps me to feel good about myself. He has never been too proud to tell me he's sorry, which has been a good example for me. So for these among many many other reasons I want to thank you my protector, my encourager, my hard-working provider, my strength and support, my helpmate, my teacher, my example, my love, my perfect match and tell you how much I love you!