Nora Kate's Dedication

Last Sunday, we dedicated Nora Kate at church.  We were so blessed to be able to dedicate her with 6 other babies who we know she will grow with through the years.  We are so thankful for our wonderful church family and for the opportunity to celebrate this precious girl and the plans God has for her! 

 Mica, Issac, Honey and Pop all came to be a part of the celebration too!

 I can not wait to see what God has in store for this little lady!

One Month!

 Nora Kate turned 1 month last week! I can not believe she is already a full month old!! She is so sweet and content.  She rarely gets mad and is pretty easy to calm down when she does!  We are very thankful for her calm temperament!  She is very healthy too.  At her 2 week appointment, she weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces (41%) and had grown an inch, 20.5 inches long (63%).  We laughed that she is gigantic, because her sister has never been over 20% in either category!  She started giving a few smiles out around 3 weeks, which has been exciting to have an expression other than a blank stare! She is a decent little sleeper, going between 4-5 hour stretches at night.  She is a bit of a night owl and doesn't like to go to sleep until about 11, but once she is down, she stays down for awhile.  Olive has given her the nick names "googly eyes" because she has such big eyes and "rhino" because when she cries it sounds like she is saying "rhiiiiiiiiiinnnnnoooooooo".  I hope for her sake, neither of those nicknames catches on! Ha!  She has added so much to our family already!  

Happy One Month Birthday Nora Kate!  

Here are a few highlights from your first month: 

First trip to Target!

 First trip to the park!

 Meeting your arranged husband, Luke, for the first time!  He didn't judge the extreme case of baby acne you had going on, so we know he is a winner! :)

 Riding in the double stroller for the first time!

 Taking a big bath in the tub...not a fan the first time, but you have loved it everytime since!

 Your first Kentucky Derby!

 Taking a bottle for the first time!  You took it like a champ!  Hooray!

 Going to church for the first time.  Your sister wanted to make sure you matched!

 Riding in the Moby for the first time!

 Mommy started back to work seeing kids again and you have been a great assistant! 

 Passing out smiles!

 Loving on Daddy like a little koala bear

 "Playing" in your room for the first time.  Olive said "Mommy, I need to show Nora Kate all of my toys without you.  Can you leave us alone please?"  I obliged by standing right outside the door in the hallway. 

 More sweet smiles!

We are looking forward to many more firsts with you!  We love you sweet lady bug!

Nora Kate's Newborn Pics

My sweet friend Megn did Nora Kate's newborn pictures for us when she was about 10 days old.  She was able to capture some precious images of sweet Nora Kate!  I tried to pick just my favorites to share, but they were all my favorites!  I did narrow it down, but there are still a lot.  Thank you Megn!  You can check her out at www.megnsparkmanphotography.com or on Facebook.  She was so sweet with Olive and very patient with our very alert newborn who should have been sleeping!  

 

Mother's Day 2013

Everyday I still wake up amazed that God chose me to be Mommy to these two precious blessings!  I don't know how I got so lucky! I can't believe he trusted me with these gifts, but I am so so thankful.  Being a Mom is the hardest job I have ever had, but it is also the best job I have ever had!  I love these little ladies with every ounce of my being and I can't imagine life without them!  I didn't know I could love anyone as much as I love these ladies! Thank you for making me a Mommy! 

Mother's Day was a great day filled with love, snuggles, church, pictures, playtime at the park and lots of fun!

 Honey joined us for Muffins With Moms at church!

 Stephen was so thoughtful and got me beautiful flowers and a book I have been wanting.  When we were leaving church, Olive drug Honey across the parking lot to pick this beautiful flower for me and then insisted on doing my toes "pink sparkles like a princess".  These things meant the world to me because she was being so thoughtful!  And I had my toes like this for almost a week because I simply didn't have time to "fix" them! 

So thankful for my girls!

Sisters

Most of the pictures I take these days look the same..Olive kissing or talking to Nora Kate.  These are the sweetest moments!  I have never experienced love like this, she is head over heels for her sister!  And the feeling is mutual, Nora Kate looks for Olive and gives her the biggest smiles!

I know the days are coming when they will bicker and fight so I want to cherish these moments while I can!