Nora's Things

School has started. Obviously. And I have so many stories that I think about writing, but so little time to actually put them down here.

Nora got sick exactly two weeks into daycare, just as had happened last year and just as will probably happen every year from now until forever. And along with sickness for Nora comes cough. And along with cough comes vomit. The other morning Ken said that I needed to write about her vomit since it was her “thing” like asthma was mine and lazy-eye was Ken’s. I guess vomit is better than either of those, but her insanely easy gag reflex that causes her to vomit after coughing with any intensity is certainly something I hope she outgrows. Fast.

Not only has daycare made her sick, but it has also made her affectionate. I’ve written before how she is a sweet baby – and that has now taken a whole new form in her too-sweet-for-words hugs and kisses. She has this way of grabbing on, laying her head on your shoulder and patting your back all at the same time. She does it when I come to get her from daycare and when she just is feeling cuddly. She did it to her Mimi with such passion on Friday when she came to surprise Nora at daycare that it made us all laugh. She did it to Aunt Betty this weekend, making it hard for her to get in her car and drive back to Dallas when there was a sweet cuddly 20 month old clinging on. And I know she does it with at least two of the ladies at daycare. And when I see that I feel good that she cares for the women at daycare (though there’s a part of me that hopes she doesn’t just cuddle all day, but plays and laughs too).

Daycare is also helping to make her smarter - Nora is learning to sing. It is almost cuter than the hugging – and much more impressive. One night last week I walked in while she was taking a bath (Ken’s in charge of bath-time) and Ken and I both looked at each other, wondering simultaneously whether the tune and words coming out of Nora’s mouth could have really been the alphabet. And we concluded that it was. She had the tune down perfectly and would throw in letters at the right moments too. She certainly doesn’t have it anywhere nearperfect, but I can tell she’s learning. And she also started singing “up ba ba ba ba ba high” the other morning, which I of course concluded was her version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She sings while she plays and while she drifts off to sleep, a tune always in her head.

And lastly, daycare is teaching her the inevitable – “mine” and “no.” Right now Ken and I think both are pretty amusing. She stands on her stool by her books and yells out “mine!” like someone is trying to snatch something away from her (see attached video). And no one is, of course. She may have learned how to say mine, but the concept of what it means still is a bit foggy. She also does this thing where she shakes her finger and says, “no, no, no.” We had a video of it, but Ken erased it (iphone learning curve – he’s erased a few cute videos…). She still doesn’t tell us no. So, again, the word is clear but the concept fuzzy. I’m glad. But I know it won’t be long.