Norie Stories: Birthday Bird

Dear Norah Bird,

It's been a while since I've written a new post for you. I blame the new sewing machine your Daddy got me for my birthday which has led to all sorts of crafty inspiration. Lucky for me, you are not yet old enough to be embarrassed by all of my inspiration which ultimately ends up on you.

Fall never looked cuter.

I may have gotten a little carried away with the pumpkin tutus and made some from your girlfriends, Sophie and Riley, who are also fall babies and celebrated their birthdays in October. Of course, we needed to get a picture of our three little pumpkins at music class one Saturday. Somehow the effect wasn't so much cute as it was scary. You looked like some sort of baby gang and the three of you took up half the music circle.

One little, two little, three little pumpkin-butted-baby-girls...

With your birthday on November 1st, I didn't want to totally skimp out on Halloween. I also didn't want to go all out and spend a ton of money on a costume that you wouldn't even enjoy wearing. So my compromise was a simple, homemade octopus costume. You were not a fan of the hat but as long as you were distracted, you didn't mind the legs at all.

Baby Octopus!

We didn't go trick-or-treating but we did go over to Mt Cuba Center where your dad works to visit all of his co-workers who were thrilled to see you. With us living on the property and with both your Dad and I working there now, I have a feeling that you will grow up with a special place in the hearts of many of the staff there. They certainly have doted on you over the last year!

Angie and the octopus.

Dancing with Julia.

It will be interesting for me to see how you enjoy Halloween as you get older. Will you love having a birthday that follows one of the biggest days of the year for children? Or will you feel as though your day is overshadowed by the hype of Halloween and resent that you always wake up on your birthday with a tummy ache? While pregnant with you, my due date was Halloween but you must have decided that you wanted your own day and waited until 11-1-11 to come into this world.

How did we get to your first birthday already? I cannot believe it has been an entire year since you entered this world. One whole trip around the sun for you and I together. You must know by now how much I love you.

Hello, baby bird.

From the moment you were born, I wanted to take care of you always even though I was overwhelmed with feelings of uncertainty that were entirely new to me. But over the last year, we've figured it out together - this mother-daughter dance of ours. It is certainly not how I envisioned it but I wouldn't change a thing. There have been challenges and setbacks, of course. But what I remember most are the small triumphs and the little things that make you and I the duo that we are together.

Love.

I am so proud of you. Life has been challenging since you arrived but it has been far more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. Over the last year you have impressed me in so many ways. I love that you have your Dad's easy-going nature and my dark hair. And I love your little personality which blooms wider everyday.

On your 1st birthday, we celebrated with your Nana, Auntie Em and Uncle Ryan who came to visit. You enjoyed opening a few gifts verrrrry sloooowly. And after seeing how much you enjoyed the Bieber card your Auntie Nado and Uncle Adam sent me for my birthday (Norah and the Bieb 10-2-12), your Auntie Em and Uncle Ryan brought you a new musical birthday card for you to ~~destroy~~ enjoy.

Of course, as is tradition on a baby's first birthday, you got to enjoy your first sugar-laden sweet. I chose to make pumpkin cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting and you seemed to enjoy yours very much. We eventually had to take it away from you because if you had your way, you would've eaten the whole thing and bed time was fast-approaching.

Video Link: Norah's Birthday Cupcake

You have no idea what's coming...

Observe. Explore tentatively.

Going for it...

Lift off!

Taste bud contact.

"Oh yeah. That's good!"

More!

"Get your own!"

My work here is done.

I can't recall what you had for dinner that night but you would think that I could have wiped it off your face before taking all of your momentous birthday cupcake pictures. Lucky for us you slept like a rock that night despite the late evening sugar-rush. You even had your first bath-poopy which Nana got to clean up. And it's a good thing you got your rest when you did because the following days were jam-packed with visitors as your family arrived from New York for your first birthday party that weekend. On Friday we had an influx of Spilmans, Shampines (and canines!) as your Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Erin, Uncle J, Natalie, Alivia, Great Aunt Lynne, Great Uncle Don, Aunties Deb and Mary and Uncle Andrew joined us along with your Nana, Auntie Em, and Uncle Ryan. In addition to Oakley we also hosted two other dogs - Tilly and Sammy. On the following day, we were joined by your Auntie Nado and Uncle Adam as well. It was a busy place to be!


Grandpa!

You got right down to business playing with your cousin, Liv.

Cousins cooking!

It was great that you were able to spend some time with your cousins. Now that you are getting older, you seem to enjoy their company more and they love seeing you! It's especially fun for me to watch you and Alivia play together as she is only 11 months older than you. I have a feeling you'll be close growing up.

On Saturday, we had a party here at the house with lots of owl decorations, pumpkin cupcakes, and some of your baby friends. It was a great day. And you were so excited that you wouldn't nap all morning.With the house full of family and the party preparations there was just too much going on for you to think about your beauty rest. Our guests started arriving just before our scheduled party start time and promptly at 1:00....

Out like a light.

At 1:00 sharp, you fell into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, the other side of your ceiling looked like a circus as all of your friends played without noticing your absence. After an hour and a half of this, we thought we would try to wake you but nothing, absolutely NOTHING, would work! As usual when we have to try to wake you, we tried a gentle approach first. We tried opening your door to the noise. We tried turning on your bedroom lights. We tried rubbing your back. We had a small assembly of family members gathered around your crib in lively conversation. No response. Eventually we send Daddy down to do the dirty work. He brought you upstairs in a bewildered state as you observed the crowd and plopped you down in the play room. You fussed for a minute as you adjusted to being robbed from your nap and brought into the mayhem. But then you forgot and had fun playing with your friends and visiting with all of your guests.

Three generations of Spilman ladies!

Cooking with Lucius

Liv had fun with your neighbor, Richard!

Cheers to two fine looking grandmas.

Uncle J helps Nat and Liv with their cupcakes.

Fun with Auntie Nado and Uncle Adam!

Uncle and niece. I think he was trying to steal her cupcake...

Lucius and his mama.

Some of your baby friends: Declan, Amelia, Sophie and Riley.

And their beautiful mamas.

We are so lucky, Norah Bird. We have such a wonderful family who were able to travel from New York and Maryland to be with us on your special day. And after only a short time in Delaware, we also have an expansive group of friends and neighbors who were able to share in your celebration. I am so thankful for all that you have. We are truly blessed and so decided that in the spirit of your birthday we should give back in some way. So we asked guests to donate toys to the Child Life program at A.I. duPont Childrens Hospital where you spent some time being treated for kidney infections when you were an infant. Based on the donations we collected, I think it's safe to say that you have some very generous friends and family.

Just some of the donations to the children's hospital!

Of course, the highlight for you was the birthday cupcake. You already had a taste on your actual birthday and so knew what was coming once you saw it. That cupcake didn't stand a chance.

Video Link: Happy Birthday to Norah

The rest of the day was pretty tame. You were now well-rested and well-fed and could get down to the business of opening gifts and spending time with your family and friends.