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.

A drum from your cousins!

SU gear from Auntie Deb, of course.

We like to sit on our presents.

Dada and baby.

Nat and Aunt Nado.

Sometimes you look so much like your father!

Snuggles for Oakley!

All ready for bed after a long day together!

Separating the animals from the animals.

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl. I have so many hopes and dreams for you but my only wish is that you are always surrounded by love. 

Love, 

Mom

Norah Bird goes to the Zoo

Once Upon A Time there was a little girl named Norah Bird whose parents were dying to take her to the zoo. They waited and waited until they felt she was old enough to appreciate the animals and actually gain anything from the experience (thereby justifying the price of zoo admission and parking). By 10 months old, they felt she was more than ready. So on Labor Day weekend they loaded her up in the car in time for her morning nap and headed to Philadelphia....where it poured relentlessly upon their arrival. With no sun in sight for the rest of the day, Norah's parents took her to check out the (indoor) Reading Terminal Market in Philly.

Daddy and Norah at the market.

The market wasn't too interesting but Norah enjoyed people-watching while her parents did some food shopping and eating. It was better than totally scrapping their drive to Philly because of the rain. Another lesson learned by Norah's parents this trip was that planning to drive during nap time doesn't necessarily ensure that Norah will nap in the car and awake refreshed for the day's activities.

A couple of weeks later, the weather was splendid and Norah's parents didn't have any plans. This made for the perfect opportunity to venture to the zoo again. This time they waited until after her morning nap and hit the trail. It was a gorgeous September day and the zoo critters were out in full swing. Their first stop (after the bathroom) was the Rare Animal Conservation Center. Norah and her parents enjoyed looking at the monkeys and other primates here. But those were nothing compared to the naked mole rats.

Norah getting up close and personal with the naked mole rats.

Photo op: Norah the Baboon!

Moving outside, Norah's parents couldn't agree on what to see first or which direction to go. So their visit was more of an aimless meandering punctuated by opportunistic viewing stops. Just how a zoo visit should be. Norah's parents quickly learned that Norah Bird was not too appreciative of some of the smaller and/or slower moving animals that were hard to see. So they saved some things like the reptile house for when she is older. They also realized that some things that were interesting to them, were not so interesting to Norah. Like the small tortoise who lumbered all the way over to our side of the exhibit just to munch on a leaf.

Lunchtime for the tortoise.

"Umm...I'm looking at a rock with legs?I don't get it."

The larger animals were what really captured and held Norah's attention. She very much enjoyed watching the three giraffes wander about their yard. Also high on Norah's list of favorites was the camel and pony rides. While she was too small to actually ride any sort of zoo animal, she got a kick out of watching them go round and round with small children on their backs.

1 - 2 - 3 Giraffes!

Flamingos are TALL!

The flamingos were pretty cool but they don't make much noise. So Norah wasn't as interested in them as her parents thought she would be. But the macaw. Oh, the macaw was a different story. Norah Bird finally found someone who speaks her language and was quickly engaged in a private conversation with a large, blue macaw who had a lot to say. It's almost like the macaw was waiting for someone just like Norah to tell his stories to.

Video Link: Norah and the Macaw

Of course, with all of the lions, rhinos, tigers, and bears at the zoo Norah also enjoyed some time with the small barnyard critters at the children's zoo. Norah's parents could've done just as well for her by visiting the farm up the road and saving themselves $50.

Daddy sneaking a shmuggle while Norah gazes at the chickies.

Bunnies!

Watching the mutt ducks swim.

Daddy charming the goofy pigeon.

Even more amusing were the non-exhibit animals that we could find on any street corner: the pigeons. These guys are used to getting handouts from zoo visitors who feed the ducks and so they were quite tame and very funny looking to Norah. Of course, Daddy wants to see his little Norah Bird smile and so he decided to break out his pigeon-charming talents.

Video Link: Norah and Daddy the Pigeon Whisperer

Daddy and Norah Bird

Clearly, birds are Norah's thing. Lucky for her, they're her mama's thing too. Norah's mom was really looking forward to taking her in the aviary. Unfortunately strollers were not permitted in the aviary so Norah's dad had to hang outside. But Norah thoroughly enjoyed many close encounters with all things feathered.

Mommy and Norah Bird outside the Aviary.

All in all, Norah's first trip to a real zoo was a success. It certainly beat their earlier trip to the local Brandywine Park "Zoo" which was less than impressive (Blog Link: 7 month tidbits). And Norah had such a blast that she completely missed her afternoon nap which she immediately cashed in on as soon as she got back to the car to head home.

Sleepy, shmuggy Norah Bird.

The End.