Random Nora updates (16 months)

• Thanks for the awesome outfit GG!  (Great-grandmom Selma took us shopping and picked this out for Nora when we were visiting in December.)  It’s more fun then I like to admit dressing the Noranator.
• Favorite things include picking up “trasshhh” and throwing it away.  You have to be careful around here—anything on the floor might be deemed “trasshh.”  She also loves cleaning--wiping counters, floors, etc…(I am aware this helpfulness tend wear off as they get older.)
• She is finally showing real interest in books for her age group (as opposed to her fascination with all Joseph’s books).  To get her interest there have to be pictures of animals or babies though!
• Speaking of which, one of her very favorite things these days is our kitty.  “Tea” is how she says it, and she follows him around pretty much all day and gets very excited about everything he does, including yelling “NOOO” at him if he gets on the counters.  She is starting to show some caring/awareness of others with him (what is called “theory of mind” in psychobabble) —she gives him precious items (like her paci) and toys and makes him beds so he can go night-night.
• If she wants to get something she can figure out a way to climb up and get it.  Not convenient.  Sometimes all she wants to do is climb, climb, climb.  Since we are stuck inside with only chairs and couches this can be a major pain.   I will be taking her to open gym soon!
• A week ago I decided to put my foot down and work on her nighttime sleep patterns.  One night was rough, crying on and off for quite a while, but since then things have been SOO MUCH BETTER!  (Fingers crossed we keep moving in the right direction). Right now she nurses, then is in bed by 7.  She wakes between 2 and 3 AM and I rock her for about a minute without nursing, just using the paci, then she nurses again between 5 and 7 AM.  Sometimes she goes back to sleep for long periods, sometimes she is up for the day.  I am very happy with this!
• If I need to I can leave at any time now, dad can even put her to bed.  Freedom! (Ok—still haven’t done an overnight without her, but maybe soon?)
• She loves talking about poop and pee and asks to sit on the potty all the time, but hasn’t actually had any success.  It’s very cute though. 
• We have a Christmas card where there is a newborn baby and the mom and dad are kissing.  Nora loves the card and caries it around talking about kissing and babies.  Two of her favorite things!
• Most of the time she is a pretty good eater and attacks whatever I put in front of her.  I make an effort to offer whatever I am having to her, even if it doesn’t seem like kid food.  At Christmas she took her plate, with everything on it and attacked!  She also loved the smoked salmon and brie.  She’s fickle though—if not in the right mood she won’t touch something she loved the day before.
• The beginning of little curls!  Grow hair, grow.  Hair and eye color are still changing/undeterminable.  Hair is a reddish/brownish/blond and eyes are greyish/greenish/brown.  What a muddle.  A cute muddle!
• We are really starting to communicate and it is so exciting. She is very clear about her yes “yeshh” and “NO” each accompanied by a head nod.  In this we can “talk” a little about what has happened or is going to happen and she will usually repeat one word from our discussion over and over.  For example: yesterday after going to the Dr. she kept yelling “shott” “owww!” She has also just started putting two words together, such as “peas juice.” Fun times!