The Foote Family

Future Buckeye

2011-09-18T13:36:00.003-06:00

I'm from Ohio and proud of it. Even though I've lived in Utah for 14 years (um, that makes me feel old) I'll always be a Buckeye and it looks like Tommy is headed that way too. Of course at the rate he's growing he might be playing linebacker rather than cheering in the stands. Seriously, compare his six week photos to the ones of him at two and three weeks. This kid is filling out fast! Yay for Tommy!

(From certain angles, I see a "Shawver" look from Tommy. Anyone else see it?)

My Handsome Boys

2011-09-18T13:28:00.003-06:00

Okay. Let's take a vote. Lots of people tell us Tommy looks so much like Quinn. There are some similarities, I'll admit, but to me Quinn looks like Quinn and Tommy looks like Tommy. What's your take on it?

Either way I'm sure handsome Tommy will grow to look more like his handsome Daddy as time goes by.

Funny Face

2011-09-18T13:13:00.003-06:00

Six weeks old now and it feels like he's been part of our family forever already! It's so much fun to interact with him now because he smiles all the time and "talks" back to us. Nora is becoming increasingly interested in Tommy and vice versa. She loves to make Tommy smile and talk. Tommy sit on the couch and follows the bright blur of Nora activity around the living room. I tell Quinn that Nora's chattering voice is the sweet music that Tommy sleeps to. As long as she doesn't yell he sleeps right through it.

Hoping to get some good pictures of the kids together soon, but these should suffice for now.

Is this kid happy or what?

Two Weeks Old

2011-09-18T09:27:00.003-06:00

When he's awake, he's really awake and alert.

This face is too cute!

At this point he's still swimming in his 0-3 month clothes.

Not for long!

Already smiling at two weeks!

He loves his bouncy chair! And he loves when Daddy talks to him!

Snuggling with nice warm Daddy after a meal of nice warm milk.

Ahhh...so comfy!

First Bath

2011-09-18T09:11:00.004-06:00

Four days old and time for a first bath. Nora was very interested to see how this was going to happen so she got the best seat in the house and a little treat. I love to think back to how awkward we were when Nora was new. I feel like an old pro now (at some things)!

I'm talking both kids through the process while Daddy lends an

occasional helping hand and mans the camera.

"I'm so cold! What are you doing to me?!?!"

"That's better."

Home from the Hospital

2011-09-18T08:52:00.005-06:00

I was really nervous to come home from the hospital. I didn't know how I was going to handle both kids at once and give them both the attention they needed and deserved. Once I got home though I felt so relieved to be away from the hospital. Thanks to the excellent care of the staff it can be difficult to rest there. (And I mean that in a good way.) And home is just - well - HOME.

I was also a little (*a lot*) sad that my mom wouldn't be around to help me adjust, but thankfully Quinn's mom Karen stepped in. For about a week we played zone - she mostly took care of Nora while I cared for Tommy. I slowly tried to phase Karen out so I could get used to the kids on my own. I'll admit there were a few tears when Karen had to get back to her normal life, due in no small part to post-partum depression.

I've got the PPD under control now, thanks for asking. I talked with my doc, we made some adjustments, and things are looking up. And how could they not be with this wonderfully awesome family I have?

And taking care of both kids at once? Like so many other difficult things in life I figured out I could do it by just doing it! We go slow, take care of the most urgent need first, and try to enjoy our time together.

First ride in the car

Isn't he just the sweetest little dark-eyed boy?

He's a pretty good sleeper and lets us get some rest too.

Doesn't big sister Nora have the most gorgeous smile?

She's so proud of Tommy - she announces to complete strangers,

"I have a new baby brother!"

Snuggle time with my two wonderful babies!

Meet Thomas Warren Foote

2011-08-28T10:34:00.004-06:00

It was very important to me that Nora be the first one to meet the new baby. She was the first one in and the first one to hold him. It scared her a bit to see me in the hospital bed, but I reassured her that I was okay, and she was suddenly interested in tiny Tommy. She held him for about a minute, got bored, and said "Here Mommy. You can have him back." It's the same way about a month later. She's very proud of her new brother, but still not interested in holding him too much.

Giving little Tommy a big sister kiss!

Being cuddled by Grandpa Joey...

...and by Mema.

With Grandma Shawver...

...and with his namesake, Papa Shawver

We named little Tommy 'Thomas' after my father and 'Warren' after Warren G. Harding, President from Ohio and Warren Foote, one of Quinn's ancestors. Warren kind of started out as a joke - we wouldn't tell anyone the name before the baby was born, so Dad started calling him Warren. By the time he arrived, the name was stuck. Lucky it's a good one!

Labor & Delivery

2011-08-28T10:06:00.003-06:00

WARNING: If you are sensitive to words like dilated, contractions, and umbilical cord, you should probably just skip this post.

After the drama of Sunday day, we rushed to the hospital to be induced. Of course the nurses and doctors do this every day so this is run of the mill for them. We were a touch more hasty. Things started smoothly though. I was dilated 2 cm. The doctor tried to break my water but it was too painful, so they started the pitocin instead to get the contractions moving along. Quinn and I watched a few episodes of Pawn Stars and tried to be patient. The contractions started getting pretty strong around 11:00 pm so the nurse called in the anesthesiologist for the epidural. About an hour and a dozen needle sticks later (not kidding - ouch!) I finally had the good stuff coursing through my veins. The nurse said my spine is oddly shaped and that's why it took so long to get the needle in.

The next couple hours are very blurry. I know the nurses came in often to check on us and do minor procedures, but Quinn and I slept through most of it. The contractions were coming fast and I was progressing very quickly. I dilated four centimeters in about 30 minutes. It was a little disorienting for things to progress so quickly. When Nora was born, she was in such distress that the nurses kept turning the pitocin up and down, and I labored for more than twelve hours. Not this time.

Around 2:30 am I started to feel like I really needed to push. Like really. An epidural is a weird thing because you can feel the pressure, but not the pain. And I really had no experience with it since the epidural for my first pregnancy worked during labor, but not delivery. Quinn worked really hard to distract me as I tried not to push, but finally I told the nurse that I had to. She checked me again and told me I was fully dilated - go time. I pushed about a dozen times, with my doctor there for the last three, and our boy was here!

We were all surprised by how big he was: 9 lbs 8 oz and 21 inches. More than a pound bigger than Nora! I got to hold him right away for a few minutes, but then medical personnel whisked him away to do their things.

As you can see in the pictures his nose and skull are a little smashed, but he's a pretty good-looking baby. All thanks to my wide birthing hips!

I don't really think anyone looks good in these hospital gowns...

Texting everyone a play by play.

He was pretty mad... It must be very disorienting.

He's a little smashed up, but a very handsome boy! And look at his round belly!

I think that's where all the weight is from because he is so skinny otherwise.

Grandma comes to visit, and leaves before the baby even gets here...

2011-08-27T18:40:00.005-06:00

Tommy's due date was July 26th so my mom, Marilyn, flew in the 21st just in case things started happening early. No luck there. The due date came and went. We did all the things you're supposed to do to try to induce labor, including getting an induction massage from a professional. As the days went by though it became clear that I would be going with the scheduled induction time - 7am Monday, August 1st.

Unless you've been pregnant in July, there is really no way to understand the discomfort. No amount of air conditioning can stop the sweating. No amount of sleep can alleviate the exhaustion. This pregnancy was a lot harder than my first - more sickness and more fatigue. But then again, I did have to keep up with Nora this time. It's really lucky Mom was here because she was a big help with Nora. Mom has a lot more stamina than me, especially stamina for shopping. I felt bad that on every shopping trip we would just go to one store, and then I'd have to come home and rest.

Fast forward to Saturday, July 30. Just after everything had settled down for the night, Mom told us she was feeling some numbness in her legs. With no idea what it could be, we decided to see how she felt in the morning. It was bad enough in the morning that she decided to go to the ER. Okay, I'm freaking out. After hours of tests, she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre disease, a disorder of the nervous system which causes numbness and paralysis. It's not permanent, but it can get worse fast, so the doctor said she needed to go home right away. Of course I'm thinking that she can't leave yet - I need help with the baby! You just got here! I want my Mommy! The less selfish part of me is thinking that the doctor is absolutely right - she needs to go home and get treated before she's unable to travel.

Plans were quickly made for my dad to fly out and travel back with her to Ohio. At this point, we were figuring that Mom and Dad would come and go without even getting to see the baby. I decided to try something drastic: I called my OBGYN and asked him to move up the induction. Maybe a simple question like that doesn't seem so drastic, but it made me nervous. My doc and I never really clicked - he's efficient to the point of seeming not to care and I was really spoiled by the midwives that treated me during my first pregnancy. Anyway, I explained a little bit of the 'family emergency' and he reluctantly agreed to induce me 7pm Sunday night, twelve hours early. Maybe an insignificant difference to some, but it would probably mean my parents would at least get to see the baby before they went back to Ohio.

We quickly finished packing and sped off to the hospital...

Nora sure loves to fish!

2011-06-15T19:32:00.001-06:00

Nora is very fun to go fishing with. Even if we aren't catching any fish She still has a blast. She is perfectly happy catching a chunk of mossy slime. "Look Mommy I caught something!"
You sure have to be patient though. She gets the line tangled up every cast...

Planting Our Garden

2011-05-14T15:30:00.001-06:00

Today was all about the yard and garden. We got our front yard looking perfect then started on the garden.
The process of tilling has taken three days. We borrowed a tiller where the blades were in front any the tiller moved forward. Unfortunately our soil is clay and the tiller didn't get more than about two inches below the surface. I spent the last two evenings turning the whole garden area over with a shovel so the tiller could get down a bit further. So when I finally got around to tilling this morning, it went smoothly and quickly.
Katy planned out where everything would go and it all went in within about two hours. Nora helped me plant the rows of corn. I would point and she would drop them approximately in the right spot. While she was eating her lunch she bragged about what a "good dropper" she was.
We got the last few plants in the ground right as the first raindrops started to fall. Talk about good timing! By the time we got all the gardening things back in the garage we were soaked which was very nice. We sat together inside the garage and watched the thunderstorm and enjoyed the cool breeze.
Life is good.

The Great Outdoors

2011-05-02T08:53:00.002-06:00

Ever since the weather started to get warmer, Nora wants to spend all her time outside...

...even if it's raining.

We spend a lot of time at the neighborhood park and pond, playing and watching the duckies.

Nora loves to fly her Buzz Lightyear kite with Daddy. Isn't she tall?

Daddy helps her get started, and then it's all Nora.

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-05-02T08:44:00.003-06:00

I call this the 'Monkey Trap' vase.

"Help me, Daddy!"

Mmmm... candy!

Lots of fun toys and treats

"Cool, dude" is what she says anytime she tries on glasses.

Coloring Easter Eggs

2011-05-02T08:34:00.003-06:00

Nora is 2 1/2 years old, but we've never colored Easter eggs with her before. She thought it was a wonderful tradition, and Mommy thought it was a great way for her to get some protein in the mornings.

She dipped her finger in the undiluted food coloring.

Everyone is helping.

Nora was trying to be careful, but usually dropped the eggs from a few inches up and splashed dye everywhere. Oh well, it cleaned up just fine.

Eager to spend time with Grandma and Pa Shawver

2011-05-02T08:22:00.002-06:00

At Cafe Rio. Mom and Dad always want to go to the Rio when they're in town. And I don't blame them. Let's face it - there's nothing as good in Lima or surrounding area. Sweet pork, creamy cilantro dressing, fresh made tortillas. Great, now I'm hungry.

Snuggle-bug and Papa watching Tangled

Haircut Again

2011-05-02T08:10:00.002-06:00

Nora's hair came out just a touch shorter than I was expecting, but I can only blame myself. It looks adorably cute when it's dry and styled, and I only cried a little bit after I cut it. :)

This is her new smile for the camera.

Baby Boy Foote

2011-05-01T18:38:00.004-06:00

These are the ultrasound photos from 19 weeks. Of course I was 19 weeks about 8 weeks ago, but I figured someone would still be interested in seeing them. I'm also very pleased with myself that I got the baby ticker set up on the side of the screen. Only 12 weeks left!

I'm no expert at this, but I think baby's bottom is sitting just right of center with his legs sticking out to the left. That would put his boy parts, well, right in between his legs. There was a student ultrasound tech that found a very detailed shot of the boy parts. Sadly it didn't make it onto the cd.

Everything looks very healthy. All major organs are there and in place, all limbs and body parts accounted for. Of course I just had a mini panic attack while posting this, seeing the words '12 weeks left' in print. So many things to do! However this is our second time around, so I know that not all those things to do are super urgent.

Trip To The Aquarium

2011-04-23T19:03:00.007-06:00

We took Grandma and Papa Shawver to the aquarium today.

I think Nora squeezed every drop of fun she could out of the place.

Smile for the camera!

Touching the Sting Rays.

Tom and Marilyn in front of the fish wall.

Nora sure has a lot of fun with her Grandma Shawver.

Happy Family!!!

First Haircut

2011-04-23T15:39:00.001-06:00

Katy thought she could pull a fast one on Nora by telling her we were just going to comb her hair... but after about 30 seconds Nora asked "Mommy, are you cutting my hair?"

It's almost Spring.

2011-03-09T20:45:00.001-07:00

Nora raided our neighbor's garage this afternoon. It was very nice outside today. The neighbor boys were all out playing and Nora decided to go play with them instead of going for a walk.
I thought Nora's Papa would appreciate the picture of her on the John Deere tractor.

Boots!

2010-10-01T09:19:00.001-06:00

I never thought she would be a cowgirl.

New Shirt

2010-09-16T11:22:00.001-06:00

Nora just can't get enough of anything to do with Toy Story.

Toy Story 2

2010-09-14T19:33:00.001-06:00

Just sitting with Daddy watching her favorite movie.

And finally...

2010-08-20T12:41:00.003-06:00

Brothers feud at the Cable Car Museum

Uncle Geoff and Nora enjoying a fortune cookie in Chinatown.

One of Quinn's only requests was to ride a cable car.

This is officially known as "The Cable Car Face." She'll still do it three days later.

Quinn waited patiently to capture Ray's look of concentration.

Visiting GG

2010-08-20T12:29:00.003-06:00

Since Nora already has two awesome grandmas, we started calling Great Grandma Foote "GG" to avoid confusion. We went to Sacramento to visit GG and the McCarthy's and Hodnett's.

Ready for lunch like a big girl

Wait a second, is this not a chair?

A little shy around these seldom-seen cousins

Back at the hotel

Playing the Monkey Matching game on Daddy's iPod

Golden Gate Overlook

2010-08-20T12:15:00.004-06:00

The weather was perfect that day, so it was really crowded.

We could hardly find a place to park!

Too cold for Karen...

...but Nora wants to be outside!

Rayboy thought he wouldn't be able to entertain Nora,

but "Uncle Raybee" and "Baby Gaga" are best buddies!

The fun continues...

2010-08-20T10:27:00.003-06:00

Nora has never seen the ocean or the beach, until now. Okay, so this is actually the San Francisco Bay but I still count it. We did make it to the actual ocean but by that time Nora was asleep in the car (along with Mema and Quinno).

Wow! It's windy out here!

Trying out her fancy new 'splits' move

The splits didn't work as well as she thought.

Whoa! This is sticky!

Aquarium of the Bay

2010-08-20T10:15:00.003-06:00

The aquarium is right on Pier 39 and has two tunnel tanks. Awesome!

Nora loves the fish!

Vortex of fish above us in the tunnel tank

I spy a crab!

Jaws!

PS To any friends who may be visiting the Aquarium of the Bay or other AZA attractions in the near future: Check for reciprocal agreements for discounts. We got half off admission because we also have a membership at Hogle Zoo.

San Francisco!

2010-08-20T10:02:00.003-06:00

The Foote family had a family reunion / vacation last week. It's difficult to get all these busy people together, but worth it! So much fun!

Heading to Pier 39 with Mema and Grandpa Joey, Mommy, Daddy, Nora,

Uncle Ray, and Uncle Geoff.

With Uncle Ray at the Big Noodle

With Mema watching the Sea Lions

They were so funny to watch!

Bath Time (If you're offended by baby butts, look away.)

2010-03-15T15:23:00.005-06:00

Nora has discovered the delights of undressing herself. Here's one example:

It's 7:30. Time for my bath!

Okay! Let me just get rid of this pesky diaper.

This way to the bathroom!

Oh, wait. I need to throw this old diaper away.

Did it really go in there? Oh, yeah. There it is!

More pictures

2010-03-15T15:17:00.002-06:00

As adorable asleep...

...as she is awake.

My Sweet Nora

2010-03-15T14:55:00.005-06:00

Nora is growing up so fast! So smart and pretty. She surprised us all by beginning to talk around twelve months. By 15 months, she had about 100 words. We've stopped counting because we just can't keep up with her.

Now she's almost 17 months, with beautiful coppery hair and a smile that will melt your heart.

Boo Baby

Reading is her favorite activity. She'll crawl into your lap and shove a book into your hands.

Nora with her friend Savannah

Buddies

2010-02-19T18:16:00.001-07:00

It only took Nora a few minutes to warm up to Papa Shawver.

Trooper

2010-01-21T19:38:00.001-07:00

Eleanor is being such a good sport while we decide which paint swatches go well together...

Santa Picture!

2010-01-05T20:40:00.002-07:00

We finally got it. Santa comes to our ward party every year. The activities committee takes pictures and sends them out to everybody. We were so excited to get this because Nora just never freaks out about anything and it was so funny. The funniest part was that she saw santa on the tv the next day and seemed scared of him still. Hopefully we haven't scarred her for life.

Snow!

2009-11-23T15:22:00.001-07:00

This is what I get for being lazy. I told Katy I would pull my car in to the garage later but I forgot. So I had to spend about 8 minutes freezing my butt off while I scraped the snow and ice off of my car this morning.

Little Tigger Baby

2009-11-16T11:42:00.002-07:00

Nora was Tigger for Halloween this year. My favorite part of her costume is the little round belly. Grandma Foote's favorite part is that she matches. Nora, Andrew, and I went to Grandma's school for the Halloween parade. She also got to go Trick-or-Treating with Mommy & Daddy!

Birthday Fun

2009-11-16T11:06:00.006-07:00

Nora's first birthday was October 29. We had a party with lots of food, family, and presents! All of Nora's Utah cousins, and aunts & uncles, and Grandma & Grandpa Foote, and even Great-Grandma Foote came.

The poor little kid was pretty confused when she woke up from a nap to enter a room filled with balloons, streamers, presents, and lots of people staring at her with expectant and slightly manic grins on their faces. But as usual, Nora figured everyone had come to play with her. And this time, they really had! Nora's cousins give her lots of love and attention.

Another confusing event was the opening of presents. Like most kids, Nora was more interested in the the discarded ribbons, papers, and boxes than the actual books, clothes, and toys. The younger cousins loved playing with the toys, though.

And finally there was a cake. Everyone else got to eat purple cake, but Mama made a special doggie cake for Nora. She got to rip into that all by herself. Again, a bit of confusions as people watched expectantly for her to do something hilarious. She took great handfuls of the cake, and finally ate some once she figured out that's what it was for.

We had a wonderful time! Quinn and I could not be any prouder or feel any more blessed with our wonderful little family, and all of our awesome extended family.

Daddy, Nora & Ethan

Lots of Family

My Cake!

Sharing with Daddy

The Ball & The Bear

2009-10-18T21:59:00.002-06:00

Eleanor is really starting to understand us. She is starting to say different things too. The Ball and the Bear are probably her favorite toys

Nora Misses Nothing!

2009-09-18T19:07:00.001-06:00

I am always amazed at the things that catch Eleanor's eye. Granted the fire hydrant is quite bright, but Nora sees just about everything that is going on around her.

My All-Time Fave Photos of the Weekend

2009-07-29T20:16:00.002-06:00

Hey, Britt. Don't bust a gut with the effort!

Sweet Baby, Sweet Grandpa

Rexburg, ID

2009-07-29T19:28:00.003-06:00

For those of you asking, "Where the heck is Rexburg, ID?" I don't blame you. It's a fairly out of the way place, unless you're heading to Bear World or West Yellowstone. Or unless you're a student at BYU-Idaho, which my sister and brother-in-law are.

Anyway, it's a tiny little place, but I find it rather quaint. Brittany and Brian took us to a public park with its own water park and carousel. What a fun time!

Grandpa & Nora discovering new things.

Wow! Where's all this fun water coming from?

Nora was trying to grab handfuls of water.

Um, you think she likes the swing? ;)

Doesn't she have the most precious smile?

Meeting Mason

2009-07-29T18:52:00.003-06:00

We took a little trip last weekend to see Brian and Brittany up in Idaho. Dad was visiting too, so he got to meet Mason, grandchild #9.

Aunt Katy and Mason

Mason & Daddy

Mason's Milk Coma

Nora: Buckeye fan through and through

4th of July Fireworks

2009-07-08T18:16:00.005-06:00

Quinn and I debated the whole day about whether to keep Nora up past her 8:00 bedtime for fireworks. In the end, we settled on waking her up around 9:30 to go to Grandma & Grandpa Foote's house. There we set off fireworks in front of their house with Uncle Jarum & Aunt Michelle, and cousins Amber, Megan, Jenna, and Andrew. We were a little nervous as to what Nora's reaction would be to the loud noises and bright lights.

See for yourself...

Hi. My name is Nora Foote. I'm a trouble-maker.

2009-07-08T16:56:00.004-06:00

Cute? Yes.

Smart? Yes.

Good crawler? Yes.

Energetic? Oh my, yes.

Good-natured? Yes.

Trouble-maker? YES!!

Exhibit A:

This is where I go to hide. Hee hee! Mama can't find me!

Exhibit B:

Hey, can I climb up this blanket onto the chair?

Nope, turns out all I can do it pull stuff down and knock stuff over

and make messes in general.

Exhibit C:

Wow! Look at me! I can climb up on a basket of DVDs and

turn on this light all by myself.

Exhibit D:

Ha ha! I just splashed Daddy!

Phew! Turns out all this mischief-making really

tires a girl out.

zzzzzz.....

Father's Day

2009-07-08T16:44:00.006-06:00

This year Father's Day and Katy's birthday fell on the same day. We got together at Grandpa Allan's house on June 21st to celebrate Father's Day, the birthdays of Katy, cousin Jaime, and Uncle Donnie, and the Summer Solstice. Yay, longest day of the year! Nora had so much fun and played so hard that she wouldn't even slow down to eat.

Nora with Great Grandpa Allan

(We love this little nose-wrinkling thing

she's been doing lately.)

Great Grandpa Allan, Grandpa Joey, Daddy Quinn & Nora

Grandpa Joey, Grandma Karen, Quinn, Katy, GGpa Allan & Nora

Uncle Ray's Piano

2009-06-10T19:54:00.001-06:00

Eleanor just loves all the noise she can make playing the piano.

Gimme that camera!

2009-05-27T16:50:00.003-06:00

Just when I think Nora can't get any more beautiful, interesting, funny, smart, and cute, she surpasses herself.

She loves electronic gadgets - anything that lights up, makes noise, has buttons, and/or is expensive. Thing is, now that she's crawling (I know - at only six months!) she goes after the gadgets with surprising speed and determination. Since her birth, we had suspicions that Nora would keep us on our toes. She's pulling it off nicely!

Shopping

2009-05-19T22:56:00.003-06:00

We love being able to strap Eleanor into shopping carts, high chairs and other devices that make life easier. Now that She's big enough to fit in them...

Les petits français bébé

2009-05-13T18:46:00.002-06:00

So Nora has to take vitamin drops every night. The vitamins contain an iron supplement, and as you may know, iron stains. On this particular night, Nora decided she didn't want to take them. I can't really blame her because they taste like cherry cough syrup that has had pennies soaking in it for a week. Blechh!

Because of Nora's reluctance to taking the vitamins, she got them everywhere. I think it makes her look like she's got a little french mustache and goatee. Uh-huh-huh! (That was a throaty french laugh in case you were wondering.)

Socks

2009-04-30T12:09:00.000-06:00

We never have to tell Eleanor to "Put a sock in it!" she just pulls off her own socks and sticks them in her mouth.

A great deal!

2009-04-22T17:22:00.000-06:00

Adorable bib overalls, huh? Got 'em for $1.75 at kiddie consignment shop!

Easter

2009-04-12T19:38:00.002-06:00

Happy Family

Daddy's Girl

Proud Mama

Nora's Easter Dress. What a beautiful day for a beautiful little girl!

Visitors from Afar

2009-04-12T19:12:00.004-06:00

We had visitors from Ohio and Idaho: Grandma Shawver, Aunt Brittany, and Uncle Riran (Brian). Nora loves all the attention she gets from everyone. She gets to play, read books, take snuggle naps, and play some more.

One of Nora's new favorite activities is staring at Uncle Brian. For some reason, she finds Brian fascinating. Her eyes follow him wherever he goes. Nora like to get smiles and hugs from him. She is such a flirt!

Brian and Brittany are having a great time playing with Nora and getting a little "parent practice." After all, they only have three months before Baby Bisoni is scheduled to arrive.

Outing to the Park

2009-04-07T14:36:00.003-06:00

Today it's 65 degrees, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky. After being cooped up all winter, we just had to get outside, so we went to the Murray City Park.

Nora hasn't really been outside that much, so there were plenty of new things for her to look at and explore: cars passing by, grass, tree bark, the stream, the gazebo, kids at the playground. Just laying in the shade of a tree and staring up at the sky is a new experience.

As you can see from the picture, Nora has learned how to sit up on her own. She's getting pretty good at balancing herself when she starts to tip, but she still topples over sometimes. Mama stays pretty close to prevent any ouchies.

Chilly Spring Mornings

2009-04-06T15:33:00.002-06:00

Marilyn (Katy's Mom) is in town for the week. Katy's sister Brittany and her husband Brian also came into town for the weekend.
We all rode Trax (the local light rail) into the city on Saturday to go to the morning session of General Conference.
I don't think the April Showers got the memo that Spring is here. We are still getting snow flurries and I don't think the flowers appreciate the cold.
This is a picture of Katy and Eleanor as we walked around the grounds at Temple Square.

Sweet Potato Face

2009-03-26T12:12:00.001-06:00

The adventures in new foods continue!

Brrrrr...

2009-03-23T08:52:00.001-06:00

What weird weather! How does it go from 68 degrees and sunny on Friday to 32 degrees and snowy on Monday?

Fishing on the Green

2009-03-22T17:26:00.000-06:00

We went fishing on Friday and had a great time!
We fish at night on the Green River. We get to the river just as all of the other Fishermen are packing up and leaving.
I caught 6 fish. My Dad caught 9. Jarum won with a grand total of 12.

Mmm...

2009-03-13T13:45:00.001-06:00

I don't only like the food Mama gives me, but other stuff too. I eat my thumb, Mama's fingers, and my toes.

Bebe Pod

2009-03-13T13:23:00.001-06:00

I love sitting in my Bebe Pod! I could just sit in it for hours and be completely happy.

Daylight Savings

2009-03-12T23:30:00.002-06:00

Eleanor got a new hat from her Grandma Foote this week. She just looks absolutely beautiful in it. The only problem is it is a little big. It keeps slipping down over her eyes.

We lost an hour last night because of Daylight savings time (LAME!). We didn't forget to set our clocks forward but still failed to get to our 9:00am church on time when it was an hour earlier than we're used to. Eleanor decided it was time for her second breakfast right as we were about to leave.

Mobile Mommy/Baby

2009-03-12T23:30:00.001-06:00

Trying out the newest toy: The Snugli

Food Time!

2009-03-04T14:04:00.003-07:00

Since Nora is four months old now, her doctor said it would be okay to try her on some solid foods. We started with very thin rice cereal. This was more of an art project than a meal, with Nora as the canvas. Still, we had a lot of laughs at Nora's faces and the mess we all made.

We've also tried carrots and apples. The carrots went over well, but she pulled sour faces at the tartness of the apples. We have to mix the apples into the cereal for Nora to eat them.

She's still mostly eating mama's milk, but the solids in the morning and evening are just plain fun.

Yay! Daddy's Home!

2009-02-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

Better Every Day...

2009-02-24T22:11:00.002-07:00

It doesn't seem possible - seeing as how she's so perfect already - but somehow Nora manages to get more beautiful each day! Most days she just spends all her awake time grinning and talking.

This picture is Nora in her monkey gym, which she loves. She was already smiling and singing; all I had to do was talk to her. She broke into this day-brightening grin! Killer dimple, huh? It's moments like these when my heart just melts and I have to thank God for my sweet daughter.

Eleanor & Mommy

2009-02-22T21:33:00.001-07:00

These two cuties are adorable. Eleanor has been quite a pill today. Well, She has been a pill for her Dad. It seemed like she would only cry when I held her. Any time her mother would take her she would calm right down.

Grandpa and the Great Grandkids

2009-02-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

We have Grandpa Allan and starting on the left it is Baby Nora, Jaime, and Baby Connor.

Stake Conference Zzzzzzz...

2009-02-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

I guess it isn't just me... The sound of the Stake President's voice does have a soporific effect. Nora fell asleep during his talk at the adult session of Stake Conference. I'm only joking. It was a very good talk.

Grandpa Foote

2009-02-14T13:32:00.001-07:00

Nora sure does love her Grandpa! It may have something to do with how much he looks like her Daddy...

More Giggles

2009-02-04T19:52:00.002-07:00

Nora likes to be told how cute she is.

Daddy & Baby

2009-02-04T19:05:00.006-07:00

Mommy is good at getting us to smile for the camera.

Daddy loves to give me big hugs when he gets home from work.

I want to be just like Daddy!

2009-01-20T20:34:00.003-07:00

I'm not wasting any time figuring out how to be like Dad. I already look kind of like him (in a cute girly way), now I just have to learn how to act like him. How do I look?

Wow!!!

2009-01-18T08:22:00.004-07:00

Our Little One is just so strong. If you lay her on her tummy, she will just prop herself up like she's doing push-ups. She can't really turn over on her own yet but it is fun to see how much she can do...

Smiles lead to Giggles

2009-01-06T04:28:00.002-07:00

Captions

2009-01-01T18:13:00.004-07:00

I just love this picture of Nora! She just has the most intense face.

I thought it would be fun to add a speech bubble but I couldn't think of just one set of captions.

I also thought it might be fun if you all tried to come up with some other funny captions and put them in the comments section.

Our little Nora certainly is a character...

Oh boy! More presents!

2009-01-01T05:57:00.003-07:00

I know we're Footes, but we're Shawvers too! Everyone got matching pajamas this year.

Christmas Eve

2009-01-01T05:51:00.003-07:00

Having tea with Grandma is so much fun!

I'm not sure, but I think this face means, "Oh no! Uncle Butch got my nose!"

Very Proud Grandparents

2009-01-01T05:43:00.004-07:00

There are seven grandchildren and four more by next summer. Life doesn't get much better! Unless you have more grandkids...

I love my Grandpa!

2008-12-24T20:03:00.005-07:00

It's hard to get Baby Nora away from her Grandpa.

Grandpa Shawver just can't get enough of the little munchkin. I think He and Grandma Shawver are trying to get in as much Holding Nora time as they can before we leave.

We sure love being here in Lima with the whole family. It's very nice to have so many people willing to give us a hand taking care of the little one. We actually get to take naps at the same time every now and then.

I don't think Nora knows how to react to all of the noise and action going on around her. Her cousins do know how to make a little bit of noise. Eleanor gets a little bit buzzed so to speak, and when it is time for her to go to bed she can't calm down. She will wake up within minutes of us putting her down to sleep. Mommy and Daddy have taken turns holding her through the night for the past couple of nights.

Wow! A Mirror!!!

2008-12-19T08:02:00.008-07:00

Eleanor really likes looking at herself in the mirror. I think this might be the first time she has really looked at herself. She couldn't tear her eyes away from her reflection. She didn't really smile at herself, she just looked on with a somewhat gormless look on her face.

"Who is that baby my daddy is holding?" She seemed to say.

Little Nora made it to Lima, OH with us with minimal fussing. What a good baby! She practically slept the whole way here. We had a really nice man sit next to us on the plane. As he sat down we told him that we were hoping Nora would start to fuss and cry when the plane was boarding and thus scare away any and all people who tried to sit next to us, but she was just being too good! Everybody around us chuckled.

She seems to be almost completely over her virus. No more fever or diarrhea. We almost didn't even attempt the trip out here. We didn't decide to go until about 4 hours before our flight left.

Smoochin' Daddy

2008-12-14T20:43:00.004-07:00

Nora gets confused sometimes. This picture is a good example. We were laying back together in the Lazyboy watching Home Alone when she decided she was hungry and that my face seemed to be a good place to get some milk. She is very determined because she just wouldn't give up trying.

Content Little Baby

2008-12-14T19:50:00.008-07:00

Little Miss Nora has a pretty good content face. After nursing, she just looks like she's had too much to drink and is about to pass out.

Mommy and Baby are practicing Skin-to-skin contact. Apparently it is good for both of them.

Eleanor is one happy little baby. She almost always smiles back at you when you smile at her, unless of course if she is hungry or tired or poopy or sleepy etc...

Baby Blessing

2008-12-11T06:00:00.002-07:00

Daddy gave Nora her baby blessing on Sunday, December 7th. Nora looked beautiful in her white gown! She was such a good girl, she seemed to know it was a special day.

As we were getting ready to go, I looked in the mirror and thought, "I'm not old enough to be doing this... Be a mommy! I'm not a grown-up yet." The transition to being a grown-up must have happened at some point, just not sure when. If anyone has any words of wisdom...

Mommy & Baby

2008-12-06T15:52:00.007-07:00

It is always fun when I'm able to make Katy giggle.

We are now feeding Nora any way we can. If she's sleepy, we will give her a bottle. If she's wide awake, Katy will nurse her. We are just doing whatever is easiest. If we wake up at 2:00am to feed her, I guarantee we will be giving her a bottle.

Grandma and Grandpa Shawver are here visiting us here in Utah this weekend. They are here for the Baby's Blessing. It is going to be diffucult to pry Nora away from Grandpa Shawver's arms for the next day or two. It is rumored that Tom told Marilyn she wouldn't be able to hold the baby at all this weekend because he would be holding her the whole time.

Sneezes & Hiccups

2008-11-28T22:23:00.009-07:00

As if pictures weren't enough to show off our little Eleanor, here is a nice little video.

Nora takes after her Dad in the hiccup and sneeze departments. Katy doesn't sneeze as often as I do and she doesn't get the hiccups... She gets the hiccup. She hiccups one, maybe two times (a rarity) and She is done. Nora gets the hiccups 2-3 times per day. Each time the hiccups last for 15-20 minute time periods. When Eleanor sneezes, Watch Out! Her record is 8 sneezes in a row.

Needless to say, Katy and I are very proud parents. Surprisingly it doesn't take much to make us proud. All Nora has to do is; sneeze, poop, smile, fall asleep, fart, etc... and we cheer and say Good Job! Yes, most of the time we just sit and marvel at this wonderful little baby of ours.

I'm a Buckeye and I don't even know it...

2008-11-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

GO BUCKS!!!

Much like my Dad, I didn't really have any say in the matter. I was automatically an Ohio State fan when I became a part of the Shawver family. My Grandpa Shawver got me this awesome outfit.

My Dad and I watched the Ohio State/Michigan game today. I would be pretty embarrassed if I were from Michigan.

Around here the rivalry is between BYU and the University of Utah. I guess it was a good day for the red teams. UofU kicked some BYU butt today. It wasn't quite as bad a spankin' as Michigan got, but it wasn't a close game either.

Well, I have to go eat something, get my diaper changed, and take a nap because I have a long day of eating, getting my diaper changed and napping tomorrow.

Good Night,

Eleanor