A Natural Born Teacher

Your birthday is a week and two days away.

I wish I could more like you. I am suppose to be teaching you the ways of the world and you end up teaching me.

Teaching me to...
slow down and look at the rocks lining the sidewalk.
calm down and play for awhile.
treat everyone I meet as if they were a friend.
smile more instead of frowning.
love unconditionally.
accept help.
savor the moment before its gone.
snuggle more on the couch.
enjoy a good bedtime book.
live each day enjoying what the world has to offer.

How are you only a year old (almost) and have so much more knowledge and understanding of this world?

As a newborn, you seemed so wise and comfortable in a world so fresh.


As a yearling, you sit on the couch and play your i-Phone apps.

Little Incredible You.

Mommy is getting excited and scared for your birthday. Excited because... BIRTHDAY! Balloons, cake, cute outfits. All of it.
Scared because I don't know how to be a parent to a toddler. Being a mommy to a baby? That is easy! Been there, done that. I think about the decisions and choices we have as parents. What are best for you? This past year, you have lead me. When you were ready for solid food, you let us know. When you were ready to sit up, crawl, stand, walk.... you did. I supported and encouraged you. You took five steps... daddy I would spend time walking you between us until you could 20 steps together! I hope you plan on letting us know what do this coming up year. I need hints.

You are incredible Nora. I have yet to meet another little person like you. I didn't realize how very unique you are until we were at play group on Friday. The teacher was reading books, leading songs to the circle of parents with toddlers on their laps. There you were in the middle of everyone. Dancing. Bouncing. Clapping. Squealing. Smiling. Waving. You were absorbing it all. When the teacher used you for a demonstration of a game, everyone watched, you smiled and crinkled your nose and snorted with laughter. Everyone reacted to you. You performed for them. Everyone in play group knows your name. All of the other kids were afraid to interact with strangers, peers or adult. You? Interacted with all adults, all kids. You made sure you make contact with everyone. You crave attention. You crave interaction. You crave people. I should note there are other kids who are outgoing, extroverts, like yourself, but you are unique in the aspect of engagement with others.

Walking is the main mode of transportation these days. You are incredible at walking, squatting, balancing. People are amazed as you toddle by. "How old is she?" "Look at how well she walks!" "She's not even a year yet?!?!"
People are drawn to you. I am constantly finding myself in conversations with complete strangers because of you. This could be because you lock eyes with them and smile and point and giggle until they respond back to you.

I melt in your presence because... you know, I am your mom and that's what moms do. But the more you figure out this world, the more people flock to you and melt with me. You are charismatic. People want to be around you because you engage them. Its amazing to watch.

Today at Ms. Patti's, a little boy was put in time out. Being 11 months old, you do not understand the concept of someone having to 'sit out' of play. You picked up a toy, walked over to the boy in the time out chair, and sat next to him and tried to engage him in play. I could see you trying to say, "PLAY!" "Why are you sitting over here by yourself?" "Come play with me."

Innocence. Your pure innocence caught me off guard. You see everyone as a friend. You see everyone as a playmate. You have no idea that people can be bad or harm you. Your emotions are pure and your sense of curiosity is great. You observe, gage a situation and react.

You are incredible. You seem too little to have such an understanding of people and social situations. But you do.

Fear grips me. I'm afraid of messing up this parenting thing. Your charismatic tendencies and intense curiosity should be fostered. You are a unique being. As I meet more and more toddlers, your personality stands out again and again. So many have commented on it. I worry I am going to screw up the perfection that is you.

I promise I will do my best to raise you to be the person God made you to be.

4 Generations

One day in school, you will discuss the concept of ancestry. This is a complex topic for 21st century children. Your lineage is such a hodge-podge.

This is my attempt at explaining how you came to be:

I'm an Irish-Italian. Nonna is Irish, Nonni is Italian. Although Nonna's dad, my PopPop's family could trace his ancestry back to Revolutionary times in the DC area (although it was not DC then). He could have been German / Scandinavian of some sort. Who knows. The Irish and Italians on my side of the family both migrated here early in the 20th century. Nonna's family settled in the DC area and Nonni's family settled in New York City.
Your great-grandmother is still alive. She is the Irish portion of your ancestry.

Here we are 4 generations of women:


Nonni's parents (the Italians) are both deceased. However, your great-grandma's sister is still alive and lives in NYC. She is 93. She climbs 90 steps to her apartment each day, there's no elevator. She makes the best meatballs! I hope you get to try them one day. You have very strong Italian blood running through your veins.
This picture is you & I with Nonni and Uncle Bill and Great-great Aunt Lucy. She was your great-grandma Marcot's younger sister.


Forgive me, but your father's side of the ancestry is lesser known to me. I know that Grandma is Swedish and Grandpa is Norwegian. The Scandinavian pride runs deep on your father's side of the family. As it should. You will spend many summers in Wisconsin soaking it up at Borgens and Dregnes and more recently Ole & Lena's Cafe. One cannot forget the Uff Da Mart. Places that will hold many memories for you. Don't worry, you have already visited all those places when you were only 4 months old. You also got a picture with the giant Viking. Hopefully afternoons will be spent with great-grandma Jothen making lefse.

Here you are as the 4th Generation Jothen.


So, let's recap.

You, Nora, are a mutt.

A Norwegian-Swede, Italian-Irish mutt, with a few other unknown bloodlines.
Maybe one day you will get to visit Norway, Sweden, Italy and Ireland and see the countries where your ancestors are from. I think it would be interesting, but then again I was a history major in college.

Nora-

you are one gorgeous mutt.

Your First Friend

Nora,
You will have many friends in your life. I know this. Today, when we entered daycare, you ran over to another mother and hugged her and her son, Tomas. The other day at KidZone (childcare at our gym), you were hanging on a couple of preschoolers as you all watched cartoons. All the adults in KidZone know you by name. Even cashiers at our local stores know you by name. Somehow you manage to make friends wherever we go. You have a gift of engaging people.

During your first year of life, it was less about who you would choose as a friend and more about mommy & daddy's friends who happened to have another baby girl about your age.

Enter Maddie.


Ryan and Sophie are our very good friends. Your father and Ryan go way back. They are best friends. They brought Maddie down to visit us only two weeks after you were born. We didn't leave the house once, except to sit outside in the backyard. It was wonderful. Sophie made me feel like I wasn't insane. Maddie was adorable. Ryan and Nels had a good time; the first time hanging out as "dads."



It was so calming to have other new parents with us for a while. We swapped stories, tips, tricks, and advise. I felt such gratitude for our friendship with them at that moment in time. I still do. I hope you grow up knowing Maddie and her parents. They are beautiful people.

During our weekend retreat from the real world, I caught this intimate moment between you and Daddy.


We want to see Maddie and her parents more often, unfortunately they live in New Jersey about 3.5 hrs away. They came to visit again the weekend after Thanksgiving. The two of you are becoming fast friends:





I know I won't be able to control who you become friends with. I imagine and hope whoever ends up being your best friend, they will become part of our family; because close friends are the best kind of family.

Your First Vacation

One of my favorite memories of you so far is your first vacation at the beach. You were 3 months old when Nonna and Nonni took you and I to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. You were in your crying phase at this point. I feared the long drive(about 5 hours).

You actually did well on the ride down until the last hour where we were stuck in traffic. Nickle Creek stopped working so Nonna and I sang "Toora Loora Looral" and "Hush Little Baby" over and over again until we made it to our little cottage by the sea. We could see the ocean and the bay from our deck. The week was spent lounging on the beach and taking little trips around the local towns. As soon as we got you to the beach... you would fall asleep. I don't think you were awake for more than 5 minutes at a time on the beach. I am not sure if the wind or the waves that made you fall into a deep sleep. But we spent the time relaxing, reading and taking walks in the surf as you slept. It was glorious.



You had quite the adventures on your first vacation.

You went mini golfing and went on a train ride!




You went to the Elizabethean Gardens.


You visited an aquarium and watched fish swim by.


You read books with Uncle Kevin.


You hung out on the beach with Nonna.


You practiced your smile.



You ate frozen custard.


You went to a lighthouse but they wouldn't let you climb to the top.


You hiked to the top of the largest dunes on the east coast (ok, mommy carried you up but you were a trooper and when we hiked down, you pooped on Nonna).


You were a beach bum.


Although you will not remember your first vacation, I treasure the memories. Nora- you are such a joy to know.

Our First Mother's Day

You made me a mom.

Celebrating mother's day was very different in 2009. Although you were only six weeks old at the time. I did not get a homemade card from you. You did not run up and hug me. I don't think you even let me sleep through the night. Although you rolled over for the first time at 5 weeks and I was convinced I had a genius baby on my hands. I was smitten with you.

But mother's day 2009 (May 10) was very special because it the day you were baptized.

Nonna, Nonni, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Katie and Uncle Kevin, Aunt Clare and Aunt Molly and your father and I all walked to the church down the block. We got you dressed in the baptismal dress that was Nonna's wedding dress in the prep room. She marched you down the aisle to the front of the church.



Father David was ready for us. You were a little fussy. But as Father David baptized you and Uncle Kevin held on tight as you hoovered over the baptismal font, you were calm. As if you knew the importance of this moment. We prayed for you. Promised that you would be raised in the Church. Everyone looked on lovingly. It was a good day.



We had a small party back at our townhouse. You liked to be rocked and lifted up in the air over and over. You wore the Gymboree green gingham dress I got on sale. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the sunny day. You were so new to us all that we just were awe and wonder of your presence on us.



I remember being so overwhelmed at all of this. I remember wanting to slow down time so I could absorb all of the moment.

We went to a dedication today for our friends. Its like a baptism except without the water. Our friends kept saying how much you had grown. I already told you about turning into a toddler. You are so mature compared to Mother's Day when you were baptized. You are so knowledgeable and can do so many things by yourself now.
You are not 100% dependent on your father and I for everything. You can play and entertain yourself. You can feed yourself and get from one place to another on your own. Maybe I didn't soak up enough of the precious moments when they were happening. It could have been because I was sleep deprived.

I try to enjoy you every moment. I try to remember every detail of your being from your after-the-bath-smell to the way to crinkle your nose up when you smile. I love it all.

You are getting bigger, more independent. I am grateful for your rapid development, I mourn the moments I took for granted. I look forward to the thousands and thousands of after-bath smells, smiles, outbursts, laughter, and special moments we will share.


Look at you today on the way to the dedication (in front of your tree). Who couldn't love that face?

How We Fell in Love

I have not told you much about your father and I before your arrival into the world.

So today let's travel way way way back to when you were a zygote. Do you remember? Do you remember implanting yourself in my uterus? Any memories of growing your heart? Or head? Or hands? Or spine? Or fingers? Or toes?

Your father and I remember the first time we knew you were there.
Your father and I remember the first time we saw and heard your heartbeat.
Your father and I remember the first time we saw your head, fingers, toes, 4 chambers to your heart, the details of your spine, your perfect kidneys...
Your father and I remember the moment we were told you would be a girl.
Your father and I remember the moments you would kick and move under my belly.

Your father and I remember you from the very beginning.

We went to Homer, Alaska for cousin Marta's wedding. It was a hectic trip because we were flying directly from Homer to Minnesota for Aunt Kaethe and Uncle Peder's wedding and then a week at Great-Grandma's farm in Wisconsin.

You made me exhausted. I was irritable and tired. Your father and I had our suspicions about your presence. We finally took a test while at the farm.
Your father who was looking at the test said, "Well, you're pregnant."
We told Great-Grandma before we left in July 2008. She was the first person to know about you, besides your father and I.

It was August 8, 2008 when we went to the Ob-byn for the first time. After filling out the endless paper work, our doctor told us that we would go for an ultrasound.
They took us into a dark room and had me lie on a table. The technician took the cold wand and started to look for any sign that you were in my belly.

All of a sudden out of the whooshing sounds in my womb came this thump.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Then, we saw it. A murky oval going in and out with the thumping.
"There's the baby's heartbeat," said the technician, "it looks perfect."

Your father and I did not move or say anything to each other or to our technician. We just watched and listened, mesmerized by your rhythm.

It was at that moment Nora that your father and I fell in love with you. A love so deep that words simply fell short.

We told our families later on that month. Nonni and Nonna, Grandma and Grandpa and all your aunts and uncles. Everyone was excited about your arrival. Your father and I got to see your beautiful body at 20 weeks gestation. I remember your spine and heart the most. I remember seeing the spine and being in shock at how complex and perfect it was! We saw the blood being pumped through your heart and the four chambers and the valves. It was incredible. Nonna came with me to my last ultrasound a month before your birth. We saw you open and shut your eyes. Your wonderful nose.

We had baby showers, so many of our friends and family were so generous. Jessica came to help set up your nursery, Nonna washed all your clothes, Grandma painted your room, Grandpa set up your crib. We picked out bedding, strollers, bouncy seats, high chairs, all for you.



But no moment could be better than seeing and hearing your heartbeat for the first time. No matter where life takes you Nora, you will always be our baby.