Uh Oh

So now this is happening...

(video of Zora pulling herself up to standing)

Grandparents Galore!

In early-mid November, we had both sets of grandparents visit in successive weeks.
The girls loved it, we loved it, and the poor forlorn Mowgli loved getting double the number of scritches. 

Oma & Opa Young in action

Oma & Noey cuddling

Katy & Oma feeding the girls in the kitchen (also apparently an ad for Earth's Best oatmeal cereal)

Katy, Noey, Zora, and Oma play in the girls' first real snow

Opa & Zora in front of the chicken coop

Grandma & Grandpa Evans doing grandparent-y things.

Grandpa feeding Zora

Flash & Grandpa read the paper during some downtime

Grandma feeding Noey while Zora mugs for the camera

Grandma keeping Zora happy on the changing table

Noemi Playing

Not much fazes Noemi. She talks a lot, but rarely cries and usually gazes about with a look of pleasant interest on her face. Sometimes it's hard to snap a photo of her with a full-on smile since she's just sitting back, soaking in the world around her. We got lucky with a couple today, though.

Her helmet doesn't bother her at all

 

But she still enjoys a break from it now and then

Back to her usual look

Zora Being Silly

Zora was super smiley and talkative when she woke up from her nap this morning. Maybe it was the music we were playing. Or maybe she's just so stoked that she's this close to crawling. Any day now she's going to take the trouble meter up a notch.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

The girls had an exciting day today: art projects at school and their first mortgage re-financing!

Zora practicing her signature at the title company

Noemi looks stunned by all the signing of documents at the closing

They painted "turkeys" (aka peacocks) at day care. Zora's is on top, Noemi's on the bottom.

Election Day

At the polling station Tuesday morning

They looked 18 to the poll workers.

The New Helmet

Because of the flat spot on the back of Noemi's head, which the doctor referred to as "severe," we have a new piece of head gear in our lives.  She wears it for 23 hours a day and during her one hour of freedom we hose down both her head and the helmet.  On average, we're told, babies wear them for 3 months.  We have to go to the prosthetic and orthotic center where she got it every three weeks so they can check on her and make the necessary adjustments.  

Noey doesn't seem to mind it.  During the first couple of days, her head was quite sweaty; but now that she's adjusted to it, the view through the clear plastic is no longer of matted wet baby hair.  And now it's harder for her sister to nibble on her head!

Noey with our friend Leah