Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Norah 6 Months. . . (though she is 7 Months today!)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Norah Fall 2010
And there's sweet Norah, taking it all in stride. Achieving a new level of serenity now that you can sit up on your own and grab the toys you want. Clearly happier when Lily, Logan, and Kaya are in your line of sight. Full of smiles for your Auntie Rach and Uncle Mike. Testing your teeth (which have not broken through yet) on absolutely everything you can get your hands on.
Things move fast for us, so they must move even faster for you, watching as the big kids figure out how to draw pictures instead of scribble, and watching them run around, over, and through anything that stands in their way as Wonder Woman (Lily), Pattern Man (Logan), and Baby Jaguar (Kaya) come to the rescue once again, jumping and giggling in the crib you will soon sleep in (or would have had the big kids not broken the railing). As you can attest, Norah, there is a LOT going on in our house. Amazing, sweet, wild, touching, fun, loving, things are going on all the time. We see you watching.
We are watching you, and your big sister, too. And you guys are growing so fast, we find less and less time to write about it. But we appreciate it more. We see you grow and thrive, and we're grateful. Mostly, we love watching you with each other. The way you light up when Lily says "Hi, Seesterrrr". The way she sings to you in the car if you cry. It's true- your parents have let things slip here on the blog, but only because we're so much happier hanging out with you.
Love,
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Norah 2 months. . .
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Norah 1 Month . . . from Grandma Alice
Anticipation…that moment after the plane lands and before you see the first family member….
The luggage still hadn’t started its spin on the carousel when I stepped outside the Delta terminal to spot Marita and the kidmobile. I stole a quick look at darling Norah then whisked Logan and Liliana back into the airport to help me find my suitcase while Marita fed the baby in the van. Logan and Liliana were generous with their hugs and their help as they took turns schlepping my oversized suitcase (half filled with books and toys of course!) It was the start of a great week in
Updates on all the kids:
Kaya is the most changed since last I saw her—sturdily walking, steadily talking, a delicate beauty with an unmistakable little iron will. She seems to stay centered through the storms of the older kids and the squalls of young Norah (who she tenderly calls “No-wah.”) ‘Kai-kai’ stands her ground, repeating the same word or request again and again until she makes herself heard and understood. It is already clear: she’s never going to be someone who gives up easily.
And Liliana: what can I say? She’s a bright light who is both impish and compassionate; a chatterbox with plenty to say; a child who can’t walk across a room without exploring its every detail, who is starting to experiment with what makes things funny and practicing her jokes on the adults around her. Watching her consider new information is like being caught in an intellectual high beam; you can almost feel the intensity of her inward focus as she scans for references, and then the comprehension flashes on her face as she “gets” it. She includes Norah without hesitation; whatever is happening in Liliana’s world, baby sister is already counted in. She likes to handle things “by myself!” as she says; and she is adamant about her right to privacy. But she is also generous, kind, and astonishingly empathic. At one point when she and I found ourselves momentarily lost, she looked solemnly into my slightly troubled face and reassured me: “Don’t worry, Grandma, I will take care of you.”
Finally: Norah. Blindsided again by the power of love. From the curl of her sleeping body against the curve of a shoulder, to the amazing strength of her neck and head as she cranes for a better view of the world, she already occupies her own special place in the family, the household, the hearts of everyone, including me of course. Every day brought change and growth; by the time I left the smiles that earlier in the week seemed almost random and possibly accidental, were focused and definite and engaged.
This is the longest I’ve visited, and every day brought new adventures. The night I arrived I had the pleasure of seeing a performance by Ian’s band, “The Good Luck Number” at a little club called the Tiger Lounge. The music was great but the best aspect of the band, I think, is their joyful interaction, and the ease with which they invite the audience to share the good times. Even for an old lady like me it was fun to watch and listen, and I once again took pride in the values expressed in so many of Ian’s songs: justice and community and love. I’m especially proud of Ian for the husband and father and artist he chooses to be, and the responsibilities he carries so gracefully.
I took my first trip to the
Friday, May 28, 2010
Norah 3 weeks already?
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day--Norah's Birth Story
Friday, May 7, 2010
Day 1: Watching Norah and birth stories
Our wait is over. At 10:32 AM this morning, Friday May 7th, Norah Evelyn Grunfeld was born. She was 7 lbs. and 19 1/2 inches long. She is happy, healthy, alert, hungry, and absolutely perfect. Mother, Father, Baby, Sister, Auntie, Uncle, Cousin, and Cousin are all doing well and are very happy baby has finally arrived. I'll let Marita tackle the birth story when she's ready- she's napping on the couch with sweet Norah right now- but we wanted to get up some pictures of our first day with the new baby. Enjoy!