Disciplining Little Noelle

Now that Noelle is 9.5 months, she knows what's right and wrong.  For example when she makes a beeline for Oscar's food dish or if she chews paper.  Noelle will look at me a smile right before she is naughty.  I try not to smile back or laugh, but it's so hard - she is so darn cute!  So "the books" say that you should not raise your voice or say "No".  Instead you should take them away and create a new distraction for them.   Hmmm...  apparently "the books" have never met a little girl like Noelle.  The girl has a one track mind.  If she is by Oscar's food and I pick her up and set her by her toys, she cries and instantly crawls back to Oscar's food dish!  The new distraction does not work, now what?

Love,
Noelle's Mommy

I prune her like a monkey!

Have you ever watched the "Discovery" Channel or "Animal Planet" and seen the mama monkeys pruning their young? They remind me of myself.  While the monkeys are picking off insects and then eating the insects, I am inspecting her body of dirt, food, foreign substances, etc.  I have even started the "camel lick" with her hair!  I will get a big wad of spit on my hand and flatten her hair.  Noelle doesn't necessarily like it.  What child does?  At least she is clean from mama spit!

Love,
Noelle's Mommy

She has a foot fetish!

I think Noelle has a foot fetish.  Every time go to a play group, she goes right for everyone's feet!  On Thursday, we went to a music class (it was so fun).  Noelle was playing with the little boy's feet next to us - first grabbing them and then eating his feet.  Last week when we were in Wisconsin, she was eating Cameron's feet (her future boyfriend).  A few months ago - again at a playdate - she took the little boy's shoes off first, then his socks and starting eating his feet!  What?!!!  I think she is going to be the aggressor!  PLUS she loves to suck on her own feet.  

PS:  The music class was great.  BUT... they offer a baby Latin dance class!!!  How awesome is that?!  We are going to sign up for that one for sure.  Stay tuned.

Love, 

Noelle's Mommy

Noelle's Nine Month Appointment!

Yesterday we had Noelle's nine month appointment!  Can you believe she is already nine months?!  The pediatrician said "She's perfect."  Of course she is!

I thought she was tall for her age.  Many people have told me how big she is.  Well Noelle is a little peanut!  She is 27.5" tall - 23%.  She also weighs 20 lbs - 41%!  No wonder it's getting difficult to hold her for hours (I will manage).  The ped said we could start feeding her anything we want (except for the high allergens).  Meatballs - here we come!  Well she did say we should stay away from the ice cream for a few more months.  Noelle will be so upset.  I guess we will have to switch to frozen yogurt!

Noelle also had to get more shots and blood drawn.  She is such a trooper.  Mommy cried more than Noelle!

Love,
Noelle's Mommy

Great weekend!

We had such a great weekend!  Noelle started saying "da-da" and "baby."  She also started to pull herself up!!  What a big girl!  So many new milestones in the past few weeks.

I went out with the girls on Saturday night.  I had a blast!  Noelle stayed home with daddy and the boys.  I put her to bed at 7:30pm.  However, she is such a flirt and knew boys were coming over.  She woke up and would not go back to sleep.  Freddy sent me pictures throughout the night of Noelle playing.  She finally went to bed at midnight.  It was kind of a blessing since she woke up at 7:00am (we got to sleep in).

On Sunday we took her to her first MOVIE!  We saw "Toy Story III" in 3D.  Noelle did really well.  She was very interested in the movie for the first 20 minutes, then she didn't care about it.  She played with straws, ate some Nilla Wafers, ate lunch, shared my pretzel, and screamed with delight!  We only had to leave the theatre three times.  I can't believe we actually got to see a movie!  I am predicting more movies in our future...

Love,
Noelle's Mommy

Determination!

Now that little Noelle is crawling, she loves crawling to Oscar's food.  I have put barricades around his water and food dish.  She is soooo determined to get to his food.  The weaves in between the chairs and bar stools.  She can't fit her body through the bar stools, but still doesn't not give up.  Her Go-Go Inspector Gadget arms try to reach for one nibble of food.  Too funny!

Love,
Noelle's Mommy

Dear Shoe Fairy:

Dear Shoe Fairy:
Could you please stop stealing Noelle's shoes?  I know she kicked off her shoe within one block of our apartment.  Where oh where did you hide it?  Do I go out and buy more shoes or go shoeless?  You stole her favorite shoe - it had VELCRO!  She is really sad over it right now.

Also...

Dear Memory Fairy:
Could you please give me back some of the brain cells you took from me when I was pregnant (and a little from college)? It's very difficult to remember things like your wallet, your Metro card, baby wipes, deodorant.

Love,
Noelle's Mommy