Holiday Sneak Preview

Eliana's Sneak Preview

I had to post these pictures because they are so unbelievably cute. This is a sneak preview of Eliana's Christmas dress. I am trying to get my act together early to get pictures of the kids all together. This was just a dress rehearsal to be sure that everything fit. The boys, of course, are handsome little devils in their attire as well, but you will have to wait for the real thing to see them. Oh, and yes, she is wearing another hat. She is getting hair by the way, but the hats are too cute to resist.

We have been home 2 months today and Eliana is beginning to do more and more each day. Her words are definitely still more like beginning sounds with intonation, but there are different and distinct sounds for particular things. She waves and says Ba Ba for bye bye and she puts her hands out to her sides when she is done eating and says Ah duuu (all done). We are sure she is brilliant and expect that she will be doing quantum physics by the new year. Teeth numbers 5 and 6 are rapidly breaking through and according to my back she is continuing to gain weight. She is trying to crawl still, but hasn't mastered the art of that what to do with that second leg and ends in a flop. We are continuing to see progress with her strength as she can stand for longer periods of time before flopping down and is trying to pull up (though still unsuccessfully). She is a joy and it is a privilege to witness so many little milestones.

Happy Halloween!

New Album 10/31/07 9:15 PM

We just got all our little goblins into bed after a night of trick-or-treating and excitement. The kids were adorable, of course. Eliana- our "plumpkin" was too cute. Her fellow squash, Cooper (our Cairn Terrier) was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. Cooper stayed back with Eliana as she cozied up in her super snuggly stroller while the boys went to the doors. Noah was Jack Sparrow and Elijah was a cowboy on horseback. Elijah won best costume of the night at one of the houses and received a massive amount of candy. Needless to say, he was thrilled. Milan went as Martin Luther and I was Katerina Von Bora (his nun wife). It was fun. In truth, I am perhaps most excited about the fact that I don't have any more costumes to sew for at least another year. Hurrah!!

The weather here is turning colder... tonight was a chilly one. Current temps are 37 degrees (F) with windchill bringing it down about another 5 or 6 degrees. It beats last years freezing rain, but it was still mighty cold. I do believe I am ready for fall weather... and baking... and soup... not so ready for winter yet though. Hopefully, it will keep itself at bay for a little while longer. I had to run out for a few things today and couldn't believe that the Christmas decorations were everywhere. Wow. Where did this year go?

Three Peas in a Pod

Well, here are my three little peas in a pod. The boys continue to argue over who gets to sit next to Eliana... it is hard to discipline them for that . She adores them and they are smitten. It is such a blessing to see them play with and hear the loving words that her big brothers shower her with. She is a blessed little girl.
Everyone is excited about costumes and trick-or-treating just a few days away. I will be sure to post pictures of the cuties. Eliana and Cooper (our little Cairn terrier) will be matching pumpkins, Noah will be a pirate of the Jack Sparrow variety and Elijah will saddle up as a cowboy. Milan and I are supposed to be dressing up as a monk and a nun, but the costumes aren't finished yet. We'll see if I can finish up by Wednesday evening... Argh... (no reference to the pirate). Where does my time go? Oh yeah, see exhibits A,B, and C posted in the picture above.

Absentee Blogger

Well, I am officially the absentee blogger. Life with baby has taken over those last few spare moments that I think I had in my possession. I also find myself to be somewhat useless after about 9pm. As was true with my first two children, this season of fatigue for me will pass. I am sorry, however, that I haven't been better about posting pictures... especially for family. I pledge to attempt to do better.

The pictures in the album below show Eliana's first trip to the zoo. We went with the Survance family a few weeks ago. Also there are post-bath pictures with our crazy-haired little pumpkin. Finally, there are a few pictures of Elijah's completed Halloween costume (please dont ask about the other three that are still unfinished-- two aren't even started... Ugh!) and a few pictures of our trip to Barnum and Bailey's Ringling Brothers Circus. The circus was a blast. Eliana was enthralled. I must say that it may be worthy of their billing as the "Best Show on Earth."

Eliana continues to grow and truly is thriving. She is growing out of some of the 9 month clothing she had and is actually filling in some of the 12 month things. Sleeves and legs are still a little long, but not everything needs to be rolled anymore. She is cracking us up as she tries to comb her hair- I will have to catch a picture of it- as well as pretending to talk on the phone. It is very funny. We just sit her in the middle of the kitchen table with the phone and she provides a good 15 minutes worth of free entertainment. She hasn't yet made the leap into mobility, but she really is wanting to crawl. She gets up on one knee, but that other leg just gets in her way. She will figure it out and then we will all be in trouble.

We are so thankful for all of our beautiful children and we continue to pray that Eliana will come to know and trust us as they do. She does continue to be a "Mama's Girl" as our agency refers to her. Milan is being so patient and is making every effort to love on and play with her. For those of you who are praying for us, that would be our request... that she would bond more closely with Milan and stop giving him such a difficult time. I trust that she will and that this season will pass, but it is easier for me to believe that than Milan as I am not bearing the brunt of it.

Well, Eliana just fell asleep on my shoulder while I have been typing with one hand. So, off to bed for her and I will finish up and get back to schooling with the boys. Just another day in the life at the Norgauer home. I will try to get back to the keyboard soon!

New Album 10/17/07 10:43 AM

Too Funny!!

Story Time

Today, Debbie and I met for coffee and then took the girls to storytime at the library. While it is designed for babies and early toddlers, it was a little hard for Eliana to get into because it was so crowded. Hopefully, it will thin out a bit and she will be able to engage in it a bit more. It was fun to get together with Debbie and Nora and to see the girls together. Nora is such a cutie and she is just all over the place- walking, climbing, crawling, you name it. Hopefully, she can give Eliana some pointers. I am so glad that the girls live so close to one another and that they can be friends.