happy halloween!

it´s super fun having kids during holidays!

today we went to our first halloween party and i think nora enjoyed it! yesterday we carved our pumpkin and made our yearly caramel apples yum!!


hope you had a fun and safe halloween!

misc.

i forgot to tell two stories about england..

1)there were three women sitting across from me on the plane and they were all obsessed with nora. i looked away for one second and i swear to G the lady took nora out of my hands. and there she was, on her lap. hmm i don´t think i would have minded so much if a)she would have asked and b)if she wouldn´t have let nora keep sticking her hands in her mouth...gross!

2)one day we took the train to liverpool and it smelled bad on the train. i couldn´t figure it out and then i looked at the guy sitting across from me. showered prob um, never. SICK!!!!!!!

weeeeeeee

i can´t seem to find any baby swings in seville but i just had a hunch nora would love to swing. so, i held her on my lap and i was right......she laughed hysterically the entire time while i shouted weeeeeeeeeeeee. ha!

Liverpool

So, we just spent the weekend visiting friends in England and I wonder why we don´t travel more often. Pretty much every country is two hours from our doorstep. It´s been way too long since I´ve been in England and I kept telling my friends we´d get there...I think about 8 years have passed, but hey, we made it! I found a cheap flight on ryanair that I couldn´t turn down!

A, Nora and I kinda got to the airport a little late so we did not sit by each other on the plane (well, N was with me) ha. I sat next to two Scottish ladies. Have you ever had a conversation with someone from Scotland? It´s a little bit like running a marathon and you are completely exhausted and dehydrated by the end. I think I may have even gone cross-eyed for a bit. It´s like trying to understand Chinese and actually maintain a conversation. I picked up a few words here and there and she kept talking about her friends kids ...¨wee boys and wee girls¨ how cute is that? If I said Nora is a ¨wee girl¨ I might just get punched. She had on a frilly chirt and Nora kept grabbing her giant boob. Don´t think she minded much.....or maybe she did and I just couldn´t understand her.

We scoped out Liverpool and it was neat to see where the Beatle´s got their start. Pretty wild!!!!

I met David and Ondra when I went on a mission trip at Purdue and I stayed in their house for ten days. 11 years later we´re still friends! So awesome how small the world is! We had a great time and I hope to go back sooner rather than later.

Cadbury chocolate. Check.
English tea. Check.
Cold weather fix. Check.
Visit to Christmas world. Check.
Driving on left side of road. Check.
Amazing time. Check.

Cheerio England! Cheerio!

eddie munster

antonio keeps saying that nora´s bangs look like eddie munster. what do you think?

case of the mundays

so, this week i started back to work after, oh, ten months not working. i´m not even working full-time or anything, but i tell ya, i can´t wait to get home and give my little nora a squeeze.

it is nice to have conversations w other adults and wear something other than my pj´s. i also missed the funny things my ESL students say like (talking about the band) blink one hundred and eighty two. ha!!

un-believable

A listens to the radio 24 hours a day so I don't even have to watch the news. He was telling me how this man was married but had a girlfriend and he got the girlfriend prego. Well, the day that his girlfriend had the baby his wife (who was a nurse at the hospital) went to the room, took the baby out and killed it in the street. One small problem;she confused the room and killed the wrong baby.

How do you feel about that?

8 months

Dear Nora,

Today you are 8 months old weighing in at 25 lbs. I really can´t carry you around for long periods of time because you are just ridiculously big. So much has happened this past month and when it comes time for me to write your newsletter I can´t remember half of it! I´ll do my best!

You´ve only been eating solids this past month, but it already is so routine that it seems like forever. You didn´t like much at first, but now are warming up to the idea. You like bananas, pears and sweetpotatoes the best. Your absolute favorite is orange juice. We let you suck on a piece and you would not give it up! I thought you were going to sleep with it or something. You made ¨the face¨ but then kept reaching out for more. Hilarious! You eat really well with the spoon and when we put things on your tray you pick it up and eat it with your tiny fingers. Good eater..hence the 25 lbs!

This month we have to put you in a brace for your hips which was traumatic for all of us at first, but we´ve all adjusted and hopefully it will be coming off in November. I´m so thankful you are happy and healthy because even just this tiny thing kind of threw your dad and I for a loop.

You are such an observer and a lot of times you hear and see things long before anyone else around. You definitely do not give up if things don´t go how you planned the first time around and you figure out how to make it work. You wanted to pick something up and your brace got in the way so you managed to switch hands and move the object under the brace, it was pretty fun watching your brain in action.

You don´t like being told ¨no¨ and you kind of grunt when we say it. Most of the time you listen and if you don´t and we say no again w a louder voice and you start to cry. You should listen the first time! :O)

You are very happy and smiley and are still not afraid of strangers and you do not miss mom and dad when we are gone. I could leave you at a strangers doorstep and I think you´d be ok with that.

You have been waking up screaming in the night and I can´t figure out why. Hopefully that stops soon! You now have four teeth and a little space in between the top two just like daddy. Teething doesn´t seem to bother you at all.

Your hair is getting whispy and I´m thinking it might be straight like mine, we´ll see!

You are ¨crawling¨ around but it´s more of an army slither...but it gets you from A to B. We have to keep a constant watch on you. Why is it that you always want to play with things that you shouldn´t?! You have a whole toy box you know!

You sit up in your crib now which is super annoying since you should be sleeping! I´ve seen you trying to pull yourself up in the standing position too. Won´t be long and you´ll be walking around!

You babble away non-stop and each day is a new something or other. It seems pretty important whatever it is!

We have our routine down pat and you still take two 1.5 hour naps and sleep 12 hours at night (when you don´t wake up screaming) I am still breastfeeding you which can be quite challenging at times since you are constantly on the move. Most of the time you wake up once early in the morning to feed and it´s my favorite time with you. You then fall asleep and I cuddle you and kiss your face while you sleep. I know I´ll always remember that and cherish those moments forever. I already feel like when you are awake you´re too busy for a snuggle!

Well, Nora I think those are the main things that have happened this month! Each day you are a box of surprises and keep us on our toes, that´s for sure.
We thank the Lord for you on a daily basis and are so proud to call you ours. Happy 8 mths baby girl. Love you!
mama
¨Being a full -time mother is one of the highest paid salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love.¨ mildred vermon

IN bound

I will be home for Christmas and I cannot be more excited. Last year I was a whale, therefore I couldn´t make the journey and it was the first time in 29 years that I wasn´t in Indiana. I´m surprised I´m still alive today. It was Aw-ful. No snow, no Santa, no cookies, no nothing. Terrible. SOOOOOOOOO I´m headed to IN for a week sans Antonio and Nora and I´ll be back in time for New Years and 3 Kings on Jan 6th so everyone wins.

YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS

campo

yesterday was a holiday here in spain (go figure) so we went to the campo. nora absolutely loves being outdoors, animals and the birds! here she is bird watching and totally mezmorized!

fall is finally here...hopefully to stay and it´s in the 70ºs which is fabulous!!!!!!

i am starting work on Mon (just a few classes) but it´s weird almost 10 mths not working! it´s been amazing being home w nora and watching her grow. they change so much in the first year and i´m glad i´ve been able to enjoy it.

xo

pix

son of a freaking gun

i´m thinking about coming home for x mas for a week (alone) and literally as i was looking at the tkts the routes changed and the prices went up. I HATE FLYING!!!!

on a happier note.......antonio made me an apple pie today which was lovely and nora still rocks it out.

and i got a new job and start the 18th. booyah!

brace yourself

So, the brace has to be on until at least Nov 17th. I hope we can make it! N seems to be doing pretty well with it so we´ll see how it goes. Here´s to fast recovery!

Nov 17th

is the designated ¨remove brace day¨ lets hope all goes well because if we have to leave it on longer i might die!

ha

prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day,

I thank You for my being able to see

and to hear this morning.

I'm blessed because You are

a forgiving God and

an understanding God.

You have done so much for me

and You keep on blessing me.

Forgive me this day for everything

I have done, said or thought

that was not pleasing to you.

I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe

from all danger and harm.

Help me to start this day

with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude.

Let me make the best of each and every day

to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind

that I can accept all things.

Let me not whine and whimper

over things I have no control over.
And give me the best response

when I'm pushed beyond my limits.

I know that when I can't pray,

You listen to my heart.

Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be

a blessing to others.

Keep me strong that I may help the weak...

Keep me uplifted that I may have

words of encouragement for others.

I pray for those that are lost

and can't find their way.

I pray for those that are misjudged

and misunderstood.

I pray for those who

don't know You intimately.

I pray for those that will delete this

without sharing it with others

I pray for those that don't believe.

But I thank You that I believe

that God changes people and

God changes things.

I pray

For each and every family member

in the households of my family.

I pray for peace, love and joy

in their homes; that they are out of debt

and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this

knows there is no problem, circumstance,

or situation greater than God.

Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight.


I pray that these words be received

into the hearts of every eye that sees it

in Jesus' name. Amen!

ugh

today totally sucked and was so stressful. day 1 of nora´s brace for her hips. one is higher than the other so it´s either this or surgery. they think it will be on for 1.5 or 2 mths. i realize that in the grand scheme of things this is nothing and i should be so happy that my child is healthy, which i am........it´s just annoying at the moment.

my mother in law was trying to help and then she started crying and then her sisters started crying and it was just a big hot mess and i wanted them all to get the HECK out!

i need to rant for a sec here.

my mother in law tells me the same things i swear to god like fifty times. she´s told me, ¨my mom said i left the boob and she handed me a spoon¨ at least, i kid you not fifteen times. fifteen. i don´t get it. does she just forget or does she think i forget? i want to scream I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW you´ve TOLD me before!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but instead i just smile and act like it´s the first time i´ve heard it. i don´t know how many more times i can handle it people. i´m going to crack or go on crack.

i also don´t like when i´m doing something and she swoops in and takes over, like today i was in the middle of giving nora her fruit and she swoops in and steals the spoon and is like ¨let abuela do it¨ again, why was she even OVER this morning? i am the mother NOT YOU.......you have already raised your children so BACK OFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. it´s my turn now!!!!!!

driving me nutssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!! i need to punch a wall.

2. i saw a used condom on the way to the gym today. this isn´t the first time i´ve seen a used condom on the sidewalk. this always baffles me. was someone doing it RIGHT THERE in the middle of the sidewalk? did someone throw it out their window/car window. it´s just weird, and gross. it´s called a trash can people.

3. U2 was in town and i didn´t go to their concert. i heard it was amazing.