Miss Norah has changed so much throughout her first 18 months, but one thing that hasn't changed is her love of books! She has quite the collection now and none of them, I mean none of them, have gone to waste. We read them morning noon and night over and over again... I only hope she keeps this up through her college years!
Other random notes of cuteness:
- Every single morning we must tuck Monkey and Bear in bed, each with a paci (or "pashi" as Norah calls it) and their favorite blankie, blow them kisses and say "nigh nigh" when we leave her room.
- She has just discovered "owies" and now they appear out of thin air, accompanied by the most pitiful pout and fake cry I've ever seen. Each owie must get a kiss... I cannot resist :) When she witnesses other kids getting owies (even in books) she cries and pouts for them and then gives them kisses.
- She already insists on picking out her shirt and socks in the mornings, and we just can't leave the house unless we have sparkly heart clips in our hair!
So this is what our mornings look like when we are stuck in the house because it is 11 degrees and snowing outside... spring cannot come fast enough!
Love ~ Renee
Hi Renee - It is so much fun reading your blog! I am so happy that Norah loves books so much, and it has a lot to do with you and Colin providing the interaction she needs and encouraging her quest for knowledge. The world is her oyster now, and if given the tools, there is no limit to her brain's capacity to develop. As parents, you have given Norah what she needs as outlined in Maslow's Hierarchy of being: First a child needs to satisfy basic needs like food, shelter, warmth, & security. After those needs have been met, a child needs to feel love (both giving & receiving), affection, and a sense of belonging. After those needs have been met, the dominant need becomes self-esteem where a child needs to feel self-confident and valuable as a person in the world. Only after all these needs have been met is a child able to begin to satisfy the cognitive and aesthetic needs. These needs (for knowledge, meaning, and beauty through the arts) are thought to be insatiable because the more you learn and experience the more you want to learn and experience. The final level on Maslow's Hierarchy is self-actualization which many people never reach - to become all that they can be. I understand that only about 1% of the population ever self-actualize in their lifetimes.
ReplyDeleteWhen Norah is tucking in her little darlings, she is showing you that you have given her love, affection and a sense of belonging. How cool is it that she appears to have developed a sense of empathy (for other children getting owies) at such a young age? Of course I think she always has been very sensitive and perceptive about people around her - with that quiet knowing smile just like her mommy had. I can't believe she is picking out her own clothes already. Thanks for the glimpse into your warm, cozy mornings where a sweet little girl in her cupcake jammies and perfect little chair sits warm and cozy in her bedroom with her beloved mommy & daddy nearby. These pictures are so sweet - especially the one where you can look over her shoulder at the book and the last one where it looks like she passed out from too much reading.