I’m just too much fun for the baby — she can’t handle it. Monday ended with her taking a three hour nap and Tuesday ended like this. I took her to the Michigan Union where Jen and I let her run freely and greet whomever she wanted. Three observations: (1) she’s remarkably fast (2) `toddler’ is now a laughably inaccurate label and (3) how did we manage to produce such a friendly, outgoing baby?

Yeah, okay, that last one’s not an observation.

Jen’s folks took and e-mailed us this great smiley pic of the bean. I have no recollection of where it was or what she was wearing (maybe they can comment and vague this all up for us?) so I’ll totally just make something up.

Here’s a shot of Nora in her new scrubs. She’s volunteering at the University of Michigan hospital as a boundless source of happiness for patients who might benefit from a puppy visit but who are, sadly, allergic. She would ride her pet unicorn to and from work but its left hoof is currently covered in marshmallow fluff.

Nora and Jen went to the grocery store today to pick up some essential being-sick supplies for all of us (yes, again). It seems Nora had a particularly exciting day at school today. For a few weeks there’s been a little love interest brewing between her and a little boy named ‘Micah’. Micah runs around the room yelling “Nowra!”, “Nowra!” when she gets there, pokes her, steals her food, takes her lunchbag, etc. Unmistakable signs of little boy love (I know them all well having employed similar tactics late into my teens). For her part, Nora makes kissie noises when I list his name among the people she’s going to see at baby school.

Today Jen was picking Nono up and had just snuggled her into her snowsuit when Micah came over and tried to take the lunchbag. Nora’s response was to give him a big, warm, snowsuity hug. Her parents’ shyness is apparently not heritable or, if heritable, has not yet exhibited. Little Micah got enthusiastic congratulations from his dad, but I’d really hoped not to have to have “the talk” before she could, you know, talk! :)

Anyway, here’s a shot of our little lovebird helping to unpack and disperse the contents of the grocery bag:

Nora’s been sick (again) lately, but this does not stop her helping in the kitchen. Yesterday she figured out that the pot I’d given her to stir (with a potato masher) was put to much better use first as a comfy seat and then as an improvised sit-n-spin. She got herself pretty dizzy.