Finding his voice

Cooper started "chatting" at about 6 weeks of age. He's also a lot more alert and is SO strong. He's holding his head up all by himself and likes to look all around. Here's a short video of him in his "play gym".

Welcome Cooper James Norris

Make a Smilebox greeting

Time alone together

A Tradition in the Making

Josh and I's Christmas gift to each other this year was time. We haven't gotten to be alone together (just the two of us) for longer than a date night since Danya was born almost 3 years ago. So, we acquired highly reputable sitters (thanks Nana Jewell and Papa Dave!), hotel reservations at the Grove Hotel in Boise, and ran away for the weekend. We enjoyed the view from the 12th floor of the Grove Hotel and loved getting to hang out downtown with no schedule. We ate wonderful food (Big City Coffee\Brickoven Beanery\Lock Stock and Barrel), slept in, talked and talked and talked and really connected like we haven't in quite a while. I really do love this man - God's given me a giftin him that keeps on giving! Here's some picturesfrom the weekend that we too with my new camera...we're still learning how to take good pictures with it, but it's so much fun to use.

Christmas morning tea

The girls got a new table and chairs set for Christmas, and when Shea went down for her morning nap, Danya asked if we could have a special tea party at her new table. This was the first of many tea parties that we've been having at this "Danya size" table.

The table is set.
Danya has the cookie in her sights.
Pour the tea...

ENJOY!

My first real sewing attempt for the girls!

Every morning, when I wake up, I put on my robe and have a cup of coffee. Many times this fall, Danya would wake up and ask me where HER robe was. This gave me the idea to make the girls matching robes as a Christmas gift. So, I went to the store and bought fuzzy pink fabric and a simple looking pattern. I then called my good friend Juanita and asked her to tutor me on sewing 101. I'd never made anything from a real pattern, so it was slow going, but the results were SO gratifying that I will definitely do it again. Here are the girls in their cozy robes. I tie Shea's in the back so that it stays on her. :)

They're my little housewives in training!!!

This is why we did this!

Sometimes, in the craziness and the busyness of my days with the girls, I wonder to myself "What were we thinking having them so close together?". And then, I get busy in the kitchen or doing laundry and wonder why they are being so quiet...what mischief could they be getting into??? I go looking and what do I find.....a perfect reminder of why we wanted them to be so close in age, and it really is quite worth the work!

A couple of videos

Yesterday morning I was reading and the girls both got up on the fireplace hearth with their books and read together. It was so cute. Later in the day, Shea went into Danya's room and got a baby doll and a bottle to feed her. Both of them are growing up so fast! Enjoy the vidoes.


Reading time...



"Baby"