i copied all the pictures from her first 3 years from last year’s blog post.  sorry about that, but for the sake of time!

norah turned FOUR today.  she is getting so big and smart, and really understanding the world so much better.  i laughed reading last year’s birthday post for her, still referring to her as nor-nado.  we don’t call her that much anymore, she has settled down a lot and is such a sweet little lady.  she still has a shriek to piece ears, but she has a kind heart.  i love that norah is so open and accepting.  she has never met a stranger and will try to make new friends every where she goes.  i have no worries about her starting preschool this fall.  i know she will do great.  i do worry that she will get reprimanded often for talking when she shouldn’t be, like i did when i was in school.  she is just so chatty!  such a change from her older brother and sister who still sometimes suffer from stranger danger!

on with the pictures!

norah’s wild birth!  she came fast and furious, born with only mom & dad (& a sick puking two year old ethan) in the room.  the midwife arrived 45 minutes later.

sweet sleepy smiles & the cute turned-up nose that she’s finally grown into. 

six months old, and living in a new state!

my little baldie was one!

TWO!

spunky norah on her third birthday!

and today, at four.  what a big girl!  when i had her pick a blank tee for me to applique’ the 4 to, she only wanted black.  hopefully this doesn’t mean we have a goth girl in our future!  black is her favorite color.  i also want to note, she cut her self some bangs last week.  she said the hair was in her way.

and her birthday wake up & cake!

not shockingly, she requested another horse cake!  she asked for chocolate cake with chocolate icing.  i used this recipe for the cake, which is chocolate chip zucchini.    http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/08/23/chocolate-chocolate-chip-zucchini-cake/