The Babbitts

Noodles from Scratch

2010-01-10T21:11:00.002-05:00

Nora and Greg cooking up a storm. Homemade egg noodles. And the best part had to be when Nora, getting ready for bed, unprompted, looked up at him and said, 'Daddy, my favorite part of the day was making noodles from scratch with you.'

The Christmas Dress

2009-12-30T12:24:00.003-05:00

Hand made by Granny D for little Callie back in 198X... still beautiful after all this time. Nora wore for Christmas Eve services while visiting the Babbitt's in Ohio, but this picture is from our new church in Rochester (Downtown United Presbyterian), beautiful old building with amazing stained glass and organ. We're planning to join in January.

Another one of those 'if it get's really quiet' moments

2009-12-21T10:59:00.002-05:00

Elmo, again

2009-12-09T13:14:00.002-05:00

Maybe it was providential that Nora's old Elmo costume (see Halloween post 2007) didn't sell at our yardsale before we left Arizona. And maybe it was meant to be that I didn't find a 'pumpkin costume' on craigslist right away. Because after a month of talking about being a pumpkin for Halloween, Nora switched gears and locked in on being Elmo again. Greg was a variation on his typical "bug with big hair that escaped from the natural history museum" costume, but apparently scared a few neighbors as the only adult who dressed up to take their kid trick or treating.

My favorite corner

2009-11-01T22:19:00.004-05:00

I mentioned our new (rental) house in my last blog, and wanted to add pictures, since my mom hasn't seen our house yet (she saw the first rental house aka the "lead paint" house and had to leave before we moved again). Here is a picture of my favorite part of our tiny (1000 sq ft/no basement) house (aka apartment with a yard). A sunny corner and the well-loved rocking chair. But as much as I joke about the house being small, I actually really love it. It is very cozy and has a good vibe. Plus I'm hoping small = not as expensive to heat in the winter.

Nora likes the rocking chair too. Note that this picture was taken soon after moving here in August - even though Nora would still wear a tank top now if she could, we've finally packed away all the summer clothes...

Fall

2009-10-24T18:58:00.003-04:00

Fall is here; we're settled (most of the boxes are unpacked) in a cute house in Brighton - a suburb of Rochester; I'm well underway to having my first quarter as a professor under my belt; and things are finally organized enough to Blog...

So this one is about the leaves- our first fall watching leaves change colors and fall.

Our trip to the Grand Canyon

2009-07-14T13:52:00.003-04:00

Here comes a long, but very overdue blog...

After 3 years living in Arizona, it took an imminent move back to the East coast to get us motivated to go up to the Grand Canyon. We had a great trip, more below...

All ready to go, loaded in the car with all the friends...

First stop, Flagstaff and the Lowell Observatory. This is the tomb of Percival Lowell, the astroner who observed canals on Mars and did some of the work leading up to discovery of Pluto. Very cool place, Greg liked it so much, that he went back a few weeks later to see a night viewing of Saturn...

Come on mom and dad, yall are too slow... We decided to go in the East entrance of the South Rim and were able to avoid most of the masses of humanity that come in the more usual entrance at the Grand Canyon Village...

On top of the world

Mom and Nora

Don't get close to what edge? I'm not afraid one bit... I want to get closer to see the Chocolate Milk (Colorado) river

Kindly stranger took family photo, but someone's getting grumpy...
This was at Lipan Point, my favorite view of the canyon and the river

Look, purple rock (Granny D, maybe Nora will be the geologist)...

Tired out, a very good trip...

Watermelon girl

2009-05-23T10:49:00.003-04:00

Just a picture of Nora looking cute in the new watermelon dress.

And a rare picture of Nora and Mama

Overheard

2009-05-15T02:47:00.002-04:00

There is no possible picture to go along with this one...

Walking by the bathroom last night, where Greg was dutifully brushing Nora's teeth I heard this snippet of conversation:

Greg: "....and that is what can happen when wild animals turn on you. It is just in their instinct and they can never be completely tamed. So even though he seems like a tame dinosaur, Barney could still turn on you, you have to watch him..."

Nora: "uh-huh"

Bugs

2009-05-06T12:17:00.003-04:00

Bugs are also very popular right now. Nora and Greg collect aphids and bugs in the back yard and look at them using Greg's ever expanding collection of microscopes. Also pond water, no matter how many times you look at it, it is still amazing to see those little paramecium and ciliates scooting around, under the microscope, where you couldn't see them with the naked eye.

Our future scientist...

Rocks

2009-04-20T02:27:00.002-04:00

We're going through a rock collecting phase.

There are boxes of rocks accumulating in our house and yard

(does this sound familiar, Nana and Bevo?)

Nora has one basic classification system for the rocks:

"smooth" (see rock on left) vs. "grumbly" (see rock on right)

Also sometimes said as "crumbly" (?)

Nora is only interested in smooth rocks...

We've been in Arizona too long

2009-04-06T00:10:00.003-04:00

Nora siezes the rare opportunity to play with an umbrella.

"Crazy hat day" at preschool

2009-03-30T14:48:00.002-04:00

She wrote "NORA"

2009-03-23T01:21:00.002-04:00

Just look closely...

Grandparents...

2009-03-04T16:28:00.004-05:00

I've been posting a lot about my grandparents lately, and the thought occurred to me to talk some about Nora's wonderful grandparents. Well, more specifically, the things that grandparents will do to delight their grandchildren! See below for specific examples...

Bevo jumproping!

Nana jumproping!

Papa on the TRAMPOLINE!!!

Papa helping brush horsey's tail!

Granny D talking in Nora speak! "DINKADINK!!"

PS - Mom, we found out that Dinkadink means "Skinnamarinky dinky dink" and the symbol means "I love you" from Sharon, Lois, and Bram!!! She learned it at school!

Grandpa Buzz

2009-02-27T18:44:00.003-05:00

I am sorry to have so many sad blog posts, but it has been a real time of transition and loss in the Babbitt/Whitfield family lately. My Grandfather, Frank "Buzz" Vallella, my mother's father, passed away recently and I have been so sad to lose both my grandparents within one month.

The last time we got to see Grandpa Buzz was at Thanksgiving, when he was in the hospital with pneumonia. He let Nora climb all over his hospital bed and shared all his apples from his dinner with her. You can see her in the picture below sidling up to the table to get another. "Can I please have one more?" It was very sweet.

He will be very missed. Every time I make a deli meat sandwich, I think about how he liked the very thinly shaved deli meat, and loved to have a plate with a sandwich, a pickle, pretzels, and a glass of coke and ice.

A very special lady

2009-01-28T16:07:00.002-05:00

Mary Lou Whitfield

March 10, 1912 - January 20, 2009

A wonderful tribute:

http://tallahassee.com/article/20090128/OPINION05/901280322/-1/columnists

Thank you to friends and family for your love and support. It would be so much harder to make it through this difficult time without your friendship and compassion.

Jolly Old St. Nora

2009-01-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Birthday, Part 3

2009-01-02T14:04:00.003-05:00

Lots of fun birthday stuff for the last part of Nora's three-day celebration. Here are a few pics of her opening presents (note the beautiful log cabin quilt, originally pieced together by Grandma Whitfield, then put together and finished as a birthday gift from Granny D, it is very special to us). Then, we enjoyed the last of the cake, and started a new tradition of decorating our tiny tree for Nora's birthday. Of course, as soon as we got finished, she asked if we could take it all down and do it again... Like I said before, can't believe I have a three year old!!!

Birthday, Part 2

2008-12-08T21:16:00.003-05:00

The second part of Nora's (3-part) birthday was a trip to the train park with best friend Zoe. So naturally we needed a train cake:

Nora, Zoe, and Zoe's mom Lisa enjoying a ride on the carousel:

Digging in to the train cake. Nora especially loved the icing....

Part three of the birthday saga coming next...

Birthday part 1

2008-12-05T16:33:00.004-05:00

Here is what I did last nite:

I am relieved to know that motherhood and work hasn't completely zapped my Martha aspirations. This is the first cake I have decorated. This is for party 1 (with the preschool class).
There will be lots more partying over the weekend and the big day on Sunday. I cannot believe I have a three-year-old!

When it gets really quiet....

2008-11-24T12:14:00.004-05:00

When it gets really quiet in our house, we know something is up. For example...

Halloween Fun

2008-11-07T18:13:00.006-05:00

At least six weeks before Halloween, Nora announced that she wanted to be a "bumblebee with the things that stick up in the air" (antennae). So we happily obliged...

Buzzing in the flowers

Trick-or-treating with her preschool class.... mmmmm candy!

They are all exhausted after a hard morning of trick-or-treating...

Trick-or-treating on Halloween night with fellow bumblebee and best friend Zoe.

On the catwalk, yeah

2008-09-25T17:06:00.004-04:00

Nora is modeling her new clothes from Granny D, all at once!

Plus about 4 earrings on each ear...

This look is maybe not quite as fashion forward.... Her preschool teacher asked if her father dressed her... um, no, she picked it out all by self!

A placeholder

2008-09-15T22:51:00.005-04:00

Here is a blog to prove that I still exist and am occasionally taking pictures...

Trying to teach Nora how to pose, you can't see it, but she has her hand on her hip... Please excuse the huge goose egg on her forehead....

I don't know who taught her to say "peace out" but it is hilarious... Wearing her second favorite 'hippy shirt.'

Nora riding!

Queen for a day

2008-07-20T21:02:00.002-04:00

Here is what we do when it is 115 degrees outside and we've been cooped up in the house too long....

Mr. Kitty is not exempt from the fun...

They're beautiful and they're mine

2008-06-30T17:21:00.004-04:00

This blog is a request from Greg, after one of Nora's funnies yesterday....

After a successful poop-on-the-potty event by Nora, I gave her some chocolate chips as a special treat for being such a great pottier the last 2 weeks. I promise I'm not bribing her or always rewarding her with food ;)

She carried the five chocolate chips in her palm over to the couch, where she sat down next to Greg. After he teased her that he was going to eat them, she said "No, no - They're mine, Daddy! Don't eat them, they are beautiful!"

I don't know if that was a you had to be there funny or not, but it definitely makes me a little scared of things to come ;)

Trip to Bonn

2008-06-19T23:42:00.003-04:00

I loved almost everything about my trip to Bonn recently... the great weather, running and biking along the Rhine, the public transportation, the beer... the only thing that would have made it better was not being away from Nora for so long! I didn't do too well at the picture taking, but here are a few views...

The first day I was in Ramersdorf (the town outside Bonn where I stayed), there was some sort of May Fest going on, complete with a small town beauty pageant... Just like Perry!

Kolsch!

The Rhine

The UN Campus where I was working

The nice bike and running paths along the Rhine

The house where Beetoven was born

Nora at Turkey Roost

2008-06-13T18:21:00.004-04:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I've blogged... but it has been a busy last few weeks. I got to spend a week in Bonn, Germany for work, back in AZ for a week before heading down to Florida for our friend Roy's wedding, a week visiting my family, and then a week in Barcelona - while Nora stayed at the Turkey Roost with Granny D, Papa, and Cool Aunt Sarah. I promise more travel pics soon.... but in the meantime, here are some of Nora with her new favorite thing - HORSEY!!!

And one of her just looking super cute...

More pics soon....

Darling!

2008-04-21T13:03:00.003-04:00

Nora has renamed herself "Darling." This comes from a game we play, in which she hides and I wonder aloud where she might be, and, when she pops out of hiding, I say "Darling!" (think: Daaaahling!!) very dramatically and run over and hug her in relief at finding her ;)

So, a few days back, I asked "Nora, do you want some water?' to which she responded, "No Nora, DARLING!" and we have been instructed to call her that on several occasions since.

Now, I can remember renaming myself quite frequently (e.g., Cally, Cali, Kaloni, etc...), but it was maybe 5th grade, I had no idea that 2 years olds do this too!!

She does look very darling, though...

Future scientist

2008-04-17T18:30:00.003-04:00

Greg has started working on a new aphid project recently, and turns out that Nora is entranced by all things bug. She likes trying to catch them, look at them under the microscope, and put them in vials of alcohol. Our future scientist at work....

Shhhh... don't tell Greg I put a picture up here of him w/ no shirt on ;)

Cool Aunt Sarah

2008-04-10T18:28:00.004-04:00

Nora's cool Aunt Sarah (aka Aunt Seeya) came to visit in March, and not only was it a great visit and a wonderful chance to catch up with Sarah (for me) but it was also so wonderful to watch Nora interact and idolize her cool Aunt... Everything Sarah did, Nora had to do too!

Case in point... Sarah taught Nora all about how to work the swimsuit and get a tan (Dad, please don't have a heart attack, Nora was covered in SPF 50 and only 'layed out' long enough for her mommy to stage a picture...)

Aunt Sarah also brought Nora some great gifts, including a UF tshirt (no picture yet), which when Nora wears, she always says "Go Gators, chomp chomp!" and also Nora's first play horses. The blankets that came with the horses promptly became wipes for when Nora has to change her babies' diapers (see 2/11 post), and Nora has had an endless amount of fun letting each of her stuffed animals take turns riding on the horses...

Easter Egg Huntin

2008-04-08T13:11:00.003-04:00

Hunting for Easter eggs at church...

Nora actually 'got' the idea this year and
really went crazy trying to find the eggs.

Going for the tough ones...
Greg got in on the fun...

It has been a really busy few months lately, with a lot of travel and fun, and we are gearing up for the summer ahead and for some time at home before the big trip to Barcelona this summer.
In happy news, we have decided to join the church that we've been attending for a while, Palo Cristi Presbyterian, and we are very excited about that.
In sad news, I just turned down a job opportunity for this Fall, and we are planning to stay in Arizona ONE MORE YEAR and try again to find jobs for both of us in the same place next year! I am sad but at peace about it, so I just wanted to let everyone know, who has been following along with our job sagas...

So cute

2008-04-01T18:35:00.003-04:00

I love this picture of Nora :)

She is sporting the new strawberry sunglasses, which she selected herself!

Wow, mom's in a picture too... This is a rarity!

My friend Erica took these when our Alpha Chi Omega alumni group visited the Desert Botanical Gardens last weekend.

"Papa"

2008-03-28T13:55:00.003-04:00

Nora calls my dad "Papa," and now, apparently every other bearded, jeans/overalls/suspender wearing older male is Papa too. Case in point, "Grandpa Crank" on Higgly Town Heros. Now, I realize that writing this post outs me as (1)letting Nora watch tv (and Disney at that) and (2) having an ancient and dust-covered tv, but I will try to get past those embarassments...

The Higgly Town heros are animated, bouncing, Americanized versions of the Russian nesting dolls (which according to my indepth Wiki research, are called 'Matryoshka' - Ash, is that right?). Grandpa Crank lives on a farm, which probably adds similarity to the real Papa. Interestingly, Nora also calls her little overall-wearing, plastic 'Old Macdonald' toy Papa as well... There is a theme here...

Here are some pictures of Grandpa Crank, aka Papa:

Dad, I think it is an honor for Nora to name Disney characters after you ;)

Look-alike Meter

2008-02-15T15:00:00.003-05:00

These look-alike things are cute, and apparently Nora is right in the middle of Greg and me, based on our 2007 Christmas Card picture. Of course, you have to wonder how Greg's beard comes into play. Maybe that is the 50% of Nora's look that comes from me (i.e., absence of beard...).

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Geneology - Family tree software

Johnny Cash's House

2008-02-14T14:29:00.003-05:00

According to Nora, the late, great Johnny Cash is alive and living in our neighborhood...

Driving home from work a few days ago, a Johnny Cash song came on the radio. Nora started to "sing" along, and I asked her if she liked Johnny Cash. Nora said: "Yes. Like Coddy Dash* sing"
(*phonetically spelled, see previous post)

A few minutes later, as we drove into our neighborhood, Nora excitedly exclaimed: "Coddy Dash House!!" while pointing at a house as we drove by.

Since then, she is convinced that this is Johnny Cash's house, and points it out every morning as we leave for work and for Ms. Trina's and every afternoon as we come home.

Who knew....

Here is the aforementioned house (a little smaller and more humble than one might expect)... my apologies to my unsuspecting neighbors as I snapped their house while driving by...

I should probably add that I think Johnny Cash's actual former house was destroyed by a fire.

Nora-isms

2008-02-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

The more Nora is talking, the funnier it is... she has several "Nora-isms" - what we call the funny little comments or words she says or the way she pronounces certain words...

"Hippy shirt" = any tie-dyed shirt (see above, which are her favorite items of clothing) or other brightly colored clothes
"I toot!" = her loud, jubilant pronouncement of when she, well, toots. Usually followed by "I toot more!"
"Dolly poop, gross!" "Dolly diaper" = one of her many dolls or stuffed animals has "pooped" and has to have their diaper changed. The diaper change involved precise, anatomically correct wiping and re-diapering, which requires brand new diapers and wipes - her dollies DO NOT like cloth diapers. Her dollies poop about once every 5 minutes or less...
"Big bed - not lily bed!" = our bed, her preferred place for naps is the 'big bed,' while her crib mattress is the 'lily' (little) bed
"Tah-toe" = the imaginary thing (we haven't figured out what it is yet) that chases her around the house and causes her to leap screaming into our laps (possibly related to tah-too = helicopter...?)
"I pick nose!" = self explanatory, but it is very important to her to announce this loudly
"Mama Callie" and "Daddy Greg" = I'm not sure how she learned our names (especially when she thinks her name is Rana or Nona) but she loves to comine our titles and names and it is so cute. Almost as cute as when she called me "Doctor Mama"
"I DO SELF!!" = the most commonly heard phrase at our house (followed closely by MINE, ELMO, and DIAPER - see above)

ps to Bevo: the fan is a very popular toy (see first picture) and her favorite thing to do is to try sticking various body parts (mostly her's, sometimes the cat's) into it to see what it feels like...

4:55:00

2008-01-21T23:47:00.000-05:00

The official time for my "First Marathon," the P.F. Changs Phoenix marathon, which I ran last Sunday 1/13/08. It was an amazing experience, and, although you probably came here looking for pictures of Nora, you're gonna get pictures of me running instead!

Mile 18:

Mile 20, stopping to say hi to Greg and Nora:

Somewhere near the end, I think around mile 25 or 26:

And finishing:

I think I look like I'm trying to fly across the finish line (maybe I was, I don't know?). And in my posed shot, I swear the photographer told me to stand that way!!

It was an amazing experience, I cannot wait to do another one!

... and a Happy New Year!

2008-01-17T22:57:00.000-05:00

A belated Merry Christmas!

2008-01-15T09:51:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with the Babbitt family in Ohio! I was somewhat neglectful in not taking a ton of pictures, but here are a few:

Nora and her "Nana" trying on Nora's new Christmas sweater...

Nora playing with one of her favorite presents - her "Baby" - she loves to dress, diaper, and sleep with Baby every day...

Nora and her Aunt Ash - since we've been back home, Nora has been asking about going back to Nana and Bobo's house and to Ash's house!

Nora at the Bob the Builder exhibit at COSI. Our trip to Cosi was amazing, especially visiting with our friends Wendy, Eliot, and Karen at the Kidspace exhibit (which I of course forgot to take pictures of...)

Here is what Nora has to say about this subject:
iduuuqqqqqqqqqq...88w88uhhyhnvhbddgfgf
fgfgfgfggfg/oooooooooooaaaaaa0000

Graduation, part 2

2008-01-08T01:29:00.000-05:00

Not to go on and on about graduation (it was almost a month ago now), but it was such a special weekend, that it deserves a little more blog space. One of the reasons it was so special was because not only did my grandmother, Mary Lou Whitfield, attend my graduation (picture 1), but I was able to attend her "graduation" (picture 2).

Grandma received the first honorary Associates of Arts degree ever awarded by North Florida Community College (described here). One of her recent accomplishments, at age 95, was authoring a book of collected works that were originally published in her Tallahassee and Perry newspaper community columns.

In addition, the celebration was even more momentous because my brother Rick also earned his degree the weekend before (picture 3; Rick- please don't be mad at me for using your picture without permission). Unfortunately, I was not able to attend that ceremony, but was proud of him nonetheless, all the way from Arizona.

It was a good year for the Whitfields!!!

Next time, I promise more Nora...

Phinally Done!

2007-12-24T11:53:00.000-05:00

After more than a decade in college, I am finally finished! Thanks to everyone for their well wishes and support along the way!

Two years old!

2007-12-08T14:57:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe that Nora is two... We had a nice quiet birthday, including opening presents and having a dinner of macaroni-and-cheese, cake, and ice cream!

Daddy got me an Elmo!

The Elmo phone (thank you Geoff and Ash) and the Elmo slippers (from me) were big hits!

What is in this cool box?

Trying to blow out the candle...

YUM, cake!

Phoenix YMCA half marathon

2007-11-27T20:52:00.000-05:00

I ran another half marathon a few weeks back, and am just now remembering to post a pic. Check out my cool Dingo shirt! I finished in 2:21, exactly 1 minute faster than the half I ran in January, but it felt like a major improvement because it was a tougher course (last 2 miles slightly uphill) and because I felt like I was running a lot more easily throughout the race and felt fine the next day.

Halloween, revisted

2007-11-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

I forgot to post Halloween pics!

Not that there were many, but we did snap a few of little Elmo.

Looking cute, finally realized that she did not have to scream while wearing the costume

Why does mom always wear that same witch hat on halloween?

Tired out from all the running around the neighborhood, and needed a cool place to sit (in the refrigerator!) and drink milk.

One final thought, does anyone know how Elmo is so designed and engineered to be loved, adored, and coveted by all small children? Nora doesn't have an Elmo, doesn't watch Sesame Street, and was only recently exposed to Elmo at the babysitters house, where they have an Elmo doll, which Nora carries around, diapers, and dresses all day long. But now, Nora can see a flash of Elmo red from a mile away and next thing I hear is "EEHHHH-MMOOO!!!! Mommy, look, EHMO!" At least he's cute, there could be a lot worse things for her to be attached to!!

Look at what permanent marker can do!

2007-11-18T01:23:00.000-05:00

How Cool!

Anorable

2007-10-09T12:09:00.003-04:00

This blog is dedicated to Uncle Geoff and Aunt Ash... I didn't forget! I'm just slow...

Looking anorable on the tricycle Daddy bought me (even though my feet don't tough the pedals yet)...

Looking anorable with my favorite "Dolly Bear" (that is her name...); we even have matching outfits

Very anorable, going to help Granny D feed the "essies" (horses) at Turkey Roost

Nora's first (play)date

2007-09-19T16:55:00.000-04:00

Here are Nora and her 'boyfriend' Brady, awwwwwwww!

Look at that - he went in for the kiss, and on the first date, no less!

Callie and Nora's five seconds of fame

2007-09-10T14:35:00.001-04:00

Here we are being interviewed by Fox News of Phoenix:

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4303938&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1

We're at the very end of the clip, and although they did not show any of the articulate things I said, I did provide some articulate commentary before the lovely soundbite they show here...

And here is a pic, check out the sign! It was so creative, one of the moms made it and the news crew loved it:

A lactivism blog

2007-09-05T14:14:00.000-04:00

So, this is my very first non-Nora, socially concious, lactivist blog, inspired by the upcoming nurse-out at Applebees Restaurant, which is to protest their anti-family, anti-breastfeeding corporate and francise policies. More info is below, in the announcement about our local event

But first, just to say, I can understand why some people are uncomfortable with nursing in public. It is definitely a cultural bias, as we have been indoctrinated with the idea that breasts only relate to sex and are only to be used to hold up triangle top bikinis, sell cars, be groped in a rap video, or sell lingerie.

But it is beyond me why people who have no problems with the near-naked women in Victoria Secret ads then do have a problem with a tiny flash of skin on a nursing mother.

What really bugs me, are suggestions that mothers should cover up with a blanket, go eat in a bathroom, or wait til they get home. Do you eat under a blanket? In a bathroom? Do you wait til you get home for a snack, a meal, or a drink of water?

Some people say they are uncomfortable with their young children seeing babies nursing in public. But that is a perfect opportunity to educate your child - you can simply say "that baby is being fed" - instead of imparting your own cultural biases of objectification of women on your innocent child.

Maybe you could think about it this way: that mother is investing in society - breastfeeding lowers the rate of common illnesses and later risk of obesity in the infant and lowers the rate of cancer in the mother. Less days that the mother has to miss work to take care of a sick child, and less burden on our insurance premiums and healthcare system by the child.

But even more importantly, in many states (including here in Arizona and in Kentucky, where the incident that started this protest ocurred), there are laws that protect the right of a mother to breastfeed, without having to cover up, in any public or private place that she is otherwise allowed to be in. So whether or not it makes you uncomfortable is beyond the point - it is the law - end of story.

So, here's where I'll be on Saturday... and after that, back to the regularly scheduled Nora-thon:

PUBLIC PROTESTS APPLEBEE'S RESTAURANTS NATIONWIDE

WHAT : Breastfeeding advocates will gather across the country to protest Applebee's Restaurants standing corporate policy of discrimination against mothers with nursing babies.
WHEN : Saturday, September 8, 2007 at 7:00 pm
WHERE : Applebee's Restaurant, 2547 N 44th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008
WHO : Sponsored by Birth Without Boundaries, International; and local grassroots organizers
WHY : On June 14, 2007, while Ms. Ryan was breastfeeding her baby discreetly in a corner booth during an anniversary dinner with her family, an Applebee's Manager asked her to cover her baby with a blanket. Ms. Ryan responded by producing a copy of the Kentucky law that states that "no person shall interfere with a woman breastfeeding her child." The manager, after reviewing the statute, continued to insist that she had to "cover the baby with a blanket" if she wanted to breastfeed in the restaurant, and that nursing her child was "indecent." The family left the restaurant in tears before being served their meal.

"When I go to a restaurant, I am not forced to eat under a blanket. I don't understand why my baby isn't given the same respect," said Diane Targovnik, a Phoenix attorney who helped organize the local Applebee's nurse-in. "We are here to normalize breastfeeding. When breastfeeding becomes normalized, then issues like blankets becomes irrelevant and we can then focus on why human breastmilk is the best food for human babies," said Targovnik, who will attend the protest with her seven-month-old exclusively breastfed nursling, LeahHadas Targovnik Jacobs.

In the spirit of the existing diversity and inclusion policy published by Applebee's Restaurants, Birth Without Boundaries, Intl. is asking the corporation to adopt and implement an official breastfeeding friendly policy. "Because most public breastfeeding laws do not provide a clear remedy for women who are harassed or discriminated against," said Salem Hamilton, Executive Director of Birth Without Boundaries, International, "we are asking for breastfeeding supporters across the country to encourage their legislators to add enforcement provisions to their state's laws that would provide the protection women and babies need."

Summer vacation

2007-08-20T12:54:00.000-04:00

Although we've been back from vacation for a few weeks, I've finally found time to blog about it... We had an amazing time visiting the grandparents in Ohio, and Nora got to do all kinds of fun stuff.... here are some highlights:

The zoo carousel was very popular (as is any carousel) and it was tough to pry her away.

Nora's new friend Elliot. I had high hopes for these two, but I think Nora may have come on a little strong, oh well ;)

All dressed up to party with the relatives! A rare pic of Nora with her mommy.

Strolling on the (Ohio) Hoover Dam

Loving the manatees and the fish at the Columbus Zoo. We could barely extricate her from the aquarium! Another highlight of the trip (which unfortunately in my excitement I could not capture for posterity) was our behind the scenes tour at the zoo. Greg was a keeper there for about 10 years, and his old boss took us on a behind the scenes tour, which culminated in an upclose encounter with the tigers in their holding cages. Nora kept saying "Kitty!!" and wanting to pet them! I have never been that close (<4ft)>

It was a great trip, and best of all, a nice break from the AZ heat!

The Desert

2007-07-21T13:41:00.001-04:00

I will be the first to admit that I have a love-hate relationship with living in the desert. On the one hand, the natural beauty is so foreign, yet so awe-inspiring and magnificent to me. On the other hand, it is so damn hot I can almost not handle it. Today we were actually very excited that the high was ONLY going to be 100 and so thankful for the humidity and the 1/100th of an inch of rain we got last nite. I keep telling myself, 'one more year,' 'one more year...'

Here are some snaps from a few months back, but they fit with the theme. We traveled down to Tucson to visit Cynthia, good friend from back in Gainesville, but who lives near Seattle now and was in Tucson for a conference. We visited the Saguaro National Park and it was beautiful.

Posing with Cynthia:

Nora's favorite part is playing in the rocks:

Beauty even in the starkness of the desert:

I always think that so many of the cacti and succulents look so similar in form to things you would see growing on the ocean floor. The Ocotillo, for example, looks like some sort of coral to me. Greg's explanation is that there are a finite number of forms that living things can take when they grow.

Looking to the future...

2007-06-28T23:57:00.000-04:00

Nora is already considering her future in a wide variety of fields:

A zookeeper...
(yes, there is a goat on a car in the yard next to ours)

The future Chris Gardner....

A construction worker.....

Something old, something new

2007-04-09T14:36:00.000-04:00

Here, Nora is sporting a beautiful dress that her Aunt Sarah wore 20 years ago! And she is demonstrating her mastery of the cell phone. We are trying to teach her to text, but she seems to prefer to eat the phone.

This picture doesn't really have anything to do with the theme, except for how darn cute her little cowgirl outfit and pink moccasins are!

Now this apple shirt was Nora's mommy's shirt - WOW! See, good taste never goes out of style, lol... And look - her first pair of running shoes!!!

And here is Nora doing one of her favorite activities, reading! (Well, you know what I mean...)

Hard to believe...

2007-02-27T13:56:00.000-05:00

Greg and I ran a half marathon! I figured I needed something to get me in shape from the baby (okay, yes I know I had her a year ago...) So we ran the PF Changs Rock N Roll Arizona Half. It was awesome and fun, I had a blast running w/ Greg, and we finished in 2:22 (yes, I ran the whole way!) The weekend was even better because mom was in town to spoil Nora rotten, and we had a great time shopping, playing, and hiking! Here are some pics:

Updating.... Christmas 2006

2007-02-18T01:03:00.000-05:00

I'm embarrassed at how long I've neglected the blog! So, over the next few days, I'll try to get some updates up and, of course, new Nora pics, since that is the main reason yall are here, right?

We had a wonderful Christmas, and got to spend the holidays with the Babbitts, who came to visit us here. During the visit, we went to Christmas Eve service, exchanged gifts, drove out aways on the Apache Trail, saw Glendale Glitters, visited Sedona, went to the Phoenix Zoo, played at the railroad park, and hiked Pinnacle Peak. Fun!!! Nora received some smashing new outfits from both sets of grandparents and we got her a chair just for her from Ikea...

Here are some pics:

Nora turns one

2006-12-09T23:17:00.000-05:00

Nora turned one on December 7, and we enjoyed celebrating and eating cake! Here are some of the many highlights...

Reading the card that Grandma B sent.

A favorite new toy - a "cell phone" from Ms. Marlene.

Beautiful cake, thank you Safeway, before....

... and after, a satisfied customer!

Nora is now about 30 inches tall and 23 pounds.... She's started walking and climbing and is always looking for a new adventure. She can sign "milk," "all done," and "more;" she waves bye bye and hello; and she has said "doggy," "da da" and "ke ke" (kitty...). It is exciting to watch as she grows and learns!

someone loves the camera

2006-11-28T14:51:00.000-05:00

Oh, that cute little dirty face was too cute not to share. Nora has her "own chair" and likes to sit in it in the living room. Back in AZ now, after a wonderful but too short Thanksgiving with the family in Florida (pictures soon). The only consolation is that weather here is beautiful now. Nora will be 1 year old in two weeks!

Halloween 2006

2006-11-10T00:24:00.000-05:00

Halloween was awesome this year, our first year in a neighborhood with trick or treaters and our first year subjecting Nora to the joys of dressing in a costume that mama thinks is adorable. Okay, I know that I'm subjective, but I really do think she looked adorable...

Okay, first up, her Gator Girl outfit she wore during the day. No, I did not pose her like that. No, we are not entering her into a baby beauty pageant (yet, ha ha). Yes, I know who it reminds you of....

Okay, now the real costume. I bought this last year after Halloween when everything went on sale, and I almost had to wrestle another lady down at Target just to get it. This pic is from Boo at the Zoo at the Phoenix zoo, very fun...

And what Halloween would not be complete without Greg dressing up in a biologically relevant costume. For those of you who might be having a hard time, he is a "G-nome." I'm not sure if that needs more explanation or not. I guess I should at least add that he works in the Evolutionary Genomics group (collective groan). Unfortunately, this picture doesn't show his cane, his G-nome name badge, or his gold gnome shoes... I do want to congratulate Greg on winning the "Nerdiest Costume" award at the Biodesign Institute's Halloween party, and after visiting his office, I can tell you that is saying a lot!

I didn't really dress up this year, not counting my witch hat (hold the comments on that), I think that Halloween last year was enough to hold me for another year. You can see that in the November 2005 post, but I don't want to subject anyone to that again!

Nora's new favorite thing

2006-10-26T02:37:00.000-04:00

Dear Granny D,
I love my Kelty backpack.
Mom and dad take me everywhere in it.
I can't wait to see you and Grandpa, and cool aunt Sarah, and great grandma and everyone else at Thanksgiving.
Love,
Nora

(Dictated by Nora to me, at least I think that is what she meant by "Ba! ba ba ba ba! buh ba! ba bvvvvvvvv!)

First day of "school"

2006-10-03T01:01:00.000-04:00

When I was growing up, my mom always took a picture of me on the first day of school. Well, I don't know if Nora starting daycare part time is quite the same, but it felt like a very momentous occasion, so I figured we should document what she was wearing. Her shirt used to be a dress, but she got too tall! She was 27.5 inches and 20 lb 5oz at her 9 month doc appointment. Nora is going to a small daycare here in Scottsdale part time. She seems to like it - when I drop her off she doesn't even look back at me, but just starts playing with the other babies. They all crawl around together like a little herd. BTW, Nora is crawling full speed ahead, pulling herself up on everything, cruising a little, and trying to stand by herself. Back to daycare, there is a little boy, Tony, at the center that is a little older than Nora and I say that he's her daycare boyfriend. She seems to be having fun there, but that doesn't make it any easier for me. I cried last week after dropping her off... But I will say that now when I pick her up in the afternoon, I try to be 100% mommy with her because I want to make sure I am totally present in the time we do have together and not distracted.

We're getting more settled in here and the weather is getting beautiful. I'm working part time at ASU and "telecommuting" as well. Well, that is what I called it when I answered a bunch of phone calls from the park with Nora, lol!

Goodbye Florida Hello Arizona

2006-08-31T16:45:00.000-04:00

Greg, Nora, and I are settling into Scottsdale AZ. Greg is working at ASU, and I am hanging out with Nora until I start some part time work also at ASU. Here are some pics from before, during, and after our big trek out west.

Nora with the Whitfield Grandparents (Granny D and Grandpa) after a celebratory/goodbye dinner at Roys in Steinhatchee

Nora wants to help drive. Mom, Nora and I drove 2000 miles from Florida to Arizona. We spent one night in Beaumont, TX and one night in Fort Stockton, TX. We also stopped in San Antonio (to see the Alamo) and in El Paso. We spent most of the drive in Texas, but it was so beautiful and so desolate, I just wanted to stay there!!

One of our first things to do in AZ once we got here was go to the Phoenix Zoo. My favorite part was the baby orangatan that is almost the same age as Nora. Nora's favorite part was climbing on the rope like a monkey.

So far my three favorite things about living here are: (1) the Phoenix Zoo is right by where we live and we've been twice in one week; (2) Trader Joes (thanks Vanessa) and all the other great stores and restaurants by our house; (3) the beautiful scenery and sunsets.

My three least favorite things are: (1) the constant sensation that you're baking in an oven; (2) missing my family and friends, and (3) no big pine trees!

Nora is almost 9-months old and she is getting very big and very mobile. She can't officially crawl, but she is very good and getting up on her hands and knees and then going backwards, or else army-man scooting wherever she needs to go. She also sits cross-legged and bounces on her bottom to move, which is funny. She loves to stand and try to walk, but has no balance yet!

7 months old

2006-07-07T11:25:00.000-04:00

Happy 7 Month Birthday Nora! Okay, in honor of this momentous occasion, less me blabbing and more pics of Nora, who is doing great, sitting, rolling under furniture, trying to stand up, getting her first tooth popping out, and "feeding" herself finger foods. She is 19 pounds and 27 inches, which explains why Greg and I have permanent back aches :)

What in the world does this face mean? I think she is happy??

Ready to help Grandpa with a little mowing. Can we rename the nursery to Abe Whitfield, Daughters, and Granddaughters Turkey Roost Nursery?

What spaghetti noodle stuck to my face? I can do it myself!!!!

Why does mommy dress me in such silly clothes??

I can get myself under the table, but can't get back out!

Mamamamamamamamaaaa

2006-06-26T15:34:00.000-04:00

So I don't think she knows what it means, but Nora's first "babble" is mamamamamamaaa.... I like to pretend she is saying Mama to me, but she says it to Greg, my mom, the cat etc... With Greg staying at home with her while I'm trying to finish up my research, he says he is trying to teach her to say dada to me when I come home at night... very funny >:(

Nora woke us up the other morning squealing, so I ran into her room and found her and Mr Kitty lying in the crib staring at each other. She looked like she couldn't have been happier and the cat looked pretty comfortable as well, so who knows how long he has been doing that for. I wish I had a picture because it was very funny in hindsight - Nora on one side of the crib, the cat in the middle, and Nora's Sugar Baby doll on the other side of the cat, all of them lying there together. However, at the time, I freaked and threw the cat across the room.

This picture is not that recent, but I wanted to post one of me and her in honor of her first babble "mama." It is from Memorial Day at Keaton Beach with my parents and my grandma. Nora had her first splash in the gulf and her first taste of watermelon that day. Apparently she loves watermelon, which is not surprising because she does have Whitfield blood and it was my primary food source for half of my pregnancy!!

Nora loves banana

2006-06-09T12:31:00.000-04:00

Well, we haven't posted in a while, but things are going well. Nora is getting older, 6 months on June 7, and bigger, over 18 pounds now!! She is sitting up (with a little help and some by herself), rolling all over the place, and scooching around on her stomach. She is also trying out some new tastes in foods. We waited until she was almost 6 months to introduce solids, and the first try was banana, which she seems to enjoy...

Here comes some yummy mushed banana....

Hey, gimme that, I want to feed myself...

Nothing like banana smooshed all over my face...

It's all gone? Nooooooo! I want more...

Fresh baby! Banana all gone :)

Hope everyone is doing well, keep in touch, only 2 more months here before the big move to Arizona!!

That's Dr. Babbitt to you...

2006-05-08T14:25:00.000-04:00

A big congrats to Greg! He received his Ph.D. this weekend after a long journey and a lot of hard work. And no, his head isn't bigger, he still changes poopy diapers. Nora enjoyed the festivities and got pretty excited at the chance to dress up like a future Gator!

Top 10 reasons why I'm smiling

2006-04-12T15:31:00.000-04:00

Hard to say for sure, but here are the top 10 reasons for the big grin...
10. Mom just finished her written qualifying exams and is fun again
9. I just made a huge poop
8. I get to go to Uncle Geoff's wedding this weekend
7. I just learned how to roll over
6. My daddy is almost officially a "doctor" now, and he still lets me help him "work" on the computer
5. I weigh 16 1/4 pounds and am 25 inches long and the pediatrician said I am doing great at my last appointment
4. I get to go see Grandma and Grandpa Babbitt this weekend
3. What is smiling??? I am up to no good...
2. There is an 24-7 all you can drink milk bar at my house (see #5)
1. Because I can, dang it!

Nora's Baptism

2006-03-24T07:43:00.000-05:00

Nora was recently baptized at our church, and we were so excited to have our family and friends join us for this special occasion. Of course, it would have been nice to get some more pictures of her in her Christening gown, but she just couldn't stand being all dressed up any longer. Despite doing fabulously before and during the baptism, she pitched a fit about five minutes after. Of course, we were sitting at the front of the church and had to walk all the way to the back to get out. And as soon as the dress came off and she got to wear play clothes, everything was just fine again... I guess we will have to all re-dress up in the same outfits and stage a few shots for the scrapbook!

Why I get no work done...

2006-03-16T19:23:00.000-05:00

It is pretty hard to get much work done around the house these days. The digital camera is a double edge sword. I love the instant gratification and the big memory card (no wasting film...), but I seem to have to take a picture of every new experience in Nora's life.

Here she is, hanging out with her buddy "Sugar Baby," a stuffed toy my grandmother made for me as a baby.

And here she is traveling around the house via "boxcar," her favorite form of transportation, and hanging out with her "cool Aunt Sarah," who has promised to spoil Nora rotten and make sure that Mommy dresses her in accordance with current styles (okay, just no skinny baby jeans Sarah!)

Baby TV

2006-02-17T08:54:00.000-05:00

So this is what I imagine the baby version of sitting in the recliner and watching tv must be like...

In other news, Nora actually likes watching real TV, which probably makes us bad parents, but there is just something about bluegrass and cooking shows that she loves (a little like her Dad and a little like her Mom...)

We could seriously spend all day playing with her and trying to get her to smile!

My baby daddy

2006-01-30T08:01:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share some pics of Greg being the great Dad that he is. That and to show off Nora as usual...

Firsts for Nora

2006-01-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

Nora's first Christmas tree...
We had a wonderful first
Christmas with Nora!

Nora's first Christmas outfit...
She seems to be asking, "Why
do I have to wear this silly hat??"

Nora's first Camellia show...
(sorry Grandpa Whitfield,
she slept through most of it)

Nora's first trip to Las Margaritas...
She loved the Mariachi band, but wasn't
all that interested when I offered her a tortilla chip.

More Nora

2005-12-15T14:05:00.000-05:00

What a diva! Not like she takes after her mother at all!
These are photos from her one week 'birthday.'

Nora is doing well and we are adjusting to life with a newborn. She loves to eat and at her one week pediatrician visit had gained back to her birth weight, yeah! For anyone who might be interested in such things, I've written up a birth story and posted it on my UF website at:
http://plaza.ufl.edu/callie/nora.html

another picture

2005-12-08T12:55:00.000-05:00

another baby pic

Nora Caroline Babbitt

2005-12-08T11:43:00.000-05:00

Here she is ....Nora Caroline Babbitt.....so exciting!
Born December 7 2005 at 1:25 PM
8 pounds 5 ounces and 20.5 inches

Getting closer....

2005-12-02T16:14:00.000-05:00

So today is the "official" due date, which means that the baby will be here whenever it feels like it, between now and the 15th (when they'll have to induce). I'm just thankful to have made it through Thanksgiving with no early arrival, but we'll be very glad and ready when he/she does arrive!

But here are some sort-of-recent belly and other pics. There is a picture of me, my mom, sister, and grandmother at the wonderful shower hosted by Shelley and Carol Sue in Perry. There's also a 38-week belly shot for me and Greg (why is his getting bigger???). Enjoy...

Halloween 05

2005-11-02T15:06:00.000-05:00

So, I love Halloween and dressing up, and was not going to be deterred by having a huge belly that made most costume ideas irrelevant...

Here are the results.

Greg is the "intelligent designer" shown with his "intelligent design."

Biologist humor, go figure.

I am a huge jack-o-lantern...and I must say it was pretty fun to paint my belly. I mean, when else do you have the chance to go out with a big belly hanging out and actually have an excuse for it (I guess these are my official 35 week pictures...). I just hope the baby didn't mind!

The ever-expanding belly

2005-10-31T10:55:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share a couple shots of my ever growing midsection... pretty scary stuff. Greg is like, 'it's going to get bigger?' These are from 33 weeks...

Greg is practicing up to be a dad, by mastering the art of putting the cat to sleep in the baby sling.

Utah Adventure

2005-10-17T15:57:00.000-04:00

We are finally recovered from our trip 'out west' to St. George, Utah, for the St. George Marathon. Greg and his twin brother Geoff ran the marathon to celebrate their 40th birthday, and their mom ran as well. I can think of some things that sound a little more fun to do on such a momentous occasion, but to each his own... everyone survived and can walk again, so that is good. Here are Greg and Geoff at the starting line and then Greg looking strong at mile 16 (right before he got passed by a woman running in a dress and a 70 year old man running in sandals). Marathons certainly seem to be equal-opportunity...

The scenery and natural beauty of that part of Utah was awe-inspiring. We spent a couple days in Zion Canyon and Bryce Canyon before heading to Las Vegas for some high rolling - we gambled a whole dollar...

Baby News

2005-10-11T10:24:00.000-04:00

We're expecting our new addition on December 2, 2005... We think it is a girl, at least the ultrasound tech said he didn't "see any boy parts," pretty high-tech medical jargon for all those years in med school. But we're not rushing out to get anything pink yet, we'll see...

A couple pics up to now - our 20 week ultrasound. I can't tell what anything is except for the big round thing is the head. And a couple belly pics at 24 weeks - I look like I'm getting a nice beer belly and Greg and I are comparing whose is biggest.