Here’s a little update on our biggest girl – and let me tell you, SHE IS GETTING SO BIG! As I shared with you before, she took off walking about a month ago and we just can’t stop her. She loves this newfound talent as she is now able to carry things with her, like her stool or her baby dolls. I will try to get Eric to help me put a video up of her strutting her stuff, but for now, here she is walking through the store with Aunt Martha.
Look at that face! This is after being told she could not go out of the room and to please close the door to not let the heat out. She continues to learn a lot about obeying and has become especially good at shutting doors and drawers when we ask her to (even if she’s not so happy about it).
Noa is also talking a lot now too. She and I have gotten into having yogurt and berry smoothies in the morning for breakfast. She also likes to have some cinnamon toast for breakfast. This morning she decided that the toast would be really good dipped in her smoothie. She tentatively dunked her toast, looking at me to make sure I wasn’t going to stop her, popped the whole thing in her mouth and through her food smiled real big and said a long, drawn out “YUUUUUMMMMMYYYYYYYY.” I laughed really hard. She proceeded to take the rest of her bits of toast and stick them in the smoothie to marinate. Using her newly acquired skills with a spoon (which still have a long way to go, as you can see from the photo) she skooped up each delicious morsel and enjoyed them thoroughly. I think she may have thought I was envious of her crafty little recipe and once, out of pity, offered me a bite. I let her enjoy them all to herself.
Other words Noa says a lot these days and “W’are you?” (meaning “Where are you?”). This is usually said to her “assi” (paci) or to Daddy when she wakes up and he is not here or when he leaves the room. She has stopped saying “Mama” and started saying “Mommy” which I love. She is very good, though not perfect, at saying Banana, Mark, Joel, Hannah, Amen, Please, Juice, Thank You, Sorry, and a bunch of others that I can’t think of right now. She loves to sing songs, especially ones with motions, and makes silly noises with silly faces.
Noa has a facination with chairs that are just her size. She loves my little kitchen stepping stool and will play with/on it for long periods of time. We have decided that a nice gift from her baby sister when she comes would be a Noa-size chair to call her own. She really liked these ones that we found at IKEA and wasn’t very happy when I wouldn’t let her take it with her.
Can you believe this little girl is going to be a big sister so soon? I was so thankful for the time that we had with babies Annie and Trinity. Over the few weeks, Noa progressed from getting jealous and whiney when I (or “Baba”, my mom) was holding one of them, to coming up and kissing them, tickling them, or patting them instead. She really seems to love babies and I think/hope/pray will be very happy to have one of her own living, breathing babies in her house very soon. For now, she just LOVES this little baby that Grammy gave her for Christmas. The baby wrap that she is in (which Grammy knit!!!!!) is a constant concern to Noa, who takes it on and off over and over again. She will be a very concientious big sister. 
Thats all for now. Haven’t done one of those Noa-centric posts in a while 
so there you go all you Noa fans. I really want to put some videos up, but alas, I am too technologically impaired to actually do that. Hopefully Eric will have some time soon.
Continue reading about walkin’ and talkin’: a little bit about Noa
The Lord has blessed our girls, so far, with 3 amazing little people to have as cousins: Daniel Josiah, who is 10 months older than her, and Trinity and Annie, who are 5 months old, and 2 months old. 
I’ve mentioned before how excited I am for Martha and Noa to have 2 girl cousins smack in the middle of them. Here are the little Iverson Granddaughter Princesses (Martha still disguised in her mama’s belly, of course)
And just some random pictures of these precious little people, covenant children in God’s kingdom and such a joy in our lives.
…because she’s like the dolphin and goes up and down and all around in her watery home. This morning, after a bit of an anxious night, the nurse did an ultrasound before admitting me and, once again, our little girl was HEAD DOWN! I know for a fact that she wasn’t head down when I woke up because I could see and feel her head up by my ribcage. But I guess she wanted to show off for the clinic staff. Needless to say, we are dlighted and thankful that, for now, we’ve avoided a painful and slightly dangerous version, but are a little nervous that this wiggle worm will never go down long enough to kick-start labor, and if she doesn’t, what that will mean for being induced or sliced open. Please keep praying as we have 4 weeks til they won’t let me go any further (I’ll be 38 weeks monday) and are in an uncomfortable but healthy position of just having to trust the Lord with this. I am just thankful to have a little bit more time before she’s out of my belly. I didn’t even take anything to the clinic today, I was so not ready and so in denial that she could be born quite soon. Hopefully this little episode will be the incentive I need to pack for the hospital and start getting out baby clothes.
Once again, thank you so much for your prayers. We are so thankful for the body of Christ and the way you minister to us through your prayers and messages. We are amazed at God’s love for us shown in such tangible ways.
Continue reading about We call her "Flipper Flipper Flipper…"
I just got off the phone with Sara-Beth who is at the clinic. Baby Martha has turned wrongside up again and is breeched. We will be going in tomorrow for a version, please pray that she will turn.
Thanks,
Eric
Well, I don’t think she can walk 1000 miles yet, but Noa has definitely entered the ranks of the vertically mobile. 2 days before our family arrived she all of a sudden decided it was worth it to try getting places on her feet at least once, and by the end of that Wednesday, she was taking 10-15 steps at a time! The last few weeks with her cousin here and trying to keep up with him just served as reinforcement to her newfound skill and she has really gotten quite good at it. I love watching her waddle around, still with hands out for balance and a crash on the padded bum every once in a while. A few of you mentioned that you were praying for her to walk and so I wanted to thank you for your prayers and let you know how excited we are about this, and that she’s done it before Martha is born. We’ll try to put up a video or photos of this miracle soon.
I was a little nervous about Noa being such a late crawler and now walker, but I’ve been encouraged the last few months as Japanese people tell me several times a week (along with the comments about how big my belly is and it looks like I’m having twins or am way past my due date) that crawling for a long time is quite important for brain development and the longer babies are in this stage, the better. So anyway, we’re pretty much expecting Noa to be a genius.
Continue reading about "I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more…"
We had such a fabulous time with my family visiting from the states, it would seem hard to decide where to start in telling you about it. But, since this blog is usually about Noa I will start with what was probably a highlight for her: a round-the-clock playmate and best friend, Daniel Josiah. Daniel Josiah is 10 months older than Noa and just the most precious little boy I know. He and his family – Danny (my big brother and his dad), Kimberly (my roommate from college and his mom), and Trinity (his 5 month old sister) – stayed with us for almost 3 weeks and it couldn’t have been more fun. Noa and DJ woke up earlier than usual each morning, just dying to get to downstairs to play together. I can’t even begin to tell you all the funny and adorable antics these two put on to entertain the rest of us, but let me just say, they kept us smiling and laughing a lot. They also learned a lot from each other. Daniel Josiah taught Noa how to say “No” and showed her some cool wrestling moves. He also showed her how to be gentle with little Trinity and, I think, helped her get ready to be an older sibling herself. Noa taught DJ how to say “Baba” for Grandma and how to say “Yes” (he would just grunt when he first got here). They both taught each other A LOT about sharing, being kind, and being patient. What a tremendous blessing they were in each others’ lives and we can’t wait til next time they get to play together again.
The first of many bath times together
Learning from the best about having a little sister
Sharing…juice and food and toys are always better when shared with a friend
“Watch me jump, Noa, and then you try!”
Noa’s trying to get the same view at DJ… I guess she’ll just have to wait to gain a few more inches.
One of the hardest, but best times to learn how to share. This was one of few peaceful moments of contentment as far as toys were concerned
Another bath time…
Morning smoothies… “you can taste mine if I can taste yours”
Continue reading about Family Vacation, part 1: The Dynamic Duo
