SHE's here!!!!!

Mary Tessa Joyce N*

8 lbs 10 oz 20 1/2 inches

Allianna feeling all her velvety hair

A rock n' roll hair shot.

everything went really well and quickly. it was worth the wait (i mean the last few weeks especially) for the great experience we had. we could definitely feel everyone's prayers for our well-being as we look back through how everything played out.

sorry it took me so long to get this posted! ;)

What goes up must come down

I know Easter's way over . . .

but I'm 41 weeks and counting and I'm tempted to bunny hop everywhere I go.

I've done it for a half hour so far and Allianna thinks it's pretty hilarious.

sum sum summertime!

there's something good about knowing your kids have had their first splashy, sun-screened, sweaty, run-around-in-swimsuits day of the year.

Here's to days in scoobs*!!!

*"a swimming trunk worn every day during the spring and summer--all day, should the need to get wet arise--that acquire, through use, several tears and tatters and that, in essense, by use unfeigned, become a veritable part of one's epidermis." ~an anonymous Nolte boy

You never know how a candidate will run the country until . . .

you know how they would make an omelette.

REBORN--bring on the spring baby!

I am finally better and feeling like I'm reborn (even though I've got about 2 wks of pregnancy left)!!!! So bring on the spring, bring on the flowers, bring on the "i feel alive again," and bring on the springbaby.

My tylenol and my kleenex, they comfort me . . .

Mildly. Oh, this is the worst cold ever! I don't know if I'd rather be delivered of it or the baby more . . . and yeah, the kids are whining and fighting.
To their credit they've occasionally played quite well, while their mother neglects them . . .
To Alli's defense: she isn't allowed anything more than tylenol for her cold either . . . so she's both my nemesis and pathetic companion in this.

"Hon, I'm going to take the kids out and give you a break"

What, me, el Prego, need a break from this???

While I was cruising around town on my own, every Jane, Wilma and Sally wanted to know if I thought I'd have the baby this week. Four-ish more

weeks . . .

Self-portrait, My Profile

(just put a smiley stick-figure to the side).

We love them even though their kids are more photogenic. . .

Happy times last weekend with dear friends Bethany and Ryan (both not pictured, telling jokes off-camera) and their kiddos Nathan and Cody. Alli either didn't get the joke or wasn't going to smile about "the friends" leaving; Simon was in a Star Wars fantasy.

Geology loveliness!

Can you think of a better way to display geology--I can't. Mark did this and I love it--he would want you to know that one rock is pre-Cambrian, one is a dinosaur bone, and one is of an incredible age (the precise quantity of of years my prego brain can't remember . . .). Come visit; you can learn more details.

The Valentine Phantom came!!!

For the kiddos--the Valentine Phantom found these super-fun animals and fingerpaint paper. A complete surprise to me too!


(I had almost lost my faith in humanity because I have been searching since Christmas for fingerpaint paper, to no avail, but the beloved V.P. found it!)



















my valentine installation
by mark

love it!!!!!

how does he think of this--so fabulous!!!!


AND, we get a date to the fine arts museum tonight. big smile.

Who snaked my yog???!!?

So there is something going on at Mark's work.

Its level of ridiculousness makes it almost like a Cam Jensen mystery (if you don't remember those, you should hunt them out--Simon and I love them). Mark often packs a yogurt for himself as part of his lunch. And since he tries to be frugal and put in a long, solid work day he saves the dear sweet Yoplait (with its small bit of protein) to tide him over in the late afternoon.

One afternoon about two weeks ago he told me that much to his dismay, his yogurt was gone from the communal fridge (I don't know how many people use it--maybe twenty). We dismissed that, just an accident. But then again the next day, yogurt lifted. So what is a person thinking, "Oh, someone brings this everyday, but they don't really want it" or "I can take whatever I want from my mom's fridge so . . ."? We were baffled, but managed to move on.

Now this is the thing--Mark's yogurt has now been snaked four times in the last week or so. Who does this, what are they thinking? I could kind of see the temptation if it was, say, a loaf of banana bread, and you help yourself to a slice one day when you're desperately hungry--not that I would, but . . . 4 times? When it first started happening we thought of leaving a little note that said: "Let me know your favorite flavor and I'll bring you one too, just leave one for me." Weird thing was, it was never like Mark had left it for days; it was always just "bring it in the morning and it's gone before sunset."

And who can't afford their own silly yogurt? Guess there's a yogurt addict loose in the Medical Center who just can't help themself. ;) Reminds me of the 3 towels and a 25cent washcloth talk.

We thought it's now time to put this before the blog community tribunal--where all things small and weird can be known. Any theories?

For now, we've just marked them with a sharpie, so our little amnesiac will realize that's not his name on the yogurt and he didn't actually bring himself a life supply and stock the fridge a while ago.

Sinfonietta

Way back in December I broke a string on my viola, the day before I was supposed to play in a welcome slew of Christmas music events at church. So I had to track down an instrument shop. There are generally two types of these: 1) megamusic shops that carry tons of beginner piano music and drums and band instruments and some token string stuff, or 2) charming string shops that make you feel like you've stepped into a little bit of Italy (see Nancy's recent Cremona post). I was delighted to find one of the latter and as an added bonus it's a working luthier shop.

While there, the girl working there asked what orchestra I played with, and I somewhat sheepishly answered that I play mostly just at church (imagine Alli and Simon milling around my prego belly to complete the image). She recruited me to be a part of the chamber orchestra she plays in--it's so great to be a viola player because you're always in demand for great opportunities like these.

So in January I began rehearsing with the H* Sinfonietta, which has these great features:

• the best name of any group I've ever played with--and I'd never even heard the term before. It's not a symphony (those are too large), it's not an orchestra (generally strings only), it's got a little Euro spelling and flair (and an older little Greek conductor--all adjectives meant to be complimentary).
• the string sections are small--3-6 players in each. If you're a string player in my area, you should join up!!!
• a full and talented woodwind and brass section
• a concert on March 9--just early enough that I can be sure that I won't burst before then.
  

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

let's hear it for the rat!

I'm off to make a dragon to dance with with my kids--I love this stuff!

(Yes, I was a humanities major!)

Happy last day of January!

January has been a wild ride for our family--but I still can't dislike the month. It's like a nice clean slate. I don't fill up my slate with resolutions, but I like the feeling of everything being cleared away (e.g. a simple house after all the beloved Christmas decor).

New things start peeking their heads out that will characterize the year, like the daffodils in the pic.

So that's my philosophical thought to keep my blog alive. More about what's going to be big for us this year when I figure out how to blog it.

See you in February!

Christmas day play

Papa's co-ed ;)

Who's having more fun???

Simon and great-grandpa discussing wing flaps. I like that kind of thing :)

The Ringing in of the presents

Here they are, in all their pajama-clad, goofy-eyed, sore-eared, fat-lipped and spiky-haired glory.

(Simon got an earache Christmas eve--poor bud--thanks to Mark and Nanna for going out at midnight and driving an hour to get him medicine. Mark and Papa gave him a priesthood blessing and after about ten minutes he was able to lay down and sleep, though he'd been crying for an hour before.)

gorilla--thanks catherine ;)

his own X-wing

Announcing the newest member of our family!!!

Bliss Darling Nolte

10 January 2008

36" long

~85 lbs

we've been waiting our whole marriage for her and can't wait to see what the adjustment to life with her will be like.

she's warm, she fluffs, she has no delicate cycle, and she stays quietly in the dark all night.

Christmas Eve . . . better late than never!

If this isn't enough ancient history for you, don't worry, I'm still planning on posting Christmas Day and other various holiday etcetera--start getting giddy with anticipation!

Simon on great grandpa's lap--they became fast friends over airplanes

Papa telling his traditional "Teach the Children" poem. It consists of Santa visiting the dad and explaining the true meaning of all the symbols of Christmas. My kids got to be front-row helpers, being the only ones from the 10-and-under set that night.

Alli getting really jazzed about something in the Gospel Principles manual that she's sure goes with what Papa's telling.

My dad's side's tradition is to open all the presents on Christmas eve. Our generation got to do one, and I let my kids do that too. Here's Simon with his cherished poison dart frog--from Aunt Catherine (my sis has good taste!).

I made both of the kids a sock monkey; and even with all of their assymetry (legs different lengths, skeewompus ear sizes) I say they look way better than the ones the stores are selling (thanks nanna for your last-minute rescuing, and grandma for your long-distance coaching throughout)!

Foreground: She likes it!!!

Background: Yes, the holiday treats did wonders for my pregnancy. I'm 7 months looking like "Now Showing: The 9 months along Spectacle!!!"

A puppet show? a parade? prouder of their new animals than their own faces? one of those.

In Grandpa's hanger

Looking at the mechanisms inside the Piper Tripacer (am I remembering the name right, Dad?) Soo cool. Wish my dad could've been there.

This is a close up for my dad. ;)

Happy in MO!

We spent a week for Christmas in Missouri at Mark's grandparents' farm.

Here's Simon with "his best friend Brittany".

Don't you wish you could walk on this path forever? I do.