Mastocytoma

Norah went to the dermatologist, and we finally know what her bump is. A solitary mastocytoma. Basically, it means there's a buildup of histamine that's causing her little red bump. In her case, not harmful (except for the occasional blister), which I never really thought it was. The dermatologist gave me a copy of a page from a textbook, and pretty much everything it said about a solitary mastocytoma described Norah's bump. The highlights were that the bumps are usually red and blister easily, and rubbing the bumps can cause them to swell and blister. Yep, that's it. A solitary mastocytoma usually becomes asymptomatic by age 5, and by the time Norah is a teenager it will be all but gone.

I wanted the dermatologist to tell me that the best option was to get it removed, but he said it wasn't necessary and would only result in a scar. The bump doesn't bug Norah or me or anyone who's used to it, but I'm kind of sick of explaining it to people who don't know about it. Oh well, it's best to keep away from the scar. I'm glad to at least have an answer. And we really are grateful that it's nothing serious.

And, here are some pictures from the past week:

 Norah thinks it's so fun to put as many grapes as she can in her mouth. Of course, she can't chew them all and ends up spitting all of them out. She hasn't choked on them. Yet. I hope it stays that way.

Cheering on our Cougars (and enjoying taking a selfie)

I'm going to have a million pictures of Norah eating pasta because I love how messy she gets.

Norah loves the piano at Grandma and Poppa's house. As soon as she sees it, she starts patting the bench, demanding to sit on it. After playing with Grandma enough, I think she's realized that the book on the piano has something to do with the playing, so she's started flipping through the pages, like she's trying to decide what to play.

Any time Rich sits on the floor, Norah insists on sitting on him. Just like this. (She also hates it when you have a pillow on the floor. She will not let you lay on it but throws a fit until you get rid of it. Not sure where that came from.)

I just love this laugh. Daddy is so good at getting it out.

Norah loves reading with Poppa, espcially "Ten Little Dinosaurs." She sits so calmly with him and giggles as he reads. It is one of the cutest things ever.

I really love Pinterest. This week, it's because of homemade Swiffer Duster refills (flannel and fleece). I have been dying to test them out, but, since I actually dusted recently, I haven't really had the chance yet. Go ahead, call me a nerd (yeah, I'm talking to you, Carrie). But you know how much money this could save?! I had the scrap flannel, and I only paid $2.61 for half a yard of fleece (which was WAY more than I needed - I have already made two out of it and could make at least 4 more). And they were super easy, too.

I immediately put Norah to work cleaning up. Just kidding - the crazy child started this on her own. (She also enjoys wiping things with towels and washcloths.)

One of her favorite toys at Grandma and Poppa's is their digital picture frame. It usually sits on the counter in the kitchen, so she'll pat the kitchen stools until we pick her up and put her on one so she can watch the pictures.

She was being super cute for her daddy last night. They sat and cuddled for a while, watching "Starsky and Hutch." (Great kid movie, right?) Her cuddle is one of the best things in the world.