Kate: Two months

Sweet Kate is two months old!  It's hard to imagine life without her.  Looking at her and holding her brings me great joy, not only because she's my beautiful daughter, but because she a great, miraculous blessing at the end of a difficult journey.  I'm so glad she is here!

Kate is still very much a newborn baby.  She's tiny, for one thing.  She still easily fits in newborn diapers and is in the small end of 0-3 months clothes.  I estimate she weighs between eight and nine pounds, but her two-month check-up isn't until next week, so I don't know for sure.  Kate is generally very happy and content, especially when snugly swaddled and cuddled against an adult's chest.  She loves her binky and burrito-style wraps, which are the two best soothing devices we've got.

This week Kate took a bottle of my milk for the first time.  I waited too long to introduce Lexi to a bottle, and then we had a serious battle of wills, so I felt motivated to make a better effort this time.  Kate took to the bottle like a champ.  She has had two or three since then with no problem at all.  I'm thrilled with her progress, since it will afford me a little more freedom.  Kate has been with two babysitters this week (just a couple hours at a time), which has given me more confidence that I could leave her long enough to go to the temple (a five-hour round-trip).  I'm excited!

Another great milestone we are enjoying is Kate's improved sleeping habits.  We can count on a six-to-seven-hour stretch every night.  It usually begins between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., so I have to retire early to reap the greatest benefit.  One night this week she slept eight solid hours, and one night she slept 10!  It's a wonderful blessing that our best infant sleeper came last.  Since I currently require lots and lots of sleep, I am very grateful for Kate's temperament.

Kate has had a few adventures this month.  Of course, her blessing day was a great event, as was meeting some of her faraway relatives.  She went to many, many soccer games, a few park trips, Garden of the Gods, and the pumpkin patch (twice!).  Kate has been to church and out to eat with the family.  She also attended my study group a couple of times.  Yep, this baby is a travelin' baby.  Ironically, she doesn't really like her car seat....

Kate's smiles have delighted us as they have come more frequently over the last couple of weeks.   And sometimes, Kate even adds her voice to her smiles.  Hearing her happy gurgles and coos is just about my favorite thing in the world.Garry and Zach are the best at soliciting her grins.  She almost always rewards them with dazzling smiles.  Sadly, they weren't home when Kate's two-month photo shoot took place, so this post shows her more somber side.  The photo below captures sort of a half-smile, but it's a great shot of her dimples! 

Gavin and Lexi might be Kate's biggest fans.  They love to try to entertain her, soothe her, hold her, and make her smile.  Gavin thinks he is big enough to carry Kate around.  Sometimes he will unbuckle her from her swing or bouncy seat and bring her to me.  That always stops my heart for a few seconds.  Thankfully, she has never been hurt!

We love our sweet baby Kate.