Kate at eight months

At this time last year, as Women's Conference approached, I spent a lot of time thinking about my baby girl at eight months old.  I imagined her blonde hair and blue eyes and the milestones she might achieve by that age.  It's hard to believe that the year has finally passed, and Baby Kate is eight months old.

The pictures I took this morning make me laugh.  They don't capture Kate's charming, dimpled, happy grins at all.  Trust me when I say she's generally not as stoic as she looks here.  Also trust me when I say I don't know when I'll have another window for a photo shoot, so this is it, folks.

Kate continues to be sweet and happy.  The best way to tell she is excited is to look at her legs.  No matter what position she is in,  she kicks and wiggles those chubby legs when she is happy!   She also makes a "kih" or "chuh" or snorting sound, especially in conjunction with seeing a family member she has long missed.  Kate also gives a high-pitched screech when she's super happy.

Kate has had a runny nose for most of the month; she seems to be working on teeth.  This has been a month of discovery for her mouth and she has chomped and chewed on everything within reach.  She loves to play with Mommy's kitchen toys, like whisks and rubber spatulas.  But big brother's shoes, pencils, and remote controls will also do in a pinch.

Kate is trying valiantly to crawl.  I think she is our latest crawler, and certainly the most frustrated.  She plants her hands and knees in the right position, then digs her toes into the carpet and raises her bum in the air.  And then she pushes off...in the wrong direction. Pretty soon Kate is across the room, backed under the couch or with her legs straddling a chair leg.  She cries out in frustration!  Poor little girly.  Crawling will come eventually, but for now she's plenty mobile, especially since learning the belly-to-sitting trick (my favorite baby skill).  Kate is starting to pull herself up to things, but just to her knees. She is pretty excited about that elevation, but she also loves to stand.  The crib mattress will move down this weekend.

Kate loves to eat.  Her diet is growing more varied.  It's hard for me to know where the bottle fits in all of this.  (I hate being a novice with baby five!)  Kate needs total silence and peace in order to drink her bottle, though.  In this house, quiet places are hard to find, so sometimes she drinks her bottle in her crib.  I'm sure that's the first lesson in Bad Parenting 101. Oh well!  Hopefully we're not ruining her teeth (that haven't appeared yet).

Kate is mostly wearing 9-12 months clothes (the things Lexi wore at about 15 months old) . She rarely wears shoes because the kids take them off,  but her chubby feet need a size 3.  She weighs about 20 pounds.  Her hair is coming in and thickening up a bit, and we are so surprised that it has remained a light brown.

Kate loves to listen to me play the piano. It's kind of a late afternoon ritual for her to play on the rug while I practice whatever I want,  just because.  It's a good way to put off making dinner and pass the time until Daddy comes home. 

In short, Kate is a joy.  We're so glad she's ours.