10

The summer has been busy, and so has our little Kate.  She is ten months old today and has the dirty knees to prove it.

Kate is a little whirlwind of energy and activity.  She reminds me a lot of Gavin: always moving and ever curious.  She is interested in so many things and will crawl, stand, and climb to get whatever she deems noteworthy.  Kate cruises around furniture, stands on her own for minutes at a time, and crawls at warp speed.  She has not yet conquered the staircase, standing herself up in the middle of a room, or walking without support, but these milestones are not far distant.  This one is a mover and a shaker.

Kate is very happy baby.  I am especially fond of her giggles and grins first thing in the morning.  She is vocal and expressive and just bursting with personality.  Kate continues to clap her feet and wave her arms (more like flapping her wings) when she is excited, particularly when a long-absent family member suddenly appears.  She has a special bond with Zach.  He can make her laugh like no one else, and the laughter is totally contagious.

Kate LOVES the outdoors.  With the advent of summer came children constantly running in and out of the house.  She is most seriously displeased when she is left inside.  She spends a fair portion of her time standing with her nose to the sliding door, just waiting for someone to take her into the great beyond.  Kate adores swings of any kind and is developing a fondness for grass and rocks, as well.  This month Kate went swimming for the first time and loved it.  She also enjoyed playing in the fountain at a local park.  Also on the water theme, Kate loves bath time, especially when siblings are involved.  

Kate has acclimated to the child watch experience at the YMCA.  She often naps there in the morning while I exercise and the other kids play in the gym.  She doesn't mind babysitters a bit, which is nice, since I am paying a small fortune to sitters this summer while I run here and there by myself.  When I am present, however, Kate will rarely go to another adult.  The major exception, of course, is Daddy, whom she adores.  She is always happy when he walks in the door.

Kate still isn't sleeping through the night consistently.  It's my fault.  I haven't had the heart to sleep train her because she shares a room with Lexi, who is a very poor sleeper.  Those girls wake each other up all.the.time.  I just can't get a handle on either one of them.

Kate is drinking less formula these days.  She just doesn't want a bottle sometimes and will push it away forcefully at others.  There is no mistaking this girl's opinion!  Her diet is consequently expanding to include different textures and temperatures.  She is not very interested in sippy cups, although she did drink about four ounces of pomegranate juice from a cup recently.  I have my eye on switching to [the much cheaper option of] whole milk in August, but that is contingent on her willingness to drink from a cup.  Clearly, I am not in charge around here.

Kate continues to be a daily reminder of our family's blessings.  Sometimes I look at her and can't believe how far we have come in 18 months.  I'm just so grateful for our happy, healthy, darling little girl.