eleven months

My baby!  I can't believe she's growing up so fast.

Case in point: This girl is walking.  Most of the time she prefers it, in fact.  She strikes out on her own now, crossing rooms, turning corners, backing up and starting again.  She has even stood herself up without support.  Sometimes I cry a little.  But mostly I'm happy to see Kate on the move, exploring her world with her feet on the ground and her hands in the air.

Here's a little video of her walking, babbling, and climbing.  It's about three minutes long.

Kate took a tumble down the staircase when someone left the gate open earlier this week.  She had a bit of a black eye and a scratch on her cheek, but her amazing immune system went to work and now there's no sign of the injury.  Kate is actually quite proficient on the stairs.  She taught herself to turn around and go down the stairs, and of course she climbs all the way up with ease.  Climbing on anything and everything is one of her favorite pastimes.

Another sign of growing up is Kate's increasing resistance to sleep.  [Waa.]  As much as she enjoys her bottle, she knows that when I cradle her in my arms and walk into her bedroom, it's sleepy time.  Then she goes all stiff-as-a-board on me and howls to high heaven.  I'm not a big fan of the cry-it-out routine, but poor Kate has subjected herself to it by refusing to sleep when it's time.  Twice this week she has won the battle; one day she didn't nap at all, and the other she only napped for an hour in the afternoon. It's quite tragic, really.  I can't say I'm super surprised, though.  Kate wants to be where the action is, and that is most assuredly not in her crib.

Kate is working on tooth number seven.  On another (and possibly related) note, she has developed the intense screech that is a trademark of all Bartles (at least those who reside with us).  It's a fist-clenching, muscle-tensing, ear-piercing experience...and a clear sign that Kate wants something she doesn't have.  We mostly hear the screech at meal time.  We are teaching Kate the signs for "more," "drink," "eat," and "all done."  So far, "more" is the only one that is clicking, but hopefully with a few signs at her disposal we won't all go deaf by Christmas.  Other words I'm trying to teach her: out, up, and help.

The great outdoors is Kate's favorite place to be.  She swings in the backyard every day.  She has visited quite a number of parks this summer and would be content to swing her life away.  She loves to ride in the stroller (except at swimming lessons, of course; she perceives the stroller as a torture device there) and play in the grass.  She would like to ride a bike and strap on roller skates and zoom away on the skateboard.  She is always left behind, and she doesn't like it one bit.

In some ways I feel like Kate is leaving ME behind--needing me less and becoming more independent.  But there's also a certain joy in watching a baby find her wings.