Kate at 9 Months

This post is a little late, partly because Kate's nine month checkup with the pediatrician was a little past her nine month "birthday" and partly due to sick kids and later a visit from my parents. 

It is amazing to see Kate changing so quickly. Frightening, really. The biggest thing is that she's starting to walk. It started with a one or two steps one day. I denied it completely. A couple days later she took four baby steps. I joked with Bob that I actually thought I saw her walking. The next day she walked about 5 feet. With each day, her confidence grows. 

Here, I'll say it, she is walking at 9 1/2 months. Reed walked at 11 3/4 months and Cora at 11 1/2 months. When they started walking, it pretty much took over immediately as their full time mode of movement. Kate is starting earlier and more gradually. Below is a video of her typical way of getting around. She either pulls up on something or sometimes stands up on her own in the middle of the room, she'll walk a bit, and then she will drop down to a crawl, either because she has lost her balance or wants to go faster.

This morning Reed told us that he doesn't like that Kate is walking. When we inquired why he felt that way, he said it was scary. I know, Reed, I know. Okay, he is actually afraid she is going to fall down, and I fear that my baby is slipping away to toddlerhood.  She is still so tiny that it's hard to believe. I think when Reed was her age, I think I would have said, I can't believe that he is so big. I don't know if I have a different perspective on this since I have a huge 4 1/2 year old sitting next to her or what.

Anyway, here are her stats from her checkup: Height: 30" (95%), Weight: 16 lbs, 13 ozs. (25%). Long and lean.

Kate is also really getting into babbling. Mama and Dada are her favorites (or perhaps ours, so we notice it.)  She seems to babble on like she having a big conversation. I don't know if this is an indication that she's going to be a big talker like Cora. With Cora, sometimes it seems like she physically can't NOT talk. She'll tell you that she is not talking (when clearly she is talking to tell you so.)

Kate continues to be a good, easy-going baby. She is sleeping better, no longer waking up around 2 am, though she still has an early wake up around 5 am. I have a house of early rising children. *sigh*

I see so much change coming in the next few months. I also can't wait to get back outside to play. I think Kate will have a whole new appreciation for the park this spring.

Happy Valentines Day!

We have the three sweetest Valentines in our house this year! We love them to pieces, today and every day! We had a great time preparing for Valentines Day. Reed especially loved making Valentine cards this year for his friends and classmates. His writing is improving so much and it really fun to see him write not only his name on the cards but also all his friends' names too. Our kiddos are going up so quickly!

Here is a little video of Cora and Reed, exhibiting their typical sibling relationship. Are we loving each now or fighting? Cora is so funny. I feel like one of these days before we know it she is probably going to be chasing some poor boy down, tackling him, and planting a big kiss... and it won't be her big brother.

Cracked Tooth

Over the weekend, Cora was horsing around with Kate, and they both fell over. I, of course, ran to the crying baby. After I had calmed down Kate, Cora was still carrying on. I had to do a double-take when she told me she hit her mouth. I couldn't believe she had chipped her front tooth!

I thought we were going to need to make an emergency run to the dentist, but it stopped bothering her and I know there's nothing that they will do since it's just a baby tooth.  I'm trying not to freak out about this. In the larger scheme of things, I know it is truly trivial. I just think of Cora's smile, how it consumes her face and the thought of a broken front tooth makes me cringe. It's total vanity and I know it. On the bright side, it is just a baby tooth, thankfully, and in a matter of time I'm sure I won't even notice it anymore.



The new cheesy smile

Boys vs. Girls

There are countless differences in little boys and girls. Don't get me wrong, there are also many, many similarities. Cora likes typical girlie stuff and Reed likes typical boyish stuff without guidance from us, but Cora also loves trucks and trains and Reed has no problems playing family or with stuffed animals. One of the biggest differences I see is their default play mode; Reed is incredibly active often with kicking, punching, spinning, jumping and Cora is engaged in more quiet play, reading, mothering, drawing. Cora can whoop it up with the best of them and Reed can sit quietly for extended periods to draw or play Legos, but generally they play differently, especially when alone.

Here is Cora enjoying a quiet moment with Pink Baby. She's reading from her "Church Book," a little missalette that she managed to acquire from church. Cora has no problem pretending to read and telling stories. Reed seems too aware that he can not read the words so he won't even pretend. 

Pink Baby looks quite engaged

Pinewood Derby 2012

Mason and Porter are both Cub Scouts and what's one of the coolest Scouting activities? Yep, The Pine Wood Derby races. The events is mostly for the Scouts, but they do have an Open Division for siblings, relatives, and friends. Reed raced last year, and this year, both Reed and Cora participated.

 

Grandpa kindly made the cars and painted them, Cora's orange and Reed's red. We then decorated them. Cora wanted a lady bug and Reed wanted a dragon knight car. The cars turned out even better than I imagined. 

 

The Lady Bug buggie and The Dragon Knight mobile

Cora wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing at first since she didn't go last year. She inspected the cars and took everything in.

 

 

Three kids race at a time, and Reed and Cora managed to win each of their three races. Good designs, Grandpa! With each race, Cora especially got more and more excited. She and her bug became a crowd favorite due to her exuberant enthusiasm.

 

 

Reed was somewhat disappointed that he didn't win the Best of Show trophy for the Open Division. The winner is the crowds' favorite design. The winner? The Bacon car. Yes, just as it sounds, it was a strip of bacon on wheels. I had to remind Reed that he too had voted for the Bacon car and really liked it.

 

 Overall, it was a great day at the races.

Kate at Eight Months

My little girl with a big, beautiful smile. Petite, but active. A great eater. A big lover. A snuggler. I love that she shows us more of her personality each day. She is getting so mobile. Around Christmas time, she started standing. She is picking up speed in her crawling. Last week (to my dismay), she started climbing the stairs!



She is finally getting teeth. Her first bottom tooth is about half in and a second bottom tooth is cutting through. She won't be toothless forever, I guess.

One of the cutest things that Kate does is her "flop," as Bob calls it. It's her way of cuddling. She'll just be sitting there and then all of a sudden she quickly thrusts herself onto you. To me, it looks like suddenly she finds that her head weighs 100 pounds and she can no longer hold it up, so she has no choice but to fall into you head first. It's really hard to explain but once you've been the recipient of the Kate Flop, you know it is a sign of love.

Her biggest, most consistent sound that she's making is...drum roll, please....Mama! Reed and Cora both went for Dada first, but this girl likes her M sounds. Hooray for me!

I want to say that she puts much more stuff in her mouth than Reed or Cora ever did, but I think, in reality, there is probably just more crap on the floor now with two preschoolers in the house. I don't even know how many stickers I have pulled off the roof of her mouth or even where these stickers are coming from.

Kate finds Reed and Cora increasingly interesting and they both make her laugh. They have so much to teach her.

I'd say we are in a challenging phase with three active kiddos. Kate's moving around more, Cora's potty training, and Reed is just an inquisitive boy. Besides factoring in the potty training, alone each is not too much trouble, but they all seem to need something at once. That's when one feels, shall we say, challenged.

They do drive me crazy, but every single day after I have them all sleeping in their beds, I reflect on what great kids they are. From frazzled to blessed, it's amazing how your perspective can be transformed in one short hour.

Reed Christmas

I am entirely surprised when I look back on the photos from the holidays that I have almost no pictures from my family's Christmas. I'll have to pester Granny on that one. Anyway, we took a day to collect ourselves and to pack our bags before heading down to Greenville. We enjoyed a nice leisurely drive on the 27th. The weather was clear, no snow or slick roads.

We had a great time in Greenville. Bob and I both when to the eye doctor, me for contacts and Bob for a checkup. It was nice to get something off of our to-do list. Mom and I finished up some gifts for the Reed Family (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins.) The next day was the Reed Christmas at the Reed Farm, which is always a great time. Reed loves playing with his cousins (Willa and Owen) but is also learning to love his second cousins. He has a great time with Reed T. who just turned 6 yesterday. We also got to visit my Grandma Maher at her house before the party since we weren't able to make it to the Maher Christmas the weekend before.

 Sunday, the 30th, we celebrated with my parents and siblings. Poor Willa was getting over a nasty bug, but overall it was really great and relaxing.

While in Greenville, the kids really enjoyed a little snow. We hadn't packed the snow gear since it didn't seem to be in the forecast.  We did some digging and came up with some dandy outfits. I'm guessing Cora's snowsuit was about 35 years old or so.

Ready to hit the sledding hill 

Ah, they do love each other 

Reed building a castle with his new blocks from Uncle Nathan

Bob and I managed to squeeze in a movie on our own, thanks to my parents. It has literally been years since we went to the theater, but we both enjoyed "Lincoln" at the Globe in Greenville.

We wrapped up 2012 with a big meal at the Chinese buffet. Mmm. Then we rang in the New Year with Mom and Dad, all cozied on the couch in pajamas, finally totally relaxed.

What a delightful year it has been. Kate has been our biggest blessing, and our family continues to evolve in such wonderful, tiring, exciting, frustrating, hilarious, maddening, and precious ways. I have the best family in the world and while I think sometimes they are making me crazy, I know truly and deeply that they are the ones that are making my life right.

I can only hope to have 2013 be as wonderful as 2012. Here I am almost two weeks into it now and it's looking up.