Kate {at 11 months}

Our sweet baby Kate is one month shy of turning ONE!  Say it isn't so!  Yes, I'm totally sad that my baby is almost a year old...  I love everything about this little one, and I love that she is growing and learning so much as of late.  I know she can't stay a baby forever, but, man, oh man, I SO wish that she would!  Newborns and babies are, and have always been, my favorite stage.  I love all the snuggling that comes along with them...it really is the best.  I really need to cherish every moment while I still can :).

At 11 months, Kate...

...can pull herself up to standing, and she does it all.of.the.time.  The best is when she does it on something that really can't support her, and she tumbles over and starts laughing hysterically.  We find it hysterical too :).  I'm just so proud of her and that she *finally* figured it out.  I think that standing is one of those things that they just have to figure out on their own.  I've been trying to teach her, but she wasn't really getting it.  But, now that she's figured it out, she pulls herself up all of the time, and the best is the happiness on her face every time she gets my attention after she has done it...priceless!
...is still an absolutely amazing sleeper!  A 2 hour nap in the morning, a 3 hour nap in the afternoon, and goes to bed at 7:30 and sleeps until 8!  Bless her little heart for sleeping so well!
...loves to snuggle, and I love it too!
...does NOT like wearing socks!  At all!  Every time I put socks on her, she pulls them on within seconds!  I have to put footy jammies on her at night so her feet don't get cold, but she doesn't like these either.  She tries as hard as she can to pull them off with no avail.  As soon as she pulls her socks off, she'll stuff them both in her mouth and play.  It's pretty funny to see!
...is crawling everywhere on her hands and knees.  She finally figured out how to crawl for real and hardly ever does the army crawl anymore.  She's not very fast though...she likes to take her time :).
...prefers to be held when there is a lot going on in the house.  When the kids are playing, she'll crawl over to me and beg to be picked up.  I don't blame her one bit...those kids are craaaazy!
...does not like it when the kids hold her...at all!  Leah tries to hold her all of the time, out of love...I get it.  Leah wants to be a little mommy to Kate.  But every time she grabs Kate, she freaks out.  Hopefully Leah learns not to hold her, but she doesn't.
...is a great little eater.  She especially loves her bottles, which is fine by me.  Especially since she wasn't gaining weight a few months back, and now she is :).  She also prefers real food vs. baby food.  I have made an effort to make her baby food, and she likes it SO much more then the store bought stuff.  Plus it's easy to make and saves me some pennies :).   I really, REALLY, hope that she doesn't become a picky eater like Leah and Isaac!
...absolutely loves to play and read.  Lately, she'll crawl in her room and bring a book out to me to read.  It is seriously so adorable to see her come around the corner dragging a book along.  And I also love that she will actually sit in my lap while I read it to her!
...loves to dance and clap her hands to the music!
...has the saddest cry ever!  Man, oh man, it breaks my heart every time that she cries!  But, I swear her cry is just and act, 80% of the time!  Like...when she's playing with my phone and I take it away...boom...she cries!  Sobbing!  I know it's sad and all, but seriously, it is a little amusing.  That said...
...she LOVES my phone!  Just like last month, she prefers my phone over most toys.  Kids these days ;).
...absolutely loves crawling over to the back door and looking outside.  It's probably one of her most favorite things to do, and watching her find joy in looking outside makes me long for summer even more!  I know that she is going to SO enjoy crawling around and playing this summer!  Can't wait :).
...has TWO teeth on the bottom.  Seeing her smile with those two bottom teeth poking through is so precious :).  The sad thing about her teeth is that she's getting more and they are making her so miserable.  Poor baby.  That's another reason we've been cuddling lots and lots lately :).
...loves anything that involves water...whether it be a tubby, or swimming...she loves it all.  She freaks out whenever we put her in the water.  It's great fun :).

We sure do love you baby girl...to the moon and back!

... Ou