It's the little things

Michael has been bathed by someone almost every day since he was born. For the past few years, he has been taking a shower with Todd. Now that Katie is a little older, she wants to take a shower with them too. It is getting crowded in there and the time has come for either Michael to take his own shower or for me to give Katie a bath.

After much coercion from Todd and I, he finally decided that he was going to take a shower by himself. He washed up and did a really good job. I guess he enjoyed it. Last night he informed us that he was ready to take his own shower again. Apparently he likes the water really warm because he kept asking me to turn it up. All I had to do was put the shampoo in his hand and lather up his washcloth.

I can honestly say that giving a bath is not my favorite part of parenting. Todd has done the vast majority of bathing Michael for the past few years and I haven't missed it. Still, it was bittersweet watching our little boy take his own shower but I was proud of him for the kid he is growing up to be.

Michael's First Day of Kindergarten

Friday was Michael's first day of Kindergarten. Todd and I were both able to take him to his first day. When he woke up in the morning, he went downstairs and was so excited to see his lunchbag and what was inside.



We headed to school and took him inside. Only half of the class was there as his school does a staggered start for kindergarten to get the kids used to going. The entire class will be there tomorrow. When we arrived, his teacher showed us to his cubby and we put his bookbag in there. Michael already has a friend in his class and he arrived shortly after we did. The boys sat down to read some books together. It was so nice to see Michael settling right in.



As we left, it hit me that we now have a child in kindergarten. It was a bittersweet moment but I knew how happy he has to be there and I loved his enthusiasm. All of these firsts are hard as a parent but seeing Michael so happy makes the adjustment so much easier.

When he got home, Michael said that his day was great. He told us about what they did for the day and where they went around the school. We also talked about the kindergarten playground, which was fun too. He asked when he could go back to school!

The only thing that did not go smoothly was the bus ride home. Apparently Michael's paperwork got lost so he could not ride. His teacher said that he was all ready to ride it with his friend and Todd had even gotten off work early so he could see him leave the bus. At least now we know that he will ride the bus, even if he didn't get to on his first day.

How can this day already be here?

Michael's first day of Kindergarten, that is. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing home Michael from the hospital. These past 5 years have just flown by.

I can remember talking with him a few years ago during the time that he loved school buses. He was so excited to ride on one and whenever we saw one, he would talk about the day that he would be able to ride too. I can't believe that day is here and now he doesn't want to ride on the school bus. He asked if I could drop him off and pick him up in our own car.

Tomorrow morning is going to come very early for all of us here. Summer's over and school is beginning. At least the first day is on Friday and we will have the weekend to get ready for the first full week of school. Heading to bed now as soon as I finish packing his lunch and get the camera ready.

Potty Training Progress

A few weeks ago, I decided to give potty training Katie a shot. I also thought I would try to potty train the little boy I watch at the same time since Michael was out of town for the week. After 3 days of both of them peeing everywhere but the potty, I decided to rethink my strategy and focus on Katie first.

I had her wear underwear at home all day and pull-ups at night and nap. She was telling me when she would pee in her underwear by handing the wet pairs to me. I was asking her if she had to use the potty but her answer was always the same: NO! About 2 weeks went by and there was no further progress. I told Katie that we were done with potty training and to let me know when she was ready to wear big girl panties. The next morning, I went in her room to get her up for the day. She told me, "Mommy, I don't want to wear diapers anymore." I decided to do one more day of underwear before completely throwing in the towel. For whatever reason, this was the breakthrough day. She consistently peed in the potty, even though she still wouldn't poop in it. The next few days were the same thing.

Today was her first outing to a birthday party wearing underwear. She did great and only had one accident (and it wasn't pee). We went out to eat with Todd's mom after that and she had an accident in the car. It was a long day and she didn't have a nap. I thought that she did pretty well considering this was her first time out in underwear. We will try again tomorrow.

We have really been praising her everytime that she uses the potty. She comes up to you and says, "I'm so proud of you", and claps for herself after she uses the potty. She also likes to say, "Good job Katie!". It's so cute to hear her. Michael has also been really good about giving her words of encouragement. He told her congratulations the other day after she used the potty. And also told her to keep trying when she wasn't having success.

This is going to take a little while but at least we are making progress in the right direction! And I didn't want to say anything about it here for fear of jinxing it.

27 Months Old

It's been a while since I have done one of these posts but Katie turned 27 months old yesterday. The time has been flying by and I keep telling people she just turned 2 but I guess I better change that. Of course, it doesn't help that she looks and talks like she is closer to 3 than 2.

Katie can carry on a full conversation with you now. She is able to repeat what you told her several hours before, almost word for word. I am amazed at how she is always listening to what is being said and commits it to memory. Several of her favorite things to say include "stop it Michael", "Can I go to the store too, Mommy?" and "Good night Daddy.". If you tell her you love her, she will say it back to you. That has to be my favorite thing that she says.

She now calls books by names that she has made up based on the story inside. Katie loves to be read to and we take full advantage of that by reading several books at nap and bedtime every day. She also recognizes people that we see on a regular basis and calls them by name. I love this age because they are learning so much and get so excited about it.

Katie's eating isn't as good as it used to be but she is 2 years old. I don't think that she is nearly as picky as Michael was. She likes to eat whatever he is having and if he finishes his dinner first, I have to ask him to wait to have his snack. If Katie sees him eating a popsicle or lollipop, she wants one immediately. Two of her favorite foods right now are cereal and any kind of fruit.

There has been a little progress on the potty training front. Katie actually peed in the potty one day last week. Some days she wants to wear "big girl panties" and others she doesn't. Even when she wears panties, she mostly just pees on the floor. She is definitely aware of it because she will come to me immediately and tell me "I went pee-pee on the floor." Ummm, not sure why she couldn't just use the potty. If I could devote several days to following her around like we did for Michael, then I think she would learn to use the potty and that would be it.

I can't believe how fast she is growing up. There are times that I want to freeze and others that I am so excited to see what the next step is. Watching her learn and grow is an awesome gift!

Kindergarten Orientation

Michael had his Kindergarten orientation on Tuesday afternoon at the local elementary school. I don't think he really understood about going to a new school next year until we were there. We went into the center of the school where we got an information packet. We were taken to another part of the school where they had a snack table set up. The kids loved this!

We went into the auditorium where we heard from the principal, as well as some other administrators from the school. The tour of the kindergarten classroom came after this. This was the best part of the orientation according to Michael. To quote his words, "these people are boring", while the speeches were going on.

The classroom was awesome. I had envisioned rows of desk and a chalkboard. Instead, there were tables all around the room organized into centers and a Smartboard. Michael LOVED the Smartboard and had so much fun being shown how to use it by current kindergarteners. He also checked out the other centers.

He told me, as we were walking out of the school afterwards, that he thought the school was so cool. He also told me that he can't wait to go there next year. He did tell me that he does not want to ride the bus because it makes too much noise! That was so funny to me because a couple of years ago riding the bus was all he could talk about. I am so glad that he liked school and is looking forward to it.

Building Blocks

We have a puzzle that is made up of 12 blocks. Each side forms a different puzzle. Katie likes to take the blocks out and put them back in the wooden square. She will do this over and over again.

Today I looked over to see what she was doing with the blocks and she was stacking them. This was the first time I have ever seen her do this. It was adorable because she was so proud of herself. She was able to stack 6 blocks in a tower before they toppled over. I looked over at her and said "YAY Katie!". After she did another stack, she looked at me, clapped her hands together and said "YAY Katie!". She is too funny.

One More Month

until Katie turns 2. I have been trying to keep up with monthly updates on what Katie's been doing. After she turns 2, I may do them every other month instead.

Today we went to the store and I got a crown cake pan for her birthday. We are going to do a princess theme for her party. But since she loves Elmo, I am going to make Katie her own personal Elmo cake on her actual birthday. There are so many different options to do for girls' birthdays.

Katie is completely a toddler and not babylike at all anymore. I can't believe some of the things that come out of her mouth. She interacts and communicates with Michael in the cutest ways. And he is really embracing their relationship as well. He got Valentines on Monday and came home to sort them. He pulled out 4 of them to share with Katie. She said to him, "Thank you Michael!". It was adorable.

Her hair is growing quickly. I am debating whether or not to let her hair grow out to one length. It's hard because she doesn't want to wear barrettes or clips so her hair would be in her face. She will talk about "boats", as she calls bows, and how they are pretty. But then when I ask her if she wants to wear them, she tells me no!

She is now wearing some 3T shirts and growing out of her 24 month pants. She wears a size 7 shoe and is fairly agreeable to letting you put on her shoes and jacket to go out. She wears her glasses every day, even if she takes them off about 20 times a day.

Katie loves interaction with other people once she gets to know them. I joke about how she won't say anything to people that she knows but will talk your ear off once she is comfortable with you. One of her favorite things to do is to say "bye" to the person after they have already left.

I am so excited to see her reaction to her birthday next month. She says "happy birthday" to people but wonder what she will think of everyone saying it to her!

Language Explosion

Katie has been talking for a while now but she is really starting to put together thoughts and expressing them in sentences. She is already asking "why" questions and constantly asks "where" people went.

One morning last week, she woke up and I got her dressed. I opened the blind on one of her windows and she looked outside. She said "Daddy go to work. Daddy drive his truck fast." She gets up and walks into our room and asks me "Daddy sleeping?"

We are in the kitchen and she opens the pantry door. She then says, "I want cereal and milk please". About Michael's breakfast she says, "Michael eat peanut butter crackers." Michael had gotten hurt and she said "what happened to Michael?" She also cheers for him while he plays the computer and claps for him saying "good job".

Of course, one of her favorite words is "no" and she does not hesitate to use it. What's really funny is that she actually says it in response to your questions and will answer "OK" or "yes" sometimes. When we get home, she says "open the door" and after we come inside, she says "close the door".

We have been talking about the potty and she is getting the concept down. I told her that if she uses the potty, then she will get candy as a treat. So I say to her "Does Katie want to use the potty?" and she says to me "I use the potty, I get candy, no diaper."

Katie will usually try to repeat anything that we say to her. It's fun to hear her making sentences and being able to carry on conversations. She also "reads" to herself. She has a small box of books that have outside scenes on them and the animals and things that are located there. She will tell you what the cover picture is and then answer what the pictures are inside if you ask her. Katie's favorite books are a few of Michael's. She knows who Thomas and Mater are. Guess I have to get her some more girly books!!

2 Short of 2

Katie will be 2 in just 2 short months. Where has our little baby gone? She has been replaced with a walking, talking toddler.

So much has changed since she has turned 1. I am simply amazed at the way that she has gone from barely walking to running, climbing up the stairs to being able to walk down, babbling to speaking in full sentences.

Over the past few weeks, Katie has been working on walking down the stairs by herself. She holds on to the railing and goes down one step at a time. There are definitely some moments where I am holding my breath and there is still some learning to be done.

Katie really looks up to Michael. She will sit with him while he plays games on the computer and cheer him on. She loves to go to his soccer games and clap when he kicks the ball. One downside is that she wants to be where he is and this does not always thrill Michael.

Her vocabulary continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Katie loves to be read to and it really doesn't matter what the book is. I have started taking her to storytime at the library where they read books and sing songs. She is completely taken in by the librarian reading stories and wants to stand right in front of her!

Katie will ask you a question and can tell you when she is ready to eat and what she wants to eat. If you ask her to get something for you, she will bring it to you. Some of her new words are careful, Shaggy, wipe nose, Thomas, Percy, Scooby Doo. Can you tell what show we like to watch here?

She has really started wearing her glasses now without us having to bribe her or trick her. I think she has finally realized that she can see a whole lot more with them on. It took a while to get this done but I feel like the battle is mostly over. Consistency was what finally did it. I am sure that seeing Michael and Todd with their glasses on didn't hurt any either.

Katie does want to get her way and can get quite upset when she doesn't. I am trying not to give in to her demands. Her nap time is becoming a bit more difficult but most days she realizes that she likes to sleep and wakes up feeling recharged. The carseat wars have also started but I just wait them out and they are usually resolved quickly.

I look forward to what the next 2 months bring us as we approach 2.

On this day 10 years ago

I married Todd, my best friend and the love of my life. It's hard to believe that a decade has already gone by since that day. There are some details of the day that I remember like they were yesterday, even though 10 years have passed. I wish I had a picture to post here but we got married before the digital age. So much has changed since that day but yet so many things still remain the same. We have 2 wonderful children and are blessed with a house to raise them in.

10 years ago, I was so nervous as I prepared to become a wife. I was so excited to be getting married to Todd. Being married to him is everything I hoped it would be and more. We have shared so much of our lives together and I know we will share many more things as the years pass by. It's funny to me because I never wanted to get married or have children before I met him. I truly believe that meeting the right person changes everything and I feel extremely happy to have Todd as my husband.

5 years ago, we found out that we would be parents for the first time. What a wonderful anniversary present to ourselves! Todd is a loving and supportive father, just as I knew he would be. I think it's one of his best qualities, along with being a great husband to me.

As we celebrate 10 years together, I look forward to what the next 10 years will hold with anticipation. I know they will be just as good, if not better, than the first 10. Todd, I love you so very much and can't wait to celebrate next month!

15 months and 1 day

Things around here have been pretty crazy since Todd's surgery last Friday night. We will go back to the doctor tomorrow morning for an eye re-check and to see what the next step is.

In the meantime, Katie turned 15 months old yesterday. It's so hard to believe it. The time is flying by and she is developing her personality day by day. She can now say several phrases and knows quite a few words. Some of her favorites are "Mom", "Let's Go", "no", "bye-bye", "night night". I can say "one" and she repeats "two". It's so much fun to hear her talk. She has a deep voice and it's funny to hear it come out of such a little person.

She has already had 2 haircuts at home, just her bangs, because they are growing like crazy. She wears 18 month clothing and a size 4.5 shoe. We go for her 15 month well check the week after next. I am interested to see how much she has grown since the 1 year checkup. She still loves to eat too! We put food on her tray and it just disappears.

Katie now gets mad and her body goes limp when she is having her mini tantrums. She has learned to laugh at herself. If you are laughing about something she will join in too. Her relationship with Michael is changing right before our eyes. They now play together and she loves to follow him around. He can still make her laugh like no one else.

I love being a mom to a little girl and am amazed at everything that she is learning and doing. It's such a different experience from raising a boy but yet it is just as rewarding!

**Unfortunately I don't have a picture for 15 months because our camera is broken and in the shop!**

He went away without us

My mom came to stay with us for a few days last week. For the past few months, she has been wanting Michael to come spend a few days with her and my dad at their house. I have really been hesitant since Michael has seen either Todd or I every single day of his life. I knew the day was coming though and after some discussion between Todd and I, we decided to let Michael go back to spend a few days at my parents.

They left on Friday afternoon. I picked Michael up from school and asked him if he wanted to spend a few days at Grandee and Pop-Pop's house. He asked me if I could drive him there and then turn around and go back home. I told him my mom would take him and bring him back next week. He said OK. We got home, he packed up his suitcase of cars and declared "I'm ready. Let's leave." Just like that. I think him leaving was harder on Todd and I than it was for him. He got in the car and off they went.

We talked to him every night and stayed busy here while he was gone. Katie was here and she was sure to keep us busy. I actually think that she helped to keep my mind from focusing on the fact that Michael wasn't here with us. I can't imagine if he was gone and he was an only child. I probably would have lost it.

When I picked him up on Tuesday, I was so excited to see him. Todd couldn't wait to show him what he was working on when he got home. The playhouse is almost done and he had the sandbox all filled with sand, ready for playing.

Michael had a fun time at my parents' house. They played outside several times a day, which is Michael's favorite thing to do. He played some golf with my dad and they also played some baseball. They went to the playground, ate out and just spent some quality one-on-one time. These memories are the ones that Michael will cherish for years to come. He is so lucky to have 2 sets of grandparents who want to spend time with him.

I think it was good to let him go, even though I really had a hard time with the thought of it. Once he was gone and I knew that he was having a good time, I felt better, even though both Todd and I missed him like crazy.

13 months old

Since Katie turned one last month, she has really started changing. It's so much fun to watch the changes and transformation as she discovers new things and explores every day.

Katie was taking a few steps at a time when she turned one. Over the past week, she has really taken off! We go outside and she just walks, falls down, gets back up and starts the whole process over again. She isn't afraid to crawl in the yard, on the driveway or walk in the grass barefoot. Inside she is just as fearless. Michael has put up a "wall" of furniture and toys to keep Katie away from his table. Katie doesn't let that stop her and she just climbs right over the back of the chair to get to what she wants!

Two more teeth have emerged over the past few days. They are the top molars on each side. What's so funny is that she still only has 2 teeth on the bottom. People always comment about her 2 little teeth. If she would open her mouth, they could see the rest of the teeth! These teeth haven't been quite as rough as the first few, thankfully.

Katie still loves water and had her first visit to the beach over Easter weekend. She loved crawling around in the sand and even tried to eat some. I think the water was a bit too cold for her but she enjoyed the heated pool much better back in my parents' neighborhood. She let me pull her around the pool on her stomach and her back and was just so relaxed.

Katie is eating pretty well now and eats almost every single thing that we put on her tray. It's funny because she is now getting to the point where she will throw food off the side if she is full. And then she always runs her hands through her hair. Wonder what it is that makes babies do that?

She continues to babble away and has a few words now. She says mama, dada, no and something that sounds like "what's up?". We have conversations where she "talks" to you but you have no idea what exactly she is saying even though she looks so determined to get her point across. If you ask Katie for a kiss, she will lean in and give you one with her mouth open. She also understands when you ask her to sit down and come over to you. And she even tries to brush her teeth when she sees Michael doing it too.

Here are a few recent pics of Katie:





Looking forward to watching Katie grow over the next few months. This is such an exciting age!

A Day of Firsts

It started with me and ended with Katie. Today, during Katie's nap, I took the time to clean and get dinner started early. This is something that I would like to do more often but always seem to get sidetracked by other tasks. I was actually able to get the chicken defrosted, cut into pieces and into the marinade shortly after noon. Then I cleaned the bathroom and folded a load of laundry. I felt extremely productive.

We picked Michael up from school and came home. We were in the living room playing on the floor with some toys. Katie was doing her usual routine of using everything and anything to pull up to a standing position. She used me to stand up and then let go. She actually stood there for a minute, not wavering at all. Previously, she had only stood on her own for about a millisecond. I had backed up a little to see what she would do next. And that's when another first came....her first steps! She took 3 or 4 steps towards me before falling down.

Michael and I started clapping for her and I was so excited and happy. Katie realized the big deal that we were making because she started clapping for herself! This is something that she likes to do when she knows she has done something exciting. It's so cute!

Let the craziness begin because this girl is not one to sit back and watch the world go by. She wants to be right in the middle of everything and it's one of the reasons that I like to call her "Katie Tornado". I think it was only fitting that these things happened on the first of the month as well!

10 months and counting.....

for Katie, that is. It's hard to believe that in 2 short months, she is going to be 1! It seems like she was just born.

This past month was a time of many milestones for Katie. I love this age. She is so much fun and really starting to "talk" and interact with us, especially Michael. Katie learns something new every day and she is looking more like a toddler and less like a baby to me now.

Katie now has 4 teeth in less than one month. She has the front two bottom ones and then the top 2 lateral incisors. The front 2 top teeth are bulging under the surface but haven't emerged yet. It's kind of cute to see her smile as 2 of the teeth are pretty hidden. She is eating everything and has quite an appetite. We went to Todd's office on Tuesday for lunch and she ate a bit of my taco, trying to take a huge bite out of it. It was pretty funny!

She started army crawling the day after Christmas. Over the next 2 weeks, she learned how to sit back up from her stomach, crawl on her hands and knees, pull up to her feet on the couch or a person and can now cruise. It's like everything that had to do with movement clicked all at once. On Thursday, she actually went up the bottom 2 steps on the stairs using the railing. That was a little unnerving, as it means nowhere is safe to leave her. I see her thinking about letting go of what she is holding on to and standing by herself!

Katie's talks to just about everyone that she knows and is getting a bit more generous with her smiles. She loves to laugh at Michael as he does the most entertaining things to her and it's just a deep, rich laugh. She has started pointing at things that she wants, which is so cute.

I can't wait to see what this next month brings. Katie gets more and more fun the older she gets. I also have to start thinking about what to do for her birthday. I have a few ideas in mind!

Here is Katie at 10 months:

One short week

was all it took for Katie to go from a sitting baby to a mobile toddler. She started army crawling last Sunday, the 27th. In the course of one week, she has learned how to get back into a sitting position from her stomach, crawl on her hands and knees across the room, and pull up on to her knees. Today she finally pulled up on to her feet.

It's amazing to me how fast she is growing up. I am hit hard with the realization that my baby isn't going to be a baby for much longer. She is still very cuddly and loves to be held but she is asserting her independence. And I think that she is going to make Michael think twice about leaving his belongings out in Katie's reach. Anything available is now fair game.....I tried to warn him ahead of time!

In the midst of all this movement, Katie is also getting her third tooth. She already has the bottom two front teeth. This next tooth crept in unnoticed as it's not one of the two front teeth on top but one of the lateral incisors. It's already broken through the gums and explains the fever and slight crankiness. Maybe someday Katie will open her mouth for 5 seconds so I can take a picture of her cute little teeth!

And she's off....

It's official now...Katie is on the move. She was army crawling across the floor on Sunday and she got up on all fours and crawled a little bit later in the day. She is also pulling herself up to her knees and playing with toys at that level. You can also stand her up at the couch or a chair and she will play there for quite a bit. She is fairly steady on her feet and a bit of a daredevil as well. Katie was standing at her Leapfrog table and turned to try to hold on to the couch. She didn't quite make it and got pretty upset. It was hard not to laugh because she was so determined!

As I sit here right now, she is trying to pull her new baby doll off the couch without standing up all the way. She is using Michael's lounge chair as a stepping stone to stand up. I forgot how much fun this age is. Watching Katie explore and learn as she sees things for the first time is so cute. And it's only a matter of time before she will be up and walking.

What's so funny is that I couldn't wait until Michael reached these milestones and anxiously awaited them. Katie crawled a bit later than Michael but I didn't worry about it. If it would have been Michael, I would have been wondering if he was on track with development. Now I know that each child does things at a different pace and has different strength and weaknesses.

And there is a video of Katie crawling on a separate post since I was having some technical difficulties.

Katie's 9 months old

Katie turned 9 months old on Wednesday. Since the day was already so busy with Todd's birthday and Michael's Christmas present, we decided to schedule her well check for today.

She weighed in at exactly 18 pounds (50%) and is 29 inches tall (90%). She has already grown 10 inches since she was born. She is basically following the same growth curve that Michael did. She is now wearing 9-12 month clothes and 12 month pajamas.

Her appointment was uneventful otherwise. She got 2 shots, which made her less than thrilled. Her growth is good and she is hitting all developmental milestones. She isn't crawling yet but can get around by rolling and doing a little army crawl. I actually think she may pull herself up to standing before she crawls. You can stand her up with support and she can hold her position for about 10 seconds.

Katie is very vocal. She loves to squeal and will "talk" to things and people. I set her in front of the Christmas tree last week and she lifted up her hands and started babbling to the tree. It was quite adorable. Two of her favorite things to say are "dad dad dad dad" and "mom mom mom mom". And she will say them directly to address us.

She eats pretty much anything that you put on her tray. And tried to grab at everything that you don't! I think she is going to be a good eater. If you are eating and she sees something she wants, she starts to move her mouth like she is eating. We practice with the sippy cup but she can't quite figure out how to tip it up. She knows what it's for though. And thankfully, we won't have to wean her from the bottle as she doesn't get one very often.

I think this next month is going to bring many changes for Katie. I expect that she will have another tooth, be crawling and pulling up by 10 months. Or she could totally surprise me and continue to be as laid back as she is. The only thing that Katie really doesn't like are naps and we are working on that. I know it's exciting to be up with Michael and I all day but sometimes a girl needs her sleep. She is a great nighttime sleeper and I will take that over a good napper anyday.

8 months old

Katie turned 8 months old today! She is growing up right before our eyes. Before we know it, she will be 1. I am amazed at the things she is learning and it's so much fun to watch her learn new things.

Tonight for dinner, she tried roast beef and loved it. There is no food that she won't touch. She has recently tried zucchini, squash and blueberry applesauce. She really enjoys eating banana puffs and can pick them up and put them in her mouth now. We have also given her the biter biscuits and she can spend at least 15 minutes just gnawing on it.

She is still toothless. It's really cute to see her. Even though she is getting bigger and looking less like a baby, this gives her a sweet look. And it's so fun to watch her try to eat everything. One of her favorite things to eat is her socks. She will pull her feet up to her mouth, suck on the sock for a while and then pull it off. Afterwards, she stuffs it down beside her in the carseat.

Katie isn't crawling yet but that doesn't mean that she doesn't get around. If you put her on the floor, she will sit there for a few minutes before moving her arms forward to reach something that she probably shouldn't have! Then she gets on her stomach and just rolls to wherever she wants to go. In the past few days, she has started trying to pull up on various things, like Michael's table and the toddler rocker. She got pretty frustrated the other day as she pulled up but could only get on her knees.

She has been going through a bit of a phase with going to bed. For a week or so, she didn't want to go to sleep at night. I have been trying to limit her late afternoon/early evening snooze between 5 and 6 and this has seemed to help. Sleeping during the daytime is hit or miss as we have a different schedule almost every day of the week with Michael's school or appointments. Typically, she will take 2 daytime naps and sleep between 10-12 hours per night. I'll take it!

I can't wait to see how much she has grown at her 9 month checkup in December. She is wearing some 9 month clothes already and seems to have big feet like Michael. Katie has a good bit of hair and I put a bow in it today. She has enough hair that it could hold it in. I think she is going to take after both Todd and myself in that area.

We are enjoying every minute of her time with us. Michael still gets the biggest laughs from her, although she appears to be serious to most people if she doesn't know them well. She can be tough to get a smile on cue but I think that's just a baby trait. Here are a few photos that I took of her today: