Tuesday, December 6, 2011

15 month stats

We had our 15 month well visit yesterday. 

Length 32
Weight 21.5
Head Circ 44
She growing perfectly :)

Dr. C says it's ok to keep the bottle around and he suggested giving her water in the crib for her one wake up (instead of getting her out of the crib and holding her) in the middle of the night.  He asked if she could say 3 words...she must be saying 15 words by now! 
Kate doesn't like the Dr. at all...stranger anxiety I guess.  Poor thing just screamed when he was listening to her heart, checking her ears, and her throat!  She got her second Hep B shot...she screamed for that too.  It was a fun visit ;)

He suggests no cows milk...so maybe we'll look into his suggestions...Almond, Hazelnut, Oat, or Hemp...interesting.
He also said to keep the gluten foods to a minimum...things that include wheat, barley, and rye.
He suggests always stating a reward for good behaviour...like saying, "Kate you helped Mommy pick up the toys and now we can read a book"
He also says we should start punishing Kate for bad behaviour...this should include calmly telling her what she did wrong and a 10 second time out (time away from Mommy).
And then he talked about potty training...checking diaper and giving praise when dry and running water and associating that w peeing.  We'll see how this goes...he said we could do it now and it would take about 2 months.  Now that would be amazing!

That's the recap!  I can't wait to see if Baby #2 grows on the same timeline as Kate or if she is completely different!  Arden says Kate is my easy baby and without a doubt the next will be more of a challenge!  We will see ;)

New words...

Kate is learning fast!  In the last week she has learned to say:
Gigi, doggie, bath, & bubbles.- all in the right context- I love to hear her say Gigi to Gigi!! And when she sees Neiva, she says Doggie!  She has this cute high pitch voice...adorable!
She also knows a duck says quack quack and a dog says ruff ruff.  When I ask her what a cow says, she says "Meeee" instead of "Moo"   Haha.

15 Weeks pregnant and feeling pretty good!  My belly is starting to get thick around the middle, I'll be in maternity pants in the next few weeks I'm sure.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Kate is almost 15 months...

It's so hard to believe my little baby is a total toddler now!  She's amazing...as always!  I just wanted to post some updates- so I remember when she started doing certain things.
She's saying lots of two syllable words already...yellow, apple, baby, mommy, daddy, papa, oh wow, uh oh, broccoli...
If I ask her to bring me a book she does, she knows what night night means and heads to the bedroom, she knows bath in the same way.

She is gaining independence and wants to do things herself and sometimes gets frustrated when she can't.  She gets frustrated when she wants something and it takes me a minute to figure out what it is...like she's pointing saying "uh uh uh" and I hand her fruit, "uh uh uh" pointing further and I try to give her a bite of something else..."uh uh uh"  oh water....there we go!  I hope she learns the word water soon!  Haha :)  It's hard to communicate effectively with such a small vocabulary!!  We do pretty good though...I know she understands almost everything I say to her...she's like a little sponge, taking it all in and soaking it up.  She's one smart baby girl!

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I have so much to be thankful for.  I am so blessed with my beautiful family and so excited to meet the newest addition.  Life really is a bowl of cherries :)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Kate's 1st Year Video Surprise

I've been working on this video for a several weeks, it's been so much fun to make! We really wanted to share our happy news with this cute little video- with its cute little surprise at the end!  For the most part it didn't work out, that story is for another day- we did get to show the video to all of our family in the Northeast and they were all so happy and surprised!  Even if the rest of our family and friends found out before we were ready; we love this video, we love Kate, and we love this little baby to be!



Kate is 14 months and I wanted to take note of the words she knows & says!
mommy, daddy, papa, mama, dada, baby, apple, yellow, quack quack, bottle, broccoli, uh oh, & wow. 
Kate is always talking in her own little language, we have conversations all the time...she is so animated, uses her hands, and seems to have meaning behind her babble!  Doowaa doowaa doowaa is one phrase she repeats over and over with a smile.  She definitely gets a conversation though, I talk, ask a question and she responds, etc.  She's such a cutie!

Monday, October 24, 2011

cute little bath!

I turned to do something in the bathroom tonight while Kate was taking a bath...bubbles and toys were keeping her occupied.  I turned to look back at her, her head was tilted, mouth open, trying to "drink" the stream of water coming out of the wall.  She kept at it...to the right and then head tilted to the left.  Mouth wide open.  Water hitting her face..in and out of her mouth, sometimes she missed, sometimes she got a gulp of water. I love catching her while she's exploring and trying new things.  She is so inquisitive and curious and it is so much fun to sit back and watch!

We're teaching Kate all kinds of things...we're working on pointing to parts of her body- she definitely knows her nose, we're working on the rest.  We're also working on colors- she loves to say "ellow" or "lellow"..she loves saying her version of "yellow". 

I'm still tired & a tad nauseous...Week 8!!!

Friday, October 14, 2011

7 weeks, 5 days

Today was our first OB oppointment!  We are going to a new Dr., Dr. Ocasio- she is wonderful and I'm really happy with our choice.  This baby will be born at Winter Park Hospital, where I was born- along with Holly and Kendra, so that will be nice!

The ultrasound, of course, was the best part. Seeing the baby's heart beat (164 beats per minute) and seeing the little bean- which was already forming- head, spine, limbs were clearly visible, made the whole pregnancy feel so real.  Our due date is May 24th. 

I was thinking I would love to wait until the baby is born to find out the sex...Chris is pretty set on finding out the sex as early as possible. Stay tuned for who "wins" this one! :)

It's 8:15, night night!!

Monday, October 3, 2011

7 Weeks- Pregnancy Blog!

I'm almost positive today marks the start of Week 7 (won't know for sure until our first ob appointment next week)...I woke up nauseous/queasy and gagged twice in the kitchen sink when I was making Kate's lunch.  Oh joy...I am unlucky enough to have morning sickness this time around.  The tired, no energy feeling has also "sprung" on me.  Funny little play on words there, there is nothing "springy" about the way I feel today!

It's 7:40pm and I think I'm going to bed by 8.  This baby making sure takes a toll on my energy level....luckily it should only last a few weeks. <yyyaaawwwnnnn>

Sunday, October 2, 2011

And Three Become Four!

September 19th, 2011 (4 days "late") we found out we're having another baby!  We're so excited!  It looks like the due date will be May 20-24, 2012 :) 
So...this was the month, this was the month!!!  I'm so happy!!!!!!!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Dear Kate ~

Dear Kate,

Your 1st birthday just passed and it is hard to imagine where the time has gone.  I remember the night before you were born like it was yesterday. I was so ready to meet you, hold you, and fall in love with you.  I wasn't sleeping good because I had gained 40 lbs and was so big...so I was awake a lot of the night, praying you would be healthy, imagining what you would look like, and trying to imagine all the wonders of Motherhood.  The next evening I met you, you were perfectly healthy, you were more beautiful than I ever imagined and I fell in love with you more than I ever thought possible.  I have fallen in love with you a little more every day since that day.  It was your coos, your cries, your smiles, your laughs, your big blue eyes, your nose, your hair, your tiny hands, your little feet, your perfect belly button, the way you slept, the way you laid on me, your fingers down to your toes- I love everything about you.  You began to crawl when you were 6 months, you would rock back and forth at first and then almost overnight you started cruising all over the house.  You started eating solid food/purees at 6 months too...I think you would have preferred to stick with milk at the time, but it was time for the addition in your diet!  You started walking the day before Fathers Day!  We were over at Papa Kens and you stood up and walked to me.  We were all ecstatic :) Since then you haven't stopped.  You talk, you laugh, you give hugs and you give kisses, you tell "jokes" and you have the most amazing sense of humor.  You're always happy and laughing.  You're independent, yet you love people.  You love animals- jaw droppingly so!  You love books at bedtime.  You love babies and puppets at playtime.  You have always loved water- bath time is your favorite.  You love the pool too and will kick your feet as we pretend you are swimming.  You love to play in the hose.  You love to sit down, put your feet out, put your shoes, and go outside.  The second I say "let's put your shoes on", you sit right down and want your shoes on, it's so cute!  You love to be outside. You love bubbles. You know a brush, brushes your hair, you know q-tips go in your ears.  You know the word, no. You don't love paint...I would love a hand print, but you aren't cooperating!!  You love your Daddy. You love your Mommy.  I can't wait to show you the 1000's of pictures and videos I have taken throughout the year.  I have loved putting you to bed everynight with a book and a bottle.  I have stared at your sleeping body nestled in my arms for countless hours, thanking God for you and realizing I am the luckiest Mommy in the world.  I love your baby breath, there is nothing as sweet as a babies breath.  I have loved waking up in the wee morning hours, bringing you in my bed to cuddle together before we get up to start the day.  You make me smile and laugh daily.  I don't know how I ever lived without you ~ You are my world, my everything.

I love you forever,
Mommy

I'm buying pretty paper tomorrow and hand writing this for you, I think you will love reading my letters one day!  I'm hoping we will read them together in 20 or so years!! :)  Wow, I will be 53...seriously ouch!!

Maybe Baby #2

I have been itching for another baby for several months now!!  I have been keeping track of my cycles and we haven't been using any form of birth control, so every month I am sort of hoping that "this will be the month"!  I really want to give Kate a sibling and I want them to be close in age, so they can grow up together and be best friends, like my sisters and I are.  So secretly, I am hoping for a girl...I may delete this sentence one day- if God gives us a baby boy!  Haha! 

Anyway, I'm one day late today and I'm so anxious about the possibility that maybe "this will be the month"!
(I took a pregnancy test last night and there was only one line- if I haven't started my period by tomorrow, I will take another test!!)  Fingers are crossed!!!!

Daddy's & Daughters


This resonated with me...made me tear up, I am so lucky to have the most amazing Dad.  I can't remember a time in my life when he wasn't there for me.  I could always count on him; he always had time for me, he made me feel loved and important and valuable and special and beautiful and smart. He has always been proud of me and I knew it all my life.  I am so blessed to have him as a role model.  He puts family first, he has integrity, he is honest, he is giving to his family, friends, and community.  He is my hero.

I'm so happy that I found a man so similar to my Dad.  Someone who will be all of these things for my children.



1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.


3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.
4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.
13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.
19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.
24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.
29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.
35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.

41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.
42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.
47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.
http://lifetoheryears.com/

Friday, September 9, 2011

Today

Today Kate is 1 year old, plus 10 days :)  I picked her up from Ludim's today and she had cute little pig tails- basically this was the cutest thing I have seen in my whole life!!!  My little girls hair is long enough for pigtails, I'm not sure why this makes me so excited, but it does!  I don't think these pics do the "do" justice...seriously she is the cutest baby girl ever!!!  I know, I know, nothing beats a Mothers love...but I think you will agree.




Kate is blowing kisses now, she's dancing whenever a tune comes on or I start to sing, she's hugging, she's kissing, she's laughing at her own "jokes"- we think she thinks she's the funniest person she knows~ her sense of humor is beautiful- she laughs all the time- belly laughs all the time, mouth wide open and smiling!
She runs all over the place!  We're staying with Dad now, our lease is up and we have an offer in on a house in Sweetwater.  Anyway, every morning we have breakfast with Gigi and Papa and then we come back to the house and get dressed and go...we walk out the door and I get the bags in the car and Kate is halfway up the walk way headed to Gigi's.  She laughs and talks the whole way...and then I have to coerce her or snatch her up and head to the car!  Kate really loves Gigi...they have bonded :)  We go up there a lot of afternoons when we get home too.  Gigi helped Kate learn how to blow kisses!


Her 1 year Dr. appointment went well- except Kate is not a big fan of Dr. C, she was very clingy with me and did not want him touching her.  This was very different than all of the previous appointments, I guess a sign of her changing and growing and knowing who she knows and who she doesn't!  Kate is 19.5 lbs (35th percentile for weight) and 30 inches long (75th percentile for height).  Dr. C asked me if she would take a step if I held on to her hands...I laughed, she's been walking since she was 9.5 months old!!  2 more shots
:( but she was fine a couple minutes after it was over.


We're looking forward to FALL!! :)  I think I'm going to send a fall themed card to the Family this year...time to start looking for outfits and props!!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

1 Year Stats

19.5 pounds    (35%)
30 inches long  (75%)
Head circ 43 cm

Everything is moving in the right direction!  Kate is perfect!

Now I just need to wean her from her 11p-12a bottle!!  I thought this would happen naturally!!!

Monday, August 29, 2011

A Prayer

I love this prayer so much, had to repost!

From the hilarious book, Bossypants, by Tina Fey.

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.
When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half and stick with beer.
Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.
Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, God dammit.
May she play the drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need not Lie With Drummers.
Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.
O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers and the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.
And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.
And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,”she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.
Amen.”
-by Tina Fey

Monday, August 15, 2011

Only 32 Posts This Year~

Kate will be a year old in a few weeks and I just realized I have only 32 entries on my blog.  I had big plans of documenting this first year of parenthood- the big things and the little.  I think I've done "ok" at reporting the monumentous moments, but not so great at sharing the little day to day moments- the ones I cherish the most.

I can't believe that it's already been a year since I was 9 months pregnant and waiting anxiously to meet my little princess.  Little did I know just how powerful my love for her would be!! :)  I didn't know she would be our little KatieBug and do everything so quickly.  Our almost one year old is literally running around the house...saying Mama, Dada, Happy (she says happy happy happy all the time with a big smile on her face!), she said Papa this morning - and looked right at Papa Ken :)....and she's always talking...putting different sounds together, it won't be long until she can really communicate.  She understands "no" and gives the most amazing hugs...this started a few weeks ago and I'll never forget the first time she put her arms around my neck and gave me a sqeeze, she does it all the time now and it is one of my all time favorite moments of the day. 

She left Trinity a week and a half ago...they moved her to the next nursery early and we didn't feel she was ready to move to one nap a day from 12-2 and for no more bottles.  At 11 months, we felt she still needed to be a baby...we don't want to deviate from her natural sleep patterns, etc.  We found a wonderful woman, Ludim, who we later found out is Seventh Day Adventist, with an 11 year old boy Kyle and a 14 year old daugher Kathleen...they go to Forest Lake- small world :)  They're vegetarian and don't eat junk food, they will teach Kate Spanish, and they only watch one other girl- a 2.5 year old named Tatim- who is Karly's age exactly!  So far, so good- though it is very hard on me some days because I just want to be home with Kate myself.  I do think she is getting great care and she seems very happy!  All in all...I am so happy she is getting one on one attention and is in an in home setting rather than a big daycare.

In other news...we've (Kate and I) have been staying with my Dad for 3 weeks now because I put a whole bag of diatomacious earth on the floors in the condo, all in the name of organically and naturally ridding the place of fleas.  HUGE MISTAKE!!!  The white powder is a permanent fixture in the condo...not a safe place for a baby to be laying around...and possibly breathing in this stuff.  The bright side is that Kate knows Papa Ken even better and lights up with a big smile every time he walks in the door!  Dad has been great...we feel right at home, but we had no doubts there.  We've been having breakfast w/ Gigi every morning so Kate gets her watermelon and dates and Mommy gets her coffee (I'm liking it black these days!), Mmmmm!!  There is also a bear that roams the neighborhood and digs into the trash a few times a week...Chris saw him the other night and I am dying to catch a glimpse of him myself...I peer out the window every night hoping to see him!

Chris and I have been approved for a home loan...this is super EXCITING so we just started looking for homes...we want a 4/2.5 with a pool.  "Daddy is buying KatieBug a house" ~ that's what he told Kate the other night, made my heart melt!! 

Other exciting news:  Kate and Mommy head to Denver with Aunt Holly, Nick, and Karly on Wednesday night to see Aunt Kendra!!!  We are so excited...Papa got the suitcase out for us yesterday and we're packing up for our first plane ride together!  It's a late flight, so I'm guessing Kate will sleep for much of it.  I can't wait for everyone to see Kate...she's walking now and so different from when she was still a "baby" crawling around a few months ago.  She, Nick, and Karly are going to have so much fun!!
I'm planning Kate's first birthday party (ladybug theme)...and I'm so excited!  I think she will have so much fun being the star at her party...she's such a lil ham (pics to come!).

I can't think of anything else exciting right now...I'm just enjoying every moment (oh Kate slept thru the night 2 nights ago, I couldn't believe it, first time EVER...the next night she was up from 2-4am....neither is normal, usually she goes to bed at 7, wakes up for a quick bottle anywhere from 11-2 and gets up at 630).  It will be nice when she sleeps thru the night regularly, I just don't have it in me yet to wean that last bottle.  It will happen though...for now I love cradling by baby with a bottle...I think these days are numbered and I'm going to miss them.  For my record (I'll probably reference one day, maybe when the next comes along):  I stopped breastfeeding totally at 11 months.  My baby is growing up, and sometimes it's hard to imagine/comprehend how this time goes by so fast- I remember reading about all my friends taking their babies off to school last year,  and I saw the same posts today on facebook...pictures of the first day of kindergarten, posts about how it was harder on Mommy and can't "I just home school?"  I know these next 4 years will be gone in a flash and it will be Kate heading off to school ~tear~ Eeeeeek, I'm just literally cherishing EVERY single moment with her. Thank God :)

Kendra, thanks for the motivation...I need to write more :) Love you and see you in a little more than 24 hours!!!!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Walking for Father's Day!

Kate surprised us yesterday when she took her very first steps at Papa Ken's house while visiting with Gigi, Uncle Jack, Kenny, Nana, Arden, and cousins Richard, and Penny!  Uncle Jack made a really delicious meal for us and afterward we all congregated to the family room to talk and tell stories!  We were just talking and laughing and Kate was with Gigi and I was sitting on the floor several feet away...all of the sudden Kate turned and took her first steps towards me!  It was really exciting and so much fun that a lot of family was there to witness the very first steps Kate took!  She took 5 or 6 steps and Papa Ken just happened to have his camera (of course, when doesn't he?!) and took some snap shots!  She walked again and again and Uncle Kenny caught some of those first steps on video! 

Kate is growing up so fast!  She's 9.5 months old and already walking...my little, tiny, cooing baby is growing into a bubbly, happy, talking, walking toddler so fast, I really can't believe it. 

So here are the pictures we have of our bubbly, happy, talking, walking almost toddler.  9.5 months.
Papa Ken missed the first step...but had his camera and caught the 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.  YAY!  A favorite moment caught on "film". 

I LOVE this picture, Gigi, Nana, and I are so full of surprise...while Uncle Kenny sits back...not fazed a bit. haha!  He was actually very excited too :) but this is funny because he is always the calm one!

These are the first steps of many for this gorgeous girl...I wonder where these feet will take her!  She's definitely a go getter...no doubt she will be a star!
Playing with the spoon...peas in the background....I think this is before "the first walk!"

She loves her Uncle Kenny!

Cousins Richard and Penny Clarke

Uncle Jack threw a great party!
This was a birthday celebration for Gigi- 88 years old.  This post isn't about Gigi, but I have to say that she is the most beautiful, loving, strong woman I know.  Her story/life is amazing.
This is also a first Father's Day celebration!  Happy first Father's Day to a super amazing Father.  Kate is a lucky girl.  This Daddy absolutely adores his baby girl. (passing Kate to Daddy here, lol)

And a Father's Day celebration for all the Dad's...cousins Arden and Richard!
Where is MY DAD?!  Always behind the camera, that's where!

With reservations...Kate's first bite of cake!!  Mommy is a health nut!
Uncle Jack gave ME this fancy Indonesian dress for Father's Day (always the comedian!)...I think it looks better on Chris!
Proud parents! ;)