Summer Synopsis: Kate

Kitty Kate, it's been a busy June and July! You've kept me on my toes, for sure!

We've spent a lot of time together, and you keep me busy! Here you are early in the summer after removing paper from your wall-mount entertainment center and making confetti. Sometimes, the endless supply of toys purchased for your enjoyment don't make the cut, and you want to mess with home appliances. Awesome! :)

What all have you done this summer? Well, you have...

Modified Daddy's Father's Day card so that the little girl there wore a patch like you. :)

And oh yeah - you WALKED for the first time on Father's Day! Game changer for sure! 

You attended your cousin Lauren's wedding!

You visited Daddy's college "family" at Lake Tawakoni. 

You sported your swimsuits but frankly don't seem to care much for the pool. We'll try some more, but you cling to Mommy for dear life!

You are your brother's biggest fans at his swim lessons, for sure! He's been such a big swimmer that he's monopolized Mommy on pool days, but that's okay. 

The more you walk, the more you love to carry everything around. Here you are with your grocery bag.

You also had your 15 month check-up. I don't have pictures, but for consistency's sake, I'll document your measurements:

Length: 31.75" - 80th percentile
Weight: 25 lbs 4 oz - 90th percentile

Oh girl... like many in our family who have proceeded you, you looooove your groceries! :)

You also crack me up because you imitate very well, and you figure that since Mommy sticks her fingers in your eye every now and again to get out and put in your contact, it's just something people do. Here you are showing me some love in that way.

The humid weather has made your curls just spectacular. That's one of the very first things people say about you: "Oh, she has the most BEAUTIFUL hair!" 

If you are preoccupied with other tasks, you'll tolerate hair bows, which I love!

You went to the dentist for the first time, and got this pink balloon. One of the sweetest moments was watching you marvel at it - I don't think you've ever really noticed a balloon before! 

(I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Luke took this balloon from you and it became a source of constant fighting between the two of you. Let's just say that one night after y'all went to bed ballooney went to a nice balloon farm in the sky, m-kay?)

In that picture, you were watching Disney Junior. Within the past month or so, you've really taken to television. Your favorites are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sofia the First, kind of Doc McStuffins, and Big Block SingSong. The Hot Dog Dance is your favorite, and you dance to it! Even better, you look back at us smiling, as if to say, "You guys! GUYS!!!! I am DANCING!!!! Recognize and applaud me!" 

You are ALL SASS!

You do okay with baths but I have to work quickly because you often want out... and you're getting tall enough that I may have to mess with a slippery escapee soon!

Here you are one day after a nap. You were hungry, so you grabbed a BIG box of yogurt melts and chased me around with it. "NACKS. NACKS. NACKS. NACKS." Homegirl loves her snacks! 

Other things you're saying:

Mama

Dada

Kkkkkk (just imagine a "K" sound - that's how you say Luke. It's the cutest thing EVER.)

Uh-oh

Go

Ba (can mean ball, bottle, bowl even)

Guck (duck)

Buh-bye

Hi 

Puh puh (kind of how you say puppy in reference to Hannah)

Baby

I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting, but you're chatty and dramatic and a mess. And we love you like crazy for it! 

Your eye is doing pretty well, though you have gotten quite good at taking off your eye patch, so... that's not Mommy's favorite. We go back to see your ophthalmologist in late September - I'm curious to hear the report. After a nice two month streak of effortless contact removal and insertion, you have exerted your will and fought like mad when it's time to take your contact out, so much so that Mommy gave up and drove you to Frisco to see Crystal the Contact Lens Ninja. (That isn't on her business card, because it should be. Seriously, she's amazing.) I am banking on a future when I can negotiate with you through this food rewards. "Kate, first we take out your contact, then you get a brownie." Because if you're like your mama, you will cooperate for a brownie. 

You think your brother hangs the moon, and while he isn't reciprocating that interest in you yet, we are hopeful there will be a time that will change. In the meantime, you guys play alongside each other pretty nicely, though your keen interest in food - especially foods eaten by others - ensures we will all work on some serious sharing in the coming weeks and... well, ever. You guys did give me and a lobby full of parents at Luke's school a sweet moment at drop off when I asked Luke to give you a kiss. For once, he did, and you returned it - but not in an awkward way. You could probably hear the "AWWWWWWWW!!!!!" across the street! :)

Kate, you are a firecracker, for sure. You are also my buddy while Bubba is in school, and you're my shadow a lot of the time.  For now, you just love me DESPERATELY, and while there are days when it wears me out, I cherish you right now, at this sweet age, because you'll never be this little again, and because it's all just happening so quickly. 

I'm pretty sure it was two years ago almost to the day that I realized we were adding another baby to our family. I couldn't have imagined a more resilient, spunky, sweet, and beautiful little girl! Mommy and Daddy love you, Katherine Anne!