This BEAUTIFUL babe truly has me captivated. (Okay, her big sister does, too!) Oh how my mother's heart wants to savor every single moment with her -- she is growing so fast! -- and document ever single milestone for her baby book and for my memory which will ultimately fail me.
But life is SO full and I don't know where the days go. Having two little ones feels like such a whirlwind/marathon. So our little Kate lives the less-documented and less-photographed life of second children everywhere! The monthly onesie stickers sit unused in the caddy next to her changing table. The fancy Canon camera stays snug in its camera bag in the closet, while the handy iPhone does all the work of capturing her life in pictures. I did manage to snap this pic in honor of her 6-month birthday, September 27, 2014 though. What a happy and sweet baby she is! Tess was a good baby, we thought, so we expected to have to "pay our dues" this time around. But we have truly hit the baby jackpot. The only challenges, if you could even call them that, are lack of a regular nap schedule and still waking up suuuuper early in the mornings (like, 5am or sooner) for a bottle.
I remember the first time she rolled over. I was on the phone with a friend and squealed with delight, then paused the convo to snap a picture of her. I knew the photo would be time-and-date stamped so that I could preserve the moment for posterity. Except now I can't find the photo anywhere, and it was most likely accidentally deleted with the hundreds of other photos I choose not to keep so that there is plenty of room on my phone to take more. Then I thought, "I MUST have posted a status on Facebook to share it with the world!" Nope, nothing there either. Woops. I am so sorry, Kate! But I know it was early-to-mid August of 2014 and you were laying on the floor in our living room!
We started solid foods around 6 months and initially she didn't seem to take to it. Then our trip to Disneyland created a natural hiatus until we were ready to try again, around 7 months or so. Before we knew it, we were doing solids for 3 meals a day and the Baby Beaba (baby food maker) was out of the cupboard and steaming up the kitchen!
By 6 months, Tess had cut her first tooth. And although we have had plenty of teething woes (despite the semi-pricey and super-trendy amber teething necklace), there is still no sign or feel of teeth poking through those gums!
Baby girl just started sitting up unassisted a few weeks ago (November 15th, to be exact), which felt later than with Tess, but then again we are so often preoccupied that we were not actively working with her on it! Parent fail? Nah...I am choosing to call it "relaxed parenting."
No crawling yet, at 8 months (tomorrow), but lots and lots of rolling around. She is getting close, I can tell, and this time I am not rushing it. In fact, I am not rushing anything anymore. Life and the universe wants to rush me through everything and so I am consciously digging my feet and heart in and trying hard to be in the moment. Even if the moment feels like I am running on empty and ready to run screaming from the house -- ha! Just being real, friends.
On an adorable note, someone has been conscientious enough to work with Kate on waving and clapping -- suddenly, she is doing both, and it's like I've never had a baby do anything cute before. What a fun surprise for this possibly-too-relaxed (?) parent! Other tidbits....she responds to both Kate and "Sprout" (her nickname), she loves to shriek, she loves loves loves laughing at the cat and her big sister, she loves baths, and she loves to swing. Oh, and she loves her Mommy and Daddy, and sometimes screams when we are not in sight! (Separation anxiety is just another milestone, right?)
And last, but certainly not least, we have had to retire the #katescrazyhair hashtag in favor of the "Sprout Pony" you see pictured above. The hair lays flat now, except for a cute little pomp in the back, but it hangs in her eyes and gets in her food. The hair had a great run, but the beautiful blue eyes and gorgeous smile have taken over as her most prominent features.
Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, she will be 8 months old. This often-frazzled mom left the onesie sticker at home (we are out of town), but pictures are on the agenda! And we are full to overflowing with gratitude for our healthy, sweet, and beautiful "Baby Kate."
After what felt like years of waiting, we finally made a trip to Disneyland! We felt Tess would be old enough to enjoy it (given her current Princess obsession) and Kate was young enough to tote around without too much hassle. With the help of Grandma Meg, our three-day Disney adventure was a huge success! The focus was less on thrill rides and more on Princess meet-and-greets, but that's okay...Mom & Dad were just as star struck as Tess (if not more so) to see all the characters and talk with them. We capped off our last day in the park with a much-anticipated and highly coveted appointment with Anna and Elsa from Frozen. 
