You get more fun every day as you learn and discover. And we can tell that you're having fun too! You make us smile and laugh so much that we end up with sore cheeks a lot — so thank you for that gift! You've had a very eventful month that included parties, holidays, and trying lots of new things.
You have so much personality and spirit in your little body — it's amazing! It's as if I can already tell the kind of person you're going to be: positive, bright, curious, and fun. I love that I continue to learn more about you, even as you're learning about yourself.
When I pick you up from daycare, all of your teachers love to tell me how smart and funny you are. It seems like everyone in that place knows who you are and loves to say hi to steal a smile. Let me tell you, it's not the worst thing for a parent to have to listen to over and over! Really, I just want to tell them, "Yes, I know. Isn't she the best?!" Some of my favorite times this month are when we finally get home from work/school. You're happy to see us, and you have so much fun giggling and playing with your Daddy and me. It's great family time and such an effective way to decompress after work!
You've been napping more regularly and more in your crib than you used to. We try to have you take a nap at least once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Sometimes you only sleep for 20-30 minutes, but it seems like it still refreshes you. The picture above cracks me up — you fell asleep like this in your bouncy seat. My favorite part was your body position and the one-socked look! And when you fall asleep while drinking a bottle, you inevitably end up with your lip pouted out from when we pulled the bottle out. It's pretty darn cute.
You've started rolling over on your side to sleep, and it looks so cute! You position your arm under your head and look like a little person curled up. Adorable! Plus it looks much more comfortable than sprawled out on your back.Eating: Well, we bought a highchair this month, and you really seem to like sitting in it! I think you prefer being upright where you can see and observe what's happening around you. It's a great fit!
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| Katy in her new highchair |
And big news (drum roll please) — you are eating solids! This was exciting for us, and you really seem to enjoy eating food! Your first solid food was sweet potato that I roasted and thinned with breastmilk. You were open to eating from the spoon, were receptive to the first bite, made a little bit of a face when you felt it in your mouth, but then immediately wanted more! By the end of your first time, you were practically lunging your face towards the spoon to get it in your mouth faster. We were so impressed! You even held the spoon yourself at one point, but I wasn't surprised that you wanted to do it yourself already.
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| Sweet potatoes for the first time! |
So far, you've tried and liked sweet potato, pears, banana, apples, and peas. You also tried barley cereal, which I wanted to throw into the mix for a little more substance to counter all the new fiber you were being introduced to. So far, so good on everything! I will continue to try new foods, and I will probably start to make and freeze a supply for you.
Stats: You feel like you've gained a pound or two, but I don't know for sure. Your next appointment is your 6-month check-up, so we'll know more then about your height and weight. People seem to think that you're older than you are, but I think it's because you seem fairly tall.
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| Ready for school and waiting for Mom! |
Clothes Size: You can still wear a couple of items that are 3-6 months, but you have pretty much outgrown most of that size. You have a couple of things that are 6-9 months that are still a little baggy, so you're kind of in between at the moment. You still wear size 2 diapers, though I think the next time we have to purchase them (which isn't for a while thanks to a loving Grandma and aunts/great aunts!), we'll get size 3.
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| Katy and her "blue steel" expression |
Milestones/Firsts: You are making a lot of advancements in body movement: Your motor skills are improving, you like to touch and grab at objects, and you can roll from both belly to back and back to belly. And for the most part, you can sit up! You're still a little wobbly, but with just a little bit of back-up support, you can sit on your own. We can tell how much stronger your back is getting because you can lean down to your toes (likely to pull your sock off or suck on them) and sit back up on your own. You used to just get stuck doing that!
You are dying to crawl! We put out a blanket for you to play on, and you'll roll back and forth a few times, ultimately ending up on your belly. Then you'll spot something across the blanket and get very frustrated that you can't move closer to it. You start to push on your legs and push your body forward. And just in the last couple of days, you've started to pick up your belly to get your knees beneath you! I think you're very close to crawling...and then we better look out!
We threw your Grandma Lydia and Grandpa Charlie a surprise 60th birthday party, so you attended your first real bash! You were okay at first, and let several people hold you. But when the crowd grew and the surprise came, you were a little scared and didn't enjoy yourself as much. It didn't help that it was your bedtime and 40 people were in the house! Eventually you went to sleep though and woke up happy as always the next morning!
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| Katy and Great Grandma |
It was so cute that we had to snap a picture. We had such a nice time with you though, and we had fun reminiscing about last Christmas, when we were still keeping you a secret!
Daddy and I shared some champagne and watched the fireworks from the roof deck on New Year's Eve. You peacefully slept through all of the shouting, banging of pots and pans, horns and other festivities going on on neighboring roofdecks.
Likes/Dislikes: You like so much right now! You love playing with me and your Daddy. You love it when he holds you, dances with you, and makes you giggle. There's just something about his voice that makes you smile! You seem to like going to school, and you always greet your teachers with smiles, which I think they appreciate! You still enjoy your baths, you love to eat, and you like playing with new toys and listening to books being read to you. And you really love a ceramic Christmas tree we had out this year. You get so excited when we turn it on and the colorful lights shine!
Speaking of turning on lights, you love to turn on the light switch that's just over your changing table. It's become a little bit of a routine for you to turn it on and off when you're done being changed/dressed. You turn around and look up at the ceiling to see the lights you've turned on — it's so much fun to watch you!
You are a bit of a ham and definitely a good sport. Grandma had you in a hat that was too small for your head and pulled your booties/socks up over your pants. You looked like a little Swedish girl. 
You love to stand up, and you get such an accomplished smile on your face when you do! It almost seems like you enjoy the world a little more when you're on your feet. And you are so much steadier standing than you were even a couple of weeks ago.
As far as dislikes go, they include: Putting your arms in sleeves (for some reason, this really annoys you now!), getting your boogies sucked out of your nose (again, who could blame you?), loud crowds (e.g., the surprise party), when people you don't know put their faces really close to yours...I think I would be scared of that too! You could live without napping, it seems, but we think you need it! Sometimes it just seems like you're doing all in your power to keep those eyes open. You're stubborn like your Momma!
