How easily we forget...

When Kate is fussy in public, people sometimes make the comment "oh poor baby, life is rough isn't it..." but I'm not sure they actually think about this sarcastic statement. I think sometimes life really IS rough for a baby.

Imagine not being able to communicate your needs very well, having to guess and use trial and error to get what you need. Imagine using building up your muscles to be able to take a few steps and then once you can actually walk, you have no balance, and so you fall all the time. You also have decreased spatial perception, and so you also run into things all the time. People sometimes pick you up and take you places you don't want to go. You get interrupted during your playtime. You are tired and don't know how to go to sleep, and you DO have worries--people come and go and you don't really understand why or where or even if you'll ever see them again. You get sick and can't breathe and don't know why, or what to do about it, or even if it will ever get better. People tell you not to do things and you don't understand why.

Ok, you get the point...so when we are out and fussy, just remember: they are babies, not adults!

Chameleon head

Kate's hair changes color depending on the light- I can't tell if she is going to be a red head or not!?! What do you think?

Summertime and the living is easy...

I love summer- the pace of school is slow, the days are long and warm and the humidity is high (especially in our house, with a husband who is anti-A/C)--oh yeah, I don't love the humidity, but that doesn't stop me from loving summer! Kate has been participating in all the great summer kid activities including drinking water from the hose, taking naps in the afternoon, and playing outside in the rain.

10 months, plus or minus...

10 month photo...a little late:)

Trial and error

Unfortunately these shiny little beetles devastated one of our most beautiful rose bushes while we were wedding hopping. They ate the ENTIRE bush. I was so sad. We are also having trouble with several of our salvias which look like they have been torched. Strangely, several others (same kind) right next to the dead ones are going wild. Who knows! We'll have to try again next summer.

We've also discovered that Kate loves blueberries and shredded cheese! She has been eating so well the past few weeks and actually ate an entire yogurt for me today! She is also starting to do some signs back to us. We have been trying "more", "milk" and "all done". Two times in a row, she has done "all done when she was finished eating. It is so cute to see her learn.

I still need to do her 10 month photo-hopefully today or tomorrow. She is so wiggly now that I can't do it alone-I need Loren to put her on the couch and entertain her long enough for me to back up and take the photo.

She is doing so well learning to walk. She is excellent at standing on her own and can walk about 6-8 feet alone. She tries so hard...stands up, walks, falls, gets up, walks, falls...over and over. She is never discouraged. What a good attitude! I hope she will carry that persistence and positivity her whole life.

Weddings Galore

We've had a whirlwind past few weeks with weddings in Florida and Colorado. We still have more to go with one in CA at the end of August.

Kate is becoming a pro at traveling on airplanes while I am becoming exhausted!