7 Months of Fun

**this is a very long update. I understand if you don't want to read all of it**

Our Katina has been around for 7 months now! I think the last month has been one of the most change filled that we've experienced with her. She is still growing and growing at the 75% for height and weight! 

I had some trouble getting her started on baby cereal. She seemed to react badly to the cereal and so we started very slowly. Then, Carolyn recommended HappyBellies baby cereal and she has done GREAT. Kate absolutely loves eating:) She has loved every single type of baby food I've given her with a seeming preference towards squash, peas, and apples. Today I tried giving her some mashed up avocado and she hated it! The first thing she hated. Horrible faces, spitting it out, gagging, and finally spitting it up. We'll leave that alone for awhile. She is eating like a pro twice a day for now. She has also been enjoying small bits of Ritz crackers that I put in her mouth. She can't pick them up yet but she knows when they're coming and opens her mouth SO wide, like a baby bird. It's really fun. She chews them very well even though she still doesn't have even one tooth. 

She sits beautifully for very long periods of time and tries really hard to reach toys that move out of her reach but no lunging or getting on all fours yet. That's fine with me! I like knowing she has to stay in one place. She stays happy this way for a long time, shaking and chewing on toys. I think I do need to start getting some more involved toys for her though because she seems to be getting a little tired of the chewy type toys. I had to put away her little play mat with hanging toys because she wouldn't play in it anymore. That was a sad day since it was the first thing she played with!

On the behavior front, Kate is starting to show strong displeasure (i.e. a fit) when we take away something she is really enjoying. For now we are just firmly telling her "no" and then distracting her:)

In vocal news, she says "da da" very well, blows raspberries with the best of them, and still REALLY enjoys hearing herself scream! She also cracks up at her toys a lot which is adorable.

The BIGGEST change though, is that she sleeps with no more swaddle blanket!!! And it was accomplished with no tears for either of us! I was so anxious for so long that Kate would sleep in her swaddle forever or that weaning her from it would be a terrible ordeal. But, I laid her down for her nap one day on her tummy as an experiment and she did great. I kept doing that just for naps for a week or two and then two nights ago went to tummy for night sleep and she slept 11 hours! Presto, done with the swaddle. I'm so grateful to the Lord that He made it so peaceful!

I think that is all the major updates, so, here are pictures:)

Morning Playtime.

 I chuckle so much about the picture below:) Her hair has been sticking out on the sides recently and it looks so funny. This picture captured it well.

Kate loves playing with the basket that holds her changing stuff. On this particular day she pulled everything out and got bored and proceeded to put her head halfway under the couch. She pulled it out before I could get the picture.

The picture below was after her first night sleeping on her tummy. Her eyes got so swollen from being face down! I think she looks so different then normal, but still super cute:)

Today Lizzy and I took the babies to The Bradford Store to let them play a little bit. It was so fun! Jason and Kate really light up whenever they see each other! They had a lot of fun at this kids play area. The store is so kind to let you just hang out.

Kate went right for these sunglasses when she saw them in the basket. I put them on her and she left them alone.

Flirting with Jason...

He was mesmerized...

First time with a Barbie. Barbie got chewed on.

Way more interested in the paper signs then smiling

I had her sitting here until she reached forward and almost flipped out!

Disgruntled, "the sun is too bright," look:)

Well, there is the end of the giant update! 

Ashville

Back on Mother's Day Sunday David took me up to the Biltmore in Ashville as my birthday gift! It was the PERFECT gift:) I absolutely love the Biltmore. I first went about 10 years ago. It was Christmas time and my Granma and Aunt Allie were with us. I was instantly captured by the beauty, and other wordly-ness of the whole Biltmore Estate. Ever since it's been one of my favorite places. It's also where David proposed to me!!! I said yes.

This huge veranda is one of the most wonderful places in the house. It looks out over a panorama of mountains, sky, fields, and a distant pond. It's stunning. There is always a breeze on this porch it seems. If I had lived in the Biltmore this would have been my favorite place!

This picture does no justice to the view, but you can get an idea.

Huge fish! 

You can't tell from this picture, but this tree was HUGE. It had one of the thickest trunks I have ever seen! I absolutely love trees.

The bench where we got engaged! The sun was very much in our faces:)

One of the things that David said made him want to propose here is that it's a place that will never change. We will always be able to go back to this spot!

Of course we had to get some fun and silly pictures!

These are our "mystic" faces

I'm not a huge fan of orchids but the leaves of this plant were SO beautiful. I have never seen a bright pink and green leaf before.

The house

It was a really sweet day! I so enjoyed all the "just us" time with Dave. We really missed Kate though:) I am wondering how we will make it though a whole weekend in Charleston with out her in a few days!

Her Very First Flower

Smiles

Ok, so she's not smiling in all of them, but I hope they made you smile!

Better

Thank you so much to any of you who prayed for us after my last post! Thankfully, our midnight adventure was a one night occurrence! Now poor Kate has a cold so she is sleeping extra long. It's her third cold in her 6 month life span which worries me a little. I guess that's part of having a winter baby. It's a mild cold, but I still feel bad for her. She seems cheerful and unfazed for the most part. I enjoy the excuse to get extra cuddles and rocking time!

Here are some recent pictures for my loving out-of-towners.

Kate grabs with all she's worth at anything and everything that comes into her line of vision. If I don't give it to her she just keeps reaching and straining until I either move it out of sight or put it within reach. She is super curious! Of course, everything gets shoved into her mouth with gusto:)

This time it was a little too big to bite on.

We are borrowing/storing this excersaucer from the Lechners and it has been such fun! Kate loves playing with all the toys. She has figured out that the hanging toys play music when you pull them. It also gives her good practice at "standing" and strengthening her legs.

She really wanted to hold the camera.

Her left eye has had a blocked tear duct since she's been born. It's harmless but aggravating. The other morning I went in to get her and burst out laughing because her left eye had gotten sealed shut with goop! She wasn't bothered by it at all and it looked so funny! 

(Also, notice my shiny nose bursting out of the corner....niiice.)

Molehills Become Mountains After Midnight

Last night was a rough one! Kate woke up hopping mad at 12:00. Sometimes she wakes from a deep sleep crying really hard and we haven't been able to figure out why (sudden gas pain? nightmare? evil fairies pinching her?) Usually this happens shortly after putting her to bed though and usually she soothes pretty quickly after a few minutes in the rocker. Not so last night! David and I tried everything we could think of to help her back to sleep (including the old standby of rocking her in the glider.) She only got more awake!

At 1:00 David took her downstairs to watch T.V. because "crying it out" didn't seem to be working anymore then rocking her did. I joined them and we gave her Tylenol (she is getting into teething age after all,and I had already given her gas drops) I fed her and changed her diaper, David ate a bowl of cereal. Kate was rubbing her eyes and yawning. Yes! Back to bed with her:) 15 minutes later she was crying again. 

Letting your baby "cry it out" seems like such a reasonable idea in the light of day. I don't want her to get the idea that I will rock her to sleep every time she cries at night. I had met every need I could think of for her and I was convinced she wasn't in pain because she was happy as long as we had her up. But, when it's 2 in the morning and all you want is sleep what ever gets your tiny one to sleep seems like the best option. Your mind plays tricks on you and you wonder if maybe she is hurting. It's all quite confusing. I was praying for sleep for Kate and reminding myself that Jesus knows how much sleep I need and that He would supply the grace for dealing with lost rest. 

At 2:30 the crying showed no signs of letting up so I went in to pat her. I felt peace from the Lord that at this point we all needed to just get to sleep. 2:30 wasn't the time to let her cry it out for the first time in her life. I picked her up and rocked her and she was asleep within minutes. Down for the count asleep. Praise the Lord! 

I recognize that I am so blessed to have only had one night like that with our baby thus far. Not that Kate always sleeps perfectly, we've had our nights, but she has never been up for 3 hours in the middle of the night. Last night was such a challenge to my patience and I was reminded afresh that we are totally dependent on the Lord to lead us in our parenting. I was reminded afresh how kind He has been to give me such an easy baby. I know many people have nights like that with regularity. 

Today I want to trust in Him with joy as I care for a cranky baby who didn't get alot of sleep while I am a cranky mama who didn't get enough sleep! I really do want to rejoice that I get to lay down my life for a little soul that's been entrusted to me to care for.

Thanks for reading my rant! :)

That First Touch of Spring

Liz Shea came over today to take some pictures of all of us for a photo project. It was Baby Kate's first ever time in the grass. She totally loved it! She took full use of her newest skill: Sitting unsupported!

It was so cute to watch her feeling the grass and reaching all around her to grasp it. David took all of these. I think they look cuter when they are bigger (if you click on the picture it will blow it up.)

She would reach way forward like this trying to get every piece that was near her. I am sure she couldn't figure out why she couldn't pick it up and put it in her mouth!

Meg took a picture just like this of Laurel and I thought it was so cute. Now I have one of my baby girl:) I love they way babies feet look when they are sitting up.

It was getting past eating/nap time and Kate got tired of being in the grass and was fussing. I picked her up to comfort her and we got some Mama/Daughter pictures. They turned out so pretty!

Poor crying baby!

Kate is so fascinated with faces right now. She is always reaching out to touch them, especially lips. 

I love the way she pulls herself in to put our faces together. She is actually trying to bite my face:) Silly girl is totally obsessed with "gumming" things. All part of this age I know:)

Restored to happiness! 

I thank the Lord for this beautiful day! Hopefully we can hang on to some sunshine for a bit!