12 months

This blog is like a journal of all things Kate, so even though it is late, I need to have a 12 month post to wrap up the most amazing year of my life!

On July 22 at 8:19 a.m., my baby turned ONE and as I thought back over that year, I had goosebumps thinking about how wonderful our life is with her in it. She is perfect to us and I know how blessed we are with her health and happiness. This still a baby but trying to become a toddler is definitely one of my favorite stages. She is always smiling and laughing, talking, walking all by herself ALL over the place, and learning new things every single day but is still so dependent, looking to us for reassurance when she stumbles, pointing her way around the house, and watching our every move, soaking it in like a sponge. 

She LOVES sitting in any chair...or really anything that's her butt height :) She backs her little self up to it and then cautiously lowers herself onto the seat, sometimes missing and lowering herself all the way to the ground! 

Our little family - I don't know what we did with all of our time before Kate, but I think it's funny that we ever thought we were busy before :)

My little sunshine. She loves music and dancing - she bounces her knees and now bobs her head and it's hilarious. 

Wearing her new fancy bikini from my aunt, uncle and sweet cousins from Louisiana who came down for a summer visit. Kate LOVED their company!

4th of July with Holly, Scotty, me and Nannie (Daddy was working, PopPop doesn't do crowds ;) 

We went downtown and Kate liked the fireworks. She watched the whole time and wasn't afraid of the loud booms. We'll see if that's the case next year :)

She LOVED Breanna, who was so great with Kate. Breanna reminds me a lot of me when I was her age, and the age difference between me and Breanna is the same as that between Breanna and Kate. 

Evening at the beach where Kate loves playing in the sand and waves. 

Kate loves her Nannie so much and has been saying "Nan." She also knows her weekday morning routine so well...she is happy having breakfast and playing at home, then when she hears the front door open, she knows it's my mom coming to get her and she stops whatever she's doing to run to her. Then, that's it...we can hardly hold her anymore because she knows it time to go play at their house.  She knows to hold her lunchbox and head out the front door for the day to see the dogs, and then when I get there after work to get her, she smiles so big and runs to me and I just can't hug her tight enough. 

My little buddy. I have so many hopes and dreams for her and in the letter I wrote to her for her birthday that's in her baby book, I told her that she may not understand this love I have for her until she has her own baby one day, but to just take my word for it. My love multiplies every day and she is my favorite thing in the world. 

And if she wasn't perfect enough, she gives kisses. Big, open mouth, full of drool kisses that are the best thing in the entire world. She gives them when we ask for a kiss and sometimes just on her own, and both ways, it is precious. 

She has several words. "Mama, Dada, Nan, hi, dog, hot, bubble, no-no-no"

She also follows simple commands, can blow her nose, and puts clothes in the dryer when I hand them to her. Training her early ;)

She loves her PopPop, especially getting to share his popsicle some nights after dinner and fresh coconut milk with a straw right out of the coconut each day. My Dad has always been a great dad but my God, Kate has him wrapped like you wouldn't believe. He is head over heels for his first grandbaby  and I'm sure if she asked for her own island in Bali tomorrow, he'd make it happen. 

My sweet angel right after she woke up on her first birthday. She wakes up so happy, leaning and pointing towards the dog crates saying "dog, dog, dog" because she knows it's time to let them outside and play :) Breakfast is probably her best meal, most mornings having homemade oatmeal with strawberries and then a mound of blueberries. She will eat blueberries any time of any day. In the past month or so, she has actually started playing with her toys. We've always had fun things for her, but she was so focused on walking that she just didn't care about the toys. But now, she's a pro at walking and so will move all over from toy to toy, checking each one out. I know I mentioned that this stage is so fun, but I think it's also easier too. Now that she's sturdy on her feet, I can put her down and get some things done. We keep a close eye on her because she climbs everything like a monkey and tries to eat the dog's food every day, but she loves exploring!

Happy 12 months Kate Elizabeth. This has been the best year of our lives and we are so lucky you made us parents. We love you so much and can't wait to show you the world!