Dear Kate,
Sitting up is one of my favorite milestones from the first year as it is a total game changer and you are doing a pretty good job at it! You’re pretty laid back as it is, but your ability to watch what is going on around you and sit and play with toys makes life so much easier. I can regularly clean up the kitchen after meals or cook without you in my arms. Granted, you want me in eyesight but I am so much more efficient with two arms instead of just one. And you love to play with toys and your fine motor skills improve everyday.
This month you also learned how to give kisses. You’ll open your mouth like a baby bird and slobber all over me. This messy act of affection is one of the few ways you can show how much you love me and as gross as it is (because lets be real) I love it and will gladly accept them at any point.
Your sleeping patterns are pretty stable and consistent at this point. You sleep from 7:30 to about 5 am and take two naps in the day that are about 1.5 – 2 hours each.
Girlfriend, you love to eat. Whenever we put you in your highchair, you widely kick your legs and hoot in excitement. You have eaten sweet potatoes, squash, peaches, pears, green beans, blackberries, eggs, peanut butter, strawberries, blueberries, yogurt bites, puffs and mum-mum crackers. With the exception of the mum-mum crackers we need to feed you everything.
Nursing is still going pretty good. You nurse on both sides for each feeding and pumping sessions are OK. I’m barely producing enough for you and I’m hoping I can make it the full year.
Earlier in the month (before you learned to sit), you would were really working on building up your ab muscles. You would completely lift your head off the ground as if you were trying to sit up or just do some crunches. It looked like you were doing the 100’s exercise in pilates. With that said, there is 100% zero interest in rolling. You are so content on your back sucking on your toes and you don’t even attempt to roll to your side. I have a feeling that you might never roll over or for that matter even crawl and could go straight to walking. You despise tummy time like big time and its hard to put you into a sour mood by going on your tummy when you’re happy as can be just sitting.
This month, you also celebrated your first Christmas and New Years. You loved playing with the wrapping paper and looking at the lights. You slept through the entire gift opening Christmas morning, but the big kids saved you a couple of gifts to open. Santa and all your relatives spoiled you!
Another big milestone was spending your first few nights away from me. Daddy and I went to Arizona for a wedding and you got to spend some extra time with Grammy and Papa. You did awesome and I’m sure you barely noticed I was gone. I am so grateful you are the most amazing baby every and was barely worried. You are such a happy, awesome sleeper and eater that I knew there wouldn’t be any problems. My biggest fear was about pumping enough milk to replenish the stash you would go through while I was gone. And everything worked out just great. I never did a comparison of how much milk you drank and how much I brought back, but it seemed close enough.
Sweet little Kate the great, I love you to pieces. Your smile and sweet natured personality are going to move mountains someday. I love you and am so grateful you are mine.
Love,
Mama
We eventually got the decorations out and Lexi and William LOVED helping set everything out and put ornaments up on the tree. Eventually, I replaced most of them so they were more dispersed throughout the tree (I’m OCD like that) but it was so fun to listen to Christmas music and see how you get into the spirit of the season.
Opening presents was SO much fun. Kate was not having any of it and ended up back in bed around 8:00 and missed it all, but Lexi and William each took turns and were so excited for the gifts that each other received. William wanted to open and play with each toy as he opened it, which really extended the gift opening time while Lexi wanted to open as many presents as fast as she could
Peanut Smiles 