8 Months Old AND The Youngest Of 8

Baby Kate's 1st Greentree Parade: September 15, 2012 

A family fall favorite is the the Greentree Parade which goes right in front of our home...the kids love this...this year, Lizzy got up early to put out the blanket and chairs to hold our spot in front of our home...the favorite part for the kids is gathering, then eating all of the candy that is passed out...I'm not so sure this is a favorite family event of Baby Kate's just yet as she only had Cheerios to eat...then fell asleep in my arms before the hour long parade ended...

Baby Kate's gross motor skills are developing so quickly...

She even pulls herself up on the Exersaucer as it tilts to the side...

She is constantly pulling herself up on the hearth to play with toys...

Baby Kate also holds her arms out to be picked up...

She proudly sits in a booster seat...

 She even crawls to the back door to watch her siblings play in the back yard...

Baby Kate has clearly outgrown the bassinet, but Mommy wanted her in it just one more time...

She loves to put toys in her mouth and is used to being in front of a camera...

Baby Kate also likes to climb through things, even when she has her 1st cold and isn't feeling her best...

The Weekly Chair Photo on September 17, 2012

Baby Kate...8 Months Old AND The Youngest Of 8...

these pictures are worth more than 1,000 words!!!

Saturday morning, September 22, during Lizzy's soccer game...

After the fun with Sarah, Mary Christine and Baby Kate's hat.. Baby Kate was ready to stretch and move around...

Now...Baby Kate's turn to play with Sarah's hat...

Baby Kate's Daddy and I continue to be amazed that at times, she is standing up while crawling...

8 Months Old!!!

Honestly, I'm in mourning... the loss of my baby...  

Baby Kate is no longer a baby in my eyes... 

She is HUGE and Loud and Demanding... 

I love her so, she just wants to go, go, go!!!  

Baby Kate still sleeps with us and 

nurses during the night and early morning, 

but other than those times, 

she really wants to be ON THE MOVE!!!!

The Weekly Chair Photo is almost impossible...

 So determined...

Into the kitchen...

On hands and knees...

 Over, under, and through...

So BIG...Baby Kate holds her arms up to be picked up...

Inside...Pulling herself up on her knees...

Outside...

literally wearing the exact same outfit 

Sarah and Anna refused to wear just moments before...

a 18-24 month Carter's romper...

Sitting pretty in a rocking chair...

 

Investigating grass...

AND...

Eating her 1st Pizza Bone...

With tears in my eyes...

I wonder...

How did this happen?

I must have blinked!!!

Mommy is so, so proud of you, Baby Kate!!! 

AND

SO GRATEFUL and THANKFUL that God blessed ME

after 15+ years of marriage to be your Mommy!!!

7 Months Old

Baby Kate's Seventh  Month was a month of huge developmental growth!!!

She started sitting by herself...

To Army Crawling...

and Growing her 1st tooth!!!

Week 32: August 7-13, 2012

 What a week it has been!!!

 ARMY CRAWLING!!!

 

So...Friday night, I'm upstairs and come down the steps to hear Pat asking me..."What is your definition of crawling???"  I say, "No, no... don't tell me...I'm not ready..." About two hours later, he has put Kate on the floor...only because I left her at home to pick the boys up from a pool party...otherwise she would have been in my arms... and I see IT... I see her moving forward...moving arms and legs... I can't deny it any longer...  Pat proudly declares that I probably would have noticed sooner if I ever put her down...He's probably right...and I'm proud that Baby Kate was almost always in my arms...right where she should be!!!

Saturday morning, I'm hopeful she forgot her stunt from the night before...no luck...she is officially ON THE MOVE!!!

 FIRST TOOTH!!!

I now know she was feeling that 1st tooth with her tongue in this photo!!!

 

 Sunday afternoon, I put my finger in her mouth and felt it... her 1st tooth... it's on the bottom to her right...super sharp!!!  I have to admit, Pat acknowledged BOTH before me... but he didn't tell me about the tooth until I told him... then he says that he thought he felt that YESTERDAY... I told him if he could wait 24 hours to share... he could have waited the rest of his life and let me think I discovered it!!!

Next I told him that meant that I got to have another baby...since he discovered Baby Kate's two Firsts before me...he just laughed and walked away... 

I do have to admit that I was a bit nervous and feeling very vulnerable when I went to nurse Baby Kate on Sunday night... but realized that if I didn't feel the tooth that morning, I probably wouldn't feel it that night... so far so good!!!

I'm not ready for my BABY to grow up!!!

Time is FLYING By!!!

With Eight Blessings home for the summer and a week in Orange Beach, Alabama, we have been quite busy!!!

Baby Kate officially turned Six Months Old on June 27, 2012.  I took her to the pediatrician on June 25, where we thrilled to hear she is still close to the top of the charts in all areas... Tall and Skinny... which is so funny if you know Pat and me in real life... genes are a funny thing!!!

Notice Baby Kate is almost as tall as I am in this photo!!!

Doesn't Baby Kate look huge in her Daddy's arms???

We left for Orange Beach on June 30... Baby Kate was loved on by my entire side of the family...

Baby Kate in Aunt Katie's lap

Only Baby Kate gets to play with Grand's glasses...

Baby Kate and Cousin Ray

Lizzy, Cousin Abby, and Baby Kate

Queeny and Baby Kate

Queeny made a "Spit Curl" in Baby Kate's hair, just as Queeny's mom (Granny) did to Queeny's hair in Queeny's six month photos...

 As usual, Baby Kate was also loved on by her immediate family...

Jack and Baby Kate read the Guest Book

William feeds Baby Kate her bottle by the pool.

Patrick snuggles Baby Kate and soothes her with his finger...

Patrick and Baby Kate hanging out...

Honestly, I'm against Patrick putting his finger in her mouth due to germs...BUT how many 13 year old boys would come out of the restroom during a car trip and announce to their parents, "I washed my hands really well, so if Baby Kate starts to cry, I can stick my finger in her mouth to get her to stop."  I am so proud of all of my kids!!! and did remind him to use a pacifier instead...

During our family photo shoot on July 4, truly a dream come true... we learned a new term from my very close friend, Alicia, who volunteered her time to "brush hair and fluff dresses"... what a true blessing our almost 19 year friendship has been!!!  Baby Kate was not a huge fan of the "Baby Hole" photos, but did tolerate and smile for them briefly...

Baby Kate has quite the grip and tries to grab anything and everything in her field of vision...

 Sometimes Baby Kate puts things in her mouth...

Baby Kate is also very busy using her feet to grab toys and play...

While on vacation, I discovered nursing Baby Kate on the beach is awesome!!!  I am so grateful and thankful God blessed me with the opportunity to have that experience!!!  She continues to nurse most days before nap time and first thing in the morning...since returning home from Alabama, Baby Kate has been nursing several times a night as we continue to cosleep..

Once again, it was declared by my Mom and sister in law, Katie, that she looks just like my Mom and brother, Peter, Katie's husband and sleeps just like Uncle Peter... with her mouth open... I'm not sure if Peter usually sleeps with his tongue sticking out though...

  

Baby Kate also got all swaddled up by Queeny and Aunt Katie when Mommy took the big kids to the beach one night...

 Baby Kate also got to take a brief snooze on the beach...

 

Still no teeth, which is a plus with nursing...

Baby Kate also enjoyed her 1st jar of baby food...Veggie Stew!!!!  Before that it was natural apple sauce...

All too soon, it was time to go home!!!!