Caught in the Act!

8 months

We spent Anna Kate's 8 month birthday in Missouri (... More on that trip later). For now, here are the high points of her 7th month.

• This sweet girl is constantly smiling
• She babbles loudly, but is often a quiet observer
• She got her bottom two teeth while we were in Missouri.
• She had her first "cry it out" (CIO) experience in Missouri, and is now sleeping well through the night
• She dropped the swaddle and now sleeps on her belly. She is so easy, we just lay her down and she goes to sleep before we walk out of her room
• She spent her first time away from her parents when my mom came to Texas to keep the kiddos while we celebrated our 6th anniversary in Miami
• She now takes a bottle regularly, but still primarily nurses
• She eats 3 meals a day
• She loves "mum mums" and any kind of teething biscuit
• She can drink from a straw
• She wears 12 month clothes
• She rocks on her hands and knees, but no crawling yet
• She intentionally cuddles. She loves to lay her head on your shoulder and wrap an arm around your neck. This is my favorite.
• And last, but not least, she still adores her brother. I hope that never changes. They are so darn cute with each other. He really does take such good care of her. I get glimpses of them together when Trip doesn't know I am watching. He brings her toys, puts her pacifier in her mouth. He knows how to get her to laugh when no one else can. Trip prays for "Sissy" every night. He has started calling his "Monkey" his "Sissy Monkey". He even lets her play with his beloved stuffed animal every once in a while. This is not an exaggeration for the blog. They really love each other so much.

Sweetie Baby

Just testing out the blogger app by posting this sweet face :)

Love Grows

My friend generously snapped some family pictures for us this past weekend in some of the same spots where she took our very first family pictures two years ago. I hope that this will be an ongoing tradition.

These pictures are such a strong reminder to me that we serve a sovereign and wise God. Two years ago, J and I had different plans for our future. We find rest in His will for our family knowing that it is good and perfect.

Another good reminder that things don't always go according to our plans ... Shortly into our photo shoot (while we were taking the pictures with Trip on my shoulders) I noticed that Trip's back was wet with what I thought in the moment was sweat, since I had him dressed in a winter sweater despite the 75 degree temperature. Upon further investigation, I realized that it was not sweat, but an explosive diaper ... the bad kind. Needless to say, the photo shoot was over, Trip took an impromptu shower at our friend's house and spent the rest of the evening playing in his diaper. He had a blast!

7 months

I don't know her exact height and weight, but I continue to get comments about how long she is.

Development -

• The most exciting thing that has happened in the past month is that Anna Kate is finally taking a bottle! This miracle occurred when my mom came in town and kept the kids one night while J and I went to a wedding that lasted well past 3 a.m. According to my mom, baby girl wouldn't take much from the bottle before going to bed, but then woke up in the middle of the night hungry and took 4 oz. from the bottle! She gulped it down! Since then, she will happily take a bottle without having a major meltdown.
• She can now sit for long periods of time without falling over. 
• She isn't really getting on her knees and rocking or scooting, so I think crawling is still a ways off.

Likes -

• Television. I know. It's terrible.
• Pretty much everything makes Anna Kate smile. She is at such a joyful stage, and is so much fun to be around. It's such a confidence booster when I go to pick her up and she gives me this smile like I am the most important and wonderful person in the world.
• She's still pretty enamored with Trip.

Dislikes -

• She is really very rarely unhappy. Her fussy time is usually in the evenings just before bed.

This month I think it really has started to feel like we are a family unit, and not just two parents trying to care for two needy little ones. Things seem to run so much more smoothly. Trip has become my little helper, but he is also still usually the center of attention. Anna Kate just goes with the flow now and is constantly entertained by Trip.

Pumpkin Patch 2011

Kid Ingenuity

Trip decided that the diaper box was a good place to play. I stuck Anna Kate in one so that she could join the fun. Turns out, a diaper box is a great place to prop up a 7 month old with a few toys. She couldn't fall over or get out, and she was protected from her tornado of a big brother!