One step (or stand) closer to full mobility - the Munch pulls up!

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  10 months and 29 days

Family,

And a good Sunday afternoon to you from the Queen City - another big week of milestones to report!

"Don't you hear the sound, of lions in the
town...roar, roar, roar, Zumba..."

Let's start with Tuesday, where I am VERY HAPPY to report that, after 3 rounds of antibiotics, the munch has FINALLY kicked her ear infection.  This was a BANNER moment, as that infection stretched all the way back to early January (but felt like it stretched back to the summer - WOW, what a journey).  And now that the augmentin (apparently it was more than just amoxicillin on steroids) has knocked the ear infection out, it's all about probiotics to get the good gut bacteria back into her system.  She's been having at least one a day, and the Bull must confess that he's been getting into them as well. What can I say - full fat, whole milk yogurt is so guuuuuuuuuuuud (peppy cheekies).  Plus, she doesn't really like the blueberry ones, and since we purchase them in a mixed pack, it would be a shame to NOT eat them, right? :-)

Sock in mouth in 3...2...1...

As for the other big milestones, Monday (yes, yes - I know - we're out of order already at 3 paragraphs in) was the first day in K's NEW CAR SEAT!  That thing is a bloody behemoth, but she does seem to fit in it good and enjoy riding in it.  Daddy continues to forget that, unlike the infant carrier, there is neither a sunshade nor a rack of toys attached, and so K has been relegated to playing with her socks and beanie during most of the drives.  However, I have ratcheted up playing the "Og's Music time" CD from Daycare, and she does seem to be enjoying that.  As for me, I will say that I'm not totally comfortable that the song "Jiggle up and down, I'm a-ridin' on my pony" is now part of my daily list of humming tunes whilst working.  But hey - when I see those little feet spin in circles and hear her clap as it comes on, who am I to comp

And another change - the cabinet locks
in the kitchen.  We are ALMOST done with
babyproofing - daddy just has to figure out
how to install all those bloody drawer latches...

lain?  Life definitely has its little bonuses. :-)

The car seat definitely takes some getting used to.  It attached smoothly enough (we used the latch, and it's still rear facing), but tightening (and loosening) is a bit tricky.  Also, the safety harness definitely gets twisted a lot, which can be frustrating if you forget to adjust it before you bring the munch back out to the car.  Also, as there is no sunshade, it's a bit tricky to drive her home in the afternoons, as the sun is right in her eyes.  She hasn't complained to date, however, and so hopefully we can get through until it's time to flip the seat forward - that will be a BIG day for Katie the Corolla, as right now that car seat is eating a TON of space in the backseat.

The next milestone is a big one - THE HIGH FIVE, BABY!!!!!  Now this one was a journey, and it started on Monday when I was feeding her.  She was definitely going through a growth spurt last week, as she was SUCKING DOWN 7-8 ounces at a clip from the bottle.  Given that it was tough to keep wiggly wigglerson still for any length of time, I started wiggling my fingers in front of her whilst feeding.  This normally works for a bit, as she can grab on to my fingers (and by extension NOT grab hold of the bottle and rip it from her mouth).  This week, however, she started slapping my open hand.  When I started in on the "Patty Cake, Patty Cake" bit, she started smiling.  Next thing I knew, throughout the day I could open my hand and get a High 5.  That's right, folks - she's hip to the ways of the world!  Okay, so that might be a bit too far...but it's still really cute to watch her do it.  Jenny and I tried to teach her the knuckle blast (including "blowin' it up") yesterday.  And whilst that did result in lots of giggles and smiles, she's not quite sold on its appeal or relevance to mainstream culture.  Don't worry - I'll get her there.

Just seconds before the Sneetch stood up -
she LOVES the cabinets in the Jack 'n Jill.

She is waving a lot more now as well, and we truly believe that, at this point, she actually understands what he wave means.  Last week it was really more an exploration of movement, but I do think we've turned the corner on that one.  Well, I'm giving her credit for it, anyway. :-)

K's photo at daycare as part of National
Reading Month - the cover has her favorite
book listed:  Go Dogs, Go!

The biggest milestone, however, has GOT TO BE with her mobility - the Munch pulled to standing on Tuesday!!!  I arrived at daycare to a Happy-gram, informing us that on this most auspicious day the Munch crawled to the gate by the kitchen and pulled up to standing. WOO-HOO!!!!!!  And since that moment, it's been non-stop improvement.  She can now pull up on Purple Couch, her crib, the changing table, the table in the bonus room - you name it.  Also, she is TAKING STEPS!  I would definitely call it the start of cruising, as she pulls up, figures out where she wants to go, and then takes steps in that direction.  She'll also take steps if Jenny and I are holding her hand - SO CUTE!  I will say that, in the spirit of full disclosure, there is one aspect of the pull-up she still needs to master - sitting back down. :-)  Seriously - this is also SO CUTE (I know, I know - a bit biased) - rather than fall back on her bum, she starts to do a split until she can slide down far enough to fall into a crawl.  It is adorable (even if it's frustrating for her), and even this weekend I'm seeing improvement with her control.  She does get a bit frustrated when she's standing and wants to come down (but can't), but you can already tell she's starting to analyze the situation and think of potential ways down.  The next Rhodes scholar HAS BEEN BORN.

K added kalamata olives (soaked in garlic)
to the list of "foods I enjoy" this week.
She also crushed pears, string cheese, and
tomatoes.  Now if we could just figure out
that whole sippy cup thing...

One of the activities for motor skill development this week was "the obstacle course," and I can absolutely tell that it's paid off for K.  She crawls over Jenny and I all the time now, and no position of our torso or legs (or face for that matter) will keep her from her goal (what that is I can never actually say, but it is ALWAYS on the other side of my body).   I have really enjoyed positioning my legs and body in such a way that she has to think through the strategy to get over/past me (even when that path of least resistance means I get a foot in my larynx).


In other news, the sneetch is definitely teeth right now.  She's running a low grade fever and pulling on her ears today, and her slobber has increased by a factor of ten.  We had to give her some Pedia-care, and I'm glad we did, as she became a new girl after that dose.  We'll give her another one after bath and before bed, and hopefully she'll sleep like a rock once again (12.5 hours the last THREE DAYS).  She's still not sleeping a ton at daycare, but the staff there said that she's been happy and has eaten like a champ, so no complaints from me!  I should note that it's been interesting to watch her thirst for formula disappear as quickly as it arrived - she MUCH prefers solids now.  She tried lemons this week and LOVED them - Texas Road House will never be the same.

Godspeed, little purple Nalgene!  We'll see
you again in the Himalayas of Heaven.

One new tooth did pop in on Tuesday, but I think we've got 2 or 3 about to break through.  We can see the white just under the gums, so we know we're close.  I just hope that Munch Munch sleeps this week whilst I'm away - I'd hate for Jenny to have to pull late nights as well as early mornings.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't say farewell to a fallen comrade.  That's right, sports fans - after 8 years of being part of the family, traveling with the Taylors to five continents, and seeing us through 2 home purchases, 2 land purchases, and becoming parents - Jenny's purple Nalgene finally cracked this week.  That puppy has been with us FOREVER, and it was sad to see it go.  JT has now struck up a new bond with my 13 year old Denali Mountain Works Nalgene - fingers crossed it gives us as many good years of service.

And YES - I am conscious that I just gave more print to a plastic water bottle than K's tooth progression, but cut me some slack - I'm a sentimental guy.

Okay, that's it for now - another GREAT WEEK in the books.  Who knows what's in store in the run-up to K's 1 year birthday!  Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny