Happy 10 Months!

Disclaimer: I've been meaning to post this for a week now, but having David's brother and family staying with us for 6 days and then seeing Julia Roberts all have left me a bit distracted. So, here goes. 

Kate turned 10 months a week ago on Sunday, and we celebrated by going to the zoo. We were really going to the zoo anyway (but don't tell her that). We had a great time. Her favorite animals were the monkeys and sea lions. 

A monkey came right up to us at the window and Kate thought that was the best! 

My favorite is and will always be the lion - even though I never see them do anything - they are still so magnificent and powerful to me. 

David loves the bears. Grizzly or polar - either one. 

Kate was a little worn out by the time we left. Ha. 

Kate's new tricks at 10 months are: 

* She can feed herself with the spoon. Of course, it's messy - but she loves to do it (too much, if you ask me) and she turns the spoon upside down in her mouth and lets it hang. Nice. She thinks its funny. I do too right now, although I'm trying to emphasize the "not playing" part.  I love seeing her little sense of humor develop. 

* She is crawling and pulling up to her knees. Not quite to the stand yet. Although she'll straighten her legs and leave her hands on the floor to create more of a '' down dog" position. 

* She loves books. Like she goes crazy and points at them until I read them to her, or she'll just crawl over and start pulling them off the bookshelf.  She is really into the peek-a-boo ones and she likes to lift the flap herself - always eager to turn the page. She especially loves it if the page has a furry animal or a different texture for her to feel.  She memorizes where they are on the page and she goes right for the texture. Amazing how their little brains work already.

* After we put flowers up in her room, I can know ask her where the flower is and she will crawl over to the wall and point to the flower. So smart!

* Not a trick...but she now has 4 teeth in on top and 3 teeth in on the bottom. Whew. I feel as a parent, we either need a badge when we have a child teething  saying "Please be patient - he/she is teething" or one that says " We got one!" when we have just gotten a tooth in...or both! I mean things like this need to be celebrated! Seriously. 

* She has been drinking from her sippy cup for a while, but she loves to chug it now. I mean - really chug it. Like throws it back. I'm not thinking she got that from David or I...right? 

* She is SO into clapping and saying really loud, "yea!" I'm sure you can guess where she got that from. Like she'll crawl and then stop to clap and say "yea", as if she is so proud of herself. Love that. 

* She likes to pull her bows out now and pull her hats off. Stink. 

* We have a rocking cow in her room and I can ask her "Where is the cow" and she either points to it or crawls to it or looks at it. If I ask, "Where is the cows nose?" - she loves to pick cow's nose and then she looks at me and laughs. Then I laugh. It's hysterical. 

* Her favorite songs are: "If you're happy and you know it...", "Head, shoulders knees and toes", of course "Jesus Loves Me", and "A,B,C's". (not sure if those are the official titles, but you get the point)

* Every time David walks in from work, she waves really big and says "haaaayyyyy daaaaaad". It melts my heart even though she doesn't say Momma or Mommy or anything but "mmmmm" yet. 

* She just got a new "princess" ball and we have been playing "roll the ball" this week. She can actually do it - whether she knows what she's doing or not - and just giggles every time. I love it. 

I could go on and on, but you get the point. We are really enjoying this new age and finding it so much more fun as the days go by. Of course, I could do without the yelling and the dropping of food, but we are focusing on the positives and there are so many more of those - so it's easy. 

Actually, I wrote this more for me (and family of course) so that when I actually sit down and fill out her baby book in depth - I'll have a guide and won't forget the fun things. Thanks for indulging me.