10 Months Old!

Yesterday Katelyn turned 10 months old! How is that even possible that she's now in the double-digits?! We are having a ton of fun with her these days and she brings us more smiles and laughs with each passing day. 

(By the way, in these photos taken yesterday, you'll see she's got some hair sticking up like Dennis the Menace. When I picked her up from school on Thursday, they had her hair in a single sprout-like ponytail that stuck straight up at the top of her head! It was adorable - and the hair still stood upright after I took it out. I see hair bands, bows, and barrettes in our future!)

Here's a glimpse at what Katelyn is up to at 10 months old:

~ On the verge of taking her first steps. She stands up by herself and looks like she wants to step forward, but she always reaches for hands or something else to hold onto before making a move. She's cruising furniture like it's her job.

~ She also gets around by crawling. And if there were a speed limit for crawling, she'd probably have a few tickets by now! She squeals with delight when we chase after her and she crawls fast to escape us. Along with barrettes, a baby gate is also in our future!

~ Katelyn is quite vocal and loves to chatter. Lately she's been saying "ha-da" which we swear sounds like "hi, dad." One of her teachers at school is convinced she's saying her name, "hi, Dawn." :) She also says, "mmm-baaah," "dadada," "mama," and "ah-oh."

~ Clapping is a skill that has recently been resurrected from dormancy. During the end of the summer, she clapped a lot (but didn't always connect her hands together), but dropped it this fall. Now, it's back in full force. If we even say the word clap, she immediately puts her hands together and flashes a proud smile. She also likes to wave hello and bye-bye on occasion. 

~ Katelyn still loves any non-toy item she can get her hands on. Her eyes light up when she sees a cell phone, a remote control, a camera, a spoon, Tupperware, pens, or a tube of chapstick! She also loves to empty out her laundry basket taking each item out one by one. In a room full of toys, this pastime makes me laugh because one day she'll likely despise a full laundry basket!

~ She is a lover! Katelyn give hugs liberally and has started to understand what kisses are too. When she gives hugs, they are usually accompanied with an "ooohhh" from Katelyn (she's repeating what we say when she gives us hugs - it's funny and oh so sweet!)

~ Her favorite things that are actually toys include: dolly, stacking blocks, books, her talking puppy from Grandma Debbie (in fact, one of the things it says is "hug me!" When Katelyn hears this, she leans down to hug the puppy :)

(Here's Katelyn perfecting one of two things: her surfing skills or her campaign wave. Can't you just see her behind the mic at a political rally?! Ha, ha!)

~ As you can see, she's not only a climber, but the girl is a daredevil! She's not afraid of much and had a good time standing up on the chair. Let's just say these monthly photo shoots have become a lot more work now she's on the go!

~ We no longer have to disguise fruits within veggies for Katelyn (most parents have to do the opposite!) She's become accustomed to fruits and she takes them down like a champ now. She still loves veggies and has started to eat finger foods too. Miss Independent likes to feed herself with those chunky little fingers!

~ And speaking of fingers, Katelyn loves to point at things with her index finger. She points to pictures in books, magnets on the fridge, and eyes on her dolly.

Happy 10-month birthday, Katelyn Clare! You are such a source of joy for us and it's so much fun to see you grow and change. Thank you for sharing all your smiles, giggles, hugs, and kisses with us!