ktg: 15 months

I know, I know, this post is almost a month late. But since her appointments and updates only come every three months right now instead of every  month, it's as if I'm just a week or so behind. That sounds way better. 

Plus, the major reason for the delay was insurance. Coverage started Sunday, September 1. Monday was a holiday, so you better believe her appointment was first thing Tuesday morning. 

Kate did great (obviously, her name is Kate the Great!) and she's growing like a weed. A seriously short-legged chubby weed (which is reminiscent of her mother's growth for the first 14 years of her life...hope she is willing to embrace the cankles). 

Kate is hilarious. And dramatic. And smart. And sassy. And kind of a diva. She keeps us entertained all day long (and sometimes into the night). 

She is learning new things every day and wants to do everything herself. Each morning as we wait for the bus to get Leah, Kate pushes her stroller in circles in the driveway. She pauses intermittently to put her sunglasses on and take them off, but other than that she's on the go. 

Meal times with her are a big circus. She's kind of a picky eater, but is learning that I don't really care. She eats what we eat, or she doesn't eat. And there have been many a meal that she simply doesn't eat. (I feel okay about it because she's got some reserves in a few places if she gets hungry.) If she doesn't want to eat something, she lines it up across the edge of the table, just off of her high chair tray. Or she throws it on the ground - whatever she is in the mood for. She does love tomatoes, corn and yogurt. As for purchasing the food that she may or may not eat, she's hit and miss. Sometimes she's great in the cart. Other times she's that child that is squealing in the store and throwing things out of the cart.

Kate is really great at following directions...when she wants to. She gets her shoes out (and sometimes her jacket, even though it's 90 degrees with crazy humidity) every time we leave and puts them away first thing when we get home. 

She loves to dance and has some pretty incredible moves. She twirls, bounces, rocks and grooves everywhere she goes - she just can't help herself! She is constantly trying to climb on things and often has her leg out in an arabesque. Her new favorite is to walk backward with a twinkle in her eye like she is doing the most mischievous thing and plop herself in somebody's lap. When this happens she usually has a book in her hand she wants us to read to her. But 7 seconds later, she changes her mind...sadly still no attention span for books. But we're trying.

She has incredible fine motor skills and honestly is fascinated with how things work. She would much rather stack, twist, turn, empty, fill and inspect one toy for an hour than read a book any day. I think she might grow up to be an engineer.

She is in charge of opening and closing the garage door and she takes her responsibility very seriously. If something in the house is open, she closes it (even if I'm using whatever it is that's open, like the fridge). If a door is open, she walks through it (even into rooms she knows she is not allowed). She love sneaking into my bedroom and getting all sorts of little trinkets out of Ryan's nightstand and messing with the Vaseline in mine.

She just sprouted her 7th tooth (she had six on her actual 15 month mark). 

She sleeps from 7:30-7:30 usually and takes two naps a day, averaging about 4-5 hours total. And before she goes to bed, I put her blanket on my shoulder and she nestles in and rests her head for a few minutes before I lay her down. It's probably one of my favorite moments of each day.

She tolerates the tub for about 5-10 minutes and then she's done. She did learn to love swimming pools this summer. Hooray!

She isn't speaking as much as Leah was at this age. She knows a duck quacks and a dog pants and she mimics a lot of words and sounds. Her constant words at this point are: mama, dada, ball, box, sock, hi, bye, stinky, yuck, yes and backpack. We've heard her say a few words like yellow and grandma, but not on a regular basis. Her go-to word is no. She usually says it loudly, multiple times in a row, with confidence, while shaking her head and waving her arms. NO NO NO NO NO! She knows quite a few body parts (eyes, nose, mouth, toes, feet, fingers, arms, belly, head, hair and teeth for sure). She sticks out her tummy and slaps it all dramatically when you ask her where her tummy is. She closes her eyes with a slight flutter when asked where her eyes are and she wiggles her fingers and toes to let you know where they are located.

She would rather die a slow and painful death than keep any sort of hair accessory in her hair. But I am relentless and she is learning. Still no headbands, but we're breaking her down with pigtails and bows. However, when she does pull the elastics and accessories out of her hair, she is very obedient and hands them right to me. Sometimes holding them in her hand for an entire car ride to do so. 

She is my little helper around the house. She loads the washer and dryer, puts her toys away, tries to feed Leah her treats and unloads the dishwasher (usually when I'm loading it). 

Speaking of Leah, she is the only one who gets consistent kisses from Kate. Sometimes when Ryan and I ask for them, Kate does her classic NO shenanigans. But if we say, "Kisses for Leah!?" she opens her mouth wide with an aaaaah sound and gives them freely. It kind of melts my heart. On the other hand, every time she walks by Leah, she does so with a bit of a grimace - she's been smacked a few too many times and knows what is inevitably coming.

Kate is my buddy and I'm so happy I get to hang out with her all day every day. She makes me laugh and she makes me crazy and I love every bit of her 15 (almost 16) month self.

Official stats:

Height: 30 inches (28th%)

Weight: 21 lbs. 15 oz. (28th%)

Size 18 month clothes

Size 3 diapers

Size 4 shoes (loves, loves, loves shoes)