Cate {11 Months}

I was trying to find a set of lyrics that could properly articulate all that I feel for this little girl right now and I came up short. I couldn’t find anything after searching a couple of times, it’s not like I was trying to say something profound.  What I did realize that this just wasn’t where I wanted to say most things to her.  

Truth be told, I give you snippets of Cate each month on this blog.  But, I write, really write, to Cate every month.  Just me to her.  I write her a letter every month- just like I did to Brady each month the first year of his life and I tuck them away safe on my external hard drive. I have never shared them with anyone.  And I don’t know when or if I will give the letters to Brady and Cate but deep in those letters are words of wisdom and moments that I don’t want to forget and hope when they read the letter and ask me about them, I go back to that memory and get to live that moment all over again.   

This past month has been another whirlwind but Cate, in true form, has made her presence known but has rolled with the punches and taken most things in stride.  We watched her blossom in to a water baby on vacation floating in the water, daring to get closer at the lake and loving her bath still to a crawling baby the day we returned.  All week on vacation we were willing her to crawl, begging her even bribing her to crawl.  But, she wouldn’t. And in true Cate style, she crawled the minute we walked in the door on Saturday.  Typical Cate…

She is a still a peanut but she knows what she likes and dislikes and those things manage to make life really interesting.  She has battled roseola this month, or I should say we all have, taking it in stride, happy to be home with her mama and brother, sleeping a ton and eating very little.  I got accustomed to having to get up with her in the middle of the night then even when she started sleeping soundly again, I found myself going in her room, picking her up, and rocking her before I went to sleep. 

I love that she waves “bye-bye” and says it and that she says “nigh-nigh” as we head to the glider for our evening feedings.  I love that she wants to say good night to her brother, that she has herculean strength for an 11-month old who weighs less than 20lbs.  I love that she squeals when we eat ice cream until she gets a bite and then goes back to eating her feet.  And l love that she still wants me, needs me and clings to me.

 I love her.