Three Quarters of a Year

Sweet Kate is 9 months old!

She had her 9 month check-up this week, the first since 6 months, and, boy, has she grown.  She was barely on the charts at 6 months...BUT has gained almost 4 pounds since then, putting her in the 25th percentile (an even 17lbs).  And, while Emma at 6 months weighed over 2 pounds more than Kate did at the same age, Kate now weighs 1 ounce more than Emma did at 9 months. 

This girl can eat. It is unbelievable.  I'm still breastfeeding 3-4 times a day.  And she's eating 3 solid meals a day as well.  She'll finish whatever I've given her and then finish off whatever Emma left on her plate.  Blueberries have definitely emerged as her favorite.

Everything else checked out a-ok.  They did a finger prick to check lead and iron, and, of course, had to do it on one of the two fingers that is in her mouth 80% of the day.  She kept trying to shake off the band-aid, but finally decided to accept her fate and stuck the bandaged finger into her mouth. 

I think 9 months starts to be a really fun age.  She interacts with us, trying to copy sounds that we make and playing with us.  She'll hold out her hand, I'll pretend to eat it, and then she pulls it away with a full belly laugh.

So, that's the update on Kate.  We head to the beach on Monday.  Not sure if we are crazy to think going to the beach with two little ones will even remotely resemble a vacation, but we'll give it the old college try.  We are taking along my 17 year old niece to help with the girls, which I think will help immensely. 

I'll do a full beach update when we return.  Hope everyone is enjoying their summers.  My heart is heavy for a few of my blogger friends who have experienced failed cycles recently.  And a personal friend of mine who announced a week or so ago that her IVF cycle worked, only to lose the baby shortly after.  Infertility is so stinking unfair.  Love to you all.