Summertime

Since my last post right before 7 months, Max has started full-on crawling (including up the steps into the kitchen) and cruising! A couple days before he turned 9 months he really started standing unsupported and in the past week he has started standing from sitting without holding on to anything. He'll be walking in no time (Cate walked at 10 months).  Max grabs any movable object close to his height (including other older kids at daycare) and use it as his walking support. He also climbs on to anything he can - chairs, shelves, tables...he's not picky!

At 9 1/2 months, Max weighed in at 21 pounds, 3 ounces (60%), 27 inches (10%...maybe this is off?!) and head circumference greater than the 97%. He has a healthy appetite and has tried all kinds of food, pureed and plain ole finger food like Cheerios, avocado, peas, green beans, broccoli, pasta and even sweet potato fries! I am trying to get him to start using a sippy cup (and apparently lounge in chairs like he owns the place!). He is saying da-da, and sometimes ba-ba, ma-ma, and na-na. I think his fourth teeth on both the top and bottom are finally pushing through, so he won't be lopsided anymore!

Cate is still enjoying her gym time and we even went for a little extra time and took Max on Mother's Day. This summer she is doing tumbling only - she wasn't really enjoying the dance part of the spring class. She loves the balance beam!

Cate got all 3s (out of 3!) on this "report card" for the spring. Summer is more of a camp (vs school) type atmosphere for daycare, so more play, water time, etc. Cate will let the teachers fix her hair all fancy, but mommy and daddy aren't allowed! She has been so good using the potty. She still won't go number 2 at school, but otherwise she is great during the day and we are going on over a week with no  nighttime accidents (knock on wood). That is especially important since this is how each night starts...and sometimes it ends, too!

Cate is already listening to pop music - her favorite songs are Walk the dinosaur by Was Not Was and My Songs Know what you Did in the Dark by Fall Out Boy (not that I expect most readers of this to know those songs, but I look forward to telling her her first two favorite songs in 10 years!). The latter song was performed live on tv the other day and she made me rewind it 5 times so she could dance to it. When they played one song at the baseball game, Cate wanted to know why they didn't play her other song! We think she is going to be a little drummer when she grows up! One Saturday we went to Old Town and our little rockstar got to play on some drums!















The pool is open and Cate loves it again. Max has only been in  a few times so he's still getting his sea legs! Besides swimming, we are trying to go to as many baseball games as possible, although the heat may hold us back some this summer.  Erick is trying to get all of the Opening Day players to sign an authentic Nationals jersey for Max. They have "Signature Sundays" every home weekend, but you have to show up to find out who is signing!

 We are lucky to have such a happy little family  and Cate and Max get along so well! We have been enjoying visits from family and friends and look forward to some more this summer!

Max is here and Cate is two!!

If I was a little more organized, this would be two separate posts, but I'll blame my delay on being busy with a newborn and a toddler!

As you all know, Maximilian "Max" Jacob Andrew Messing was born on September 18th at 8:22am. He weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long.  At his two week appointment he was already up to 10 pounds 3 ounces and 22 inches!! He loves to eat.

Cate has been a great big sister from day one.  She was excited from the moment she saw him. She loves to bring him little toys and becomes very concerned when he cries (perhaps even a little angry if we don't seem to address his crying quickly enough!).










Cate, of course, celebrated her second birthday just two weeks after Max was born. First, she had a little cupcake party at daycare. I was able to attend this year since I am home on maternity leave anyway. The next day she had her two year old Well Child Check where her measurements of 27 pounds and 33.5 inches put her at the 50th percentile. She also had to get two shots, but any pain was forgotten once the nurse brought her stickers, bracelets, a pencil and a lollipop!

Over the weekend we celebrated Cate's birthday at The Little Gym. They have lots of mats, bars, and beams and the staff put on a great party for all the kids. Several kids from daycare came, as well as some of our friends' kids. All the kids enjoyed licking the icing off their cupcakes (apparently two-year-olds don't actually eat the cupcake?!). As if that wasn't enough excitement, we also went to a birthday moon bounce party for one and three year old brothers the next day.

Cate is still enjoying being in the twos classroom. She can count to 20, knows all the main colors, and is working on her alphabet. She is also making progress potty training (yay!). More and more words are recognizable, although she will still go on rants of her own little language. Her word of the week has been "okay"...every time you ask her a question she will just reply okay, whether it actually makes sense or not.

I still have three weeks home with Max before I will go back to work and Erick will take over for a few weeks before he starts daycare in December!

Cate can...

Sit all by herself! And give kisses, and almost crawl....

Okay, so I am way overdue with a post...missed her turning 5 months old, and now we are almost to 6 months (I can't believe it!).  On Sunday, she really started being able to sit up by herself.  She doesn't pull herself up yet, but she can sit forever once you get her in that position.

She can definitely move several inches in the forward position...maybe not quite crawling, but we are guessing it will  happen this week.  She also loves to give Erick and I big wet kisses.  She will lean in with this loving little look and slobber all over us.

Cate has tried out rice cereal, avocado (loved it!), peas (fussy - won't do that again for a while!) and now sweet potatoes.

 

Everyone who sees Cate continues to just love her.  This morning when I dropped off Cate at daycare, a teacher from the classroom next door came running in and said where is little Cate?  She said the first time she saw Cate she fell in love with her because she is so interactive and interested in everything.  What can I say, we think she is perfect too :)

Cate "eating"

I know I am overdue for a post, but here is a video of Cate trying to eat cereal.  I took it with my phone, one-handed, while trying to feed her, so it's not the best quality...but still cute!

4 months and counting...

Sorry I have been a little slow updating the blog.  Cate is now almost four and a half months old and growing like crazy! On February 3rd she went in for two shots - she fussed for about five seconds before she returned to her normal giggling self.  She weighed in at 13lbs 8oz, which dropped her closer to the 50 percentile from her previous 75 percentile, but that is pretty normal, especially for a breastfed baby.  She will have her actual four month visit this coming Monday (Erick will telework from home for the federal holiday and can bring her in without either of us missing much work).

Cate has gotten even faster at rolling over.  She really wants to crawl and sometimes can get a backwards crawl, but just can't quite move forward yet. 

After four weeks at the first daycare location, Cate started at the closer location yesterday.  We loved the ladies at the previous location, but I am sure the new teachers will be just as good with Cate.  They all love her as she tends to giggle most of the day (when not sleeping or eating, of course!).

At home, we try to keep Cate entertained with reading, playing on her gymini, and exercising in the jumper.  She is a little sad that football is officially over, but she was happy to see Green Bay win!

Our new Saturday tradition is hanging out in bed for a while instead of rushing to start our weekend chores.  Cate always seems to be in good spirits when she gets to sleep in and just be lazy!

For those of you who did not already see it, there is a video of Cate trying to teeth in the post below this!  Her teeth haven't broken through yet, but we are on the lookout for them.  Also, if you have a Gmail or Yahoo account you can click FOLLOW on the right side of the page and I think you will get alerts when new posts are put up!

Cate's First Week of "School"

School sounds better than daycare, doesn't it? Cate started a week ago today...with a two hour delay due to weather...meaning Erick had to take her by himself since I did not have a two hour delay.  Cate really seems to be happy there.  Each day I pick her up she is swinging and smiling. Three different staff members, including the manager, have mentioned that she always seems happy and that they love her laugh.  She apparently does fuss each time they change her diaper, something I attribute to her dislike of disposable diapers!  She ended up having two "first day of school" outfits due to a spitting-up incident!

 





 

Cate also rolled from back to front for the first time last Wednesday.  Over the weekend, she got a jumper which she definitely enjoys, although Erick had to put a phonebook under it so she could touch the ground (see, Bill, we did find a use for the phonebook!).  Eventually I'll learn how to post videos so you can see for yourselves!

Within the past week, Cate has slept through the night on 4 different nights! I still have not given in and fed her cereal, so I am happy she seems to be becoming a good sleeper all on her own.  She is even learning to read to herself (or at least help me read it to her!)

Cate's Busy Life!

Cate has been so busy over these past few months...and not just eating, sleeping, and dirtying her adorable cloth diapers!  She has gotten to meet all of her grandparents (although not her great grandma, yet), her aunt and uncle, great aunt and uncle, and even her 2nd cousins once removed (okay, I have no idea if that is right).  That doesn't even include all of her mommy's and daddy's friends that have stopped by to visit (and some even teach her to play video games...thanks, Ryon).

Last weekend Cate got baptised at Aldersgate United Methodist Church.  This is the same church where Erick was confirmed and where I was baptised 4 years ago.  Cami and Erick's friend Doug made the trek down to be Cate's godparents.  Cate was wonderful, staying awake and quiet long enough to have the pastor show her off to the crowd, and then sleeping through the rest of the service.

 

Cate continues to impress with her reaching, grasping, laughing, interacting, and even trying to fly (with some help from Erick).  We are sure she will impress everyone she meets when she starts daycare this week!  I am, of course, already nervous about her first day at "school", but am confident we have picked a good place to take care of our little Cate!