A Break Through

Tonight I felt Kate's first tooth!  It has just barely broke the skin and you can feel it just a tad but it is definitely her first tooth.  Her lower left front tooth.  She is one week away from the big 10 month mark which makes my heart hurt because it is flying by at such a rapid pace.  She really has done well with teething.  Today she has had a massive amount of drool but that is it.  She is still her happy go lucky self.  I snapped a few cute pictures of her tonight after her bath.  She was crawling around and leaving a drool trail everywhere but all with a big smile on her face.   You can see how shiny her skin is from all the drooling.  I love my sweet pea!

Library Easter Egg Hunt

Today at the library story time, the kids got to have an Easter egg hunt which was probably the first of many this year for most all of these kids.  Our schools will all be out on spring break next week so the egg hunt had to be this week.  While Mrs. Emma hid the Easter eggs and candy, everyone got to make an Easter bunny craft.  I helped Kate with hers and then said a silent prayer that it would make it until we got home for me to put up.  I just knew she would either pull it apart and throw it everywhere or try to eat it.  I'm happy to say Mr. Bunny is still together and did make it home.   Cohen was very exact with hers.  She did a great job.  I have been taking Cohen to the library since a few months before her 2nd birthday and I can remember when she could barely do the crafts and now she is just a pro.  Another reminder how my baby is growing up so fast!  She is slowly catching onto this egg hunting too, but she likes to be selective on the eggs she picks up, like pink ones, then will come to me and say, "Mama, will you help me find more eggs, I only have 2."  Which as you can guess, at this point every child there has picked up every egg in sight.  I told her she would have to start picking up all the eggs she came to and worry about the color or the prize inside later :)  We may have to practice a little at home.  Just a funny memory to share so I can remember myself, Cohen was 14 months old on her second Easter and Kelly and I hid eggs for her in the front yard and put yogurt melts in each one to teach her how fun it was to find eggs with prizes.
Kate on the other hand was thrilled to have just 1 egg to shake and throw.  When Cohen threw an egg into her basket she just looked inside to check it out.  Curious Kate is always checking something out.  She is definitely our busy body.
It was a fun time for the girls though and we enjoyed it!  It was tough trying to get everyone to look for a group picture so I took what I could get.  I think we have everyone except little Matthew in it and he was real quick to get up to walk away.  Something else was more interesting:)

Kate with her bunny craft

Cohen working on her craft

Off to hunt eggs!

Checking out her basket

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Group shot!

Donuts with Dad!

Friday was Donuts with Dad at the preschool.  Cohen loves donuts, and we have special outings to Mac's Donuts pretty frequently, but there's something special about being able to bring Daddy to school.  All of the kids love to have their Dads at school.  In fact its really tough on them when everything is over and Daddy heads off to work.  I think I had 3 to cry this year.  Cohen was excited to get to give Kelly the rock she had made him (we decorated rocks to look like Dad and then on the gift bag wrote "Dad, You Rock"). She got a double treat because while I was busy cleaning up I talked Kelly into reading to the class :) I had to leave early from school to make it to my doctor's appointment then on to Kate's 9 month check-up.

Speaking of Kate, we had her "official" 9 month check up today.  Dr. Setia said she was "perfect!"  She did awesome with her 1 shot.   Its so sad to watch them be so happy and then when the shot goes in its awful.  I'm glad it was only 1 today.  While we were waiting for Dr. Setia to come in she was all over the room!  I don't remember Cohen being so curious and into quite as much.  I was running out of things to do with her.  She is too funny though.  There is definitely not a dull moment with Kate!  Here are her stats from her check-up:

Height-27 1/2 inches (25-50%)

Weight-18 lbs 3 oz (50%)

HC-17 3/4 inches (75-90%) 

She is really growing so fast.  We have just lowered her baby bed since she can pull up.  It is so cute each morning to watch her sit up then peek over the bed rail and then stand.  I had to get this on camera!

She has been having some good nights lately where she sleeps through the night.  Otherwise we are getting up once to feed her but she does go right back to sleep.  She takes a good morning nap and usually a good afternoon nap and she will nap good in her swing.  She does this with Suzy so we do the same thing here at home on the days I'm here all day.  Her swing faces the window, so I raise the blinds and let her look outside just like she does at Suzy's house.  Whatever works!  She continues to be a precious baby, we couldn't have asked for better.  Even though she is full speed ahead and into everything, her laid back, happy personality makes it all worth it!

Playing outside and she had to hold her hairbrush!

                                                                                                 always a smile at the end!

A Few of our Favorite Games

I love having special little games to do with my girls.  Lately, something special Cohen and I have been doing is playing "hair salon".  It started with me blow drying her hair after her baths and while I would dry it I would put her on the counter and just ask her questions.  At this age it is so fun to get her take on things and to hear her describe things in her own words.   I wish I would have a tape recorder going on some of our conversations.  You never know what she is going to say.  She loves it though and we now will do it when I fix her hair in the mornings and still when we blow dry.  Last night I took a few pictures of her and she was really in a silly mood.  I love these little special moments though and I know they will be the ones to always stick out in my mind.  

Kate also is loving our playtime.  I didn't get a picture of this, but this girl is good at playing ball with me :)  I'm amazed that she can catch on so quick at such an early age.  I will throw a little squishy ball to her and she will pick it up, shake it around, then sling it back.  I know its a simple concept but I think its so cute!  She also thinks its a fun game to drop stuff and see if you will pick it up for her.  After about 3 pick ups I am done with that game.  She is a little mess.  Today I kept catching her under things as you can see.  One is a little blurry because I didn't have time to get a good focus in order to catch her.  You have to be quick with Kate because she moves fast!  I get a good workout chasing her :)

On a mission to get the ball

Doing what it takes to get her ball back

Under the easel with the buggy

St Patrick's Day and Bubble Fun

 Friday we celebrated St. Patrick's Day at school, which I must say, we play this holiday up a whole lot more now than when I was in school.  We used to wear green to avoid being pinched and that was about it.  Now we go all out with the leprechaun messing up our class and then going on a hunt for his treasure!!  The kids were so excited when they came into the classroom Friday to find our room in a mess which meant the leprechaun had been there!  We have been reading a few books about St. Patrick's Day.  Cohen on the other hand asked me to hold her immediately because she did not like the thought of a leprechaun being in our class.  I assured her he was long gone now and then had to assure her that our doors were locked at home and he would not be making a mess at our house.  We had a leprechaun hunt next leading to the leprechaun's hat with gold in it.  It was a lot of fun for the kids and needless to say they were wild the  rest of the day.  All weekend though we have had to hear Cohen tell everyone to lock their doors so the leprechaun can't get in.  Friday when she spent the night with Savannah, Aunt Sara had to tell her the alarm was on so the leprechaun couldn't get in and if he tried the alarm would go off.  Yesterday when I was getting her at my mom's house I found the door locked because they were keeping the leprechaun out.  Maybe it wasn't a good idea to play this holiday up more :)

Cleaning up the leprechaun's mess

Reading the leprechaun's clues

Running for the clue

We have really been enjoying this nice spring weather.  I only hope it is here to stay!  We have been playing outside and Kate gets to sit in her walker.   We have to keep her a little contained because she will put any and everything into her mouth.  I call her my little billy goat.  She is a mess for sure!  She does love bubbles though!  She will scrunch up her face when we start to blow them and just laugh.  Its so cute watching her try to catch and touch them.  I love watching a baby learn new things.  It has to be one of the most precious things.  She went on her first wagon ride this week too and loved it!  I know we have lots of those in store!

Trying to catch one

I love this face!!

Big sister having fun too!!

 Cohen playing with her princess ball game...we have some work to do before playing ball one day :)

Fancy Feathers Farm

Today our preschool 3 and 4 year olds went on a field trip to Fancy Feathers Farm.  This is a farm that has all kinds of farm animals from emus, ostriches, a turkey, donkey, goats, rabbits, chickens and some very large dogs!  The kids had so much fun seeing all the animals and even getting to hold a few of them.  The baby emus were my favorite and Cohen really enjoyed the emus because they liked to come and peck your shoes.  The owner told us they would untie your shoes if you let them but most of the kids didn't have ties so they were happy to let the bird come up and peck or touch their shoes.   It was all very entertaining and I think the kids really had a good time.
On a funny note, Cohen has really gotten on this kick about finding someone to marry.  And right in the middle of the field trip she looks at me and says, "Mama, I've got to find someone here who will marry me."  I think this is cute and really hilarious because lately she has nominated several boys to marry her...she doesn't understand they have to want to marry her first :)  She is into Wyatt, who is in the 4 year old class and you can see her move in on him in a few of these pictures.  Not only does my sweet baby like boys but she is going after the older ones...love her!

Ready to see all the animals

Getting her shoe pecked at

Both girls jumped as the emu came close!

Cohen & her cousin Savannah, notice they are striking a pose!

Holding the baby emu for Cohen to pet

Cohen loved holding the baby emu!

Cohen & Will decided to feed the chickens their lettuce instead of eating it themselves

Brooke & Cohen

Cohen moved in on Wyatt here while they waited for a piece of lettuce from the garden

Snack time was with Wyatt too :)