Kate's 9 Month Pictures and Ella too

Kate had her 9 month pictures taken the beginning of January.  While our photographer does a really good job, sometimes it's just out of her (and our) control.  Kate is quite the bruiser.  Of course a couple of days before we had her pictures taken she came home with a carpet burn and bruise on her head.  A little boy had hit her in the head with a toy and she also decided to scoot her head across the carpet at the babysitter.  So as if that wasn't bad enough, on our way to the appointment she scratched her face with her fingernail.  And it's January so her little cheeks are chapped.  The pictures were definitely not Kate at her best, but they will definitely be memorable.  She nearly always has bumps and bruises on her head because she really wants to walk and she is a climber.  Always trying to pull herself up on something that just isn't sturdy enough.  Here are a couple of the pictures.  I made most of them black and white so you can't see just how rough she looks.  Mom and Ann saw the originals and I think that they were concerned that the authorities were going to take her from me!!!  Hopefully the 1 year will be better - we are hoping that she will be walking and that we will be able to be outside!

Ella had some pictures taken while we were there too - she always requests to have her picture taken.  Thank goodness the photographer always plays along...

Ella is taking swimming lessons again this year and she is doing great.  There are four kids in her session and she is the youngest in the class.  It's apparent that the younger kids are started on things, the more comfortable they are with them.  The other kids are much more hesitant to try things, but Ella is always jumping at the chance.  She loves her teacher and can't wait to get there every week.  Hopefully next year we will be able to have Kate join in on the fun!

Pete and I had the opportunity to go out of town for a work event.  I was not looking forward to it and decided at the very last moment that we were going to go.  (We had a BLAST!!!  Did not expect to have so much fun at an Awards Ceremony with my boss and his wife!!!)  Anyway, Aunt Annie & Uncle Zac stayed with Ella & Kate for the evening.  I told Ella that I was going to miss her and Kate.  I asked her if she was going to miss me - she thought about it and said, maybe just a little bit.  And I don't think that she missed me much more than that.  Atleast we can leave them for an evening and know that they will be fine.  Kate may have missed me more than Ella.  She kept Ann up from 1:30 to 4 or so...sorry Annie!

Kate is trying so hard to walk - all she wants to do is hold onto our fingers and walk around the house.  She generally goes straight for the stairs because she has figured out how to climb them.  She also really loves to play.  And she is getting really jealous.  As soon as Ella gets on my lap you can bet that Kate will be crawling over to be held too.  She's also shaking her head no all the time - no matter what you ask her, she will always say no.  It's really cute!

Ella picks up on way too many things that we say.  Yesterday Pete told me that he was nervous about something.  Ella was at the table eating a snack.  She turns to me and says, "Mommy, I think that Daddy is just freakin' out".  I told her that I think that she is right.  And she woke up on Monday early morning crying.  I went to see what was wrong and she told me that she had a bad dream.  She said that she and Tiffany (her friend) were having a race and her racecar got stuck in the mud and Tiffany won.  She couldn't get her racecar out.  She was happy for Tiffany though.  Oh I wish those were my bad dreams!

Spring is right around the corner...can't wait!