Katie LIKES It!

For those of us that grew up with the Life Cereal commercials about Mikey . . . around here, we are saying quite often, "Kate likes it!"

Kate is really turning from our baby to a walking, talking toddler before our very eyes. And finally -- after 16 months of waiting -- we are starting to learn the things she really likes (and doesn't like). She's got opinions, she's got preferences, and she has favorites. It's like she is her very own person!

I know I don't write about Kate as much as Meg . . . but that is only because Kate is so easy going, she doesn't give me much blog-worthy material. She rarely gives me any problems at all, except for the occasional pestering of her big sister (which, in all honesty, Meg kinda deserves from time to time). Kate is just so easy. She is such a little delight. We have not had to worry much about Kate . . . she just goes along with whatever rolls her way.

I'm very excited to see that now she is really starting to communicate with us, to let us know the things she wants, needs, likes. Kate's first big love -- as is the case with many toddlers -- is the big red guy, Elmo. Kate loves Elmo. One of her first words was, "El-o" and she still says it every time she sees him. Once we established that Kate was really digging Elmo, I ran around the house and gathered up every Sesame Street toy we had. I started turning on Sesame Street and Elmo . . . shows we hadn't watched in ages . . . and explained to Meg that these were shows Kate wanted to watch. And I think Kate loved it. I think she really saw how we responded to her, and so she continued to show us things that she enjoyed.

We also know that Kate enjoys playing with cars. And balls. She's not much into TV, unless it's Elmo . . . and even then it's only temporary. We have learned that she's most likely going to be right handed because she really enjoys coloring with big, fat crayons. At the table, Kate won't touch pears, she could eat anyone under the table and a mac-and-cheese eating contest, and she most certainly has a sweet tooth. She loves to play with baby dolls (just like Meg). She won't really sit still for stories or books (yet).

Kate loves to take a bath. You can just say 'Bath' and she heads right for the staircase, on her way up to have you draw the water. She would sit in the bath tub until the water got cold, if you let her. Kate doesn't mind sharing her tub with Meg . . . but on the rare nights that she gets to bathe alone, you can totally tell she is eating it up. All that space and all those toys all to herself is her own little piece of heaven. My baby girl is a bath-loving kiddo.

She's letting us in on her dislikes, too. Kate gets frustrated very easily -- way more easily than Meg, if you can believe it. My dad will tease her by offering her a toy, but then moving it slightly to one side or the other when she reaches for it . . . you know, a little game . . . and MAN does she hate that. She stomps her little feet and complains like nothing else. Unfortunately, her complaining is still a lot of "Ehh! Ehhh! Ehhh!" type grunts and whines. I'll be glad when she can verbalize her feelings . . . she's loud, and that complaining can really be unnerving at times.

Kate will also fly off the handle when Meg snatches something from her, especially if she is really enjoying it. This has resulted in Kate learning to seriously guard any coveted item for fear that the big sister will come along and take it away. Sad, but true. I have to think that is just the way it goes with siblings. That is not to say that I allow Meg to snatch things -- but there just has got to be some give-and-take as a result of having more than one kid in the house.

Even with her new opinions, Kate remains very easy going. She is like Jim in that . . . she doesn't ask for much, but when she does, she means it. Meg looks like Jim but acts like me; Kate looks like me and acts like Jim. Opposites, of course . . . that may be one of the biggest discoveries we are making as Kate comes into her own. These girls of ours are about as opposite as they could be. Figures, I guess . . . I think that is the way it is supposed to be.

It's just so fun to learn more and more about my second born. For so long, we've just carted her around . . . she's been the one that has had to go-with-the-flow. But not for much longer. I'm working on two walking, talking, opinionated girls around here. Really, it's pretty fun.