I mean, really. I don't talk about her enough on the blog, do I?
So let's talk about her.
Kate, at 21 months, is the messiest little booger I could ever have imagined. The kid is just so messy . . . at meal times, when she plays . . . she just leaves a path behind her wherever she's been. Now I know the kind of kid that inspired Charles Schultz to create the character 'Pigpen'.
She talks more than any kid I could imagine. She started young, and she has not stopped. And the thing is . . . it's very clear speech. Most others around us can easily understand what Kate says when something is on her mind. She started to really use words earlier waaaay earlier than Meg did. Before 18 months, you could ask her a question and trust her answers were correct. She wasn't just repeating speech or identifying objects . . . she was giving opinions and making decisions using her language skills. She amazes me daily with the things she says. And now that she has started to put several words together . . . well, watch out. Between Meg (my chatterbox) and Kate, I may not get a word in edgewise for the next 18-20 years.
She is prettier than any child I could imagine. Oh, my pretty little Kate. That button nose and those sweet curls. Blue eyes and rosy lips. I know she's mine, but I do think she is one of the prettiest little kids I've ever seen. I hate to see her growing up and losing some of her baby-ness . . . what a darling little baby she has been. So tiny and precious, my little Kate.
Kate is one of the smartest little toddlers I could imagine. I've already mentioned her ability to use language -- but it's more than that. She's helpful around our house, looking up to a big sister who also does her fair share of helping out. Kate figures things out pretty easily -- things like how to distract Meg from a toy SHE really wants to play with, or how to open a box full of something I don't want her to spill all over the place. She is starting to count, she's got most of her colors and shapes down, and she is starting to figure out the potty thing more and more. She's also smart enough to outsmart ME. Like the potty thing -- I'm pretty sure she could do it, but she's figured out that she is in total control of the situation. So, when SHE is ready, we will work on getting her toilet trained. Her smart mommy has learned that Kate has a mind of her own, and she will let me know when the time is right.
Without a doubt, Kate is more spirited that I could have ever imagined. She's quite stubborn at times. She dances and sings with the best of them ('If You're Happy and You Know It' being my favorite these days). She's got a smile that will melt your heart, and she knows how to use it. She has started having small melt-down like tantrums at times, showing off that spirit she's got inside. She spunky, that is for sure. Kate is my little ball of fire.
She is more opinionated that I could have imagined a nearly-two-yr-old could be. Since she learned how to use the word "No" at about 15 months, Kate has begun to stamp her approval/disapproval on things going on at our house with a vengeance. She has tons of opinions . . . especially for someone her age. I think some of that comes from having a big sister. She watched Meg make choices all day long . . . which plate at meal times, which shoes as we get ready to go somewhere, what program we are going to enjoy at TV time . . . and now that she realizes how cool it is to get to choose things, Kate always has something to say about what is going on at our house. Please -- I welcome your pity. I have to wrestle daily -- no hourly -- with the opinions of a one year old and a three year old. I didn't know I'd encounter this part of parenting so soon!
Even with all her spunk, Kate is about the most easy going kid I could imagine. Again -- it's a trait that has been with her since birth. At 7 weeks, she was sleeping 7-8 hrs at night, and I called the pediatrician to see if that was even acceptable at such a young age. She nursed really fast, she took naps with ease . . . Kate was such a cinch as a baby. People said, "Oh, just wait! She will come in to her own sooner or later!" and I guess she has. But -- I kid you not -- she is still as easy as pie. (What does that mean, anyway? 'Pie' is easy?) As a matter of fact, I take for granted how easy Kate is to get along with. When she is tired or whiney, I find my fuse a little short with her. Silly, I know -- to not let her get away with having a bad day. But Kate is not my grumpy kid -- so when she is, I know something must be wrong.
Kate is also very snuggly, which I didn't imagine was possible for a kid at her age. Toddlers usually won't sit still for long -- and Kate is certainly a non-stop toddler -- but when she is ready to settle in, she's only happy when sitting in my lap. Which I adore. The quote around here is, "Mommy. Couch." (pronounced Chow-ch) It means, "Mommy, please stop what you are doing and come sit with me on the couch." When I am able to oblige, I sit on the couch and Kate crawls right up under my right arm. She'll scooch her butt until she is comfy, then she puts her fingers in her mouth and brings her lovey to her face, right under her nose. Pure sweetness. I've been known to doze through an entire episode of Dora with Kate cradled in her spot, her tiny little body keeping me warm and safe and snug. I love my snuggly little girl.
Kate is more athletic than I could have imagined for a kid that came out of me. Let's face it . . . an athlete I am not. And I never would have guessed I'd have a kid that would be. But Kate . . . she walked early, loves to throw a ball around, and can climb just about anything faster than you can stop her. I decided to enroll us in the tot gymnastics class we now attend on Tuesdays in an effort to get her to use and fine tune those abundance of gross motor skills she seems to have. And from day one, the teacher has commented on her 'natural ability' in the gym. She hangs from the bars, she bends in half, she log rolls . . . Kate is certainly my athletic child.
All in all, I never imagined I'd be lucky enough to have a daughter like Kate. (And Meg too, of course -- but this blog is about little sister.) And now that she has been in our lives for nearly 2 years, I can't imagine things without her. I might not talk about her always, but she is always here and loved and adored by all.
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