44th Week Birthday

"Oooh, is this package for me?"

Welcome home, Jared and Bethany!

"Hmm... what shall I read, today?"

Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs- helping Mommy make meatballs for Christmas dinner!

Like mother, like daughter- Katy's a purse girl!

I think Katy's laughing at me in this picture!

"I love getting Christmas packages!"

Using a chair to get around

"The wheels on the bus go round and round..."

Love me that Scrunchie Face!

Cookie Face

Today you are 44 weeks old, Katy! Merry Christmas Eve, Eve! Nana and Grandpa Jones are on their way down from N.J. to help us celebrate the holiday with Uncle Rob and Aunt Julie!

This week, you ate very well. You were more adventurous in your eating- wanting whatever was on Mommy or Daddy's plate and wanting to feed yourself. For several lunches, you ate a quarter of a sandwich all by yourself. You are using your two bottom teeth more to bite off pieces of food and to chew your food rather than just open and swallow. This also means that we've found a couple of bite marks on various soft toys.

Twice this week, you decided to be a night-owl and stay up very late (eleven o'clock!). You weren't necessarily unhappy, you just didn't want to go to bed! Sigh... I think you inherited my poor sleeping habits and insomnia.

Last Friday, Daddy and I went to Daddy's company Christmas party at Howard and Michelle Hitchcock's house (This is the 8th Christmas party we've spent with them!). We dropped you off at our friends', the Smilies house while we went to the party. We are told that you played well with their son, Caleb, but once it came to bedtime for Caleb, you broke down. When we got to the door to pick you up at 9:30PM (three hours after we had dropped you off), things were a little frazzled.

We've caught you standing up, in the middle of the room, unassisted. You will go from a sitting position to a standing position without using anything to get up. You continue to use boxes and chairs as a mode of transportation, pushing them around the room as walkers.

You said, "Up," the other day when you wanted me to pick you up. While your vocabulary is limited to only five words, we know those wheels are turning in your head, Katy, and that you understand way more than you say. For example, you understand that small objects can go inside bigger ones. You realize that if you splash enough in the tub, the currents and motion will get the intended toy closer to you. You know to specifically call Daddy, "Dada" and myself, "Mama." Of course, you still use the two words indiscriminately for arbitrary items, as well, but you do have a sense of recognition for both of us. When crawling up to the Christmas tree, you always go looking for the teddy bear ornament, hanging on the lower branches of the tree that we let you play with.

You love, love, love the sound of your voice and you are one of the most vocal babies I've ever known, Katy. We don't yet know exactly what you are saying but I'm sure it's interesting!

You like to play "Peek-a-Boo" by opening and closing doors. You even shut me inside the bathroom one morning!

You've also started patting us on the back when we hold you. It's almost like you are mimicking us when we pat you on the back and soothe you to try and put you to sleep.

Speaking of mimicking, more than once Daddy and I have heard you trying to repeat what we say in inflection and tone- no words- but babbling that sounds an awful lot like a conversation or answer to our comments to you.

Also, you are consistently lifting your leg high enough to be able to get onto the seat of your bike all by yourself. You've also discovered that if you STAND on the bike seat, you are tall enough to reach the table under the dining room mirror.

When we hand you your Cookie Monster hair brush, you like to put it up to your head as if you are "brushing" your hair. Sometimes it looks more like you are hitting the side of your head with the brush, rather than brushing your hair, but we believe that you at least understand the concept of brushing your hair. It's pretty cute- then again, we are very, very, very biased!