She's 11 months

I can't believe we're 1 month away from Kara turning 1 year old! Her 11th month is here and so much has been going on, I'm not sure where to begin. Let's see....

Her surgery went really well and her recovery even better! We never even had to give her Tylenol afterward. She got a head cold immediately following the surgery (which the Dr's were actually happy about) and we got to see her go through the cold like any other person, without getting an ear infection!! It was Kara's very first head cold that ran its course without turning into a nasty double ear infection. Praise the Lord!

• She is beginning to take some steps, but still not walking. I think she's going to comply with my wishes of her not fully walking before she's 1 year old. Such a good girl :)

• She loves to stand up all by herself and often takes one or two steps, but sits back down and begins her speedy crawl.
• I love watching her play with E&R; using her imagination, learning how to share and just admiring her big brother and sister. Its so much fun to be the middle child. You never feel lonely and you've always got someone wanting to entertain you and love you. She's a lucky girl. (Being the 3rd born in my family, I feel a different connection with Kara that I'm sure will last all her lifetime. Like I understand her role in our family, in a very personal way.)

• She's a good napper. Still takes 2 good naps every day and is sleeping really well at night.
• She has a real fear of dogs, but loves talking about them and hearing them bark. If you need to get her attention, you just say "Kara, what does the dog say?" and she's quick to look your direction and say "wiff!"

• She's captures her Daddy's heart in new ways everyday. He is continually talking about how thankful he is to have been able to work from home during her first year of life - he feels so privileged to be able to have seen all these milestones and enjoy more time with his baby.

Ethan always says cute things about Kara, but the other day might have been the cutest and it was really about both his sisters...

"Mommy, if I didn't have sisters, I wouldn't be so happy, because my life wouldn't be so beautiful."

He said it with so much emotion in his voice, it made me cry. I told him he's a blessed boy and he smiled and said "I know it." It was such a tender moment.

Rachel and Kara are becoming little buddies and I love watching their relationship bloom. Its fun to hear Rachel talking to Kara like she's a big girl and then seeing her trying to put dress-ups on her. The other day I put a wedding dress-up on Kara and Rachel was so excited. She ran through the house saying "Kara is playing dress-ups with me! She's like a friend or a cousin!!" I think it was in that moment that she realized Kara will soon be able to play with her and it will be like a built in friend... or cousin. :)

I love my kids. I love watching them grow, learn and develop. Its fun to see them try things I remember trying. To see them learning things I remember learning. Watching them fail and encouraging them to "try again!" and seeing their faces light up when they complete a task and have Mommy and Daddy cheering for them on the side lines. Its fun to see them pretend and use their imaginations. To hear them make up bedtime stories and enjoy hearing me sing the same songs my Mom sang to me. I love watching movies with them that I watched and loved when I was little and being able to re-live my childhood through their eyes. I had no idea motherhood would be so rewarding. I think we hear about the trials a bit too often. I was all set for those, but not quite prepared for how amazingly wonderful this journey would be.

I never thought I'd be able to sit and gush like with such happiness, when I have 10 loads of laundry waiting to be done, the kitchen floor needs mopping (badly) the bathrooms... not sure when they were last cleaned, and every one's drawers in the house need re-organizing and folding. Its amazing how much priorities change as life winds in different directions. Its amazing how much we change when God brings these little souls into our lives.