Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Baby!

Wow.

Greetings from this side of 2007. It looks daunting, and early, and already eventful.

We have gone from what I thought was quickly passing to a veritable light speed of time. Katie eats solid food. Not that pureed gunk that looks like it was scraped off many different colored parking lots on a (unfortunately) usually hot day in Forest Acres in August. I am talking tiny chunks of chicken, and (too) soft pieces of carrot, and ACTUAL noodles of macaroni and cheese, and toast, pancakes, mashed potatoes, as well as some stuff that, frankly, I am not sure we should be giving her. Nothing bad, just stuff that is way too grown up for my 9 month old daughter to be consuming.

It’s crazy how fast time passes. I know this is not TO THE DAY, but if I held out posting this for another 90 minutes it would be. Here is William Jenkins last year, wow how things have changed--->

Well, yeah, that is Wakefield. Who now has a Thomas of his own (let’s hear it from the dawg pound, Arsenio). But the little dude is William. I got a video text from Tommy on Tuesday or Wednesday where that little squish is violently attacking, with a running start, a Tickle Me Elmo. And of course, here is LG Bradford from that same day, who I think is now 5’3” tall and driving a Land Rover.

On that day, Katie was about, well, this big ---> *. That, of course, is an exaggeration, but we didn’t know. Lord knows Kim was already quite a bit bigger than that.

About 4 months after all that, though, we had her.

Kinda gross, huh?

Say that to my face, and we’ll have a problem.

Now she does things like respond to me if I say her name, and pull up on my pants to stand next to me when I am playing guitar, and clap when I say ‘yay’, and hold her cup up to drink from, and cruise along the couch, and walk behind her multi colored disc with wheels (kinda), and throw her food, and smile at strangers, and dance (man, you should see her dance). It’s quite overwhelming.

About 2 hours after that last picture we already had a run in with the law. Check it:

Don’t worry, we got that cleared up.

She has a car seat now that she is not bored with, but frankly is tired of. Especially after the in and out of Christmas weekend. Played music at church on Xmas eve for 7 hours, and she came and watched me. You can’t convince me that she did anything but, because I stared at her. And she at me. Rocking back and forth and talking up a storm in the quiet parts.

Molly is no longer curious of what she is. She knows full well that this young thing is going to scream at her (apparently Katie thinks Molly is deaf), pull on her, stand on her, crawl over her, and slap the living crap out of her. Molly is quite the patient dog.

She is still about as affectionate as this mother’s day shot ^. But she loves for you to tickle her.

She’s made a ton of progress from this barely lifting her head blurry shot. She can actually cover quite the amount of ground in a short time. Quick enough to get her hand in the doggy water bowl before lazy Daddy can get up and stop her. We have since installed a gate there.

She has a lot more friends, especially at day care. And now, ladies and gentlemen, has a NECK!

TWINS! Already we know where she gets her good looks.

My number one, er, ONLY fan.

Folks, she eats a lot prettier than this now. This grosses me out.

Her chasing Molly. Molly running away.

Molly, here, is ok, because I am holding Katie’s claws.

Six Months Already?

She loves the outdoors.

NO PHOTO RETOUCHING DONE HERE TO MAKE HER LOOK LIKE THE DEVIL.

I love my daughter, but sometimes this ^ picture actually represents her personality. Not often, usually this next one is more appropriate.

How do you not love every ounce of that?

It’s been trying, and it’s been crazy, and it’s been frustrating, and tear inducing, and argument producing, and hair tearing. I have never had a year like this.

In spite of the lung issues, the ear infections, the nebulizer, the thrush, the bouts of not eating/drinking, the coughing fits, and the not napping...how did I ever even try to forget the not napping...she sleeps like a dream now, but there was a time where we had to rock for hours for her to go to sleep...in spite of all that, she is perfect.

PERFECT!

What is in store for the next year? I can’t imagine. And I can’t wait.