11 Months

Our sweet Kate Elizabeth. Our Baby is 11 months old today. I cannot believe it. I am trying to hold on to every minute with my girls but of course, life goes on and takes time with it. Motherhood truly is bittersweet. Each new discovery or accomplishment we cheer Kate on with great excitement and yet a quiet part of me mourns the little distance Kate has grown further away from me. Case in point, today Kate learned to officially stand by herself, not holding on to anything. I turned around and there she was, arms frozen in mid air, her little legs straight as boards and her little hips rocking back and forth to steady her balance. She just looked at me like, "I'm doing something. Something great. I don't know what it is but I know everything feels changed." She was scared and proud and so was I. Proud that my baby didn't need me and scared for the same reason. And I'm finding the life of a mother is just the sum of those kind of moments. The being needed and the not being needed and the sweetness and sadness that wraps around both. For now, I am finding joy in the sweetness that is Kate. Our little bug who loves the excitement of climbing our stairs, the softness of her lovey bunny and the sound of Ellie's laugh. She is SO sweet and SO beautiful and we are SO blessed. Happy day Kate!