Wait a second, didn’t I just post the last monthly update? Kara has turned {22 MONTHS} already! Where does the time go?! It sounds cheesy, but I swear that I love this girl more each day. In just two short months, I’m going to have a two year old & I will close this monthly series. So very bittersweet.
Kara weighs 20.7 lbs, measures 29.5 ins & has 10 teeth!
With the hot, summer weather and a happy girl, this month has been so much fun!
HOT WEATHER + FUN TODDLER = ☀☀☀
We’ve made memories at the pool, birthday parties, baby showers, dinner dates & the farmers market! Doctor’s appointments went smoothly this round & our girl continues to gain a fan everywhere she turns.
Her energy is magnetic.
Kara is the type of kid that you want to be around.
She’s got the IT factor – she’s got that “movie star charisma”, as her Grams would say.
You want to hold her, look at her, know her, smile at her…and if she smiles back, it literally makes your whole day.
This is sounding just like the stereotype, right? All people with Ds are happy and loving and cuddly and wonderful all the time?
Well, if you’ve been following our journey, you know this isn’t accurate.
YES, overall Kara is a happy kid. For the most part, she is pretty loving and cuddly. But just like anyone else, she experiences every emotion under the sun. Some days, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re aren’t names yet for some of the moods she’s in.
She is very particular about who she gives her attention to. I believe this is why people are drawn to her – I don’t think it has much to do with her having Down syndrome at all. This girl doesn’t give her affection to just anyone. You’re lucky to see a smirk!
Regardless, she’s been very nice to people lately. When I say “people” I mean literally anyone as familiar as her grandpa to a complete stranger in line behind us at the store.
She’s all about Mama.
This month she’s been all about mama. We are best friends for LIFE (or at least until I’m replaced once again by daddy… or by little sister when she arrives).
Either way, I’m soaking it all in. I love being a mom & I especially love being her mom. She makes me feel so special, so needed, so wanted. It’s seriously the best feeling in the entire world.
We had some Mommy + Me pictures taken this month to celebrate that amazing feeling. A humongous thank you to Sarah Quinn Photography for capturing those moments. During the shoot, Sarah said something to me that really sunk in. She said she loves doing Mommy + Me photo shoots because it gives the moms a chance to step out from behind the camera.
If they ever protest about the way they look or how tired they feel, Sarah tells them, “We’re not doing this for you. Your kids are the ones who are going to cherish these pictures & they don’t care what you look like.”
Being in front of the camera gives me anxiety, but those words put me at ease. She’s right. Kara isn’t going to notice if I looked tired or if I didn’t like how my hair was laying. She’s going to notice the way I looked at her instead.
I hope she sees just crazy I am about her.
She shows so much determination.
We’ve been practicing saying “I love you” lately. She studies my tongue, lips and teeth as I speak each syllable slowly. I can see the gears turning and she’s trying so hard to get her lips to cooperate. We still have a long ways to go, but she’ll get there. In the meantime, its obvious that her capacity to love is unlike any other.
There are lots of things that Kara wants to do, but has trouble with because of her low muscle tone. Standing is one of them, she’s been practicing for months now, and is getting closer and closer to finding that balance. She also desperately wants to dress herself. In fact, she yells at me when I try to help her!
She’s also ready to walk (run, that is), but right now she’s four point crawling – which us a HUGE milestone in itself! We’re crazy proud of her, but she’s focused on the next step (pun intended). Kara will grab our hands to walk. She’ll pull up on her push toys. She’ll cruise along the furniture. Anything to be on those cute, chubby little feet.
This is very different from how it used to be. For the longest time, Kara had no desire to move. She was content sitting in one place and playing with her toys. If there were no toys, she would take her sock off and play with it. If she was barefoot, she’d play with her hands or dance to the rhythm of anything/nothing. It wasn’t until recently that she caught the “mobility bug” as her PT likes to call it. Now she’s ALL OVER & never stops!
The entertainment is never-ending.
There are some things that haven’t changed though – She’s still obsessed with her reflection and bath time, still using her potty about 50-60% of the time, still asking for Moana every morning and still lives for music in any form.
Kara’s newest way to entertain herself (& everyone around her) is with her fake surprised look. She’ll take a squeaky breath in as her eyes widened and her eyebrows raise. It usually lasts a second or two before she’s folds forward laughing.
This child is such a joy. She has the best sense of humor, the most beautiful eyes, and is sharp as a tack. This child has so much worth that its practically coming out of her ears.
Here’s to 22 months, baby girl!
