Mayhem

This week, Katelyn figured out she can crawl. I think our days of messy piles on the floor are over, especially since paper is one of her favorite things. She also had fun playing with a two pound hand weight for a little while, so maybe she's looking to tone up those adorable chubby baby arms. I did take the weight away before she could drop it and hurt herself, so any powerlifting dreams she may have had will have to stay on the back burner for awhile.

I find myself amazed again at how much babies learn in a short period of time. Eight months ago, Katelyn was still having trouble learning how to nurse. Now she crawls, laughs, plays with toys, pulls up onto her knees, and keeps up an almost constant stream of unintelligible chatter. She finds her Baby Beethoven DVD to be completely enthralling, so I guess that means she's some sort of genius. Or that she just likes music and colorful pictures. She's a happy, silly little thing, always ready with a smile, raspberry, or occasional giggle. She saves most of her outright belly laughs for Grandpa, which he thinks is just fine. People keep stopping us in stores and restaurants to say how cute she is, which is definitely gratifying for her proud parents.

Katelyn is not perfect. She can throw a raging fit, she occasionally decides she doesn't want to sleep, and she is showing signs of being a picky eater with a stubborn will (no surprises there). We have taken to calling her "Mayhem" after the Allstate commercial when she is in a particularly destructive and maniacal mood. But she is sweet and entertaining, and we are blessed to have her in our lives. We're just going to have to keep the floor clean and our attention sharp from now on.