Hayley and Kate Minter

Kate’s portraits last week were an adventure. She barely stayed still long enough for the guy to take her picture. Each time I’d set her down, she would immediately crawl away. Eventually, we worked out a system–he would get the camera angle set up, I would hold her until he was ready, then I’d set her down and he would quickly try to get the shot. We got a few cute ones, even though we only did six poses. He asked if she would lie on her belly for a pose. I laughed.

Friday, Kate had her 9-month checkup with the pediatrician. We weren’t able to see her usual doctor, and the brusqueness of the one we saw didn’t warm him to me. She had a slight fever that day which he brushed off as nothing. I know I didn’t go to medical school, but I hold my child every single day–I know when she feels warmer than normal. I spent the weekend worrying over her temperature which continued to go up and down like a roller coaster between 99 and 102. Finally, this morning, I called the nurse line at the doctor’s office and she reassured me that Kate probably just has a virus since she doesn’t seem to have any other symptoms. She seemed better today, but I can tell she still isn’t quite herself.

Kate seems to want to pull up and stand more and more each day. She’s also learning the meaning of the word “No” as she tests her boundaries. She’s beginning to think it’s fun to throw food off her highchair tray but Mommy doesn’t like that. And today at my doctor’s office, each time I would hand her a toy frog, she would immediately drop it onto the floor. After about four times, I said, “Well, we’ll just put that away then.” I think it’s a bit of a shock to her when I tell her no or take a stern tone of voice with her because she’s used to being cooed at and spoken to sweetly all the time. About half the time when I “fuss” at her, she bursts into tears. Other times, she just looks at me like she wonders if I’m serious or not. Hayley will probably soon relish the fact that she isn’t the only one who gets told “No” and “Stop.” But Hayley was pretty good as a baby once she learned she couldn’t do something or couldn’t touch something. I remember her first Christmas she wanted to touch the tree but we kept telling her it was hot. She would walk over and stand next to it and say, “Hot.” We may be experiencing a bit of deja vu this Christmas when Kate sees the tree…