A Different Kind of Summer

In my last post I said something about this summer being a "different kind of summer." My friend Erin in Mobile commented that every summer will be a different kind of summer until our kids are out of college. So basically that could be another 25 years or more. I suppose we'll have to redefine different or rather, normal. Then my friend Todd said last night that as we get older we can take on more. Can we really? Or do we take on more because we have to?

This summer has been different from last summer and different from any summer I have ever had. I mentioned that Robbie's employer has not consistently had work so he has been working out of town off and on for at least a week at a time. The last time I wrote he had been gone for 3 weeks in July. He's been gone 2 weeks in August. We are coming to realize that living in Montana means beautiful skies, outdoor opportunities, a slower paced life, a safe community, and many other joys (like low humidity = good hair days)...but it also means that depending on your job, you might have to go where the work is. We have not been camping one time. Maybe Labor Day??

As for Katie Rose and me, we've been doing just fine despite being alone. I miss Robbie's help and the house is a total mess, but K Ro doesn't mind. She makes me so happy. I delight in the sight of her and the joy she expresses each and every morning when I get her out of her crib. The first few months of her life were tough - I was a new mom and she was a fussy baby, but at almost 10 months old, I cannot imagine anything more wonderful. I'm in love.

She has gone from a wobbly puller upper to a jack-in-the-box who pops up on every piece of furniture she can reach. At her 9 month well baby visit, Dr. Idzerda said she was perfectly healthy. She is in the 25th % for height and the 40th% for weight. She also watched her bear-crawl around and told me to not be surprised at all if she's an early walker.

We have also switched daycares. Meredith, aka Auntie M, will be closing this fall so we decided to go ahead and change so I had ample time if things didn't work out. Katie Rose loves her new daycare. She doesn't say so, but I know she does. Yesterday when I picked her up I took her in my arms and held her for a few minutes while I talked to Miss Kathy. K Ro actually started leaning toward her and crying wanting Miss Kathy to hold her! I wasn't expecting that! And while it broke a tiny little piece of my heart (very tiny), I was relieved and happy to know how comfortable she feels there. Miss Kathy says Katie Rose is a social little girl who loves to play and loves to eat. Mama's girl, for sure.