Well, it’s 2009. That doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true! Somehow, Christmas and New Years came and went, and now I’m sitting in our office wondering what’s in store for the coming year. I imagine it will be filled with a whole lot of firsts—first steps, first words, first birthday… Of course, I’m referring to our dear Cate, not us. Nate and I pride ourselves on being able to walk and talk without any guidance.

The past few weeks have already had their share of firsts. Cate enjoyed her first Christmas (she, as you can imagine, was completely spoiled), she slept through her first New Years (we old people did, too), and she shared with us her first non-gas-related smile and giggle. It has been all smiles around here, and it’s the greatest thing. We can’t get enough! Along with this smiling and giggling has come another first—Cate’s first infatuation. Yes, our daughter, not yet three months of age, has fallen in love…with Kermit the Frog. Nope, I’m not kidding.

Nate and I have always LOVED the Muppets. We have the first three seasons of the Muppet Show on DVD (purchased long before Cate), and Sesame Street has always been a favorite childhood memory of mine (and Nate’s, I believe). So, when Cate joined our family, it was inevitable that we were going to be surrounding her with these funny little creatures. A few days ago, we were sitting in the living room enjoying our dinner while Cate watched a Muppet Show episode, and we noticed that she would begin to smile every time Kermit came on the screen. It was hilarious! Today, we tried it again, and sure enough, Kermit would appear, and we would hear giggles and Cate would wave her hands in the air. We also have a little Kermit stuffed toy (also in our home long before Cate), so Nate went upstairs and got it, brought it down, and showed it to our smitten little one. Big smiles. Big giggles. Apparently, our daughter has a thing for green amphibians. Hopefully…this is just a phase.