Super Cute

Oh boy, have you been laying on the cute lately. You love to play coy, tucking in your chin and peering up at us while you bat your lashes. You laugh yourself silly when you can get someone to play the yes/no game with you- we nod "yes" while you shake your head "no". The stinky foot game will still do in a pinch- you hold up your foot, we sniff and say "Pew! Stinky feet". You also enjoy patting things. If you pat a table and I pat it too it can send you into hysterics.

You still won't talk to us. Your Poppy is quite ready for you to get on with it. You do say "Woof" occasionally. We suspect you may also be saying "Dog", but it's hard to tell. Whenever I take food out of the microwave you blow, but you won't say "hot". If you want what I'm eating you'll sidle up to me and grunt "Uh uh uh" in the sweetest grunt possible, but you won't say any words. You stretch out your arms but you won't say "up". You've quit saying "mmmahmmmmah" or "mmmmmmm".

You do sing. All day. No words, just precious tuneless songs. You love to dance too- you wave your arms and bounce whenever you hear music.

You're becoming quite the brave girl. You clearly enjoy climbing up on things- the coffee table, the couch, a trunk, the stairs- and it's only fun if you stand up when you manage to get yourself up on top. You've also decided the vacuum isn't the boss of you. When you were younger you'd cry at the mere sight of the thing, but now you like to go up and "GAH" it.

Oh, the "GAH"ing. When I fish something out of your mouth, you shout "GAH" and either shove or bite me. It's your favorite thing to do when you're feeling petulant. Sometimes you hunt me down to GAH me. I see the glint in your eye and I take your little hand and say "Gentle" and rub your hand on my cheek. Sometimes this works. Sometimes you glare at me. Other times you are just in a foul mood and there's no helping it. I warn you not to GAH me. You GAH me anyway. This is when I put you down and you cry. Then you GAH me from the floor.

Love you anyway, love you always,
Mom

Just for the record...

You took a step today all by yourself. You were holding onto your Poppy's knee, and then you wanted to go elsewhere, so you did. This is not to say that you walk wbout the house now. You do, however, take a step now and then, just for fun. Then you laugh and laugh....

I love watching you grow up!

Love,
Mom

Leaps and Bounds

Today you decided to do all kinds of things you've never done before. You decided to stack blocks. You decided to nest your stacking cups. You decided that rolling cars and balls to other people is fun. All in the space of a day.
And walking! Not that you can do it by yourself yet, but holding on to our hands and goose-stepping around the room is apparently high-larious. You giggle and giggle. If you have somebody to walk towards you laugh harder and walk faster. I can't communicate how cute you are.

Love you so much!
Mom

Happy Birthday!

In the space of a year you've grown from a tiny peanut to the dynamic baby who's trying to stand up all by herself. A year ago it almost made me cry to look at the little wrinkles on your elbows. You were so tiny! I wanted to fatten you up immediately- inject you with chubbs. Nowadays looking at you still makes me want to cry sometimes, but it's because I'm just so pleased with how much you've grown.

You've learned to crawl, to pull up, and to wave "Hi!". Sometimes you hold a blanket up and play peek-a-boo with it. You know who Poppy, Bubba and Doggie are, but you haven't deigned to say their names yet. You prefer to growl like a Monster baby. Rar. Rarrr! The only word you say is "Mmmmmm", which means everything that goes in a mouth. I'm not complaining, it's progress. You love, love!!, to try to stand up in the middle of the room without holding on to anything. The wobbly feeling you have as you try to find your balance makes you laugh and laugh.

This week you've decided that laying in my arms to drink your bottle is a pleasure. This is a change from recent weeks when drinking a bottle was Such A Chore, as there were a million more interesting things to do and explore. Apparently you've realized that drinking in my arms is a good way to recharge. Feel the love. Find your zen. Ahhhh.

You've got six teeth, which you use to try and bite anyone who crosses you. I took a piece of paper you were chewing out of your mouth. You cried and pulled my hand into your mouth and bit it. You were crying and shaking with the effort. Willful!

You've given us our share of worries this year, but you're a tough little git. I don't think you're half the delicate flower we sometimes fret over. I think many of your tears aren't as much about pain as they are anger.

Here's hoping your next year is every bit as fruitful as your first.
Love,
Mom