12-Month Update

I had my 1-year check-up today. I weigh 24 lbs, I'm 31 inches long, and my head circumfrence is 19 inches. That puts me at 65th, 85th, and 92nd percentiles, respectively. I got 3 shots - one in each arm and one in my thigh. Mommy says I'm a real trooper cuz I only cried when they stuck the needles in me and quieted right down when they were done. I had to be tough cuz I didn't want my mommy to worry.

MOVEMENT: I'm pretty mobile these days walking all over the place. I especially like exploring the different terrain outdoors. I can maneuver over all sorts of obstacles - steps, curbs, lopsided pavers, grass, sand, hoses, pebbles, wood chips, etc. I'm getting quite quick. I like to climb stairs when given the opportunity as well as the toys at daycare eventhough that's not their purpose.

COMMUNICATION: I've started pointing to tell people what I want and where I want to go. My favorite non-verbal signing word is still "fan". I like spotting them whenever we go somewhere new. In addition to "uh oh", "ma ma", "da da", and "ki-kaa" (kitty cat), I've added "baw" (ball) and "ba-oon" (balloon) to my repetoire. Occasionally, I'll say "up".

EATING: The parents have added small tidbits of meat to my diet eventhough my molars haven't come in. I still only have 8 teeth. I recently found ham to be quite tasty. I still have yet to turn away any table food. Watermelon and pasta are probaby still my favorites. Cheerios come in close, though. The parents have finally started letting me feed myself. I can even manage to get the fork into my mouth if someone loads it up with food. I'm ready to give up baby food completely. I been giving daycare a difficult time when they try to give me pureed fruit for breakfast and pureed veggies for lunch, so Mommy is going to start packing my meals. I'll still get my cereal in the morning but now I'll get fresh fruit with it. And for lunch, I'll probably get pasta with mixed veggies until mommy can think of other foods. They're also gonna try switching me over to whole milk.

PLAYING: I like being outdoors best. Balls and balloons are still my favorite toys. The swing at the park doesn't frighten me as much. Still don't like going too high, but a nice sway can be quite pleasant. I enjoy riding toys - I can scoot along forward and backwards on them. I also like cars, trucks, and trains - I can push them along quite proficiently now. Mommy got me a wooden puzzle with big knobs that I've been trying to figure out how to fit the pieces back in. Lately, I like crawling into the laundry basket. Sometimes Mommy will push me around in it.