Can you believe she's 13 months old?

I can't! It's amazing how the time has flown! I think back to a year ago, and I remember crying, crying, crying. (Mostly Laelia, sometimes me and Jeremy!) What a different season of life we are in now! Laelia is a cheerful, happy, observant girl these days.

She is now walking like she means it. She can't stand up on her own, but she can pull herself up with the smallest amount of help (sometimes using a toy) and then walks until she falls. If she's close enough to reach something, she'll pull herself right back up and keep walking, if not, she crawls super fast to get there. She really likes to be chased, both crawling and walking, although sometimes she comes towards us instead of away, but is laughing the whole time. She gets a kick out of Rekawae, who is very patient with her. She loves to bark back at Rekawae and any other dogs we see, with a very cute, high pitched Laelia-bark. She knows what bears, fish, snakes, dogs and cold penguins (brrr) say, although any animal other than a dog is a bear at first sight, including a squirrel that we saw on today's walk!

She is learning signs quite well. To date she knows: mama, milk, raisins, grapes, potato, apple, banana, more, all done, please, thank-you, amen, book, blue, excuse me, blowing kisses, waving hi and bye. Today we worked on learning rice, but she doesn't quite have it down. We're also working on I Love You. She also puts signs together, as in "more please banana." Most things she wants she says please for.

She is also increasing her actual speaking, although at a slower rate than the signing. She can say: Hi, Bu-bye (in the CUTEST voice ever!), Wow!, Ya, Ball (like baa, but it's very clear she means ball) , book(like booh, same idea as ball), Dada, and of course lots of baby babbling, complete with killer expressions. I'll post a talking video soon.

She gives kisses to anyone, but isn't ready to be in peoples arms other than mine, Jeremy's and her Mia's. (and Grampa and Grammy's, Uncle Ted and Aunt Em while on vacation in MA recently). She's finally becoming a snuggling little thing, but I still have to convince her to do it unless she's really tired. My fail safe method is to let her 'push' me over on the ground so she's lying on my belly/chest. She thinks it's hysterical that she pushed me over and wiggles her little body as close to mine as she can. So we do this a lot. :)

Well, the dirty kitchen calls...until later.....