one year old

Dear Beatrice,

Happy toddlerhood! The fact that you are not quite walking yet is irrelevant, as far as I understand it–you are now one year old; therefore you are a toddler. You have changed, and in celebration of that, this website has changed too. I hope anyone reading it isn’t too perturbed!

This time last year you emerged into the world after 13 hours of labor and one emergency C-section. You were a fairly serene little baby, all things considered, and that has how you have remained. You were a good sleeper and a good eater from the beginning, which is more than a first-time mother can ask for.

I’ve tried to keep up with the enormous change you’ve undergone in the past year, and I feel like (late letters notwithstanding) I’ve captured most of it reasonably well. So let us continue in that effort!

This month has found you moving more consistently to having only one nap per day. My darling, one year is very early for a baby to make this change! Are you sure you don’t want to keep having two naps? It does make it easier for Mommy to have a shower at a reasonable time when you have an after-breakfast snooze–especially since your horrendous separation anxiety doesn’t allow me to leave any room you are in, even if you can see me, and even if I am just the other side of the baby gate.

When you can stand more solidly, perhaps I can consider taking you into the shower with me? I don’t know how most people make these things work. So far it seems to work in that I don’t have a shower until after your lunchtime–not entirely sustainable!

Speaking of standing, though, you now can stand unsupported for several seconds, and you have even taken two independent steps. You would think that such caution in walking would mean you are generally cautious–but no. You are a daredevil climber, and you can now climb up on the sofa in your playroom, but you don’t really understand how to get down without, you know, falling. I keep trying to get you to climb off backward. I am sure you will eventually understand, one way or another.

You’re still seven-toothed, so you and I have been at least spared the pain of teething during all the other changes you’ve been experiencing. Your new word this month is banana (pronounced “badada,” but definitely in context, and you said it when I was listening to a radio program about bananas!), and I know when you are saying “blueberry” even if it does come out “baubau”. Your animal noises have grown to include a BROOT for an elephant, and at last you say woof for a dog. Daddy has taught you to raise your arms over your head when you roar like a lion, and your roar is remarkably enthusiastic. You also think it is hilarious to do melodramatic fake sneezes.

You now wave one-handed (this has taken a lot of prompting, as you previously only employed the two-handed effort), you hold toy and real telephones to your ear, and you have learned to drink from a straw! You also can identify your ear consistently, and you’re reasonably good at finding your nose.

Daddy and I have noticed that you have a tremendous amount of energy now, but you have a nice big playroom (complete with a ball pit, a gift from your Gran for your first Christmas), which gives you lots of opportunity to exhaust yourself. And your first Christmas was indeed a happy one–you got far too many presents, and you got to meet Santa Claus and visit his grotto at Westfield. Santa said he could tell you were always going to be on his nice list.

This month you had a couple of other firsts, too. Daddy and I took a brief holiday without you–we went to Dublin for a wedding and you stayed with your Grandma and Grandpa overnight for the first time on your own. You were fine with them, but when we returned you gave us the most amazing welcome, complete with big smiles and tight cuddles. And then you went to your first New Year’s Eve party! You slept through the whole thing, letting Mommy and Daddy have dinner and conversation with friends. You woke briefly as we wheeled you home in your pram, but when we got home, you laughed as I carried you up the stairs, and you went back to sleep the moment I put you in your bed.

Happy new year, and happy birthday, my gorgeous little monkey.

I love you,
Mommy

(Have a look here at how you have changed.)