Walking and Talking

Dear Josephine, 

This picture pretty much sums up the last two months or so. Ever since you began walking (at 13.5 months, for the record - since I am not doing great about keeping up on your baby book), you have really come into yourself even more- and I didn't think that was possible! It reminds me of when you started sitting up on your own- all of the sudden, you were like, Oh, THIS is what I've been waiting for! (and fussing about, since I saw everyone around me doing it).  So now, walking is seriously the coolest thing ever to you and it has made you even more independent than you already have been. You are so proud of yourself, and love to walk around in public, looking slyly from side to side to make sure that everyone there is noticing and saying, wow, look at that BIG girl! (And when people don't, you just keep going- realizing that they are just missing out- a good lesson for the future:)

This picture was taken about a month ago when you were home sick with an ear infection (the worst!) and we went to Panera to grab some lunch. I ordered you mac n cheese, but forgot to bring a spoon for you. I thought you'd prefer to eat it with your hands anyways, since that's what you do with most things. But no, on that day you decided that you would not be eating with your hands- you were a grown up girl who MUST eat with the spoon it came with and HOLD IT YOURSELF.  I was not, under any circumstances, to try to help you or hold the spoon!!! So, in the end, you ended up licking some cheese off your spoon but not making a single piece of pasta into your mouth. It didn't seem to bother you much and it was a reminder to me that I just have to let you do your thing:)

Coupled with your walking has been your exploding vocabulary- and it really is a daily surprise to see the words and concepts you are picking up. I've been awful about keeping track of these words, but as of 15 months and some change, your vocabulary includes:

Mama

Dada

Bye

Hi/Hey

Night Night

No

Yes

More

Dog

Duck

Apple

Water (wawa) 

Up

Matt (yes, she imitates me saying this- I am trying to be better about saying "daddy" around your dad)

Eyes

Nose

Hot

Hat
Baby
Bubbles
Uh Oh
Wow
Oh
Book

I started this post about a week ago, and it's crazy in just that week how many other words you are saying- you are really working on saying "shoes"- you say "Shhhh" and point to shoes:) You are also trying to say "Open" now and almost have it.

You are so awesome. I love you, XO,
Mama