From Mom Again

Before Katie started walking, people told me that my life would change once she did. I have to admit, I kind-of dismissed what they said: after all, she was already  mobile; how much difference could walking make?


OK, so I was totally wrong. Jim and I can no longer both sit down to eat when we go out to eat downtown: one of us eats while the other is on "Katie duty." And as far as leaving her to play while I go do something in another room . . . only if I know the room she's in is "Katie proofed" and only if I check on her frequently.  And the "no" conversations are increasing in frequency: "Katie, we sit in chairs; we don't stand." "Katie, remember how to go down stairs?"

Playing on the "Big Toy" at my school, with
her friend, Marin.

But oh, how much fun it is!! I've had trouble capturing it in photos because she is constantly in motion, delighted at her independence and her ability to walk. Sometimes she just walks in circles, with a huge grin on her face, as if to say "Wow! Look at what I can do!!!" And yes, keeping her safe is harder, but it is so much fun to watch her walk, climb, explore, dance, and play all the more.


Her "vocabulary" is also dramatically increasing. She loves to talk and does so with great frequency--intonation, words of her own making, gestures, facial expressions, body language: she's got it all! Too bad I can't understand it yet. There are times when I think I do, like the time she touched the still-warm stove, looked at me in surprise, and said "hot!" I was delighted: listen to my daughter!! But of course, since that time, ice has also been "hot," as have many other things that I wouldn't exactly call warm . . . . And then there was the time we were fruit & vegetable shopping. She pointed to a large pile of apples and very clearly said "App-o." Again, delighted at my brilliant daughter, I couldn't wait to share her accomplishment with the world. Until, that is, we continued walking down the aisle, and onions, carrots, peppers, and many other things were also  "app-o." I guess the one-to-one word-to-item correlation still needs work :) I have attempted to capture her speaking, though: one of the videos below may seem terrible, but it's because I was trying to allow you to hear her "talk."

The rest of the pictures & videos are just her--sliding, playing in water, helping with the dishes, playing more, walking, playing, talking . . . and even sleeping.