Looking Back... Emma is 13 Months Old!

I don't really know how or when it happened but all of a sudden my baby is a TODDLER. Holy Shit... I am the mother of a TODDLER.

It all started about a week after turning the Big O-N-E. First off, she has started communicating pretty effectively. One particuar Tuesday evening, I had a bunch of cut-up watermelon chunks in a container (fine, I bought the container with the chunks already cut-up in it). Gave Emma one piece. She loved it, and summoned me back for another. Downed that one. Called for me once again. By the forth trip over, she decided SHE should choose her own piece of watermelon. Fine by me, you little adult. So she peers her head into the bowl, carefully examines ALL remaining chunks, and wouldn't you know it, leans in & grabs the biggest one of all! She's so her father's daughter, eh? Exactly the opposite of me - I'd take the smallest, and 'save' the biggest, the best for last. In any case, this went on & on, eliminating one big piece after another until there were no more pieces left. Clearly I'm her mother cuz this impressed the hell out of me. Ditto the summoning thing for when she's licked all the plum sauce off the chicken finger that she doesn't actually eat, but is desperate for a re-dip.

Okay this is a cute one to add to the files... Em now cools down everything she eats, hot or cold, by waving her hands over it. And, to boot, says "hoootttt" (which sounds more like a hushed hhhhhaaaaattttt). You just said it out loud, didn't you?

Understands when you say, "Can Mommy have a kiss, please?" Sadly for me the answer usually is something along the lines of, "Can't you see I'm busy?" This is completely unlike when you say, "Emma, would you give Dora a kiss?" And sure... will stop everything & go over and plop a wet one on Dora's stuffed little face. Ditto her Lion. Her Bear. Her Other Bear. Pretty much anything except me. Ahhh... the life of the mother.

She now gets into EVERYTHING!! Now that Emma is officially one-year-old, she can suddenly reach into all the drawers. We've given up asking her not to play with the knives. Now we're trying to get her into fencing. Stage two is sword fighting. EVERYTHING also includes a great enjoyment of turning the knob on the dishwasher - you know, the knob that starts it, stops it, rinses or washes. If the dishwasher is running and Emma takes notice, you know she's coming by to swing that knob around, leaving me to wonder just where in the cycle it was. And I wonder why the hydro bills are so outrangeously high..

Strangest thing... my little peanut who hates all food seems to have taken a shining to... wait for it... pickled octopus & squid. That shit's expensive!!! Did I mention her affinity toward a good slab of lox? Granted, this shouldn't be too surprising considering she's quite fond of a proper Montreal bagel with only Westin Bakery cream cheese. No opaque-coloured Philly crap for my little sweet potatoe. Other big ones to make the cut this month include scrambed eggs with old cheddar cheese, whole wheat macaroni with old cheddar cheese, toasted english muffin with melted old cheddar cheese... are you seeing the trend here? And peas. Yes, peas.

Emma is also getting a little bit of an attitude. Truly. The other day she was busy shoving her hands into the VCR cassette opening slot, when Jeff looked at her, pointed at the almost archaic machine, and said "No". She spun around, looked directly at him, and POINTED RIGHT BACK. A silent but oh-so-impactful "Go screw yourself".

And on this line of the little one with a big bitch streak, the newest, and most fun game on the agenda is "lets-throw-the-food-that-we-don't-eat-anyhow-over-the-highchair-watch-it-splat-on-the floor-below-and-look-at-mommy-bend-to-clean-it-up." I so wish I had video of this, but I don't so you'll have to imagine...
E: Sitting in highchair with food in one hand. Makes eye contact with Mother, Father, Bubbie. Holds arm straight out to her side, over edge of highchair tray.
M: Emma, no.
E: Stares
M: Emma No.
E: Stares, and grins
M: Emma NO!
E: Drops food onto floor.
Like I said, it's a fun game. Who needs toys?

She now says mamama all the time. Actually, it's more like "moooommmm". The other morning, I listened to her in her crib, and rather than crying to tell me she was awake, she simply said "Mooom Mooom Mooom" over and over again till I surprised her with bubbles. What a grand way to wake up!

Speaking of "mooom", dadadada has also taken a slight turn toward "daaad". What happened to mommy & daddy??

The only other real words that I've disephered this month are Boobah, Dora, and Backback. Wait - can that count as two words? It's actually incredibly audible. Back. Pack. Boobah was a really cute discovery - she had the talking toy before she ever knew he was the star of his very own TV show. Then one day, I turned on the show for her to see - the kid FREAKED OUT! The purple Boobah was sitting next to her, and she turned to look at him as if to say, "OH MY GOD - MY BEST FRIEND IS FAMOUS!!!!" And I think she was feeling a bit betrayed that he never bothered to mention it sooner.

Did I mention that she started WALKING last week????!!!!

This month just flew by far too quickly for me... Not enough pictures, not enough moments captured in memory. Emma, I blame you and your lack of sleeping, and therefore my lack of sleeping. But not to worry, I still love you more than anything, and in time I will forgive you.