Sophia's Latest Accomplishments

I haven't made a list in a while, and I thought it was time to share some of Sophia's latest accomplishments, since she's such a big one-year-old!

1. Sophia can stand on her own for a few seconds, but isn't ready to take that first step yet. :) She does love to walk holding our hands, and walks a whole block that way to the park every evening! She also cruises quite a bit, and pushes the furniture all over the house!

2. She is a crawling MANIAC

3. One of Sophia's favorite things to do now is crawl up the stairs---any stairs she can find!

4. Sophia has 5 words that she uses consistently: "Mama," "Dada," "Bae-ba" (baby), "Puppa" (puppy) and "hi."

5. Sophia loves to wave

6. Sophia loves to clap

7. Sophia loves to dance! Even when I'm just reading her a rhyming book she'll pick up the "beat" of the poetry and start dancing in my lap!

8. Sophia loves to point at trees when we go for walks

9. Sophia gives hugs now by pressing the object of her affection to her face.

10. Sophia eats everything we eat...even spicy thai noodles and pickles!

11. Sophia can put her toys away now. If she sees me putting her toys into a basket she'll help put them in the basket, too! (Of course, she thinks it's fun to put things in baskets...we don't tell her she's cleaning!)

12. Sophia loves books. She'll take a book out and turn the pages and "read" to herself. She also loves to be read to.

13. Sophia loves playing with other kids (she's still wary of most adults)

14. No, she doesn't even come close to sleeping through the night, but she goes to bed very well! I can put her in the crib while she's awake and she will snuggle on her pillow and fall asleep on her own

15. I can tell that Sophia is starting to get a grasp on language...she definitely understands "no" and if I ask her to give something to me she will, etc.

16. We're entering the independent toddler stage! Sophia has tantrums...goes stiff and screams!...and it's getting more difficult to redirect her behavior. She's becoming a big, independent little girl!

17. One of my favorite aspects of Sophia's personality is that it turns out she's quite the cuddler. She loves to be held and cuddled and kissed. In the last few weeks she's started to cuddle back--put an arm around me, press her face into mine--and tries to kiss back (sloppy, sloppy kisses!). She loves to cuddle tight and sing and rock back and forth together. This probably doesn't seem like a big deal to most people, but to feel her cuddle and love back after all the cuddling and loving I've given her is the most amazing, wonderful feeling. :)