13 Months Old!

On November 3rd, Emma turned 13 months old. Shewalks more than she crawls. She is a lot faster on foot. Some people have told me that Emma would get into more things and cause more trouble as a walker, but I'd say that she causes as much trouble as she ever did. She has gotten a bit more independent lately however, and is more willing to leave my sight to go exploring. She now has free range of the entire house. Emma hasn't added much to her vocabulary this past month.

Here's what she's doing:

Emma is still obsessed with lights! - She likes to point out every light she sees. She also loves to flip light switches on and off.

Emma loves to dance - She prefers to dance with music, but occasionally she will dance without it. Yesterday, she was swinging her hips in Sunday School.

Eating - Emma is getting terribly independent. She is often resentful if Mommy and Daddy try to put food in her mouth. She much prefers to feed herself and choose her own tidbits off of her own plate. She is able to use her own utensils with some accuracy. Occasionally, she'll turn her spoon upside-down and try to lick the handle.

Emma likes carbs - Her favorite foods are ANYTHING sweet, ALL pastas, ALL breads, ALL cheeses (including habanero pepper cheese and parmesan), all beans. She hates ground beef (so does Mommy), and loves ham. I found a really good organic granola type cereal with flax and dried blueberries. It is by Archer Farms. Emma adores it as a rare snack.

Clingy - Emma is becoming more affectionate. Sometimes, she even wants to be held and cuddled. She can be pretty demanding about being held. If Mommy doesn't give her what she wants, she's prone to tantrums. Since we don't reinforce that behavior, we are having to deal with a meltdown or two each day. I'm sure this won't last much longer.

Books - Emma adores her books. Especially her "Doggies" book by Sandra Boynton. I thought it was a rather silly book, but Emma LOVES to bark while reading it. I think I probably read that book 4-7 times a day. Emma watches me read a lot and has learned to use random bits of paper as bookmarkers. It's adorable.

Emma still nurses every 3-4 hours, even through the night. I've been told that I'm spoiling her, but honestly, I don't agree. With breastmilk being the largest portion of her diet, I think she needs to eat more frequently. It's a bit hard on me but it's worth it to be able to offer her the best nutrition I can.

Description - Emma has 4 teeth, but I can literally SEE two top teeth through the pink flesh of her gum. They're on their way. She wears most 6 month sized clothing. Some pants in this size are a bit short. I have been telling people to buy clothes for her in the 6-9 month size. They're a bit too big at the moment, but still wearable. Emma's hair is getting very long. She looks a bit sloppy if I choose to leave it down. I probably need to trim her bangs, but Daddy is reluctant to remove any hairs from her head. I think she looks cutest in pigtails.

Daddy made a video of Emma walking. This was taken more than a month ago. It was just 6 days after she'd taken her first step. She's far more steady now, but I think the video is cute. =)