My baby will be 1 year old in less than a week. It's hard to believe it's only been just over 4 months since I met her. It really does feel like so much longer.

She's changed so much since the roly poly little pudge I met in China. Every day she looks older. 

Her face has thinned out. Her body seems leaner. Her little Buddha belly is gone. 

I'm convinced Mia's head was shaved in China because her hair has grown at least 2 inches already.

Right now she's standing and cruising the furniture. Just last week she stood unassisted while banging 2 toys together. She stayed up for a few seconds until she realized it, panicked and sat down on her behind. 

She takes steps if you hold her hands and help her. She's also moving very confidently from one piece of furniture to the next. Even when it's behind her. 

I think she'll be walking in another month or so. Maybe sooner.

She's starting to repeat words and sounds. Most of it's just random. She may repeat something with no real concept of the meaning and then not say the word again. 

She's doing that thing where you stop in wonderment and think "did she really just say fill-in-the-blank or am I imagining it cuz I want to believe she did"? 

I've heard "baby" and "dog" recently. But her dog comes out "gog".

She loves one of the little boys at the sitter's. Oh who am I kidding? She loves ALL the kids at the sitter's.

When I picked her up one day recently someone was talking to him and said his name. So did Mia. The sitter and I both heard it, looked at each other and said "Did she just say Matt?"

When I take her out of the bath I do this sing song thing when I dry her off. I don't know why. Just one of those goofy things you do when you have a baby. 

She's started repeating it. So when mommy sings "dry dry dry"... Mia does too. Although hers comes out "die die die". Maybe that's actually what she means though... cuz she hates the drying process. LOL!

She's also starting to consistently use some signs. Right now it's just "more" and "eat". But we work on them every day. 

She clear as a bell said "momma" one morning at breakfast. But then wouldn't say it again even though I must have repeated it 500 times. 

She does use it on occasion. Always when she wants something from me. Either to come get her out of her crib, or pick her up, or when she's whiny. 

I have no idea if she gets that it's ME. Or if she just knows she gets a response when she says it. But until that morning it was always just jumbled up repeating syllables of  "ma ma ma". 

Then suddenly I got a solid "Momma". Yes... I teared up a little.

Mia loves loves loves music. And she's found her rhythm. She dances to music on the radio, TV commercials, her musical toys. 

Again momma does this goofy sing song whispery "dance dance dance" whenever she would start dancing. Now not only does she repeat it but if I say it... she'll start shaking her groove thing.

She's eating a lot more real food now. She loves cottage cheese, any kind of pasta, yogurt, bread. Just about anything really. 

There's nothing she's completely refused. She doesn't care for green beans but she'll still tolerate about half the package before she turns her nose up at it. 

 

Her personality seems to show itself more and more every day. She's a really happy, playful baby. And funny! This kid cracks me up. She has quite the sense of humor. 

But my mild mannered, complacent baby has left the building. Now I have a little firecracker. She certainly has a spicy side and is not afraid to show it. 

Mia has become opinionated, impatient, stubborn and very demanding. Not unlike her mother. LOL! 

Yep. I've definitely met my match.