Greta at 13 months

Has 8 teeth and may be working on some more. We think she may be getting some on the bottom but aren't sure. She has 6 on the top - skipped her cuspids and is getting in both bicuspids. Still only has the 2 in the middle on the bottom.

Her hair is slowly but surely growing. It's stick straight and a light brown color with some blonde and red highlights.

She wears a size 12-18m, 4 shoe, and 3 diaper.

She enjoys wrapping scarves, boas, and dog leashes around her neck. She likes to put on socks and shoes and will put her foot up for me to do so but always puts the left foot up, even when I am attempting to put it on her right foot and her left foot already has a sock and shoe on. She also is trying to put shoes and socks on by herself. It's quite comical to watch as putting socks on involves laying them over her foot and putting shoes on is just stepping on top of the shoe.

Absolutely loves to go outside. One of her favorite activities is taking the dogs out. She knows that when daddy comes home he takes the dogs out and will run to get the leashes for him.

She received a sandbox for her birthday but does not like playing in it. I think she expected it to feel like water and was surprised when it did not. I'm sure she'll enjoy it more as she gets older.

She's starting to enjoy being read to. Today we made it through almost an entire book before she got wiggly.

She likes to eat CA Baby diaper rash ointment, dog food, cardboard, coffee grounds, etc. (I HIGHLY discourage all of these.)

Unfortunately she has started to stomp her feet when she is reprimanded or does not get her way. She also has learned a pout that would rival Aunt Julie's famed lip.

She likes to dance to music, particularly her fridge farm.

She sleeps well - taking 1 nap generally from 1:30 to 3:30 and goes to bed around 8 and gets up around 8. Occasionally she does take a short AM nap (like today) but these are getting further and further apart.

She loves breakfast, particularly cinnamon rolls and apple or pumpkin butter toast with cream cheese. Other meals she is less enthused about so it can be a chore to get her to eat. She'll always eat cheese or apple sauce. Meat is occasionally consumed but more often than not it's picked at. She drinks whole milk at meals and has watered down juice with snacks. She transitioned easily to milk and hasn't had any problems with it.

She nurses around 2x a day. Always upon waking in the AM and then some time either during the day or before going to bed. I've found that if we are to be separated during the day and she is not with family she does better if she nurses in the morning. She seems to adjust better to being away from me if she's had the connection earlier. Strange yes, but it works. I plan to continue nursing as long as she likes and will wean around 2 if she has not self weaned before. So far she's yet to be sick at all...not even a fever and I credit that to nursing.

She loves to sleep with her silky pillow and baby. She also loves the babies in the church nursery and almost always has two in her hands when I go to pick her up.

Nursery has been 2 steps forward, 1 step back of late. For a few weeks I was buzzed each time she was there but the last few weeks it's been better. She's actually enjoyed playing and has been happy when I pick her up. We're considering moving her up to the next nursery as she is highly mobile for her age and is more interested in older toys.

Speaking of mobility, she's starting to run. Look out puppies!

She says lots of words but only people who are around her often understand them: Momma, Daddy, Doggy, Dolly, Annie, Thank You, You're Welcome, Greta, Milk, Juice, Jack, Julie, Door, Down, Out, Go, No.

To wrap this up, a cute conversation we had:

I was in the kitchen preparing dinner while Greta played on the floor. I heard her getting into a cabinet she is not allowed in so I asked her "Greta, should you be in there?" She replied "Nooooooo." I then told her "Okay, well shut the cabinet door." She did as requested so I praised her. (Two minutes later she repeated the behavior so we had the exchange again.)