My Little Girl

My little girl is 10 1/2 months old. She'll be 1 in October. I can't believe how time flies. Alethea is walking now. Over the past week she's been getting more and more on her feet. In the beginning it was just a couple of steps, then it progressed. Now she can walk without falling most of the time. She's gaining more and more confidence every time she tries. It's so cute to see her toddling about. Guess that's why they call them toddlers. So my baby is no longer a baby, but she's entered the world of toddlerhood. With each step, she moves further and further away from babyhood, leaving such things behind her, and taking her daddy and me into a new phase of our parenthood. I look forward to this new phase, but I still yearn for the days when she was just an infant, needing me for everything. I yearn for the days when she was immobile! Well, maybe not. It's so much fun watching her as she realizes she can get around on two legs instead of legs and hands. I love the joy and excitement on her f ace as she takes each step. I love the look of happiness as she toddles over to me to get my approval, only to turn back around again for another lap. She still crawls a bit, but it's getting less and less frequent. Alethea is even trying to see how fast she can go. Sometimes she incorporates a little jog into her steps or even jumps a bit. The less she falls, the more she tries. What I can't wait to see is my little girl running in the grass, chasing butterflies (or whatever), laughing and giggling as she goes. And with wanting to see her do new things, I still don't want her to grow up!

Besides walking, she's also talking more....a lot more. She babbles all the time. Sometimes at 4am, much to our dismay. She still needs me to put her to sleep, though. Some things are more difficult to change.