Thirteen months!

Dear Pea,
You are 13 months old today! And you are definitely shifting out of Babyville and into Kidland. Though you aren't technically a toddler (as you don't toddle), you seem less and less a baby these days.

Clowning around

And, along with impending toddlerhood, you started having tantrums!  Wow.  So, your first one was two days ago, February 1st. Imbolc.  Interesting.  You were overtired as you are in this awful two nap to one nap transition that is not going smoothly at all. Finally, you fell asleep in my lap while nursing (which just doesn't happen these days except when you're sick), but I had dinner cooking in the oven that I needed to attend to about twenty minutes after you fell asleep.  Of course you woke a bit as I got up, but fell back to sleep a few minutes later when we got back to the couch. But after another twenty minutes or so, you woke back up.  It was a crap nap and it was very late in the day and you were still tired.  I needed to change your diaper after your nap and, WOW, you didn't want me to. You just started screaming. I mean, you totally lost your shit, Sweet Pea. I made it through the diaper change and lifted you off the table (still screaming) and you tried to push yourself out of my arms. You wanted me to put you down, so I did, and then you immediately wanted to be picked back up. This went on and on: you were so frustrated and tired, but have always looked to my arms for comfort that you really couldn't make sense of your emotions. "I don't want Mama! But I'm so upset, of course I want Mama! But, NO, Mama, don't hold me! MAMA! You put me on the floor!!! Get me up!"  Finally you realized that you did, in fact, need to be on the floor and got down on all fours crying hysterically while hanging your head in despair.  It really did look like a delicious release of frustration and anger. Then Daddy got home and you recovered.  Like, completely. You had tears on your cheeks but were laughing and smiling. But you did the "I'm catching my breath" breath for almost half an hour afterwards.

You've had one every day since. Have I said wow yet? WOW

Another new development is hitting. Ah, hitting. You like to hit people in the head. Mostly me, but your little buddies are fun, too. You don't hit hard, it's more like a repeated slightly more aggressive than usual pat, but man do you think it's funny. I've been grabbing your hand mid-hit and having you pet/stroke your target instead, while saying "Gentle pats!" You enjoy this, too, but go back to hitting once your hand is free. *sigh* The problem is that I think it's pretty funny, at least when you're hitting me. You have such a smile and your hand is covering my head with these pats and I know I need to tell you to knock it off, but I can't stop laughing. I have much more success in serious redirection when you're going for another sweet baby-that is NOT funny.  Well, ok, one time it was hilarious. You sort of got into it with another boy (one month younger than you): you were both hitting each other's faces and heads and both laughing your heads off. He has a twin brother so I suspect he's sort of used to rough and tumble and you both were dishing it out as much as receiving it and it really was quite sweet. But, yes, I know, I know, I need to nip it in the bud.

You have been saying "baby" when looking at older photos of yourself. You love saying and waving bye bye if someone is leaving the room or if you are leaving. You are eating so much more food (chicken soup and smoothies are a new favorites), both in quantity and variety. You have also started this funny little laugh that you do when you are enjoying something. If we're reading a story or Skyping with Uncle Rossy or eating dinner as a family, you chuckle. Yes! That's exactly what it is. It's a chuckle, very different from your regular laugh when you are being tickled.  And though you aren't walking, you walk on your knees instead of crawling sometimes, or walk while pushing something or holding onto our hands.

knee walking

taking your buddy for a ride

You have also started to play more with other kids, taking an interest in what they're doing and interacting. Aside from the "I want the toy you're playing with" idea. It's very sweet.