13 Months

This may just be one of my favorite pictures so far.  She looks like such a big girl sitting there!  Today she could crawl in and out of the chair all on her own.  It wasn't graceful but she could make it work most of the time without hitting that giant head of hers and crying.  I've been feeling nostalgic for the cozy days we had together this time last year, all snuggled up together for hours and hours.  Now I'm savoring the cuddles that I get before and after bedtime and nap time because the rest of the time she is literally running circles around me.  I've decided to keep up these monthly pictures because the changes form month to month are so distinct to me when I compare them.  I feel like these pictures make me stop and savor her at each phase because she is changing so quickly and continues to change me along the way.  Here are some things from the last month.

1. I'm pretty sure she says some form of "there you go" when she hands me things.  It sounds more like all one word, "deryougo".   I noticed it the other day and just thought it was coincidence but then I realized that I say that to her about a thousand times a day and she kept doing it and when I hand things back to her she say, "ta tou", which I translate to THANK YOU!  Ugh.  Watching these little things amazes me but also reminds me that I need to cut a few words out of my vocabulary.   
2. We went for her 12 month check up and she still not keeping up on her weight so we've started the switch to whole milk for some of her feedings and chasing her around the house with food when she refuses her highchair.  She is in the 90% for head size (my fault), 50% for height and 5% for weight.  I'm worried that she got Ben's slender build and my giant head.  Yikes, what a combo.  
3. This child still won't sleep through the night.  I've gotten pretty accustomed to sleep deprivation and wish that I could list this accomplishment on my resume.  It's amazing that I'm still a fairly full functioning human being at this point.  
4. I find myself hiding in the kitchen eating snacks that I don't want to share with her, I have a feeling that this is some parenting right of passage.  I can't be the only one that does this.  Right?  Anyone?  
5. I wonder how much longer I can shout, "I'm new at this!" when I do something like forget to put shoes on her before leaving the house or forget to take diapers to the sitter or when I can't remember if she had a bath last night or the night before.  This is hard stuff!!!  
6. She's too impatient to have her diaper changed much less let me put clothes back on her afterwards.  I long for summer when it will be acceptable to let her run around with just a diaper. Gosh, where does this impatience come from?!?  It's terrifying seeing yourself in your child.