to our girl who just turned one

when people ask me how old you are, i reply "13 months," never knowing if that is the right way to answer that. i mean, at the beginning of your life it that question was answered in weeks. around 12 weeks or so, the answer turned into how many months old you were. recently, the answer was things like, "she's almost one" or "she just turned one". but i feel like this month counts for something, and i don't want it to be ignored. for heaven's sake, we don't want anyone to think you are just 12 months old.

at 13 months it feels like you are just exploding into language. i remember from my child development classes that there is supposed to be a big language "explosion" around 18 months. and if that's true, i can't even imagine what that is going to be like. your list of words that you can say continues to grow. you now can say "up" in addition to signing it. you say "papa" and "bye bye" and "balloon", and you are making the animal noises for sheep, cows, and you make a little clicking sound when we ask you what a chick or a duck says. ?? you also say, "boo" when you are scaring someone, and "boom" when someone or something falls. these two words sound pretty much alike, so context is key. you also make a "choo" noise when someone sneezes, and then you laugh. your papa is trying to teach you to say, "oh man!". and i almost forgot, you have learned the mother of all words. the one that we laugh at now when you say it but ask me around 18 months how funny it is that you can say "NO." it's hilarious now. you will go behind the tv to where the wires are, and then come out shaking your head, swinging your arms and saying "no. no."
not only can you say a ton of words but you will TRY to say anything. we will say a word, ask you to say it and you always give it a shot. and the words that you UNDERSTAND....don't even get me started on those. the fact that you can point to your sleeve....your SLEEVE. and when mommy said climb you went over and pointed to the stairs. you like to play that game on papa's phone where three pictures show up and then it tells you which one to point to. we are constantly amazed that you can point to things like helicopter, milk (since you've never had actual cow's milk), robot, or bus.
speaking of milk (sorry, sort of uncomfortable transition), you are no longer taking a bottle or breastfeeding, and that transition has gone unbelievably well. even at bedtime....you get your pjs on , brush your teeth, read some books, say night night to practically everything in your room and you are asleep before we can get down the stairs.
lately you have been eating like crazy, even things like green beans. you like to make an "aaahh" noise after you take a drink and think it's fun for mommy and papa to do the same. you have been obsessed with trucks lately and will point them out when you see them. you still love dogs and cats. and you still like to bring books over for mommy and papa to read. what keeps you most busy lately seem to be things that aren't toys at all. like the other day when you were "doing laundry". you took laundry in and out of the washer for about 20 minutes. you would take it out, sort of toss it around, put it back in. you were very focused and clearly thought you were doing an important task. you continue to dance like crazy and have added a stomp to your list of moves. and you love to be outside. lately you have enjoyed walking up and down our sidewalk, picking up leaves and carrying them around.
so happy 13 month bday. well, i guess 13 months and 1 day would be what i should answer today.