Walking and Talking and Driving (with photo illustrations)

Zuzu is thirteen months old and I'm calling it.  She's a walker.  She took her first steps about a month ago, but I refused to say that she was "walking."  But it's official.  Girlfriend is vertical and on the move.

Just strutting around on the patio, showing off the bikini bod.

She's very vocal as well.  Don't get me wrong--she's not speaking in complete sentences, but she jabbers and jabbers and then looks at me expectantly like I'm supposed to be following exactly what she just said.  She will echo us sometimes, and she's pretty good at communicating what she wants even if she's not speaking English.  She signs "All done" and "More" and she has created her own sign for "milk" which is frantic screeching and pointing until I grab a sippy cup.  When David gets home from work, she shouts, "Daddy!" and grins and giggles.  It is, hands down, his favorite moment of the day.  Truth be told, it's usually my favorite moment of the day too, because two-on-one is really much easier than man-on-man when it comes to defending the house from the toddler terrorist.

Daddy--willing to get soaked in the fountain.

Zuzu refuses to say "Up" and instead uses gestures and crying to communicate that she wants to be picked up and held already.  She gets her point across.

After a few rough nights that consisted of 3:30am wake ups and obvious teething pain, she still has only two teeth but is back to sleeping through the night again.  She has me well-trained though--I woke up at 3:30am this morning and had trouble falling back asleep because I kept listening for her.

A few nights ago I had a dream that I woke up in the morning and Zuzu suddenly had eight teeth.  But no.  Still just the two!  It hasn't slowed down her eating though, and she continues to be a hearty and enthusiastic eating, humming and moaning her appreciation for the meal the entire time she's shoving it into her face.  I know this eating anything and everything trend won't last forever, but it sure is nice to see her so enthusiastic about green vegetables and Greek yogurt.

I got some cute little sandals for summer wear, but she doesn't walk well while wearing them.  She is constantly stepping on the sole of the opposite foot and getting tripped up, plus the soles aren't very flexible so she's pretty unsteady on her feet when she's wearing them.  We've gone back to Robeez because she walks better on the soft sole.  She still wears the tiniest size (3-6 months)!

sandals: better for sitting than walking

I go back to work in just three short weeks (!) and have had a lot of mixed feelings about it.  I'm mostly looking forward to it--the back-to-school thrill of excitement never fades for me!  But I am wistful about leaving Zuzu in daycare full-time.  I will miss our lazy summer days of just hanging out.  It helps me to remember that I spend a lot of that "hanging out" time cleaning--her tushie or her highchair.  And in the seven-ish hours a day that she's at daycare, she's eating or sleeping for three to four of those.  I can totally handle the idea of her spending the other three or four hours a day socializing and playing and making crafts (not sure what kind of drugs you have to be on to get excited about eight one-to-two-year-olds PAINTING, but Zuzu's teachers are very enthusiastic about such things).

Unfortunately, after months of being perfectly delighted to get dropped off at "school," Zuzu is now going through a clingy phase and she cries at morning drop off.  I think part of this is that she's transitioned to the toddler room and she's only going two days a week so it still doesn't feel like a routine to her, and I know part of it is typical 13-month-old stuff, but mercy.  It shreds my heart.  This morning she was screaming as I closed the door behind me and then I realized I'd left my car keys.  By the time I opened the door to retrieve them, she was content in her teacher's arms, looking at a book.  So, evidently she screams like she'd been tossed to the wolves for all of... fifteen seconds.  But the mommy guilt-trip lasts all day!  Anyway, it was a fortuitous forgetting of car keys, because I felt much better leaving after that.

My friend Monica gave Zuzu a Cozy Coupe for her birthday.  We busted it out over the weekend when my parents were here, thinking Zuzu would want to be pushed all around in it.  She was kinda into it, but her favorite part was climbing in and out, opening and closing the door.  Then she wanted to gather up toys and balls, put them in the car, climb in with them, climb out and unpack them, and start again.

She also likes to try to put all of her toys up in her mini-recliner and then climb up there and sit among them.  She's mildly obsessed with bags and purses, which she also likes to unpack and pack and then try to carry with her up into the chair.  I think she is a baby-hoarder.

Another pink horizontally striped dress

Zuzu's hair has been growing at about the same rate as her teeth (read: not at all).  As Laura says, what she lacks in hair, she more than makes up for in drive and enthusiasm.  Actually, the little bit of hair she has is growing longer, so she basically has a few long-ish strands, all of which are growing from about ear-level with the barest of fuzz on top.  It's the same hairstyle I had as an infant, but with even less hair than I had.  That does not stop me from accessorizing however!  She rocked this barrette again today.  You know, just to keep her flowing locks off of her face.

Her favorite toys at the moment are her tea set and an expired driver's insurance card.  She freaking LOVES that insurance card.  She tucks in her purse, she carries in her hand, she slides it across the hardwood floor, she puts it in her teapot, she puts in it her activity table.  Endlessly entertaining.  Best gift I ever gave her.

So that's Zuzu at 13 months old.  Walking and talking and driving.  And more lovable than ever.