11 Months

Babies are change. One day they learn a new sound, the next they learn a new expression. Every month has brought a different phase and different abilities. From month 10 to now, baby girl has made some of the biggest changes yet. And it has been fascinating and exhausting.

A few changes:

Walking
Her entire life she has preferred standing to sitting. So we suspected she would be an early walker, but we still were not prepared. Nearly a month ago she started pulling herself up on the couch and then letting go. She didn't seem to be testing her balance, she just seemed to forget to hold on. Soon enough she was walking along the edge of the couch while holding on. That phase lasted only a few days before she started taking a few wary steps away from the couch before sitting down heavily.

Eventually she would just stand up in the middle of the room by herself. A few timid steps. Then a few more. And then all of the sudden she walked all the way across the apartment. It wasn't her fastest mode of transportation, but she seemed to get a kick out of it. And since then, she now refuses to crawl. She is a full-time walker.

Eating
Eating for Adaline has been more of a chore than a pleasure. Sometimes she has been picky and she never eats too much. But during this last month, she has found a new joy in eating - and her stomach is reflecting this development. Even her thighs have noticed (or maybe that's muscle from all of the walking?).

However, she is very strong-headed when it comes to what she puts in her body. She likes to be in control. For awhile, I would load her spoon with yogurt, hand it to her, she would eat the yogurt and then hand the spoon back for a refill. (She eventually realized that was not the most efficient method and now lets us feed her).

She also likes food rich with flavors and seasonings. The more the better. Some of her favorite meals are soups that Mrs. Bluth makes with butternut squash or sweet potato. She'll gobble down those tasty morsels without thinking twice.

Playing
She has started playing. We sometimes play a game where I hide a small ball in one of my hands and she gets to guess which hand it is in. She loves finding the ball. She also enjoys knocking over any tower constructed of blocks.

She even wrestles. If we get down on the ground with her she will throw herself on top and wrestle us to submission. She strongly dislikes being pinned down, though. So we can't go too hard.

Alas, she has not quite developed the motor functions to throw a ball. We are still working on that one.