Eleven

My little chubby cheeked strawberry is eleven months old. I really think this past month has been my favourite one yet. I know I sound like a broken record, but Ember's personality continues to blow me away.

The hands down high for both Andrew and I of the last month is that Ember now gives kisses upon request. And reciprocates smooches when you are smothering her with some. It is so grand to be loved by her. And those kisses are better than chocolate. She give hugs, too. Good ones. She will even pat you on the back. Some days you just need a pat on the back.


Another new talent is how she shares. Sometimes voluntarily, sometimes solicited but always happily. She loves to pass you piece of chicken from her high chair and gets a small case of the giggles when you "Thank you, Ember". It really seems as if she is very proud of herself. Sharing extends to toys during playtime, too. If she is shaking two maracas, and you ask for one, one you shall have. All Ember asks in return is that you shake it and smile. And maybe dance with her a little.

Shake it like a Polaroid picture.

Such a seemingly small development, but the fact that Ember points at things really has changed how she interacts with the world. While out on a walk, Ember will now point at things with an inquisitive look on her face. So we stop, I tell her about the tree or the bird that has caught her eye. You can ask her to point at Hugo Kitty Cat (it has more or less become his official name), Daddy or Mummy and she will. Tonight, when Andrew came through the door she pointed at him and exclaimed "Daddy!" It was the high of Andrew's day.


She took her first official steps on October 17th!!! On that particular Sunday, she just decided to let go of furniture and walk unassisted. It was only two or three steps at a time before she would grab onto something again but she had decided that she was going to walk. That night, while at Grandpa's, she walked 12 consecutive steps. Since then, she has only gotten stronger and will walk up to 10 feet at a time. Different floors, her footwear and audiences throw her still but the girl walks. If she really needs to get somewhere, however, she crawls as it still a more reliable form of transportation.

Hunting wabbits.
She was trying to climb up the chair back.

Ember's musicality really impresses me. Any beat will get her hips shaking and hands clapping. She has begun to sing with songs in the form of "la la la". Very often I will sing a few notes of the scale to her, and she echoes me.


Other Spark bits:
- She has begun to help. "Ember, can you please pass me the block?" "Ember, can you put your books on the shelf?" Of course, she doesn't help me clean up an entire room of her toy debris. It would take to long considering after each time she does a single act, she stops, begins clapping and says "Yay!"

- We travelled to Vancouver as a family. Ember went to the Aquarium for the first time, rode a water taxi for the first time, played with her Grandma Michelle, Uncle Stu and Uncle Jamie at Granville Island, had fish and chips for the first time and much more!!

- She laughs when other people around her laugh, as if she understands the punch line.

- She calls "Mama", "Daddy" from her carseat in the backseat and laughs when we answer her.