What has happened to my baby? I don’t know where she has gone, but when I went to get her up a few mornings ago I found a little almost toddler type person in her place. One who was howling in rage because her brother is in her cot with her and trying to give her a kiss.

A kiss? Who hates kisses? Sigh. #MummaNeedsAffection

Yup, its true though, my baby has gone sob sob sob sob.
Literally overnight she has been replaced by a wordsy, whacky, wild, almost-walking non-baby sassy pants.
Geez. I don’t think I can call her a baby anymore. She seems too grown up these days, but since she isn’t walking yet then she can’t really be called a toddler, can she? If she cant actually toddle?

Hmmmm… maybe I need to make up a new term.
Maybe since she still barely has any hair (still, I know!) and she is aaaaalmost walking then I should potentially call her a … um … a bald-dler? Yes? No? Winning?

I’ll think of something, I am sure. However by time I do she will probably be too grown up (again) to use it lol.

Now, I know that I say this every month but time has absolutely flown since my little bald-dler was born and I truly cannot believe it. She is fourteen freaking months old now. How the heck did that happen? Have I been asleep for fourteen months and completely missed it? Fark.

Have you read our previous Diary Of A Crazy Baby instalments? If not you can check them all out here!!

And you know something crazy?
Whilst I miss my “baby” – that newborn squishiness, those sweet sleepy cuddles, boy oh boy do I prefer her growing up. It’s weird I guess to both miss it and yet totally love where she is at now (so much) at the same time.

I ABSOLUTELY love watching her develop her cheeky & smiley personality which is now totally shining through, and I am as proud of her as she is of herself when she accomplishes lots of little new  things everyday. Well they may seem like little things for me, but they are HUGE things for her. It’s the best.

Now, in the last few weeks I feel like her development has absolutely rocketed forward in the most incredible way. She says so MUCH now… She repeats absolutely everything she hears, trying to create the sounds we make in our conversations. Gawd I hope she doesn’t pick up the swearing.

One amazing way that she communicates with us is when she is doing a poo. “POOOOOOOO” she shouts at us, whilst tagging at her nappy. Like, we couldn’t smell it girlfriend. I don’t remember my son even realising when he was doing it, he really wasn’t aware of it the way that she is, but not only is she super aware, but she can communicate it which just BLOWS MY MIND!

So she can now say with intent (and semi clearly) – Mummy, Daddy, Pa, Nonna, Baby, Doggy, Ta, Shoes (though it is more like sooos), Boobies, Bubba, Poo’s, Wee Wee’s, Hi, More, Please (though it comes out as pleee), Berry, Cheese, Dolly, No, Wow, Ari (her brothers name, though when she says it, it sounds more like Aah-eee), Moo, Nappy and uh oh (when prompted). It’s beautiful to hear her try and talk more to us, and I really love this part in the development process. I really did with her brother too. I think it’s because I talk so much myself that it makes me rather grateful to have another persons to talk to. #IllRegretThatLaterWhenTheyAreAllShoutingAtMeAttheSameTime

Although she is still trying to master the skill of speaking, she sure understands a heck of a lot. Which can be terrifying in a way lol. In fact, just a few days ago it was actually quite warm so we took her shorts off and just let her swan about in a tee and her nappy.
I was collecting clothes from around the house to put in the washing basket for washing #WhenWillThisWashingMadnessEnd And I asked her to pass me her shorts which were at the other end of the coffee table to where I was standing. I wasn’t honestly expecting her to do it, but she looked at me, side shuffled over to where her shorts were (holding onto the table), picked them up and brought them back to me.

I was shocked. I mean I knew that she understood things more these days, but I didn’t think that she had THAT level of comprehension! It made my mind race – so I can now get her to help clean up the toy room with her brother?Or more accurately will I ask and she refuses, just like her brother? And can I now say sit on your bum in the bath so you wont fall over and break your face, and SHE WILL TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT I WANT FROM HER AND DO IT?

OK, OK, So I may be getting carried away thinking that she would ACTUALLY follow any instructions that I give her, but I am going to hang on to those wishful thinking thoughts while she is still little, before she has actually realised that she can say no and use it against me repeatedly… Let’s keep that level of sassiness down to a minimum for just a little bit longer please. ‘Kay?

Now, she isn’t actually walking yet, but she keeps getting tentatively closer towards doing so. She walks everywhere with her walker, and still cruises quite happily while holding on the the furniture… or us… But, the other day she actually took one unassisted step between the coffee table and the couch which was SO DAMN EXCITING! She has repeated it once since then, but that’s it. I was so proud, and I really cant wait to see her accomplish that next goal, but at the same time I don’t want to wish the time away with her.
It will happen soon and I totally trust in that. As cute as it is going to be watching her waddle around with her wiggly nappy bum. Dying already. That is always just the cutest.

I do remember that things get a little harder once tiny humans start walking in that they all of a sudden NEVER want to go in the stroller, thinking that those teeny tiny legs are capable of getting them everywhere. Except they have no concept of how many steps it will take to get somewhere, meaning that a short journey to the shops can take HOURS once you include all of the stops, carry-me’s and drunken style shuffling that occurs along the way. #OhEmGeeHurryTheHeckUpTinyLady

But I can see that she is going to be the most independent little munchkin as soon as she can master more skills that allow her to be so. You go tiny human.

She does so many cheeky things now. And I suspect that she may be the boss of the house when she grows up.

She punches her brother in the head whenever she can get away with it, and usually even when she can’t. That sometimes makes me feel so sorry for him, because she seems to find it especially hilarious to be the most slap-happy when he is leaning in for a little smooch or a cuddle. When he just wants to express his love. And if he gets upset about it, she isn’t really that bothered. I suspect she finds it hilarious that she caused it.

However in saying that, she is generally really sympathetic to his feelings. If he is REALLY upset about something – genuinely upset, she mirrors his emotion back at him. If he cries, she cries. And in return, if SHE cries, he just wants to help make her feel better. They have a beautiful relationship. One full of mutual love. And occasional punching.

You will have heard me say it before, but the girl totally LOVES to dance and it is so freaking adorable. As a family we have dance parties every single night before the bath, where the husband and I play all of our favourite songs to the kids from our youth and from our later years. And when they find a song that they LOVE (errm, like Young Blood by 5SOS or Gangnam Style by Psy…I know, the second one is embarrassing but so so catchy) they go nuts, making us listen to it on repeat until it makes all of our heads want to explode. And when we play those songs my daughter LITERALLY cannot control her body.

She starts dramatically throwing her head from side to side whilst shaking her booty, in a move that my in-laws like to refer to as doing “The Snake”. Because that is essentially what she looks like. And it is hilarious. She also loves to stand up holding onto the tv unit, and jump madly up and down, whilst head banging. I never realised that she would be SUCH a groover. Music is in that girls bones.

Speaking of bones, the babe eats everything and I mean EVERYTHING these days, though how she is still so teeny tiny I don’t know. She slurps down pasta, olives, tomato, cheese – EVERYTHING without even blinking an eye! The only thing she really struggles with is tuna. She will only really eat that under sufferance, which usually means that I need to feed her like a little baby again to get her to eat it. Otherwise she will throw it all off onto the floor next to her. Which naturally the dog loves because he can then eat it all up. I think they are in cahoots with each other. #BestiesForLife

She has a weird fascination at the moment with looking into my mouth. Probably because I am usually eating something and she is trying to figure out what is in there and if she wants some herself lol.
And she LOVES playing games. She has such a playful soul like that.
Her favourite games at the moment is peek-a-boo, where she hides her own eyes with her wee fingers (peeking at us through the gaps) and then when she can take it no longer, she screams and giggles excitedly and throws her arms wide “surprising” the shit out of us. And she does. The volume she can reach is shocking lol.
The babe also really loves to play “Round And Round The Garden”, but can NEVER wait until you tickle get to the end to start the tickles. She just gets way too excited about half way through and starts tickling herself whilst giggling uncontrollably and trying to say “tickle tickle tickle”.

She is such a happy, playful and loving little soul. I cant wait to see what she gets up to next month.

How old are your kids? What are they up to? What has stood out to you over the last month? Leave me a comment below as I would love to hear all about it xxx