News: A Milestone!

Sylvia took her first step today!

We were at the park with mama-friend Vanessa and her son, Adriano. Adriano walked at 10 months, and Vanessa had told me, "I've been miserable ever since."

Watching Sylvia standing, rock-solid, she said, "She'll be walking soon. Then you'll be in my boat." At that moment, Sylvia took a small step forward before losing her balance and landing on her 'okole. Vanessa and I just stared at her, slack-jawed, for a moment, then Vanessa said, "Did she just-?" Yes, she did. Uh-oh.

I mean, Yay!

Uh-oh.

Somehow she managed to get heavier today, too.

And she's up to three teeth now, one on the bottom and two on top.

Meanwhile, Sylvia is working on her communication skills, both oral and manual. With her nanny Patty, who is from El Salvador, I have heard her say "hola" and attempt "zapato." Today alone she tried out "up," "water," and "tomatillo" (we were at the grocery store). She has developed a variation on the sign I use for "nurse" (although this does not keep her from trying to undress me in public) and I've seen her practicing "more," "all done," and "dog," even though she hasn't used them at appropriate times yet.

Another accomplishment is her use of the potty. On the advice of a friend who belongs to the "diaper free" movement, otherwise known as Elimination Communication, I bought Sylvia a little potty and began by putting her on it at the most likely time—after naps. The first "catch" and I was hooked. Sylvia now uses the potty regularly and will sometimes even crawl to the bathroom when she needs to go.

With all this growth, Sylvia has decided that she is no longer a baby. She refuses all purées as beneath her, and she is growing increasingly intolerant of eating a meal that differs from ours. For example, last night she rejected squash—usually a favorite—and demanded some of our ... kale. Weird. (Many parents we know envy Sylvia's desire for vegetables.)

Tonight, she expressed impatience with having to sit in the high chair and kept reaching across her tray to put her food on the table. Once it had touched the table, she brought it to her mouth. She seemed to be saying, "Stop infantilizing me, it's time for me to eat at the table like an equal member of this family."

Family lore says that when I was born, Grandma Betty spotted my double hairline and said, "Uh-oh, she's going to be a humdinger." I'm not sure I lived up to that, but Sylvia is one already. I never imagined that she would have—much less express—such strong opinions at such a young age.

This past month has been incredibly challenging and also so much fun.