12 Month Baby M

It's true what they say about second children: they grow up faster than the first. We can't fathom that a year has already gone by. He weighs 19 pounds, 2 ounces (16th percentile), and measures 30 inches (55th percentile). He still has six teeth, and seems to be working on a few more. He amazes us with his awareness and sociability.

What he's been up to this month:

• He gives kisses and hugs.
• In addition to climbing up the stairs, he now climbs down them.
• He takes about three steps at a time before falling down. 
• He seems to understand more and more of what we say: He responds to words like water, hungry, ball, etc., with a nod or head shake. He also can identify his nose, mouth and hair.
• He's enamored with dogs, mimicking their sounds and reaching out whenever he sees one.
• He's proving to be quite opinionated, letting us know with no uncertainty how he feels about something. 
• He still loves to eat, especially fruit like peaches and blueberries.
• One of his favorite things to do is put basketballs in the hoop in the playroom. He seems to have a natural inclination toward balls and sports.
• These days he likes books, but mostly ones that have interesting textures or animal sounds. He has little patience for stories.
• He is quite social, and always has smiles for older women.