Baby to Child

Just yesterday, I came home after work and looked at Natalie who was super cute, clean and fresh after a bath, and I suddenly realized that she is no longer a little baby, but undeniably now a small child. She talks (can identify several objects clearly), walks well, and her head is no longer too big for her body which has lengthened to just a couple inches shorter than her 2.5 year-old cousin Vanessa. How did this happen? More specifically, when did this happen?

Also, last night, around 2:30am, I felt a small hand tapping my shoulder, waking me up. I looked over and Natalie was wide awake. She opened and closed her hand several times (sign language for "milk"). I asked her "Do you want milk?" and she did the signal again. So told her I would be back and she lay quietly on the bed as I left and then quietly drank her milk when I returned. When she was finished her bottle, she said, "Ma-ma," and handed the empty bottle to me, popped her thumb into her mouth and went back to sleep. Amazing!

Natalie walking around, trying to get "in" with the boys crowd playing at QQ Club.


All the other boys were older than her and spinning circles around her. They were fast! She looked on in fascination (mouth open most of the time).


This boy is 7-years old and was super nice to Natalie. He helped pick up her little bouncy ball. He was very patient because as soon as he gave it back to her, Natalie would throw it again and then walk after it calling "Boh-boh! Boh-boh!", and he would go and pick it up for her again.


Poor Natalie could only watch as the other boys raced around her. She's not big enough to move the car while sitting on it and was happy pushing the car ahead of her. One bright point is she can now walk backwards while holding the car (and not always be stuck against the wall any more).