Sweet Pea Developments

Sweet Pea took her first steps on Thanksgiving Day, and until two days ago, hadn't made any additional progress since.  She would still just stand up, take a few steps, and fall, laughing, into our hands.  She thought it was a fun game, but didn't seem interested in walking as a mode of transportation.

But all of a sudden, on New Year's Eve, she started walking for much longer stretches.  And this evening, I happened to catch her longest walk yet on video.

(Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9AZMZIll_w&feature=youtu.be)

She is walking unprompted now, and sometimes opting to walk even when there's a push toy or a wall nearby for her to grab.

This is part of a huge developmental leap she's taken in the last month.  In addition to walking, she's also learned to climb the stairs (and insists on it, every time we go up).

These new developments aren't all physical, either.  She's also started signing "more," "eat," and "drink."  And she says six words now: Mama, Daddy (sometimes she says it backwards -- "Dee-dah"), buh-bye, beep beep (hilariously, when she's backing a toy up), boom! (when she's giving a high five) and -- most recently -- NO!!  She screams, "No!" most often when one of her siblings is taking a toy from her.  And CC will happily scream, "Yes!" right back at her before running off with the toy.

A month ago, we were starting to wonder when Sweet Pea would start walking, talking, signing, or showing major developmental improvements.  But they seem to have all happened at once!  She continues to be our little ray of sunshine, and we love every day with her.