The First Birthday Extravaganza is Almost Upon Us

I can't quite put my finger on it, but for some reason, today Josephine seems really ... old.  Like, every day Jeremy and I look at each other in amazement at LEAST once and say something like, "Holy crap!  When did she get so BIG?" and strangers have been calling her a "big girl" instead of "such a sweet little thing," and I KNOW she's almost one, but today?  Today it is hitting me all at once.  

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she finally convinced me that she really isn't going to tolerate the "two-nap" schedule anymore and if I want a moment's rest I better just let her switch to one long afternoon nap.  We did it today and she ACTUALLY SLEPT.  FOR MORE THAN THIRTY CONSECUTIVE MINUTES!!!!!  And then even went to bed a half an hour earlier than usual.  Yeah.  Big time stuff.  

Or maybe it was because after she woke up from her nap, I put some toys out on the floor and she just happily sat and played, and just looked back at me every once in a while to make sure I saw her do something that she deemed especially funny. 

Or maybe it is because she will just stand in the middle of the room, all sturdy and then will slowly squat down, pick something up, then slowly stand back up, without any wobbling or falling or even acting like it is a big deal.

Or maybe it was how I just turned on Yo Gabba Gabba, and the EXACT SECOND she heard the little intro Nick Jr. plays (something about teaching children something something something), she WHIPPED her head around and stared at the TV, laughing and squealing with delight.  The TV had been totally uninteresting until she heard one of her two favorite shows (that makes it sound like she watches a lot of TV ... I swear, she only watches that and Sesame Street).

OR maybe it is because she now says a LIST of words and DEFINITELY connects them to things.  Get this:

"Da-DEEEE" is "daddy" (duh) -- in fact, she has been pointing at things that are Jeremy's (like his cell phone and his guitar) and saying Da-DEEEE over and over, looking at me for confirmation, and every time she sees a picture of him (even one of him when he was little!!).

"Mumma" is "mama" (double duh)

"Bay" is "baby" (she LOVES babies)

"Da" is "that" (we think)

She also says "Gi-go" a lot.  I think it might be "giggle" because she has an Elmo doll she is ape over that says "giggle with Elmo!"

Also, I swear she says "Em-mo" while reading her Elmo book.  However, she has only ever done it in front of me, so it has not been verified.

Yeah, I get it, she is turning one in ten days; I SHOULD be feeling like she is old, and no, I shouldn't feel like this has snuck up on me, but I do.  I do.  And every time I think about her birthday party (coming up in EIGHT days!) I get a little twinge of an ulcer.

I had a way to make this not just a ridiculous post, but I've forgotten how I was going to accomplish that.  Instead, I'll leave you with this:

I can't believe my baby turned into this.