Happy eleven month birthday, Emily.

I can’t decide if out little girl is more Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or The Werewolf. You see, while the sun is up, Emily is the most amazingly bright-eyed, well-natured, easy-going, fun-loving creature you can imagine. But when it’s time for bed, I swear she grows fangs. Seriously, she went for my jugular last night! Separation anxiety has set in and our once vehemently independent little girl is now convinced that she needs mommy (and her milk) to get back to sleep. There’s nothing I can do. We’re trying not to give in to her demands and allow her to become dependent on the night feeds, but the desperate pleading, night sweats, and hour-long blood-curdling screams may get the better of us.

But let’s not dwell on the bad news when there are so many positive things from this past month to gush over:

• The developmental flood gates were opened one night when Emily decided to start walking, climbing down from the couch, and playing pop-up peek-a-boo all in less time than it takes me to make a really good tuna salad sandwich.
• Though she started walking a couple of weeks ago, she has progressed amazingly over that short period of time. She has gone from “one step, fall, two steps, fall” to walking down the entire length of the hall, turning the corner, opening a door, bending down to pick up a toy, and carrying on, all while doing her best impression of a drunk Frankenstein’s monster urgently looking for the bathroom. She can actually attain a running pace for a couple of steps if she spots a soft landing pad – like an unsuspecting parent – to hurl herself onto.
• Emily loves to dance. Not only does she giddily fling her head back and forth when a rockin’ song comes on, but she has also accomplished this disco feat in the free-standing position. Sitting or standing, dancing currently exists only from the neck up.
• Seven teeth!
• Even before she was walking, Emily was climbing stairs. One and two stairs have been in her repertoire for months now, but she started the serious stuff at her grandparents’ house in England about three weeks ago where she successfully ascended a carpeted flight of 10 daunting stairs and continued to practice all week long. She must have been gearing up for her return home because, a few days after we came home to Barcelona, Emily escaped the apartment (for the first time) and shot directly for the stairs in the hallway. She proceeded to fly up the 15 marble stairs between the fifth and sixth floor and was making a B-line for the roof when I finally caught up with her.
• Emily had quite the breakthrough dietary day last week when she attended Charlie’s fourth birthday party and ate everything in sight. A definite high point (depending on your point of view) was when she slammed her hand into the birthday cake and quickly shoved a fistful of icing into her mouth.
• At the same birthday party, Emily discovered a newfound love of the beach. Digging in the sand with her new bucket and spade was nice, but it wasn’t nearly as exciting as flirting with the sea. She squealed with delight every time a wave would roll in and touch her feet. She quixotically tried to chase the wave out to sea but mommy was there in Baywatch capacity to make sure that lesson is saved for another day.
• One of the loveliest developments this month has been watching Emily interact with other children. Just today she was hanging out with her good buddy Luca; watching them “speak” to each other, walk together, and give encouraging pats on the back (and face) to each other is absolutely heart-warming. Plus watching her steal toys away from other little kids never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

Let’s see those seven pearly whites.

There she goes, down the couch again.

The newest family photo.