Holy crap, she’s officially 1! How on earth did that happen?
I’ve been tracking the monthly milestones on the blog, but none of them felt quite as big as this one.
It’s very true what Gretchen Rubin said about parenting: “The days are long, but the years are short.”
Looking back, it really has gone over in the blink of an eye, but when I stop to think about the sheer volume of stuff we’ve dealt with this year, it’s almost overwhelming.
This time last year, I was holding this tiny, mushy little thing wrapped up in endless layers, constantly worrying if I could actually be the dad she deserved. I didn’t get much time to dwell on that fear, we went straight into pure survival mode. Then, just as we fought through the initial newborn blur, the dreaded reflux hit, and we had to battle through all over again.
Looking back at those crazy times, I honestly don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’ve probably been awake more this past year than in any other period of my life. But enough about me.
The little person I’ve been referring to as “baby” on this blog is officially a toddler.
From First Words to Total Rejection Signs
At just over 12 months, her communication skills are evolving daily. She can say about 5 distinct words now (“woof”, “mama”, “moo”, “hiya”, and “yeah”), but she clearly understands dozens more.
She waves for hello and goodbye, and while she hasn’t quite worked out how to say “no” verbally, she has perfected the physical alternative: if I push a plate of food toward her that she doesn’t want, she cleanly knocks it away. She definitely understands what she’s doing!
Interestingly, as her physical walking has taken off, I’ve noticed her vocal output has temporarily slowed down. I guess she’s putting most of her brain energy into navigating the room.
The urgency of words drops off a bit once a toddler realizes they can simply march over to what they want and point at it!
Here is how her communication and motor skills compare at this 12-month milestone:
| Skill Area | What She Could Do a Month Ago | What She’s Doing at 12 Months |
| Mobility | 4–5 shaky steps, quick balance loss | Walking as far as she wants independently |
| Footwear | Soft pram shoes, purely for looks, or just socks | Proper hard-soled shoes for outdoor walking |
| Vocabulary | Sounds and babbling | 5 clear words (woof, mama, moo, hiya, yeah) |
| Understanding | Basic gestures | Pointing, waving hello/goodbye, pushing unwanted food away |
| Pretend Play | Pressing random items | Holding toy phones to her ear, “drinking” from cups |
The Mental Explosion: Curiosity & Pretend Play
Alongside the physical mobility, there has been an absolute explosion in her curiosity over the last couple of weeks. You can see the imagination brewing behind her eyes.
She’s constantly giggling, pointing at things she wants, reaching for brightly coloured objects, flipping through books, and taking a intense interest in whatever Mam and Dad are doing.
She gets visibly excited, or suddenly shy, when someone walks into the room.
Her fine motor skills have taken a massive leap forward too:
- She picks up her toy phone and pretends to have a full conversation.
- She picks up an empty plastic cup and pretends to take a drink.
- She pushes buttons on toys to see what sounds they make.
The Big Shift: Buying Real Walking Shoes
Going from taking 4 or 5 cautious, balance-testing steps to walking completely freely across the living room happened in what felt like days.
The biggest physical milestone was taking her to clarks to get her get properly fitted for her first pair of real shoes. Up until now, shoes were just cute accessories to keep her feet warm in the pram. Now, she actually needs them to protect her feet when she’s stumbling around.
There are probably other subtle 12-month-old behaviour changes happening every day, but it takes her time to build up the confidence to try them out in public. Watching this shift from dependent baby to independent toddler is amazing, emotional, and a little bit terrifying all at once.
We can only hope she keeps progressing, exploring, and learning as fast as she has been. Even if it means Dad has to move a lot quicker to keep up with her!