You can walk! You started walking more and more during Thanksgiving week. At first you would take a few steps and when you fell, you would give up and just crawl. After a couple of days you started getting back up on your feet even after falling. Then you started falling less and less. Actually you think you can run. You’re as adventurous as ever and still love to climb everything.

I don’t know how you are so strong and so flexible. You are only about 2 feet tall and try to climb in and out of the bathtub by yourself. It’s funny to watch you lift your leg up all the way up past your waist.

Just this week you’ve started using words. Most clearly, you say “Yah…. ” and “Aba”, which thrills Aba to no end. You also so “oh” for “Uhoh”, “baby”, “appa” (apple). Noam tells people that you can say banana. Your nanny told me that earlier this week you said puppy when you guys saw a dog outside. What I love most is not a word but you make the tiniest blow when we say something is hot. Because then we blow on the food. So sometimes when you want food, you make the sign for eat or more and then puff out tiny breaths.

You’ve started liking books, which is nice because then I can cuddle with you for longer while you sit in my lap. Your favorite books now are The Hungry Caterpillar and Moo, Baa, La La La.

You are funny and clever and adorable and cuddly. You have also started being more social with others. Ruth calls you the automatic smiling machine. Well, you have always liked her but you smile at more people on the streets now. I have a hard time explaining why it is you’re so funny and your grandma Judith said it’s because you’re so small and yet so opinionated. It’s true. You know what you want and you try hard to get it.