11 months

11 months. Just one month away from the big birthday. I'm racking my brains trying to remember all that happened this month, but it seemed to whiz by while I kept wondering when she'd start walking.

She isn't walking yet, but she has been communicating with us with sounds that suggest the words "No" and "More". As in "Kumi, do you want a kiss?" "Nya." Or the insistent "Mo! Mo!" after she'd picked clean the chunks of cheese on her high chair table. Plus she's fully mastered "Hi" and "Bye" with a limp wristed wave. She'll even say "Hi Dada" which melts MF's heart.

A couple of months ago, I took her to the Children's museum and she was quite fearful of the whale tunnel and mock babbling brook and mini slide, among other paraphernelia geared towards the 0-3 year-old set. But in the last few weeks, she has developed an absolute love of the place and vigorously crawls and splashes and slides. Above, she is looking glazed and ready to nap after enthusiastically playing at the museum.

Everything still goes into her mouth. Here, she is trying out her friend's bouncy toy and immediately, she chomped on the ear.

Kumi is rapidly becoming less of a baby and more of a toddler and it makes me a little sad. I've so enjoyed her babyhood, sleeplessness and all. At the same time, she's so much more fun and communicative and...well...I really love to sleep and have been enjoying the 7 to 8 hours I've been getting for the last month.

Next month is an exciting one! We'll be jetsetting down to L.A. and there will be much hulaballoo and celebrations for her birthday. Ah, how fast it all happens.