Cruising out of babyhood

I’m not sure how it’s possible, but Bea is 10 months old. And time isn’t the only thing that’s cruising by—Bea has also started making lots of forward progress on her own two tiny feet.
Walking is one milestone I’m not particularly thrilled about. Don’t get me wrong; it’s exciting, but it’s also a little daunting. I’m just not quite ready for my baby to take that step into toddlerhood (pun unapologetically intended). I can barely keep up with her as it is!
Lucky for me there are plenty of other distractions to keep me from worrying about my soon-to-be bipedal speed demon. Aside from her affinity for cruising along furniture and pushing her walker, I’ve noticed a few other areas in which Bea has started to venture beyond the realm of babydom.
For the most part it’s really convenient stuff, like her new mealtime routine. She’s getting the whole chewing thing down, which means I no longer have to puree everything that passes her palate. Of course, I never minded all the mini meals and special blended concoctions, but let’s be honest: It’s nice to be able to feed her tinier portions of what Andy and I are eating at the same times we’re eating it.
Her bedtime regimen has gotten less strenuous, too—although I’m almost afraid to talk about it for fear of jinxing myself! Almost …
Sometime over the course of the past couple of months Bea has gotten the hang of self-soothing, so she falls asleep faster and stays asleep longer. From 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., our house is a den of Zen. Bea has never been a bad sleeper, but it feels like there’s always been a smattering of late-night feedings, 5 a.m. wake-up calls and hour-long rocking sessions since her arrival. That’s why her new sleeping sweet spot has made this my favorite stage so far—and it has also shattered my attempts at breaking her from her pacifier.
Really, though, the most amazing thing about her new 10-month-old self is her size. Her 9-month growth spurt came on a little late, but what it lacked in timeliness it made up for in vigor. In one month Bea has gained two pounds and grown an inch. She’s also in the process of sprouting five (yes, five!) new teeth.
It felt like we just woke up one morning and our little Bea became a big Bea—a big Bea who needed new shoes, longer pants and a bucket of teething rings. I just don’t know where the time goes!