Well, she's technically a toddler now, but she'll always be my baby!
This is such an exciting stage we are going through. Everything is new and exciting to her. She's drawn to water and the Great Outdoors, loves to run and climb and (weirdest of all) loves peas!

She's learning new words at the rate of one or more each DAY(often after hearing them repeated once or twice) and I'm constantly astonished when I ask her something or tell her to go do something("Go give this to daddy" I told her absentmindedly one evening; to my shock, she did!)

I just compiled a list, she can say 30 words-fairly clearly and understands quite a few phrases. Just because she can't talk in full sentences does not mean she can't understand them!

For fun, I have listed everything I could think of she can say or do..according to my doctor she's almost as advanced as a two-year-old! (most kids her age can only say about 6-9 words; she can say 30 !)
Oh, and "Kitty" was her first word, followed the same day with "Ma-ma" and "Da-da"

-"Ma-ma"
-"Da-da"
-"Yeah?" and "Yeah!"
-"Uh, oh!" (When she drops something)
-"Uhhhhh-uhhhh" ("Up", when she wants to be picked up, includes reaching hands)
-"Kit-tee!"("Kitty")

and as Feb 3rd 2008

-"baaay" (Bear)
-"yep"
-"suuuze" (shoes, learned yesterday)
-"duce" (juice, learned yesterday)
-"Up"
-"MomUp"
-"more"
-"ish"(fish, learned last week)
-"num-num" (wants food; used in response to "Are you hungry, Laura?)
-"poo-poo" (needs a clean diaper) sometimes says "pee-pee"
-"pooh?" (she thinks she sees something from Winnie-the Pooh")
-"Hoo-RAY!" (throws hands in the air and grins)
-googirl (good girl)
"baby" (when she sees a picture of a baby, real child or herself in the mirror)
-Ah-choo! (she'll make that sound when someone sneezes)
-"Bur-day" (birdie)
"-woof" (dog or wolf, not sure which)
"-Papa" (grandpa; or any man in her life not her Daddy with a mustache or beard/gotee or both)
"-Mimi" or "Ma-mee" (her word for Grammy)
"-Ball" (picks it up and throws it)
"-Pretty" (when she sees bright colors, flowers, plants, etc)
-"keese" (keys)

Can walk and run very well, now
-signs for "more"
-signs "All done"
-can sort shapes
-can stack and pull apart legos
-can zip and unzip
-can buckle but can't yet unbuckle
-can drink from a sippy cup and cup with straw
-is almost ready for potty training, but can't pull down own pants yet
-loves to play with water; pouring it into shallow dishes or small-mouthed jars and pouring it back out again
-can scribble with special bath crayons on the shower walls
-is learning how to wash her hands
-can wash her body with her own "kitty" loofah
-can point to "Baby nose", "Daddy's nose" and "Mama's nose"
-covers her face and plays peek-a-boo
-learning how to feed herself
-has make-believe "tea parties" (she "mixes imaginary things" and "eats" them)
-puts on my slip-on shoes and walks around in them
-loves to hear laughter (she'll "fake-laugh" just to get someone laughing!)
-likes to feed me
-runs away (usually squealing) when I growl "I'm gonna get you!"
-dances or spins in circles
-can play by herself for an hour or more quietly in her room or playpen
-kisses pictures of cats, babies, etc

Understands the following (and can respond)
-"Go get Mama/Dada" (she'll run off to find us)
-"go show Mama/dada" or "go give this to mama/dada" (she'll take it to one of us)
-"Where's your water/milk/juice?" (she'll go get it)
-"Are you hungry, Laura?" ("Num-num" and runs to her high chair)
-"Are you wet/poopy?" (says "poo-poo" and plucks at her diaper; sometimes runs to get a clean diaper; often says it when I am using the toilet and she follows me in!)
-"Want to go outside?" (she'll make a funny gurgling sound and run to the door)
-"Let's go get the mail" or "Want to go get the mail?" (she'll take my keys and run to the door)
-"Go get your shoes" (learned this today; usually will get me mine, then after thinking and with me repeating it, will go get her own shoes)
-knows words and motions for "If you're Happy and you know it"(claps hands, stomps feet and throws hands up in the air "hooray!")
-"Gimmie kisses" (will kiss you on the lips!)
-"Shower Time!" (if you take off her diaper and set her down, she'll run to the bathroom)
-"Lay down, it's nap time" (we're still working on this one, but usually she'll lay down and reach for her bottle)
-"Movie time!" (will run to the tv)
-"want me to read a book?" (hold it up, she'll come running and climb into my lap)
-starting to understand "Wait" or "Patience, Laura"
-starting to understand "Hold my hand, it's dangerous"
-understands when you say "Leave it!" (will usually will leave it alone)
-understands the meaning of a short, sharp "ah!" (instead of "No"-only used for something dangerous)
-starting to understand "Gentle" (when petting the cat or touching my hair)
-starting to understand the concept of pockets
-tries to open doors-can climb up onto the couch; but the bed is still too high

I love my job! Each day I come up with new things to do or games to play, and she loves them!
I try to talk to her all the time no matter what I'm doing, since she is so eager to learn.
Just had to gush about my remarkably smart toddler for a bit.