A Turning Point with Edith

Almost overnight, things have gotten easier.

The last two or three weeks have brought what I would consider a major turning point for Edith from babyhood to toddlerhood. It's not one specific thing, but a combination of changes that I have noticed.

• I can interact with her like a girl and not a baby. If I ask her where her socks are, she can point to them. If I give her two glasses to choose from, she will pick one. We can play games more complicated than peekaboo.

• She can say several words, most notably mama, dada and dog (although that "dog" may also be a cat). I can actually foresee the day in which we can have simple conversations.

• She sits in a booster and not a high chair, and she eats off a saucer and not the table. She can use a spoon if I load it up first. Is it really true that a year ago she hadn't even tried solid food?

• She has favorites. Hide the graham crackers if you don't want her to be eating them all day long!

• We have a schedule. She's easy to put to bed for naps and nighttime. Finally. It was a long time coming.

• She will play by herself. When I recently noticed this, it was a major coup. Suddenly she only sticks to my side for half of the day instead of the full 100 percent. How freeing!

I know many parents love the infant months, and I did too. But I love this even more -- seeing her grow up into the girl she is becoming. It's rewarding.