You Kicked Some Serious A** MONTH 11 WEEK 4

Approved by the What’s Up Moms Medical Advisory Board

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to baby. And to you, mom. You did it! 12 months whizzed by faster than you could have expected. Of course, there were many days in there that did not whiz by at all. But here you are on the other side of it with an almost-one-year-old and that is something.

Think back to a year ago and the first time you laid eyes on your shrivel-y little old man-like baby. Try to remember what it was like to shuffle through those blurry first few weeks at home. Could you ever have imagined what today would look like? Now you’re living with a toddler — an actual human being — with a mind and personality of her own. A small, wild person in your house! It’s major.

Don’t be surprised if you feel a wave of nostalgia as baby’s birthday approaches. A lot of moms do. It helps to spend some time — together with family or not — looking back on the past year, going over pictures and videos and journal entries and stories to mark this not-so-little transition. And we promise, what’s on the horizon is unbearably sweet; the next stages are ridiculous amounts of fun. If you think baby’s hilarious now, know that she’s just getting started – you’re in for a lot of giggling in the coming months. And, well… ongoingly. The train does not stop.

In the near future, you may be able to experience one of the all-time most joyful firsts in parenting: WALKING DOWN THE STREET HOLDING YOUR KID’S HAND. And soon enough, your little one will have some basic words – or versions thereof, anyway. Using a unique and tiny voice! So many miscellaneous delights of toddlerhood right around the corner.

Come check out some of our toddler content – more is being added all the time. And in the meantime, check out our gear guides to get our take on all manner of baby stuff, including great gifts for your birthday baby. Er — toddler. It’ll take a minute to get used to that.

Now go celebrate your little person and all that you’ve accomplished and learned in the past year. It’s been a big chapter, and, rest assured, the best is yet to come.