Month by month · 12 months
3 MINUTES READ
Your baby at twelve months
one whole year of little lines.
A first birthday is a big day for a small person, and a bigger one for you. There may be a first word, a wave, a few steps along the sofa. Here is what this stage can look like, what is worth writing down, and how to turn the year into a letter.
What twelve months can look like
Every child has their own timing, so read this as things you might notice, not a list to tick off. Around their first birthday, many babies:
- play games with you, like pat-a-cake, and wave bye-bye
- call a parent mama, dada, or another special name
- pause when you say no
- look for something they saw you hide, and put things into a container
- pick up small things between thumb and finger
- pull up to stand, and walk holding on to furniture
Drawn from the CDC's milestone checklists. Every baby is different, and this is not medical advice. If something worries you, talk to your child's doctor.
Little things worth a line this month
Pick the one that feels like today. A single sentence is enough.
- Their first word, or the sound they use instead of a word.
- The name they call you, spelled exactly how they say it.
- Who they wave bye-bye to, including things that can't wave back.
- The game they want to play again and again.
- The first steps, or the journey along the sofa.
- Something they find hilarious that no one else does.
- What they point at when you go outside.
- A thing they hid, or a thing they found that you hid.
- The food they would eat every day if you let them.
- How they reacted to their birthday cake.
- Who came to celebrate, and who they went to first.
- What you would tell them about their first year.
First word: dah. It means dog, door, and also Dad. We are all fine with it.
She ignored the cake and played with the wrapping paper for an hour.
Three steps from the sofa to the coffee table, then a very proud sit-down.
A first birthday letter
If you have been writing little lines all year, read them back the week before the birthday. Pick three or four that make you smile and write a short letter to your child around them: who they were at one, what they loved, what you want them to know. If you have not written anything, start the letter with today and the one memory you would never want to lose.
One line, whenever something happens.
One Little Line keeps each memory with the date and your baby's age attached, so a line about twelve months stays a line about twelve months. At the end of every month, your memories become a letter you can read back.
Questions parents ask
What should I write in a baby journal at 12 months?
Write the firsts and the funny: their first words, the name they call you, the games they want again and again, first steps or cruising, and how the birthday went. Write their words exactly as they say them.
What should I write in a letter to my baby on their first birthday?
Tell them who they were at one: what they loved, what made them laugh, a moment from the year you never want to forget, and what you hope for them. Real details from the year matter more than big words.
What if my child isn't walking or talking yet?
Children develop at their own pace, and this page is about noticing, not measuring. If you have questions about your child's development, the CDC milestone checklists are a good starting point, and your child's doctor is the right person to ask.