Today I set Samantha down on the floor in the dining room, and when I looked over, she was almost standing. She was on her hands with her feet flat on the floor and her knees bent, as though she was just going to straighten up and stand. She shocks me by the hour now. She also grabbed onto a lower shelf (a sturdy one, thank goodness) and started to pull herself upright. She is not supposed to be able to do that yet! I'm not telling her that, of course. Her face is filled out and looks different to me today. Her personality is really coming out now, as she becomes more aware that she is a separate person. I think that is partly why she looks different, that and her face is growing, getting broader. She is a charmer, very sweet and loving. She grabs hold of my hair, drags me down to her face and plants a big wet one on my cheek. Then she gives me a big hard squeeze with her whole body. I feel like a million bucks when she does that. I hope she never stops.