One of the nicest things that happened when I got my first period is that my mother bought me a beautiful bracelet (costume jewelry) and gave it to me saying, "congratulations, you are a woman now." I was about 14 years old, on the later side of getting it.

There is not much to really say if you have been talking about periods and what they mean, biologically and physically.

Good luck with the mood swings. I was watching one of those life channels and the documentary was saying that when a girl goes to sleep, hormones are pulsing every 2-3 minutes all night long so sometimes girls wake up in a hormonal mess! My DD did have her moments!

But my guess is that not much will change. She sounds like a loving child and that does not stop.

As long as you celebrate her next stage, she will do the same. If you have not been talking about the changes, now is a great time to start.

I will never forget how I felt when my mom gave me the bracelet though. It felt really special to be a part of the "club."