Still January

I'm almost afraid to say this in case I jinx it, but, I think the horribleness that started the day after Dayna's birthday, and continued for DAYS, is finally subsiding. I hope.

Yesterday was pretty good. Long naps, she did eat some, and was generally angelic all day. Today has been good so far too.

Of course.... tomorrow she has to get shots. So it's going to be completely up in the air again. She gets vaccinated for chicken pox, and MMR. Fun. Two shots that she hasn't had before, so I don't know what to expect from her.

I really want to take more pictures of her walking because it is absolutely adorable. She is getting so big.

But I've realized that I probably do not let her explore enough. I still keep her basically fenced in the living room even though she can climb over the barrier if she wants to. And when we're upstairs, after lunch or cleaning up, she's always in her walker. I barrier off the hallway and the stairs and just let her go. The walker keeps her from being able to get into stuff like cabinets and bookshelves.

Discovery is such an important thing for babies her age, I know, but the prospect of really making very large spaces "baby proof" is really daunting. If it were up to me, everything would basically be cleared out. But it's not really my house, and that kinda takes away the whole "discovery" part, doesn't it?

So ideas and encouragement are welcome.

Where's the Line?

Dayna has been testing limits and boundaries. She'll throw food on the floor, wait for me to tell her "no," then take a bite, then throw it on the floor again. Repeatedly. But I know that she knows where the line actually is. Let me give you an example.

Today I was finishing up my lunch and she was wheeling around in her walker. (She had already let me know that she was done by first throwing all her food on the floor, and then standing up in her high chair.) I was in the next room and heard her saying "No no no no no." And then she brought me a phone charger. She knew she wasn't supposed to have it. So she told herself "No," then brought it to me.

Or yesterday we all went out to eat. She would throw food on the floor, look at me to see if I was watching, and if not, she would correct herself. "No no no."

Obviously I've been hearing this word a lot lately.