Daddy Time

Erin had an open house at school last night (whoever heard of an open house 1 week from school ending...), so it was Daddy Time on Monday night (so Erin could clean her classroom) and last night. We had so much fun, but I have realized that our little M-Bug is not a little baby anymore. No, our quiet, cuddly baby has become a very lively, little person. So, of course, I have to be lively as well, which is fun, but tiring after a long day at work.

She has this new fascination with going outside. She will stand at the back door or the back window and point outside while giving us a gutteral "uh-uh-uh" sound. When I take her outside she wants me to blow bubbles. Then she wants me to walk her around the yard (she will not touch the grass...at all...loves to be outside, hates the grass...) While I am carrying her around the yard, she will point in the direction she wants me to go, and lean her body in that direction, bob her head and say "duh." I feel like I am nothing but a horse to her. She will direct me to the gate and then to the front yard and then to her stroller so we can go for a walk. Why is called "taking the baby for a walk" when she gets to ride in the stroller and I do all the walking?

I must admit, I was looking forward to her walking because I thought it would get her to the real fun, interactive age. Since she has become mobile, she seems to be developing so rapidly and we are having a blast. She loves to read and turn pages. She will point to pictures and say something with a very "matter of fact" tone. Stacking is a wonderful hobby right now, she tries to stack everything. If it can't be stacked, then hopefully it get be put in a containor or removed from a containor. Anything that has a switch to turn music on and off rocks. She enjoys rolling and throwing balls. Also, she adores rough-housing. She will run at me "tyrennasaurous rex" style (head down-arms behind her) and that means, play rough. So we wrestle on the ground, tickle, and hug. It is so much fun. It usually turns into hide-and-seek. I crawl rapidly away and hide behind a piece of furniture or a around a corner. Then yell, "boo" when she come upon me. She will cackle and then point in another direction for me to go hide.

While this current age (15 months) is so much fun, it also seems a lot harder than I expected it to be. I didn't really realize how awkward an age this is for her because she is big enough to walk around and play do some things for herself, but too young to know what is safe and what is not. Also, she knows what she wants and asserts herself, but doesn't know how to talk and communicate clearly what she wants. She will point to something and give a loud shriek as if to say "Give that to me, now!." The shriek is the same no matter if she really wants something or just wants something because I have it. I don't like it at all. The shriek is demanding and disrespectful, two traits we don't her learn. While I understand that she has no other way to communicate, I feel this enoromous need to withhold whatever she is yelling back from her until she can ask for it in a more appropriate manner; which isn't going to happen because she doesn't know how to say to please and how to ask politely. (She does know "thank-you" and will say it when you hand her something). So, I've been handing her things that are OK for her to have while gently and patiently saying, "Please, Daddy can I have the object." Any other advice would be appreciated. Of course, sometimes I don't know exactly what she is pointing at so I give her the wrong thing. This frustrates her. She will shake her no and swing her arms to knock the offending thing out of my hand, then repoint in the direction of what she wants and shriek some more. I'm not sure how to handle this. I don't mind her shaking her head no to me, but the knocking things out of my hand is not right.

Anyway, I didn't mean for this to get into an "annoyances" post. Just thought I'd share a little bit about my precious little Ladybug and how much fun we have had the past couple of nights. BTW, tooth five has breached the hull and can be seen and felt (very sharp).

Back to you, Bob...