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September 18, 2008
There's more to Mandy than just trouble
I recently realized that most of my posts lately have been about the challenging aspects of my child, and that I've spent very little time talking about the good stuff. I've had uninterrupted sleep all week, so I'm in the right frame of mind to actually do that.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is that she puts things away. She will open her daddy's sock drawer, pull out a pair and play with or inspect for a minute, then she puts them back in the drawer & closes it even! In the tub, she will pull down my shampoo bottles, let them float around for a while & then she will set them back on the edge of the tub. Isn't this pretty incredible behavior for a 15 month old?
She's also very tough - maybe she had to be growing up on hard floors, but I'll see her fall or bump into something & unless it's a really hard lick, she doesn't make a sound. It's kinda funny because other women get so excited when she falls down - saying "oh" real loud & rushing to her. I guess I've been desensitized - how many times can you get excited about a toddler falling? It's like breathing to them. Happens regularly.
She's very gentle with the animals, for the most part. I was worried about this in the beginning because she would just grab a handful of tender belly flesh & squeeze for all she was worth. I would try to open her hand & rub it on them, but this just made her mad. Anyway, at some point she got it & she usually only touches them with an open hand. It's nice to not have to constantly worry about the baby / pet relationship.
She's also much more gentle with me. In addition to the biting problem we had, we also had pinching & scratching. The worst was a little mole I have on my collar bone - she would push on that thing with all of her strength & usually end up scratching it. It stayed sore for about 6 months. But these days, the whole collarbone, base of the neck area seems to be a comfort area for her & she just lays her hand there about any time I'm holding her. It's gone from something aggravating at best & painful at worst to something I really like.
So far, she hasn't expressed any fear of anything. I know many toddlers develop pretty irrational fears. I know it could still happen, but right now I'm thankful she's not screaming and clinging over something an adult would consider silly.
I'm always amazed at how well she lets me brush her teeth. Just sits there, mouth open wide while I brush & then she gets to suck the rest of the flavor off the toothbrush. I imagine this is a struggle with many toddlers. She's also really good to let me blow dry her hair at night.
Just so you know.
| By Wifeepoo | 1:03 PM
