First Tantrum

I guess this goes with the walking? Yesterday we had a quick preview of one: overtired, didn't want a bath, wanted to go right to bed. Mr. Punch is working overtime and we kept him up too late (nearly 7pm). Tonight, we made the same mistake: but this time it was real. He turned hot and red and twisty and *nothing* helped. Not distraction, not the cave-man ambassador thing, not moving back and forth between his evil parents who wouldn't let him eat dirt. It lasted about 3-4 minutes but it felt like FOREVER. Eventually I opened the freezer and stood there with him. That seemed to work. Then he ate a huge pile of rice and beans and went to sleep.

**Caveman ambassador thing is "Happiest Toddler on the Block" advice: you show the kid you understand him by mirroring his emotion back to him, and then try to distract/calm him. It worked the day before, but not today.

Walking!

Today, my baby is a toddler.

Who is apparently made of iron will. His first steps were not to me, but towards the objects of his desire: the stereo, and then towards his dad who had popped out for a second: step, step--lunge toward daddy, and land on the edge of the couch. And then again seconds later, moving away from me, step, step and lunging towards Daddy.

Meanwhile, I was getting the stinkeye all day long. Brow furrowed, nose crinkled. Sheer annoyance on his face. And I wasn't even saying no to him. I just wasn't Daddy. He was fixated on him all day long. Sure, I'm good enough to nurse him, but the rest of the day was D.A.D.

I guess it makes a change.

Where to begin

Man! All of a sudden so many teeth! It's like overnight, he got four. Which means crunching things is fun. Potato chips, crackers, apples, his dad's finger.

Kid's got a will of iron, and knows just how far he can go before he runs into some prohibition or other. Has perfected the stink-eye, complete with wrinkled nose. Has learned that he has to keep his hat on outside as we live on the surface of the sun, but will whip it off seconds after we get inside. He loves gravity, as it makes for a perfect game with mommy at the table, at the grocery store, in the kitchen: drop the spoon, the toy, the bottle--and this morning disastrously, his cup. He's learned to drink from a straw, and is a champ at drinking from a regular cup. The key problem is the throwing.

He's still cruising, pretty confidently. And he sits cross-legged now. It's too cute. He's perfected this playful swaggering speed-crawl, and swings his head from side-to-side when he's feeling mischievous. The best new game he plays is blowing on his dad and me: you know the blow-kisses you give to babies on their bellies? He gives them back. On his dad's belly, and on me while he's nursing. He giggles when he does it.