Mowing the Hardwood??

Stinkerbell made out like a bandit this year for Christmas. And, at Mommy's request, quite a few of her toys were walking enticement tools. Her favorite of late is this lawnmower. When she's a little older, it transforms into a car, complete with ingition knob, but for now it's the perfect height for her to walk around behind. She's been mowing our hardwood floors nonstop for the past month!!

Sadly, it has not had the effect that we had desired. She is so fast with this thing that she practically takes off running. And when I take it away and we try to get her to take steps between Mommy and Daddy, she looks at me like I'm a crazy person. I guess I can't blame her. Who'd want to take their first slow wobbly steps when they could be mowing in style at Mach 3? We're hoping that she'll be walking by her first birthday, but with only three weeks, the outlook is quite grim.

In addition to the walking battle, the toll of my life is starting to wear on me a little bit, especially where Sophie is concerned. On the nights that I have class, I don't get home until 8:30 or 9:00. If Sophie isn't in bed already, she has way outlived her expiration date. Since I really can't bear the thought of not seeing her at all, I've been waking her up to spend time with me, or keeping her up until 10ish so that I can snuggle with the sleepy baby. This is what I came home to after my last Tuesday night class.

Poor baby could barely keep her eyes open. We snuggled on the couch a little and I got some pictures of one of my baby's weirdest quirks.

Yes, that's a fuzzy blanket hanging out of her mouth. UGGHHH!!! I can't imagine the feeling of soggy fleece being appetizing, but she can't sleep without it. And it isn't just nibbled on, either. She crams as much of it as she can in her mouth, kind of like I'd imagine a starving child in a third world country would with a Happy Meal (or like I'd like to with a box of HoHo's). I've heard of kids needing the feel of their blankie because they like the softness, and she does squish it in her little pudgy fists and pet it sometimes, but I've never heard of a kid liking to eat her blankie. And to add to the weirdness, it's not one particular blankie. Any fluffy will do: actual blankie's, a plush teddy bear, her winter scarves, mommy's shoulder when wearing a fleece jacket.....

I love these eccentricities that make her MY little Stinkerbell!!