The light bulb turned on

This week its like the light bulb turned on in Allie's head. She's growing up, but the change I'm seeing in her lately isn't in her body, its in her mind. She's so much more aware. When Doug or I walk into the room, she smiles at us. It seems she sees us as "mama" and "dada" now as she's looked at both of us a few times and actually said the corresponding name. On Sunday morning when I got up, Allie and Doug were already downstairs. When she saw me, she immediately smiled and crawled over to see me. It melted my heart.

She's becoming more playful and so much fun. We jokingly say that she's like the dog, and doesn't it look that way from this picture? It looks like Allie is going to go fetch too! She's becoming a handful and we have to be vigilant about keeping her out of places she doesn't belong.

Allie is always jabbering, laughing and smiling. She is never in a bad mood, except when we do something she doesn't like! Along with her new awareness comes temper tantrums. They happen a lot when we put her on the changing table.

Putting Allie to bed has become a chore some nights, though it seems if we wait a bit past when she gives her sleep signs, she's so exhausted that she'll just go to sleep. Doug put her to bed on Sunday night when I was gone and told of this horrible screaming she did for over an hour. I didn't believe him until I heard it myself when I put Allie in the crib so I could run a bath. Yikes!

So we've got the good and the bad coming out, but mostly the good. As Doug and I have said many times as the months have progressed, she's not just a lump anymore!