3/10/07 - Little Climber

My belly is definitely prominent now, and I have a tendency to bump it when I turn around or try to squeeze through a space that normally wouldn't be a problem. When I sit down, I can feel my belly pushing up on my chest. I’m about halfway there now, and things are already getting crowded in there. The baby will sometimes respond to the tight quarters by giving me a few kicks. Eva continues to grow every time we blink. She's grown taller, which has enabled her to reach objects on the table or countertop that were once safely out of range. She can now merely walk up the steps instead of crawling up on her knees, though she still needs her hands to keep her balance. She likes to let go as often as possible, though, which has me dreading the inevitable tumble down the stairs. I want to install a lower handrail for her to hold onto. She recently figured out how to climb onto higher surfaces, like our bed and the dining room chairs. She loves to climb and stand up on furniture, enjoying the view, which makes me nervous. I find myself repeating "get down!" throughout the day like a broken record. She's heard it so many times that sometimes she'll repeat it back to me. She likes to test her strength by rearranging furniture, pushing heavy items around the room, or lifting and overturning her toddler slide and chairs.