She's Clingy Except When She Doesn't Want to Be

As promised, I've included a photo of Brigid "helping" Daddy in the new bathroom. It's hard to tell if he is welcoming the help or just putting up with a subcontractor who doesn't have the skill sets to get the job done right. But he's a patient foreman and gives her some slack for being a first-timer.

I had a relatively easy time of it last night, getting Brigid to bed. We've been following somewhat of a routine lately, where I'll nurse her and then quietly ask if she's ready to lie down on her blankie in her bed. She's taken a liking to bringing her sippy cup to bed with her, so she'll clutch her cup and say "A-tee," which means "OK." And I'll place her on her blankie and she'll snuggle on down. Very rarely does she jump up screaming, but at that point, I'm out the door.

Last night, I didn't hav a peep out of her. When I'm heading into bed, I'll open her bedroom door to let some warm air in since her heater isn't on. Sometimes she pops up like toast then and I'm trapped, but last night, I was even able to go in and cover her up. She woke about 5 a.m. and I brought her in with us where she nursed again and fell back asleep until later, when I was awoken by her screaming in my face, "Mom-ee! Mom-ee! What are you doing? What are you doing, Mom-ee!" I told her I was trying to sleep, but that didn't deter her from her attempts to communicate with me.

We've had quite a clingy phase of late. I can't even walk into another room without her breaking down, wanting me. She needs to see where I am, and comes running over to me all the time, "Mom-ee! Mom-ee! Mom-ee!" It makes you feel good, but it can also impede your attempts to get anything done. When I come in from work, she runs to me, arms out, calling for me. She rarely wants to go to anyone else if I'm holding her, with the exception of Patricia, whom she adores. Ba-det! she'll say and reach out for her. She is always very excited when Ba-det comes home from school. They play together in this dome tent thing she has in her room, which she calls her house. "House?" she'll ask and take Ba-det by the hand and lead her to the house.

Hand-leading is something else she's been doing if she wants something or wants to show you something. She'll say, "Hain? Hain?" and hold out her hand for you to take. Then she leads you -- usually into the kitchen -- and point out or say what she wants. "A-nana?" (banana) "Apple?" "Piece?" (M&M). It's very cute, and she's very solomn and earnest when she's leading you. She's equally solomn and earnest when she's shaking her head saying, "No" when I ask if she's ready to go to bed and lie down on her blankie. That's when the reliability of the witness has to be called into play. But she understands at an early age the importance of being earnest.