Just Say No

For the first time, Matthew actually stopped doing something (chewing on one of the foam floor letters) when I told him "no" -- of course, he started doing it again a minute later and a second "no" had no effect, but we have to start somewhere. :) (Hopefully it wasn't just coincidence!) And on the flip side, he gave a huge grin when I complimented him on his excellent clapping.

Mattie is also getting yet another tooth (on the bottom; number 7, for those of you keeping track at home). That might have contributed to the many, many wake-ups last night. (But it was probably mostly this never-ending congestion.) Mattie is not normally a clumsy child, but he was so tired this morning that he was stumbling around like a drunken sailor. And then he was overtired and hyper, so it was quite a production getting him down for a nap. Fortunately he was more himself by the afternoon.

Although the light in this picture may make it appear that James has a top tooth, he doesn't yet. We think there may be a bottom one starting to come in, but we're not sure yet (and we've been fooled before!)

Mike installed our third attempt at a baby gate to block off the living room from the kitchen. We think this one will work, and the bonus is that it can actually be operated with one hand. (But not one paw -- poor Stanley can never decide which side of the gate he wants to be on.)