Olive and the Eatin' Mittens

Olive is a nut.  A crazy, funny, goofy little nut.  Her sense of humor has developed earlier than any of the other kids.  It's like she is just waiting around for something to make her laugh!  Today, I was taking clothes out of the washing machine and putting them in the top dryer.  I would bend down, with my head in the washer, and stand up to throw them in.  I heard hilarious belly laughter behind me.  Olive thought it was a riot.  Every time I emerged from the washer she would erupt into laughter.  This kid is funny.  When she and Ivey take a bath together, Ivey blows bubbles in the water just to see Olive crack up. The two are quite the pair!  I can already see that the two of these girls are going to have so much fun together... and luckily, I think Olive will be able to hold her own against our bossy, opinionated, creative, whimsical little Ivey!

Olive is now a super fast crawler, a seasoned couch and furniture cruiser, and is even letting go and standing for very brief periods of time.  I don't think it will be long at all before she is toddling around the house.  Maybe she'll put let things in her mouth if her mouth is farther from the floor?  Speaking of her mouth, with the eruption of her top tooth, she has developed this horrible habit of gritting her teeth.  Loudly.  This had better pass because I'm not sure the boys and I can tolerate the sound much longer!

The teeth gritting seems to go along with the part of her personality that causes her to pinch.  My sweet little baby has to comfort herself by causing pain to others.  When she is being rocked, held, and especially during a bottle she will pinch the snot out of my arms, neck, and face.  She has done it since she was a few months old... and it hurts.  We have some "eatin' mittens" that I keep with me to protect me from her claws.  Seriously, who else has to put mittens on their baby to protect themselves from injury!?  What an intense little girl we have... I wonder where on earth she would get such an intense personality.  My guess?  The same place she got her mouth.