In October I got mad. The floors creaked and cracked and popped so much that no matter where we walked upstairs it would wake up Grace. So one night in October I got Matt to agree with me and we began to rip up the carpet in the hallway. Then Matt screwed down the boards better then they were and he glued the seams. No more squeaks in the hallway. Now to do the master bedroom, guest bedroom and nursery.
So for two months we have been ripping up carpet, screwing down boards, gluing sections, and living as normal as we can with the chaos that was happening in our house.
On Tuesday the carpet men finally came to put down new carpet. That meant that the baby gates had to be put away for a short while. Grace instantly was drawn to the stairs. She went up them at least 10-15 times that day.
But she was not selfish. She made sure to share the fun of the climbing of the stairs with her most cherished toys. She took a spoon, a bowl, a lanyard, and a pen up to the top of the stairs. On her final adventure up the stairs she walked across the living room as if on a mission, leaned over as she went through the doorway (to the location where her stuffed animals and dolls are kept), grabbed the penguin by the beak and without missing a beat or slowing her walk headed for the stairs.
Once on the stairs she paused for a photo shoot as if to say "yes, this is my penguin and we are going on an adventure." Then up the stairs she went....again!
The carpet is now down, and the stairs are blocked off again. She will just have to find many other adventures to have with her toys. There is surely no lack of adventure with Grace around.
She is now taking only one nap a day (which I have to admit, I love!) She goes to bed earlier and wakes up later. And there is only one time of the day that I have to worry about messing up her schedule in order to run around town with her.
She is saying Da-Da more often and correctly.
