Mobility phase 2: Climbing...

We knew it was coming, but it certainly doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Jayden is getting around pretty well. She can basically run now and her balance is pretty good. It takes a lot to knock her down, which is good considering Jaycee is always pushing her around. She stomps around with confidence now and isn't afraid of getting into tight spaces since she knows how to get herself out as well. However, the need to climb has also shown up.

Anytime any elevated object is around, it takes Jayden about 12 seconds before she attempts to climb it. She has begun testing out what is climbable and what is not. I have caught her trying to climb the wall and the entertainment center in addition to her high chair. She understands that scaling objects gives her some advantages. Maybe it is reaching a forbidden item or gaining a vantage point to drop down and attack her sister. No matter what the reason, she has no desire to keep her feet on the ground anymore. Of course, the result is falling and so far we have been able to keep the distance pretty small between her and the ground, but Jayden has her sights set on some pretty high spots. She complicates things by her need to multi-task. She never just climbs. She has to climb and dance when she reaches the top. Or, she needs to carry a rolling pin as she ascends. The other day she was climbing the footstool and talking on her cell phone. I'm not sure who she was talking to, but she was very irritated with something they were doing (or not doing).

Jayden is really coming into her own. I wrongfully assumed that I could have only one daughter that demanded the spotlight all the time, but it looks like Jayden is headed down the same path. May the loudest child win...