Teeth and new activities

Mia is experiencing a barrage of incoming teeth. Both back sides, top and bottom, are getting new teeth. She is drooling like crazy, has a terrible runny nose and low grade fever, and just walks around holding her cheeks, occasionally crying pitifully or screaming. The poor little thing. I guess it's good to get so many out of the way at once, but she's paying for it. I'm not even sure which teeth we're talking about since she won't let me near her mouth, but it looks like a lot.

Mia is becoming super-assertive with the dogs. She pats them (not always gently), licks them (she thinks she's giving them kisses like they give her!), steps on them and falls on them. Yesterday they both barked at her to get the heck off - yes, even Grace! We've been trying to teach her to be gentle, but at the same time trying to allow it while we're in their presence, so the dogs will learn this is what babies do.

That child is so fast we can barely keep up with her. We've learned to close off all doors so she's confined to the kitchen, dining room and living room. Usually it's safe for her to roam those areas without our eyes directly on her at all times. But if she happens to hear us go to another room, she's there in an instant - trying to put her hands in the toilet, pulling out toilet paper, turning on the bathtub faucet, pulling things out of garbage cans, pulling clothes out of drawers, etc. She runs most places so she can get there and explore before we have time to catch her!

A new thing she started yesterday is to walk with a very wide stance. She would take very wide steps, rocking back and forth and "singing" as she did it. Mike and I were laughing out loud watching her. We assume she's learned that from one of her baby friends at daycare. She also loves to lay on her back on the floor and pull things on top of her, such as books, blankets and baskets. She thinks she's hiding from us and loves to pop out from under those objects and "surprise" us!