Oh, Eden.

Eden Mara Cramer.

I find I'm saying that quite often these days. My little girl...oh my little girl. She's scrappy, adventurous, and determined. We call her trouble, and now I'm thinking "Bruiser" would be a good fit too.

See that brown lump on her forehead? That's the goose-egg bruise she got on Wednesday (after the swelling had gone down a bit).

She's not even 9 months old, folks, and this girl is DETERMINED to start walking--never-mind solid wood table legs that seem to get in her way.

She has little bruises all over her head and body from other minor bumps, slips and falls, and I thought for sure this one would slow her down. I think she cried and hollered for a whopping 8 seconds. I put ice on it, but she squirmed & wiggled out of my arms, back on the floor, where she attempted to stand up on her own yet again.

What else has this hard-headed beauty been up to? Well, she cut her first tooth, and I can firmly attest to that it is RAZOR sharp.

She likes to spend quality time in the plastic-ware cupboard daily. (Meaning I get to reorganize & clean it daily.)

Yesterday evening Owen requested to watch a train movie on my computer (b/c I was watching the Olympic opening ceremonies--apparently a big yawner for 3 year olds).

I had just diapered Eden after a bath, and went to help him put on the video. SECONDS later I came back to living room where I had left her & she's gone! No where in sight. I circled the couch, went through the kitchen and dining room--all the while calling her name louder and louder. I peeked in the laundry room, and then saw her--she had made it from the living room to her brother's room, and was coming back out looking at me with a look of "What?"--all innocent like. I swooped her up & gave her a good scolding on never scaring mommy like that again. She smiled. (Oh, am I in trouble.)

Eden puts everything in her mouth, and can find anything small and unsafe to chew on. Owen basically did the same thing, but he didn't have an older sibling with a bad habit of leaving potentially dangerous things in baby's reach. Today we found the top of a click-pen in her mouth (metal, about the size of a small screw). A few days ago--a guitar pick. I spend every day swiping her, now sharp, gums.

My favorite thing she does, and this is golden--when I catch her doing something SHE knows she's not supposed to be doing she jumps and quickly trys to "run" away with whatever object she has in her hot little hands. We don't call her Trouble (now with a capital "T") for nothing!