Settling into the Toddler Stage

Expressing that he doesn't want the banana.  

We've reached the toddler stage and from what I've read and heard, the toddler stage lasts quite a while.  The Terrible Two's are also just around the corner.  E is only 14 months, but I think we're rounding that corner.  E isn't throwing tantrums or anything like that, he's just becoming more of his own person each day and learning to express his thoughts and opinions. He is also very curious about his world and with that comes testing boundaries. He knows when something is naughty because once I tell him "No", he'll turn and slyly smile at me and try to do it again.

Being a toddler also means not sitting for more than a minute at one time.  Mike and I used go to a restaurant and E would be content sitting in his carrier watching the world go by.  Now we bring plenty of toys and crayons to keep him occupied but we usually end up taking turns walking him around the restaurant.  We're getting more and more take out on those days when we don't feel like cooking.    

Mike and I are trying to figure this discipline thing out.  It's hard with a 14 month old.  I don't want to squash his curiosity or his spirited opinions, but at the same time I want him to learn manners and the proper way to behave.  Not to mention some of the "No's" are for his own safety.  I also don't want to be the mother that's constantly harping on her child chasing after him yelling "No, no!.  That's not fun for either us.  Mike actually saw one of those at the library the other day, he said it wasn't pretty.

We do our best to redirect E when he's in the "naughty zone" and remove anything that could possible hurt him.  I've learned that childproofing is an ongoing process.  We've got some time to figure it out though. Mike and I are settling into this phase because we'll be here for a while and the fun is only beginning.