Alyssa’s personality is definitely developing lately.  We’re just not sure if we like the direction it’s going, sometimes…  Her favorite phrase lately seems to actually be just one word: “No!”  She can’t just say it, simply & gently, the way we say it to her, either.  Instead, if we’re telling her to do something & she doesn’t want to at the time, she will *yell*, “No!”  We know that this is pretty normal for any toddler her age – the “terrible twos” are right around the corner, but we had hoped she wouldn’t be showing early stages of them, now, of course…  😉  Occasionally, we can’t help but laugh at her, because not only will she yell, “No!”, but she will put her little hand on her hip & give us this frustrated look, like she really means business!  We understand that she’s not just trying to act out, but that she’s trying to take a stand & become more independent, so it’s not a huge deal.  Now, if she throws a crying fit with it, then she gets sent to her crib for a few minutes, to calm down.  This disciplinary measure is necessary *much* more rarely, though, because she seems to be beginning to understand how to communicate in nicer ways, for the most part.  We love our “baby girl” & enjoy helping her learn to develop good habits, of course!  🙂