Third Baby Heaven.

There is just something about a third child.

You practically drown your first child in love, attention and twenty-something-years-worth of unrealistic expectations. You expect nothing of your second child and consequently take no pictures which leads to the kind of guilt that leads to extra ice-cream servings and the occasional get-out-of-time-out-free card, which inevitably backfires. By the time you reach your third child you've given up all pretenses of trying to be a good parent and, frankly, just want one of your offspring to like you. And that is where our story begins.

Cambria is a good baby. And when I say "good baby" I'm telling you by two months she was sleeping through the night. She's friendly and happy with practically everyone. You give her a wink and she'll give you a smile. She's just a content, independent person in a family of anxious malcontents (Andy and me included). A note about anxious malcontents if I may: they may break down weeping whenever its time to abandon one activity for another. They may glare suspiciously at anyone with the audacity to compliment their fairy wings. They may develop a facial tic and elapse into hysterics because "my hand touched the blanket that touched the shoe that stepped on some panties". But they do not get into things. They don't have the time. After Breakfast Tantrum aka "I wanted the pink bowl" and Bath Time Anxiety there's hardly enough time to squeeze in The Get Dressed Fiasco aka "This skirt is not dirty" before Systematically Tormenting My Sister Time begins. Its a simple problem of scheduling.

Cambria, on the other hand; Content, sweet, happy Cambria has all the time in the world. And she uses it to get into everything. Sometimes its as innocent as climbing inside a cabinet to munch on a badly tarnished aluminum loaf pan. Other times not so innocent. And while I am forced to keep a closer eye on her, and take baby-proofing seriously for the first time, I can't help but find pleasure and humor in her misadventures because she likes me damnit, and I intend to keep it that way.