The forty-ninth week

Recently we've been taking Madeline's tooth-brushing a little more seriously. She's been brushing for a while, but now she has at least six teeth to maintain so we've made it part of the nightly routine. We even got some baby toothpaste that tastes pretty good. It's surprising how much she likes it - for a baby who absolutely hates having her faced wiped, she seems to enjoy a good tooth scrub. And after mommy's brushed those little teeth, Madeline likes to try brushing them herself.

It's been another busy week here - we've been out and about almost every day. Also, Madeline's walking skills continue to improve. She's gotten pretty good about stopping, turning and even stooping down to pick up an object. And she's getting better at avoiding small things in her path.

The main problem is that when she's walking she's looking ahead and upward, and doesn't always see what's directly in front of her. She stumbles over toys and rug edges, and we have to watch when she approaches a downward step like the one in our front entryway, lest she walk off the edge. Now that her balance is getting better she at least can plow right over most of the small things in her way instead of getting tripped up. And she's getting better at maintaining her posture when hit by a wave of imbalance, allowing her to remain standing and walking for many consecutive minutes.