First Meltdown

Lucia has been asserting her independence lately, becoming more stubborn and insistent about things she wants. But yesterday, she had her first bona fide meltdown—crying, screaming, rolling dramatically on the floor. The cause: after her nap, we said goodbye to the pacifier as we always do (it stays in the nursery), but on this particular day she decided she didn’t want to say goodbye, and she quickly melted down when I wouldn’t let her retrieve it. I tried to pick her up; she was boneless, oozing from my arms back onto the floor. She swatted away my conciliatory offers of snacks, books, toys, milk. I had to just leave her alone. Only after several hysterical minutes did she let me pick her up, put on a favorite song, and dance a little bit with her as she shuddered, red-faced. Then she began smiling and clapping to the song, and she was back to her cheerful, cheek-kissing self for the rest of the day.

These pictures show her being particularly peaceful, tantrums a distant thought.