Power

When Lyla cries, it's an instinctual response to a need that's not being met. She doesn't quite understand the usefulness of that response: her crying gets stuff done. I feel that we are mere days away from the moment that Lyla realizes the power she possesses, when she truly comprehends the power of her voice.

I'm afraid we'll never shut her up.

We have read, and I have mentioned in previous entries, that you can't spoil a baby until four months of age. Perhaps the reason is that four months is approximately when babies begin to understand the potential impact of their shrieks. And like any human being, they will exploit that new power for whatever it might get them.

That's maybe where the real parenting comes into play. You have to determine when to not give in to their demands--for at four months I expect they can be tricky, conniving little buggers.

I'll enjoy our remaining time with a near-three-month-old whose cries are always trustworthy, and hope that once her secret power is revealed to her, she'll mostly use it for good.