Monkey see. . .

I have recently noticed a sometimes fun, sometimes startling tendency that Iris has grown into: mimicry. Not only is she repeating absolutely EVERYTHING we say, but she is also doing all of the things she sees us doing. Luckily, this hasn't turned out too badly yet, but it certainly reminds us to stay on our toes. There is nothing more convicting about what we say and do than realizing that your own little one will be saying and doing the same things. So far, the only bad thing that I've noticed is that every time Iris finds a Q-tip, she tries to clean her ears--as this can be rather dangerous, we keep a close eye on every Q-tip! I'm sure there are more bad habits to come that we don't notice in ourselves yet, but maybe this will actually cause us to grow.
The good, or at least cute, that she has really picked up on is my interactions with Linnea. Iris isn't one to attach to specific stuffed animals so the "baby" changes every day. Sometimes it's her mouse, sometimes Disney Bear, and sometimes her Cabbage Patch doll. The only qualification required is availability. Once she's picked out her baby, she goes through a whole series of mothering duties, including burping the baby (complete with a "burp" sound), rocking, strapping it in the carseat or swing (or both), and today she added on giving her baby tummy time. I even had my mom tell me how she held her Cabbage Patch doll to help it walk, and even cheered and clapped its hands for a job well done.
So with my awareness of the little eyes that are watching me, hopefully I'll learn to set a good example!