After lunch today, I needed to change little one's diaper (potty training is a no-go for now, and I'm not going to push it - she's still dealing with linebacker baby splitting our attention anyway) and her outfit, so I told her, "Let's go change stink butt."

(I don't know why, exactly, but that's the phrase she's chosen for a wet/dirty diaper. It works, I guess.)

She quite agreeably followed me to her room and raised her arms so I could lift her. She's still slight enough that the changing table is doable, though she has to scrunch her legs a bit on there.

I changed her diaper, and she questioned, "Shirt off?"

"Yes, honey, shirt off. We're going to change your whole outfit because it's dirty, ok?"

"Ok, mama!"

I threw her dirty outfit in the hamper and reached into the closet with a hand on her (I don't trust her not to get ideas about jumping down if I don't do that) and pulled out a blue dress. She's worn it several times before, and I like it on her (I'm a big fan of blue anyway, though we do quite a bit of pink with our princess.)

As soon as I started pulling it over her head, she started to cry and said, "Dress off? Dress off?" in a pitiful teary voice. It was an unusual request, and I've come to learn that if she's upset, there's usually a valid problem, so I took it back off and put it away. She looked at me with the last big tears rolling down her cheeks and wrapped her arms around my neck, then asked to be put down.

"Ok, but we have to dress you," I reminded her. If I don't put clothes on her, she'll inevitably pull her diaper off and pee (or worse) on the floor. It was funny the first time. ;-)

As soon as her feet hit the floor, she ran to a pile of clothes I had just pulled from the dryer an hour or so before (I don't always get them folded/hung right away these days!) and dug her pink (very wrinkled) dress out, bringing it to me.

"Dress on?"

I obligingly put it on her, and she grinned at me and ran off to play with a quick "Thanks, mama!"

It's the first time we've ever had clothing drama, but I'm certain it won't be the last (oh, the teen years...). I just sat there on the floor for a moment after she left me, shaking my head. My little diva daughter! :-D