Mommy's Tough Girl

We are putting Samantha through her paces trying to get her upper body strength built up so that she can sit up on her own, crawl, etc.  The latest example is moving from the floor to a sitting position.  When she wants to sit up, I move her into the right position and prompt her to push herself up while I provide enough support to be sure she doesn't actually fall over.  She squeezes her eyes shut with concentration and eventually cries -- sobs -- with frustration.  The whole process takes quite a while.  Let me tell you, I feel like the meanest mom in town during the process. 

Don't get too upset.  We never give up, and the moment she is fully upright and recovers her balance, she starts to CLAP and beams with pride.  This baby's gonna be a black belt.