E is for Empathy

Alina has started taking sides and empathizing with the other parent. If anyone raises their voice, even if it's just to tell a joke, Alina will assume that an argument has broken out and automatically assume the one who is louder is in the wrong. Most of the time that could be true, I suppose. She'll start waving her arms in the air and say, "No no no no. No, Daddy, no," then turn to the other person with a sympathetic face and say, "It's okay, Mommy. It's okay." Or vice versa, depending on who she has judged as being wrong.

To go along with with this new emotion, she also has started fawning at adorable things like babies, animals, or baby animals. "Awwwwww, look Daddy, that's so beautiful," she'll say, or "so cute!"