Babies were a hand full. Babies could change their mood in an instant. They pooed themselves nearly every ten minutes. Babies couldn't even tell you what they wanted when they cried.
But nevertheless Leo and Karai still loved their eleven month old daughter.
She was sitting up on her on and crawling quite well. Mia got along pretty well with the other children but then again they were only babies. They couldn't fight much.
The only downside was her curiosity. She wanted to know what everything tasted like, what the hot stove felt like, what that red band on her uncle Raph's face was... It never ended. It was a constant struggle to keep Mia from getting into trouble.
Currently she was pinching Leo's cheeks. He gently moved her fist away.
"No, Mia, that hurts Daddy." But she just stuck her hand back up and grabbed his mask.
Leo sighed. Pushing his mask back up, he sat his daughter down on the floor in a pile of pillows and toys. Mia instantly began to make a face.
Alarmed, Leonardo picked her back up, "Shh, it's okay. I got you. Daddy's got you."
Mia drifted into a blank face before reaching for his face again.
"No, let's not do that," Leo tried to say without letting her stick her hand in his mouth. He tilted his head away, deciding for drastic measures.
"Karai! She won't stop messing with my face!"
"That's because you look weird! Put her down if it bothers you so much," replied Karai from the next room. He frowned, dodging a tiny flying fist.
"But she cries if I put her down," Leo said.
After a second, his wife came into the room and observed the scene of the large turtle trying to avoid the baby's punches and failing miserably.
She couldn't help but laugh at him.
"It's not funny," complained Leo as Mia poked his eye and laughed.
"Sorry. Here, give her to me," Karai said, sitting on the floor next to him. Leo handed Mia to her and rubbed his sore face.
"Hi, Mia. Were you beating up Daddy for me?"
The baby cooed excitedly and Leo pouted.
"Stop encouraging our daughter to commit violent acts against me."
Karai smiled, ticking Mia's tummy. "Daddy's just upset that you won."
He looked incredulous. "She didn't win!"
Mia giggled at Leo. She looked up at her mother and carefully touched her lips. Karai grinned again, playfully kissing her daughter's fingers. Mia squealed happily.
"That's not fair," said Leo. "She hits and pulls at my face but not yours."
"I told you, she thinks you look funny."
Leo huffed.
The baby girl seemed tuckered out for all that exploring. She lazily stuck her arm out to Leonardo. He looked at Karai, who just raised an eyebrow, and took her into his arms. Now that she was nestled up to her father's plastron, Mia popped her thumb in her mouth and closed her eyes.
"Hey," Leo whispered with a smile. "She fell asleep."
Karai kissed the baby's forehead and then Leo's cheek. He was almost too busy marveling at his daughter to notice.