That Difficult Stage

My youngest has officially reached a point of difficulty. It is no longer easy to parent her. She has never been a good sleeper; she is easily awakened. But that did not make her difficult, only different from my other children. But she has always been a very busy baby, and now that she has become independently mobile, she has become difficult. Difficult to keep an eye on at all times. Difficult to please (I want to stand, no, I want to crawl, no, I want you to hold me, etc.) and requiring discipline. And above all, she now requires very clean floors. Every floor but the bedrooms gets swept at least once daily, and the bedrooms every couple days, but still I find it alarming what I remove from her hands and mouth. Loose beads, a bit of chicken, a popcorn kernel, a piece of tissue, bits of fuzz, small rocks, and of course the ubiquitous crayons, pencils, and pens: all have been found and tasted by her. I thank the Lord that most of it doesn't get beyond the tasting stage. She is at the point where she has realized her individuality; and, combined with her mobility, she feels that the whole world is now within her grasp. But she is finding out that there are limits: like mommy's glasses and earrings. She gets upset over her limits, but I am reminded anew of how important it is to teach children self-control. I do want my house to be a safe place for my baby, but I refuse to hide away everything she cannot touch. She has to learn that there are always boundaries, whether it be the top of the stairs or the end of the street.
It doesn't feel "nice" to be a good parent. I'd much rather do everything to keep her happy; it's not that I enjoy telling her no. It's that I know the product that I'm working toward - a happy, obedient child who is a joy to be around. And in order to produce that, I need to start the work now, no matter how difficult.