Tia in Timeout

So we've been trying to show Tia what no/yes means and what timeout means when she disobeys no.  It is definitely hard to do. (1) Because she so stinkin cute and you want to giggle when she does something (2) Because when you put her in timeout and she cries it breaks your heart and (3) We just don't know if she is understanding.  She loves to go into the kitchen and bang all the cabinet doors. I don't mind for some parts except she tends to go for the one under the sink which contains all the cleaning supplies.  We have not baby proofed the house yet, although we are about to.  So we do know that if you teach your kids what is okay to touch versus what is not okay, then they will just not touch those things.  Easier said than done, right!  Well, a couple times, I put her in timeout which is a pack-n-play set up in the other room.  The first time she went in (by Chris), she thought - oh fun, a new thing to play with...but it didn't take her long to realize that there weren't any toys and she was a bit isolated. After I put her in timeout a couple times, now all I have to say is 'do you want to go in timeout' and she quickly stops.  I am praying this will hold up..although she likes to push the boundaries and test our patience.  With daddy, it is much different. I think, with me, she knows I'm more business than play. With daddy, he is fun daddy and is her playmate, so she thinks he is just joking and doesn't listen.  Last night, Chris put her in timeout a few times and she did not like it very much.  I think soon she will realize what it means. It is harder than it looks to be stern, but we both feel it is important.  We know she is a baby and doses baby things, but there are always things she can learn now versus later.  When she touches the trashcan or toilet...it would be great for her to know what 'icky' means when we say it. She'll learn and we will learn a lot in the process. She is a tempter and we can tell will be a rebel...you tell her no and she does the exact opposite. My niece is like that too, but such a fun and spunky personality, which is so much fun. I love my baby girl, she just makes me laugh so hard when she knows she isn't supposed to be doing something and she has that look like 'ha ha, come and stop me' and her face is just priceless. It takes everything not to laugh out loud at her sassy-ness. She is definitely my little diva!