Life with Baby Girl is good. We love her with our entire beings and wouldn’t trade anything in the world for the time we get to spend her. She has a growing sense of humor and imagination, she is curious about so many things — what’s that noise? who’s that? — and is eager to spew off complete sentences. It is so engaging and rewarding to converse with her, and entertaining to see what connections she makes (like how the lawn mower is scary like a raccoon). And watching her achieve milestones is an adrenaline rush in and of itself! Just watching her face light up with pride and happiness when she realizes she has accomplished something on her own for the first time…Sigh. That’s the best. So life is good, and everything’s coming up roses….

….Screech!!!! Now wait a minute! This is a life with a toddler, remember? Sure we have our good days (and mostly they all are) but it wouldn’t be toddler-hood without a few frustrating toddler moments. And they are coming faster and quicker, sometimes on the heels of one another. We suffered through our first public toddler tantrum the other night. It wasn’t that bad, but she was still wailing at the top of her lungs. And we’ve moved into a phase where we like to kick Mommy while she changes Baby Girl’s diaper. That’s always good times. And if kicking doesn’t cause a commotion, then thrashing ’round on the changing table will for sure.

Baby Girl has started to express what she wants to wear, specifically asking for things or refusing what I’ve already picked out. And whatever I suggest we do, like sit down for a snack, Baby Girl runs in the opposite direction defiantly stating NO! only to return mere seconds later sweetly asking for a snack. Clearly, the sense of the individual self is blossoming. And with it, the testing of boundaries and pushing of buttons ensue!

Ahh! Bring on the Terrible Twos!