On Toddlerhood.

Toddlerhood... We have arrived.

Up until a few weeks ago, Saylor still seemed like a baby to me. I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of having a toddler. She turned 14 months last week, and all of a sudden, a toddler was born. The days of thinking I still have a baby have flown out the window. Here are the days of stubborness mixed with extreme sweetness. Frustrations mixed with a huge sense of accomplishment (she claps for herself and says "yay" quite often... especially when she has done something she is proud of, ha!).

My super laid back, easy going little girl? Yeah, that's gone too. She has found herself wanting to be more independant and wanting to try everything she can. I love her spirit, but boy, can frustration set in when she can't quite accomplish the task at hand.

I've decided this is a hard stage. They know what they want, but with such a limited vocabulary, we, as parents, don't always understand what they need. It's a guessing game as she points, says "this" or "that," and we pick up everything in sight, hoping to land on a winner (which usually happens to be the last thing I would think, or the smallest object imaginable). Ha!

I love the adventure she feels and her excitement at learning something new. I love that she plays hard but still loves to snuggle hard. I love that she loves her mommy and daddy so very much, and makes that quite clear to us. I love that she loves to wear bows, says the word "bow" and leans her head down for me to put it in her hair. Such a mommy's girl. I love that she says "hi" and "bye" to everyone when we are at the grocery store. I love that she climbs up in my lap and lays her head down, just for a quick snuggle.

It may be a hard stage, but it sure is a sweet one. Here's to the joys and woes of toddlerhood!