Molly turned one on Saturday, and we celebrated up in Annapolis with a last trip to the Blue House.
When I think of Molly, I think of what a force she is. She is like a whirlwind, so intense and ACTIVE. I joke that she can levitate by sheer force of will. I think of unsuccessfully pinning her down for diaper changes--I really cannot change her diaper alone sometimes. Of crawling up the stairs as fast as she can, while looking back to make sure we're chasing her. Have I mentioned she is fast? Tucker never liked being outside before he could walk, Molly doesn't let a little grass stand in her way. Every pair of pants she owns have dirt stains on the knees. She loves the sandbox, driving the Cozy Coupe car, and crawling as fast as she can to the electric fence near the chicken coup (after all, what's better than electronics?). She has never fallen back to sleep in bed after nursing--not once this whole year--and instead prefers to shout at us until we get up. We are not going to get lazy on her watch.
I think of her huge smiles, and the best laugh ever. Of giving her kisses on the soft part of her neck which gets her every time. I think of her perched in Austin's arms, supervising the meal-making process (because it's always better to be in someone's arms than down on the ground).
I think of ridiculously early bedtimes, cheese as a separate food group, and sucking on bunny's ears as a pacifier. Three words: "Mama" "Dada" and "Baby" (for her bunny lovey). I think of her watching Tucker in the car, and looking at him like he walks on water. Of putting things on and off (like beads), in and out of containers, puzzle pieces--all with focused intensity and a pause to make sure she has an audience. I also think of leaving a swath of destruction... taking every plastic bag out of the sandwich bag box, and the ziplock boxes, and unrolling the foil and the plastic wrap... and then moving on to the CD drawer to chuck every CD on the ground.
I think of screaming during loud car trips, crawling up to the piano to bang on it, meals that last 30 seconds in her highchair because it's more fun to eat in our arms, and every mealtime ending by chucking everything she can find off her tray with as much force as possible.
I love you, my baby bug. I just hope we can keep up! Happy first birthday!
