Molly June Bug is 2 years old. My baby is definitely a rambunctious toddler (though she was a rambunctious infant, so it’s really not a huge change). She seems younger to me than Tucker did at that age--she is so much smaller than he was at her age (she is the size he was at a year), and her hair is not long enough for a real hair cut yet (whereas Tucker was getting haircuts by 6 months old)! This is fine with me; I can’t believe my baby is 2.
Molly has been a daddy’s girl for most of her short life, but the past month or so I’ve become the favorite most of the time. She loves to be held, though this is moderating… a little. She still would prefer to be in our arms if we are doing anything in the kitchen, or are out in the big wide world.
She has mellowed since she started walking and is not quite as adventurous as she was at first. I think this is a good thing. She still goes down slides head first and climbs all sorts of things… but I don’t worry so much that she will find some playground cliff and jump off anymore. She can still be fierce, though, and usually is the one who is stealing the toys in our house.
Molly has a smile that lights up her face, if not the room, and a laugh that is just about the best music I’ve ever heard. She also loves to shriek—in happiness and in sadness—but I definitely prefer her laugh. She likes to take both of her hands and thump us on our chests when she’s happy. She also tries to stuff her lovey into 
our mouths, wanting to share her special love of sucking her bunny. Bunny is always, always gross given the amount of time it spends in her mouth… even though there are three bunnies in rotation so that each one can go in the wash every few days.
Molly loves anything that moves, especially swings and strollers and backpacks. She demands to be pushed so high on the swing that the rope is practically parallel to the ground. Molly is also in love with Elmo, and the little books that you can lift the flaps on. She loves finding the mouse on each page of Goodnight Moon. She is also very adept at doing puzzles and has been doing them successfully for a long time.
Her focus and determination are definitely remarkable. She will get it in her mind that she wants to do something—like put her crocs on standing up, without using her hands—and she will work endlessly till she gets it done. This can be frustrating for us, depending on how frustrated she gets, and if we actually need to go somewhere or do something. Her determination also can be amazing, like her potty training in August at 21 months… and not having a single accident for the first month! She is not a toddler that is easy to distract, has very definite opinions and very limited ways of expressing herself; discipline is a challenge.
It is impossible to keep clothes on her that she doesn’t like. She can almost completely dress and undress herself given enough time. She has so many clothes that she never wears and about three favorite outfits (often involving polka dots) that she wears all the time.
If I had to pick one word to describe Molly, I’d pick spunky. She lives with intensity. She is a handful but also a delight. Happy birthday, my girl! I hope you always keep your spirit, and I’m excited to see where it takes you.
