Molly at 21 Months

 My sweet Moo, I still can't believe you're here. I wonder when that novelty will wear off. Your whole existence has been a dream -- I mean, still hard work especially as we have started your toddlerhood -- but yet still a dream. 

Sometimes when I watch you and Lucy play, it's like Lucy is playing with a past version of herself. There are definitely similarities, but yet differences too. 

You are becoming more frustrated with things. I'm sure this is a result of you developing and learning so quickly. While I can mostly understand you, you don't have many words that are distinguishable. You can say: mama, dadda, Sissy *"Sishy", bah (ball), Ba Ba (a Little Baby Bum character), eat, bye." 

Your temper tantrums are actually pretty cute -- and thankfully silent. You tend to swipe at me and Lucy but mainly out of play and not anger. When upset, you narrow your eyes, look away, and throw head and hands onto the couch ... then fall backward on the floor and roll. 

Food-wise, you eat most things. In fact, you like to eat a lot. In the past 6 months you've gone from the 28th percentile to the 48th and I'm sure it's increased even more since our last doctor visit. You feel so chunky to me now! You are wearing 18-24 month clothing, and I assume you'll be in 2T by late spring/early summer. 

While we did stop nursing at 19 months, you are still obsessed with my boobs. Your hand must always be down my shirt -- it's like your security blanket. While it does get annoying - especially when I get punched or scratched - I'm sure I'll miss it when it stops. :( 

Molly at 18 Months

Weight: 21 pounds! She went from the 29th percentile to the 39th in the last three months! Still a head in the 93rd percentile. 

Medical Issues: None, other than a little snotty nose sometimes. 

Sleep: Awake around 6:30 am, and asleep by 7 pm. About an hour nap. 

Clothes: 12-18 month

Social: Generally likes being around people, but still some anxiety with people she's not used to.

Food: Pretty much mostly what we'e eating. She loves eating with a spoon by herself, so I sometimes give her a thick puree or Greek yogurt. Nurses in the morning right after she wakes up. 

Crying: Hungry, tired.

Play: Her push car for outside and her stationery care for inside. Loves having stacking blocks in her hand. Also loves playing games with her sister. 

Her latest developmental trick is getting new words. She seems to be on the edge of a little verbal explosion. Her words: uh-oh, sis-sis, bus, mmm-hmmm (with an exaggerated nod), among others. Can signal for more, and definitely makes the intonation and timing of manner words like please and thank you. I forgot how fun this part is. 

Her other little quirks -- hand constantly down my shirt. I guess it's her way of comforting herself, but I'm hoping she phases it out -- the pinching/scratching hurts! 

Molly at 14 Months

Today she started walking! Our little peanut is turning into a real toddler the last two months, and I can't deal!

Weight: Between 19 and 20 I'm guessing?

Medical Issues: None! Just a sore bummy once in a while.

Sleep: Ugh, worse than it was three months ago. She know likes getting up at 5:30 am. Asleep by 7 pm and one midday nap.

Clothes: 12 month, some 12-18 though she definitely needs to gain a bit to fill those out.

Social: Generally likes being around people, but still some anxiety with people she's not used to.

Food: Pretty much mostly what we'e eating, but we will give purees and pouches to make sure she's getting enough. Often she'll throw food on the floor, which is either her signal she's done or she's just playing around.

Crying: Hungry, tired.

Play: Blocks, plastic things. She likes sorting, putting objects in other objects.

Breastfeeding Journey with Molly

Outside of growing two beautiful babies, what I'm most proud in life is achieving an entire year of nursing Molly. I carried a lot of mental baggage after I couldn't meet my short-term goal with Lucy, which most likely kept me overly motivated to succeed with Molly.

The challenges, especially at the beginning, were immense. Jaundice that lasted 10 weeks, sore nipples, slow weight gain, going back to work, low supply, supplementing -- we pushed through! Not only meeting our short-term of six months, but making it to a year! We haven't been EBF for quite some time, but she still nurses on demand. I don't want it to end. Even if she's not getting much milk, I know she likes the familiar comfort of our time together.

Molly at 12 Months

And just like that, a whole year has gone by since you joined us. There are still times I look at you and wonder how you got there, incredulous that you exist in the world and that you belong to us. Lift a beautiful gift from above, you exemplify the phrase "angel baby." Your sweet toothy smile, your sparkly eyes, your darling little forming mullet -- you have stolen my heart in ways I didn't know could exist. I hung very tightly to this baby phase knowing how fleeting it is. But with each day I decide I love you slightly more than the day before and look forward to seeing the kind of person you grow into it. You sure were worth the wait, Molly Moo.

At your 12 month appointment on April 27, you are 18 lbs 3 oz and 28.37"  tall, which puts you in the 24th percentile for weight and 30th for height! Your head circumference is 86th percentile. You're in 12 month clothes but still fit into 9 months.

You love stealing all the remotes and clapping them against the hard floor. You love pulling up on things, and you love your little plastic colorful cups. You are able to do "so big", wave, and clap. We have this thing we do when anyone sneezes. You smile real big and wait for all of us to say "Ewww" which makes you smile even harder. You love to eat, especially carbs. You love people. You're generally very compliant and happy to go with the flow. Just last week we switched her car seat from the infant seat to the convertible -- jury's out on how you like it.

Since we've been quarainted thanks to COVID-19, you have dropped to one big girl nap! You sleep about 12/13 hours a night and take a two hour nap. Never thought I'd see the day. You're pretty good at putting yourself to sleep without a lot of crying.

Overall, you're just the nicest little baby we could have ever asked for, and I can't imagine life without you. You bring us more joy than you'll ever know, my little rainbow girl.

Molly at 10 Months

Moo Moo, are you even real? I love watching your little personality emerge lately. You are still pretty chill, but going through a clingy phase the past few weeks. You're not content to hang out without someone being very close to you. 

Weight:  Guessing somewhere around 17-17.5 lbs. Such a tiny thing, especially compared to how giant she first came out. 

Medical Issues: A lot of snot and coughs this month, plus a touch of viral pink eye. Also a lot of poop blowouts, but maybe that's because she's headed toward a bigger diaper size soon. 

Sleep:  Still hating naps! I think she only takes 2 naps a day at school. She fights to stay awake. On the weekends, she'll take a few catnaps on my lap while nursing. I don't have it in me to nap train her. She does have an earlier bedtime (around 7/7:30) and wakes up around 6 (opposed to the 7:30 she was giving me months ago.)

Clothes: Mostly 9 month, but we're starting to do 12 month sleepers. I'm hoping she fits into her 12-18 month summer clothes at some point. 

Social:  Starting to let other people hold her again which is a relief! She loves being out and about, especially sitting in the front part of the grocery cart. She babbles, dada, mama, and even does Lucy's old Gladys laugh and noises. Lucy makes her actually laugh, something I can't seem to get her to do a lot. 

Food: Still mostly on purees, though the gagging has slowed down a bit. I think she's just my vomit kid. :( She still loves her Puffs so much, but is really appreciating Cheerios too. 

Crying: Mostly cries from when she's tired. 

Play: She loves little plastic toys in her hand. I have to shove one in her hand while I change her diaper in the hopes she stays put. She also likes to pull the wipes out and pretend to clean things. 

Molly at 9 Months

Oh sweet baby, you continue to amaze me with everything you are. I constantly hug you close to me, wondering how you can be real. I think back to a year ago when I was starting to feel you kick inside of my belly, wondering who you'd be, what you'd look like. And now you've been earthside for 9 months, making everything brighter.

Weight:  Down half a pound to 16 lbs as of last week. Thanks to a double ear infection, tummy bug, and newfound crawling, she dropped weight. Little peanut is now 17th percentile, down from her normal 20 something percentile. The only thing in a high percentage is her big noggin.

Medical Issues: I think another cold is coming on. It's been a crappy first winter, but that's to be expected. 

Sleep:  She hates to nap -- her frequent catnaps have gotten worse. She'll fight through a nap at all costs, and when she does submit, it's not for long. Once in awhile, I can get her into her crib for a weekend nap for over an hour. At night, she sleeps almost 12 hours straight through. 

Clothes: 6-9 for the most part, though I'm sure she can fit into her 6 month clothes too. She wears one piece pajamas all the time, even to school. 

Social:  She's still a really good traveler -- she loves being out, looking at things. But she's now doing this yelling thing. Like screams (not out of anger-- more like testing her lungs/voice.) She has had a good case of stranger danger for over a month now. While she's happy to engage with people, she'd much rather do it from the comfort of her parents arms. Oh -- new this week. Babbles, including "dadada." I did hear a random Mama in there too.

Food: She loves all food, but she's not the best at swallowing table food, so I've been sticking to purees and Puffs for the most part. The gagging doesn't scare me that much anymore, but she often will throw up from the gagging. I think Molly's my vomit-y kid.

Crying: Mostly cries from when she's tired. 

Play: Her favorite toy seems to be clapping stacking cups together. She's started to get interested in Lucy's old Zany Zoo, but she seems happy enough to be rolling around on the floor with a few small toys.