No Plain Jane Here!: July 2013

Gosh, there is so much I want to say about this little gal. Hopefully I won't leave too much out. Well for one, we call her Moll, Molly Golly or Messy Molly. It's the cutest when Jane calls her Moll. The latter name just describes her perfectly. She's the messiest child ever! (ok, probably not, but the messiest one I've ever met!) She can destroy a room in less than a minute. She's a dumper and puller-outer. Baskets get over turned and she must pull out ever book and puzzle on the shelf. But we aren't just talking toys. She leaves a food trail where ever she goes and all over herself. She colors everywhere and on anything, including herself. And she takes clothes out of drawers and closets and enjoys jumping on my just folded laundry.

But she's starting to finally help clean up. She listens pretty well when you give her instructions. It definitely helps when she sees Jane doing something. She copies everything Jane does. She's a mini- Jane in so many ways. In her actions and words, I see/ hear Jane. Most of the time she calls Jane Poo or Poo Poo, which comes from when Brian or I occasionally would call Jane Janie Poo Poo. The first thing she asks for when she wakes up is Jane. They are really starting to play together and depend on each. She and Jane go into the playroom and enjoy playing with their princess Little People and other mini little princess dolls. Now that Molly can talk, she and Jane sit and make their little dolls talk to each other and play in the castle or go for a ride in their car. Molly also enjoys playing with baby dolls and stuffed animals, rocking them and feeding them milk. She sleeps with her stuffed doggie every night, but often takes with her to bed other dollies and babies. Sometimes her bed is quite full!

Bed. ugh. Molly has been without her nuk for a week now. We took it away last Tuesday, cold turkey. She was just too dependent on it, requesting it all the time. My once awesome sleeper who would fall asleep on her own is now needing to be patted to sleep each time before she falls asleep. I still rock her and give her milk before I put her in the crib. I then leave but end up returning within about a half hour when she's crying and begging for mommy. I sit on the floor beside the bed and squeeze my arm between the rails and pat, pat, pat until she's asleep. In just over a week we are moving her into her new shared room with Jane. She loves her bottom bunk bed in the new room. She likes to go into the bedroom, get a book, and go lay on her bed in there. We haven't put the safety rail up yet. That's to come yet. We go to the beach next week and are planning to make the transition as soon as we get back. I was really dreading this transition because she was so easy at bedtime. But now that she's not, I'm pretty ready for this move. Plus, with my growing belly, I can barely put her in the crib anymore.

Forever Molly has been waking up early in the morning. Early, early. Anywhere between 2am and 5am. She calls for me. I don't even try to get her to go back to sleep. I just get up and go get her. As soon as I pick her up she snuggles her head into me and I carry her back to our bed. She shares my pillow. She often puts her arm around me neck and we both go back to sleep. I won't lie. Being pregnant has started to make this uncomfortable. But anything for love, right?

Molly is either the most pleasant child or just the most miserable! If she does not get enough sleep, she will drive you absolutely crazy with her whining and crying. Oh. my. gosh. It is horrendous. But when she is happy, she is so much fun. She's silly and very social. She loves to be around other kids, especially Jane's friends. She joins right in on their fun and hates to be left out. She talks a lot, often copying whatever someone else says. But she can put together her own four word sentences now. One of the things she says that she thinks is funny is telling people to go away. "Go away, mommy." "Go away Poo." Drives us all nuts. One of the cutest things she says is "fuit nacks" for fruit snacks. Always makes us all laugh.

Fruit snacks may just be this girls favorite food. She loves them and devours a bag faster than an adult. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even chew them. Her other favorite food are popsicles. She requests them every time we go outside. I almost always give her one. She rarely finishes them so I don't feel to bad about giving her so many. Besides, it's summer after all! She's our healthier eater. She eats veggies and fruits, often preferring them over cookies or crackers. But she's still pretty picky and really only ever eats dinner other than some snacks throughout the day. She refuses most breakfast items. She may nibble on a few pieces of dry cereal in the morning. At lunch I'm usually happy if she will eat a cheese stick. Dinner is generally the only meal she eats. She eats the few same foods that Jane eats, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, pizza, and unlike Jane, she'll eat a hotdog. Sometimes she will try something Brian and I are eating. Mostly she just says, "No, I don't want it." and pushes it away. I've given up pushing food. Eventually they'll eat, right?

Molly's my little mommy's girl. I love that little toe headed girl to death. She's growing right up like a weed and I just want to keep her little. I know once we have the baby, she's going to seem so grown up and big. It's just how it is when you have a new baby. But I hope she stays my little side-kick forever.

(Don't be surprised if I end up adding more to this later. I'm sure I've forgotten things but tiredness has set in.)