Anna Be.

Mamie's favorite things at 2: Coloring/stickering Building with blocks and sorting things Reading Playing outside Carrying her animal friends around by the arm/neck/flipper My favorite things about Mamie at 2: She's becoming more person-ish The way she throws her arms up and says "Yeah!" when she's excited or "Tada!" when she's proud Her appreciation for music and dancing Her independence How easily she smiles She's fearless The frustrations of mothering this 2-year-old She's fearless Keeping her hair tamed Keeping shoes on her feet Meals that end with food on the floor (97%) The joys of mothering this 2-year-old Hugs and kisses on demand A stack of books to be repaired because she reads them so hard and carries them with her everywhere I always get at least a day to think I've figured it all out before she changes again She represents infinite potential, and I will take credit for all of it ...

September 7 I just woke up from a nightmare in which Mamie ate peanuts and was anaphylactic. It was a stress dream, not a premonition. It was a stress dream, not a premonition. It was a stress dream, not a premonition.

I will spare my daughter her dignity by not posting a picture of her facedown on the floor and screaming. This is not her true self.  You know she's a happy little darling. But today is one of those days. All Mamie wants to do are the specific things I've told her not to do: playing with wall sockets, climbing on the coffee table, pulling out dirty diapers. She has shown a genius-level aptitude for identifying limits and pushing them. I know this determination builds the independence that will define her later. Her new brain is both overwhelmed with information and begging to be challenged. She has honed her physical coordination for walking, climbing, grabbing, throwing, but knows no context for when those things are not safe or appropriate. And worst of all, Mama's annoyance feeds into her need for stimulation. She yells for me to come to her, she runs away, she hides, she gets quiet, I find her back in one of the naughty spots I just pulled her out of. Then sh...