Being a Parent

I'm learning I have to pick my battles with Rachel. It seems that over the last week she's developed an incredible independent streak (worse than her usual one) and that if I'm not careful, I begin to sound like a broken record. "Don't touch that." "No." "Put that back." She gets into everything. Maybe her curious little mind has hit overdrive, or now she realizes that I let her get away with far too much. Whatever the reason, I have had a difficult time keeping up with her. By the time Sam comes home from work, I feel ready to collapse in a big ball of goo on the floor which, in all honesty, is not very fair to him.
Okay, so maybe "independent" is the wrong word for her behavior, because she has also been very clingy. Frequently she wants me to hold her, and most often I'm in the middle of chopping vegetables for dinner, putting laundry in, or some other task that is not conducive to holding a child. When I don't comply, she becomes very whiny and usually starts to cry. *sigh* Is this just the beginning of the "terrible two's"? I don't remember being two, so I suppose this is a first for all of us.
On the plus side, Rachel is getting smarter, more fun to play with, and more delightful everyday. We have been taking swimming "lessons" this last week, and she really has taken to the water. She loves to throw her toy, and then kick after it. She loves jumping off the side of the pool into my arms. She loves walking around in the shallow end of the pool. I love watching her learn new tasks, struggle at first, and then get better and better. That must be the most rewarding aspect of being a parent. Thinking, "I taught her that" while watching her do something amazing (even if it seems ordinary to everyone else).
My other favorite thing is that Rachel loves to give kisses. She's even learned to smack her lips while she does it. When she wants a kiss (or she's seen mommy & daddy kissing and gets jealous) she puckers up really big until we comply. She also gives the frogs on the shower curtain kisses, animals in her coloring books, her stuffed animals, and other inanimate objects she feels could prosper from the affection. I love it. I don't know how much more difficult life will become when baby #2 shows up, but I'm sure enjoying the here and now with my little girl. I don't want her to grow up too fast.