Your Daddy loves to "hug attack" you these days, especially since you have this great reaction to his sudden scooping you up and growling like a bear and hugging you close. You squeal and laugh and scrunch your face up in this adorable smile. It's crazy how much we love that smile. We do ridiculous things to see it.
You also love to hug. Your balance is still tentative, though, so it's easiest for you to hug adults. You run into my arms and throw all of your weight onto me, and we hug. I love your sweet hugs. They make my day.
A few weeks ago, though, you decided to wage your own hug - attacks on some unsuspecting kids who you met at the playground. You ran up and threw yourself at them...and knocked them right on their butts. You went down, too, and the two of you briefly sat in a little heap until the other kid got up and ran, crying, to his parent. But not you, you sat there grinning, very proud of the hugs you gave out. And I sat there, grinning too, totally proud of my little loving bruiser. You're a tough, cautiously fearless, completely friendly little girl.
Soon, we'll have to teach you an sad truth about life; that not everybody likes hugs, and that you can't just hug somebody when you feel like it. Ugh, I'm sorry that's true, but it is. But I hope you never lose this exuberance, that you keep loving people like you do now. I love these things about you.
Love, your Mama
