Parenting a toddler can be utterly exhausting. Your little one is no longer a baby who can be moved around from here to there. Now your toddler has her own opinion - and it's not always going to be the same as yours. My toddler wants to feed herself soup, dress herself and refuses to nap, all of which is not an option. She can create total chaos in five minutes flat. Currently, her main source of entertainment is emptying out all the drawers and throwing the items down the stairs, one by one. Some days are beyond challenging. But there's good news. Toddlers are so totally adorable. They take over your life and your heart.

Here is a list of joys you will experience each and every day with your tot.

The joy of hearing them learn to speak. Take the word €nauseous' for example. The word €nauseous' strikes fear into the hearts of mothers everywhere. My big ones taught my toddler how to say it and she says it so cute! When ever we want to show her off, we ask her to €say nauseous.€ Watching them learn to string words together is so much fun! Everyday their vocabulary grows more and more, and it is amazing to hear.
The joy of watching them observe the world with wonder. Toddlers don't need to go to Disney World to be entertained. Sighting an airplane, bird, squirrel or truck can cause such excitement! If you are ever in the company of an adult who says €look, a train!€ he's definitely the parent of a toddler!
The joy of being loved. Toddlers give us endless doses of unconditional love. Listen to their squeal of joy when you pick them up from daycare (trust me - you don't get that from a nine-year old). Watch his face light up when you walk into their room in the morning to take him out of his crib. They totally and completely love us and their not ashamed to show it. (Wait until they are teens.)
The joy of complimenting others. We all love to get complimented. However, isn't it fun to give compliments to your toddler and watch her beam with delight? When my toddler got new shoes, I never tired of saying €such nice, new shoes!€ She was preening around in them, proud as can be!
The joy of dressing them up. For years I looked forward to dressing up a little doll of my own. I love dressing her in adorable ensembles. I use endless accessories, lots of pink, those adorable jeggings - and she's dressed to kill. The most adorable part is that she knows it! Let's face it, if your toddler is having a tantrum in an adorable outfit - your heart can just melt!

So enjoy these days with your little toddler. The hard parts pass quickly and all you'll remember is those precious moments!