What's Happening to my sweet baby?

So, Ellie has had 1 time out each day the past couple days. My once sweetest child is entering a new stage. She is pushing the limits to see what is appropriate behavior and what isn't. Let's hope she is learning and taking some notes. Two days ago, she and Lily were playing on the slide inside. Lily was climbing up the slide part and Ellie was standin gon the side of it. She gave Lily a gentle push. Not a bit deal and Jack and I gently corrected her. Then, she looks at Jack and gives Lily a shove...off the side of the slide. I grabbed her, sat her down against the wall and told her that pushing is not okay and she was in time out. Did I think she knows what time-out is? No. Did I think she would actually stay? No. She did. She knew that the look on my face was not playing and she sat there for one minute. No more pushing that day. Coincidence? Maybe.

The next day, she and I were having a great time tickling each other and playing. She goes and whacks me in the face. Again, a gentle correction for no hitting. Then, my angel-devil baby picks up a stacking ring and hauls off and wails me in the face. Time out. Again. She made one move to play with a toy, but a firm, but gentle, replacement had her staying in her time out spot for the full minute.

She is becoming a stubborn, tantrum-prone toddler. Wonder where she gest that stubborn streak?

Lily, to both Jack and my surprise, is taking a sweeter role. The role we thought was going to go to Ellie. She is a love and loves to be held. She laughs all the time at anything. i even caught her laughing at the wall once...always a little unsettling for a parent to see.

The girls fight. Really hit and push fight. Just today, coming back from the zoo, Lily was reaching her arm over onto Ellie's carseat. Ellie, of course, didn't like it and was making sure Jack and I knew it. I asked Lily not to reach over and surprisingly she stopped and pulled her arms into her seat and away from Ellie. Ellie then begins reaching over to get Lily. Aaaagh!!! They are only 1!!!!! They bite too! Luckily there aren't any teeth to speak of. Just yesterday Ellie and Lily were fighting over a cup of all things. Both wanted it and both were pulling at it and then both went toward each other's arms and tried to bite. Trouble is brewing at the McGovern house.

Liam is and has always been sweet and is still a bit sensitive. He doesn't protest too much when Lily or Ellie take something of his. He loves to play with his sisters and I've never seen him purposefully hit or bite them. Sweet boy. He's been very much a Mommy's boy recently and Mommy loves the hugs. He absolutely adores wresting with Jack too. Jack throws him around (in gentle baby-style) and he just laughs and laughs. Sweet little man.