Three Years

Dear Margot,

Today is your birthday!!! You are 3 years old. This is my favorite recent picture of you. When I asked you why you liked to stand with your hands on your hips you told me "puz (because) that's the way mommies stand". You are my little mommy. You take such good care of your baby sister. You are so gentle and patient with her. You have lots and lots of babies. Today your favorite baby is your new puppy from Uncle Page and Aunt Jenny. Yesterday you took your puppy to Marbles in your backpack. I had a conversation with you yesterday about your favorite things. You told me that your favorite color is black and yellow, your favorite animals are cows and turtles, your favorite food is spaghetti, your favorite person is Ada and your favorite house is our house. Your hugs and snuggles are filled to the brim with love. Your excitement about life is contagious. Every day you grow more patient with yourself and others. You love to paint and draw with anything that makes a mark. You can already use the mouse to navigate Netflix and Youtube and you like it put back in a very specific place after you are finished with it. You are always busy doing something and whatever that something is you take very seriously. You love to jump. You jump over toys on the floor, off the bottom step, over the thresholds in the house, off your bed.. you sometimes just jump to get around! You love to read books. You like to do everything "by a self!". When you think you need help you don't hesitate to ask for it. You sleep so hard at nap that you wake up with wet curls plastered to your forehead. You are completely potty trained and have been since we did that first two weeks of bootcamp back at Christmas time. You are a great helper. You always put your dishes in the sink after meals and clean up any spills you make all by yourself. When I think of you I remember that little shy baby in my tummy, who never showed her face to the ultrasound. That little baby who I was worried about and decided to have a C-section to make sure you arrived as easily as your sister. I think of the serious little baby in her bouncy seat, contentedly playing with toys while I tried to soothe your fussy sister. I think of you setting your mind to a task.. like learning to put yourself to sleep.. and working at it until you have it mastered. You are still that way and pray you never change. You are a joy. You are a joker. You are my precious daughter and I couldn't imagine a better life than being your mother.



Dear Ada,

Today is your birthday!!! You are 3 years old. This is my favorite recent picture of you. You are the tiny one at the front of the line in the purple shirt. Daddy told me you led the parade of kids down the stream. This wasn't your first time as leader either. You have been starting games and leading kids around a lot this summer. Ada you are my little outgoing lady. You love people and love to talk to people, whether they are listening or not! It takes you forever to finish your dinner because you are talking so much you don't take time to chew and swallow the food on your plate. You love to tell stories just like Margot. You love to describe everything that happened in a day or event. Every detail. You are an amazing big sister to Frankie. You never go to bed without kissing her good-night. You are so gentle with her and she loves to hear you sing. Ada you live life on fast forward. Always headed to the next big thing. You wake up in the morning asking to go "bye bye". If you could spend every day of your life going wherever our little red car is headed that day you would be in heaven. You love going to Daddy's school and doing painting and drawing in his classroom. I had a conversation with you this morning about your favorite things. You told me your favorite color is pink, your favorite animal is a pink horsey, your favorite food is pink ice cream with pink icing, your favorite house is a pink baby house.. you said you didn't like our house and that you needed a pink baby house to live in. You wear your pink Hello Kitty flip flops every day.. even when you are in your jammies or just in your undies before bed! You prefer to wear "baller-nina" dresses rather than shorts or anything else. Comfort is the key to your wardrobe.. comfort and color.. and twirl-ability. You can navigate the computer as well as Margot and are so patient with her requests for you to put the mouse in her special spot. You are a hugger! When you are sad, sometimes all you need is a big hug and snuggle to get your head back on straight. You are a good listener. You love to dance. You love to take care of your babies . You ask me "why" about 856 times a day and don't get upset when I give up with a "I don't know honey." and a sigh. You just respond "Oh Mama.. that's ok!" You can jump off of just about anything and are always up for a challenge. You are always kissing my face and touching my cheek with a soft little hand. You come and hold my hand when you think I am sad. When I think of you I think of my little baby, my first baby, the first baby that I saw. I think of you fussing and snuggling and struggling to get comfy when you were little. I think of the triumph I felt when I could get you to sleep. I think of you standing up in your crib for the first time. That day I had so looked forward too and there you were, standing all by yourself. I think of your first steps, the way I just put you down after a diaper change and you just started walking.. 6 steps before you plopped down. I love you more than I could ever express and being your mommy has been such a joy.