My Sweet Daughter,

Congratulations! You’ve made it to three years of age, and your golden birthday. We survived the “terrible twos” barely breaking a sweat.

This last year has been a whirlwind. Not long after your last birthday you found out you were going to be a big sister, and you have been an even happier little girl ever since. Your vocabulary has exploded, and I just love having conversations with you. I’m not afraid to use words far past your years because I know you’ll pick them up.

Speaking of picking thing up–You are a little sponge! You’ll hear something from I-don’t-even-know-where and repeat it to us. I’m blown away by your retention. It keeps us on our toes… And laughing a lot. For example, you spilt something in the kitchen and I got upset. Instead of crying yourself, or feeling bad, you looked at me and said “take a breath and count to four.” It’s something you picked up from a show you like to watch called Daniel Tiger (a cartoon remake of a show I watched when I was a kid).

You’ve been excited for your birthday this entire year. You told us you wanted “A Rapunzel party at the jumpy place” and that’s exactly what you had.

Some of your favorite things are books, playing pretend, making up stories, and playing dress-up. You also absolutely love working in the kitchen with me. It’s not often enough but when we get together and bake either muffins, or cobbler, or pancakes, it’s a blast.

Watching you love on your brother melts my heart. I’ve never seen a child so sweet with their younger sibling as I have with you. You ask if he’s “awake or asleep” and you always ask him to “talk” to you. That entails me speaking for him, but you don’t mind. He can’t crawl yet but you like me to position him in different places around the house while you two play hide and seek. I can’t wait to watch as you two grow older and closer.

You love it when we chase you anywhere. You ask us to chase you to your room, to our room, to the bathroom and the car. You love to run and run fast! Maybe you’ll be a track star some day.

Since we’re on the topic of sports–Three opens up a lot of options for you in terms of classes you can take without me. I think you’re going to do a week of summer camp next week, and probably ballet lessons pretty soon. You like to dance around and say you’re a balerina so I think you’ll love it.

I’m not sure if most kids your age think this way, but you like to tell us what you want to be when you grow up. Lately you say a fireman, but you’ve said all sorts of things from an astronaut, to a police officer, to a cowboy or doctor.

Sleep doesn’t come so easily for you these days. I take it you get it from me. I’m surprised how late you can stay up. Once you were up with me until 5am. Lately I’ve let you sleep in our room with us more. I’m not sure what’s gotten into you not wanting to stay in your room, but it’s cute, and I know you won’t want to sleep in my bed forever, so it’s ok.

So far you’ve been as sweet as can be. Sure, there have been times where you’ve shown your inner-diva, but two wasn’t terrible at all. Sadly, I hear three-year-olds are a nightmare. “Even worse than two,” they tell me. It’s hard to picture you transforming into a crazy child-monster but I’m bracing myself just in case.

Nothing beats you telling me you love me, and you giant hugs. I love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

Tags: happy birthday, letter to lil' j, letters, year-by-year