I am sitting here watching you play with your sister, trying to figure out how three years have passed so quickly. I still remember, like it was yesterday, running down our stairs to tell your Daddy, "Santa brought us a baby!" when I found out I was pregnant. It just doesn't seem possible that you're already three.
I see newborns, now, and I wonder if it's possible that you were ever that small. But the changes that are really astonishing are the ones that aren't visible. Your personality is still forming (they say that who you are is determined by the time you're 5 years old), but some things have remained consistent from the day you were born. For example, you're still not a big fan of sleep. For another, it still takes all my energy to keep you entertained. You are so bright and curious about the world. You have an amazing attention span for a little kid, and you love to learn new things.
You love music, and you always have. You love gymnastics. You love to go on outings, and you're an excellent traveler. You are such a helper. Right now you're dragging a chair into the kitchen to help your Daddy make your birthday pancakes. You love fruit, especially berries. Your dad and I love taking you places and doing new things, and seeing the world through your eyes. You have a wonderful imagination, and a terrific sense of humor. From the time that you were really little, you've loved to make people laugh.
You have such a gentle spirit. All of your "guys" (stuffed animals) are well loved and well cared for. It cracks me up when you "nurse" your dolls. You usually are very sweet and gentle with Claire. You guys have all the normal sibling disagreements over toys and whatnot, but most of the time you get along so well, and are best friends. You love meeting new people and playing with new kids. You make friends wherever we go.
You're starting school in the fall, and it is going to be really hard for me to start releasing you into the big, scary world. From now on, I won't always be there to hold your hand, kiss your boo boos, or wipe away your tears. Kids can be cruel, and you're going to have to face them on your own (at least 4 hours two days a week). But if it's true that we've been building your personality these last three years, I have confidence that you're going to do just fine on your own in preschool, without me and Daddy, because you really have all the tools you'll need to be happy and successful. I am so proud of you, and I'm so proud of the big girl you're becoming. Here's the checklist I started doing when you were a baby:
Your favorite toy for playing is: the swing set
Your favorite toy for snuggling is: Biscuit the Cat (still, and now we have Biscuit 2.0)
Your favorite food is: blueberries
Your favorite book is: Berenstein Bears
Your favorite activity is: gymnastics
Your favorite place to go is: Grammaland
Your best friend is: Claire
Something new that you're doing: using the big girl potty, starting tomorrow
Something you've mastered: somersaults, lining up at gymnastics
Something people say about you: "Look at that hair!"
Something that you're saying is: "You don't need to worry about it, Mommy...."
Something Dad and I are proud of you for: the way you play with your sister so well most of the time
Something surprising about you: you have a good ear for music, and sing on key
I love you, Cuppycake!
Happy Birthday!
Mommy
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