Dear Birthday Girl

Dear Belle,

I remember writing you letters each month when you were a baby! It feels like such a long time ago, yet just like yesterday at the same time! Today you turned three. THREE!! We had your parties this weekend, but today is the most fun day to celebrate! Three years ago today, Daddy and I were so happy to welcome a little girl into our family. First it was just Mommy because you weren't cooperative to wait for Daddy! You've been doing things your way ever since. :)

Here's how we spent your birthday. First, you opened presents before Daddy left for work! You got some new dresses, a Cinderella book, and some Magi-Clip princess dolls. 

You are a meticulous present un-wrapper. You don't take the paper off in one big rip-- you tear about a bazillion tiny pieces for each gift. 

We had donuts for breakfast. You requested them for dinner, but I figured you would be okay to have them for breakfast. 

We visited story time today and every sang you Happy Birthday. The kids all practiced holding up three fingers, too! You felt pretty special.

After picking up Jackson from preschool, we met Great Grandpa for lunch at McDonalds. You guys played so well that we were there for almost two hours! And in that time, you managed to actually sit for a moment with every other family that came and went in the playroom. You have a very outgoing personality and you seem to think that you fit into every group that exists around you. The thing is, you are so sweet and charming that most people just welcome you right in and talk as if they've known you for years. It's 

This winter has been so icky, but God gave you a special treat for your birthday this year-- 60° temps! After naps, we played outside and you enjoyed yet another birthday cupcake.

We went for a walk when Daddy came home. You love going on walks and you always have! You pretty much just love going on rides. You would sit contently in a stroller for hours I'm sure. 

Your birthday dinner request was pizza, goldfish, donuts, and apples. We had donuts for breakfast, so I just added some broccoli. You often vocalize the connection with how food makes you feel. "Cake makes me happy!" and you actually try to use those lines to sneak treats in to other meals. I'll ask if you want waffles or muffins for breakfast and you'll be like, "I like pizza. Pizza makes me happy." And when I deny the request, you take it personally and get very sad. I imagine you have had great success with these tactics with your grandparents.

After dinner, we FaceTimed with Aunt Laura and you showed her your birthday presents and how you can do a somersault! It normally takes you about four or five pushes to finally make it over, but you always get it! 

We definitely made time for baths on your birthday. You love to take baths and will play, and play, and play. Aunt Mary picked out this Minnie towel for your birthday and you think it's the coolest thing ever!

Right before bed, Daddy set up an old iPod* in your room to play with the Frozen soundtrack!  You were so happy to climb in bed and listen. Hopefully you're falling asleep. You've been known to talk to yourself for three hours to keep yourself from falling asleep. We tucked you in with your new Minnie doll and your blanket! After dealing with your big brother's love for a blanket, I swore that we wouldn't do the blanket thing for anymore kiddos. (ha!) I can't decide which came first: loving your blanket or carrying around a blanket because your big brother did.  You love your white blanket with pink circles and only that blanket will do. 

Belle, you are the sweetest little thing that I have ever met. There are times I can barely stand it. I think I might actually die of cuteness. You love to sneak kisses and you give the best hugs. You interrupt to say things like, "I love you" or "You're my best!" I love to savor up those moments when you like to cuddle after first waking up or after nap. You always ask to snuggle at bedtime, but you actually don't want to snuggle as much as you just want to talk and delay bedtime.

As sweet as you are most of the time, but when you get sassy-- boy are you SASSY! Whew! You've been known to stop down the hall, slam your door, and scream at the top of your lungs, "I AM SO ANGRY WITH MY MOM AND MY DAD!" and then proceed to let out the longest, loudest little yell that your body is capable of making. Daddy and I actually get quite a kick out of your little tantrums because they are just so shocking coming from such a little person. Plus, the biggest tantrums are normally over the littlest things. Maybe you're getting this all out so by the time you're a teenager, you'll be all done with slamming doors and yelling at us. We hope. 

I have loved watching you grow and discover your little personality. You love to play pretend. Always. You also like to boss others about how their pretend should be, too. You really like to help take care of people and your dolls. You are in tune with how others are feeling. When Jackson got hurt playing today, you came up and said, "I think he needs a hug!" (see what I mean about sweet?) You enjoying coloring and crafty stuff. You like to be the leader sometimes, but you are a good follower too. 

You are a social butterfly. Having friends is so important to you and you really like to know that they like you, too.  You are very in tune with social dynamics, far beyond your years! You'll ask Jackson, "Do you like me?" and he mostly say yes. Sometimes you are pleased, but then sometimes pull some sort of social experiment and annoy him. And then repeatedly ask if he likes you as if to see what you can get away with and he'll still like you. You like to ask me several times each day, "Are you happy?" and you check to make sure I am still happy even when you observe something that might make me not happy. You can people watch and know when others are having a disagreement and when people like each other. This social aspect of your personality was evident as an infant when you wouldn't nurse or wouldn't cuddle because you'd be so busy with the people around you and it's been incredible to see it transform into little relationship with your friends and how you see people. It's exactly who God made you to be and there is no denying it, girl! :)

You are a sharp little girl. You can count, recognize letters, shapes, numbers. You have the ipad mastered. Your language skills are through the roof. You know all about using the big girl potty, though you have no actual desire to make it a reality for yourself. 

Belle, Daddy and I love you so much! We had no idea how we'd manage to love two kids or how our love for our kids would just grow so much over time. You taught us how love multiplies when the second one joins the family. And how it multiplies by like a kazillion. We really didn't know what was in store when we welcomed our baby girl three years ago, but it's been a crazy fun ride. Thank you for bringing so much joy into our lives!

I love you more!

Mommy

*An iPod is a pre-iphone that just played music! Once upon a time, we had several different devices for music, phones, cameras, planners, and GPS. But now they are conveniently combined into our phones. And I realize that as you read this, our nifty "new" technology is going to be so old!