I asked Daddy what it is he will most remember about you at this age and he blurted out with laughter, "That Grumpy Face!" I laughed along with him because it is QUITE your signature look, baby doll. For sure, the best snapshot of you at this time in your life (graduating from 2 to 3 years old) would be something this:
or this.
Yes, I totally get what the phrase,
"Why the long face?" refers to now.
"Why the long face?" refers to now.
Oh the drama (not to mention photo-op potential) of it all.
BUT - that is not all we have grown to love and amuse ourselves with where you are concerned. Here are some other details and descriptions of our quirky and completely lovable you as you have turned 3:
You feel things deeply and dramatically. If you have a bug bite, you swear you have them all over your body. If you cough, you swear you have a "wiwee (really) bad cold." If something itches, you carry on and cry out that it hurts. If you sneeze, you insist that you've been sneezing all day. If we try to rush you, you panic and squeal/scream/cry because you think we are going to leave you. If Noah does something to upset you, your instinct is to cry out like you are dying. You once cried because a parking lot was too stinky (tar-smelling). When you were told that I would sleep in the house tomorrow instead of in the tent in the backyard with you and Daddy and Noah, all you did was muster your best frown deep and long and then you turned away and cried, so upset were you by the disappointing news.
You are in touch with your feelings. For awhile now, you have learned how to communicate what you feel instead of just pitching a fit and/or crying about it. You say things likes, "Mommy, I just so frustrated." "I so grumpy." "I disappointed." "I'm just so sad." For awhile there, we heard this alot, "I so happy!" My favorite emotion assessment you give yourself is hands-down the, "Dat not make me so happy."
You are a wee bit impatient. Your impatience usually comes in response to not being able to get your underwear on by yourself, Chewie licking you, Noah not submitting to your bossy ways, or something not fitting/working like you know it should. You are especially short-tempered when you feel boogers in your nose. :)
You are very loving. You climb on and hug Noah, though it usually escalates into wrestling. You hug me so tight around the neck. You request to sit in our laps every day and you snuggle in real close. When you are sad or mad, you ask for hugs or kisses to feel better. You tell us you love us and when we say we love you back, you gigglingly insist that you love us more. You also like to list all the ways you look like me and then tell me that that is because you grew in my belly.
You still eat like a bird. You would be happy to live on a liquid diet, I am sure. You still NEVER eat dinner and I don't care to force you. But if we DO get you to eat a bite or two at dinner, it is at your request that we "help you" by hand-feeding you each bite. You eat a good breakfast and lunch though. And snacks of course. But dinner, notsomuch. Your usual breakfast is a Nutri-grain bar and milk. Then usually fruit or cheese and then juice. For lunch, you love jelly or nutella sandwiches.
You are so grown in some aspects, but you sound so sweet and little when you say certain things:
Tramperween (trampoline), Neezing (sneezing), Tant (can't), Him's (he's), Geetos (mosquitos), Mingo (flamingo), Foot tracks (footprints), Ashuwee (actually), Injury (energy), Inty (empty), Breshiss (breakfast), Beshal (special), Scubbers (discovers), Ours (as in, We put that in ours car.), Mine (as in, Da sun is in mine eyes!), Me (as in, Me try dat?)
You do not laugh much. And you are impossible to get to smile for the camera. But when something does make you laugh spontaneously (usually a cartoon), the sound of your rolling giggle is just music to my ears.
Potty training you was so easy. You did not like losing swim diapers though and put up a real fight about that one. My guess is you felt naked in a bathing suit without that cushion. You stopped using a child potty seat and a step-stool for the toilet MONTHS ago. You still wear a pull-up for naps and nighttime, but more times than not, you are dry. You and Noah currently get a marble every time you wake up dry in the morning. When you fill up your marble cup, you get to pick out a toy at the store.
Miscellaneous tid-bits: You are very curious about what's in my bra. You hum the Star Wars theme song all the time ... and with vigor, too! You've starting turning your thoughts into little songs and it warms my heart when you get my attention to sing them to me. An example of one such song, "I wuv my xywaphone. I wuv my zywaphone..." You love to watch me put on my make-up. When you are displeased with a toy or decide that it is broken, you want to throw it away or sell it; I can't imagine where you get that from. XD You've already started a list of things you'd like for Christmas. At the top of that list is a hairdryer - I know not why. You've adopted a phrase I say often apparently - "Oh my gosh!" We always laugh about the fact that you are a bit of a hypochondriac; something is ALWAYS hurting on your body - toe, bootie, eye, ear, anything! But always somethings. You go, "Ow, OW, OWWWW. My (fill-in-the-blank) hurts. It hurrrrrts!"
Vices: dawdling when you should be obeying right away, taking your food off your plate and lining it all up on the table, pretending you can't get your pants on, fits of impatient little girl rage
Favorite things to play: Kitchen and tea party, camera, wrestling/chasing Noah, play-doh, make-up, hide and seek with Daddy, hanging out in the backyard, watching TV, having us read books to you, or helping me do anything at all
Bedtime Routine: 6:30ish is bathtime with Noah and y'all have a strict pattern of taking turns who sits in the front of the tub and who sits in the back. Until recently, this has always been something Daddy has done with y'all. Now I do baths and Daddy has taken over bedtime. By 7:00ish, we've got you in pjs, brushed your teeth and your hair, and Daddy is reading a book and a bible story with you. Then you pray, sing two songs, and talk a little (Daddy says, "Is there anything you want to talk about" and you take it from there; lately it's always been about your birthday). Then you remind Daddy to turn on your "beshal" music before he leaves and you ask if we can leave your door cracked just a little bit. You sleep with piggie (and pumpkin for now, but it's usually your pink puppy or your "mingo"). Later on, when we go in to check on you before we go to bed, we often find you asleep without your shirt on - usually because it was a pj top you didn't like to begin with. Stinker.
This year's birthday presents from Mommy, Daddy, and Noah included a dollhouse, a camera, a puzzle, a letter fishing game, pink/purple Legos, and a make-up set. You got a shirt and bracelet in the mail from Memaw and Papa John, and a ring, watercolors, umbrella, and $3 from Mimmie and Papa.
Overall, yours was a happy, happy third year and birthday, baby girl, and I can't imagine what the coming year holds for your days and development. I love, love, love, love, love being your mommy and will stay tuned to the next year's worth of new you details in a super, really, extra special way.
Forever your biggest fan and with bunches of hugs and kisses,
Mommy
