Today you turn three years old. Three. I used to scoff at parents who got teary eyed when they would talk about their child turning another year older. But now I am that mom. It actually makes me a little heart-broken to know that you are getting older. But at the same time, you are becoming your own person.
You continue to amaze your father and I everyday. You are a bright and funny little girl. You love your cuddle time with both Daddy and I; which melts our hearts completely. You speak so clearly and communicate in actual conversations that sometimes we forget that we are talking to a toddler. You tell us stories about your adventures at preschool. You have stories memorized so you know when we are rushing bedtime along (and you don't let us get away with it!).
You are trying your best to be an independent little thing. And it just makes us feel like we are already nearing the days when you don't need us as much. This is what breaks your Momma's heart. The little girl who needed her Mommy and Daddy for everything is suddenly becoming her own person. One who can do things herself, which is only going to continue as you grow.
This has been such a big year for you. And just like I told you last year, I may not have documented it all in your baby book or on here, but here are some things that we want to remember about you at 3 years old:
**You started preschool this year. And you love it. Everyday you come home with a new project, a new story about the fun things you did. And you talk about your two friends Sky (though you pronounce it Ky) and Maddison. Maddison taught you the song "On a Pontoon" by Little Big Town and it is hilarious to listen to you sing this song. (We joke about how this is the song you come home singing after attending a Christian Preschool...)
**You got a big girl bed this year. We knew that at some point we'd need the crib and thought we had better transition you to your own bed before the need arose. And you have done so well in your big twin-sized bed. You have recently decided that after we are done with our story, prayers and bedtime songs that it still isn't time for bed. So you lay in bed with your stuffed animals and sing to them. Or we awake to a big pile of books in your bed. We love that your independence is carrying over at this time. You are so self sufficient that you entertain yourself quietly until you fall asleep. (Though I really, really miss the days of cuddling you to sleep, and the challenge of getting you into bed without waking you up.)
**You are potty-trained! It took quite some time for you to fully commit. But like all things in your world, you were waiting until you were ready. We gave it several shots this year, and each time you let us know that it was not time yet. So we'd go back to the pull-ups (a bank-breaker!) and keep working with you. Then it almost seemed like overnight you decided we were there. We would come home from preschool, take the pullup off, and put on big girl panties. Both Grandma Sue and Mae-Mae got you the cutest panties to choose from each time, and you were very thoughtful in which pair you were going to wear that afternoon. But we made it! And you've been so successful with it that most times, I don't even grab your backpack for those "just in case" moments...
**You became a cousin this year! Tita and Uncle had your first cousin, Addison just a few short weeks after your birthday. And you LOVE her. "Baby Addison" is the first real baby that you had much contact with. You are great with her. You absolutely love to hold her (with assistance), hold her hand, or sit next to her. Now that she is more mobile you have a harder time understanding that she can move and not sit on your lap as easily, but you are still interested in playing with her, showing her how to play with your toys, and read books to her. Which really makes us excited for the upcoming change this year because...
**You are going to be a Big Sister! You absolutely love to talk about "Baby Ryland Joseph" and all the things we are doing in preparation for his arrival in a few short weeks. Sometimes your pronouns still get confused and you refer to him as "her" or "she" but we are pretty certain that you understand you'll have a brother. And you genuinely seem excited about having a baby around.
**But we're not going to pretend that every second of our time with you is perfect. You are three! And sometimes that brings challenges to our lives that we really have to work through. It seems like you are so grown up with your amazing communication and your need for independence that we forget that you really are still a toddler. Tantrums happen. You tell us "no". You have started talking-back to us. And sometimes you plain just don't listen. And even though this article had your Daddy and I laughing until I had tears streaming down my face, we still love you. SO MUCH.
We are constantly amazed by how much you can seem to change and grow in just a few days time. We absolutely love being your parents and feel so blessed that God has given you to us. We know that the challenges we experience now are making you the person you are, and are forming us into the parents that we need to be for you. It's a balancing act that we are still teetering on, and just when we think we've got you figured out, you teach us something new.
I found this quote tonight, and I think it sums up pretty clearly what you do to our lives:
"While we try to teach our children all about life. Often, it's our children who teach us what life is all about." ~Angela Schwindt
We Love you Forever Sophia,
Mommy and Daddy
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