TGM @ 3

My dear little girl--I must call you that as you are no longer a baby and have grown up in so many ways!

You are definitely the most verbal of our friends around your age. You regularly use full sentences and entered fully into the "why" stage a few weeks before your 3rd birthday. Your "why" questions have led to discussions of communion and Batman's motivations. You like to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and have come up with rhythmic non-sense phrases for which we have yet to identify a source.

You've memorized The Lord's Prayer, John 3:16, Genesis 1:1, and Psalm 23. You can spell your name verbally and in sign language.

You still have a fascination with the alphabet. You can recognize all the printed letters--upper and lower case. You are beginning to associate phonetic sounds with the letters. It scares me sometimes to think that you may be reading before your 4th birthday.

You enjoy wearing dresses and would wear them all the time, if we had enough for every day play. You like to play dress-up and princess, especially using the wings, wand, and garland/crown you received for your birthday from your friend Dax. You and Daddy dance around the kitchen.

Your favorite movies include Cinderella, Princess and the Frog, and Peter Pan. You'll ask me to be Peter Pan or Wendy to your Michael. Or I'll be the stepmother to your Cinderella. Or we'll take turns being Cinderella's Fairy Godmother and singing "Bibbity Bobbity Boo" to provide coach, dress, and other accouterments for Cinderella to go to the ball. Or you ask me to kiss you and you'll pretend to turn from a frog into a Handsome Prince.

You also enjoy coloring and painting. You'll try to draw around your own hand, as I've drawn around it so many times.

You've caught onto how to use a touchpad mouse and will watch a whole series of Mickey Mouse videos on YouTube, when I let you. You haven't gotten the hang of an external mouse, but with laptops and tablets around the house, you haven't had as much chance to play with those. On Uncle SC's tablet, you like the ABCya.com website with Alphabet Bingo, Alphabet Match (memory game), and a few books that the site will read to you.

You've already had one friend, Julian, move out of the area this year. We are anticipating the departure of Aria and Rowan at the end of the month. You've played with Aria and Rowan regularly since you were born and even had your first sleep over at their house just a month or so ago. You still get to see your other best friend, Mia, at church. Dax is another friend that we try to see for play dates every so often.

You are fully potty trained in that you are wearing full-time the panties that Grandma Gates made for you last Christmas. We've put in a request with Grandma G for the next larger size, as you are outgrowing the ones you have. You aren't independent about it--you always want me to help you undress, wipe, and dress.

You like talking about the baby in my belly and about being a big sister. I'm not sure how much you understand about how that will change your world! You've picked out the names Aria and Jesus for your baby sibling.

You also think the flower girl dress that was given to you for Uncle SC and Sarah's wedding is very pretty. You ask to wear it and are looking forward to having the dark blue bow that Grandma G is making for the dress.

Once again, we've had multiple opportunities to celebrate your birthday this year. In Virginia, you and Rowan had a joint birthday party with a Garden Party Tea theme. Mrs. P had so many wonderful ideas and beautiful ways of doing things. That may be the fanciest birthday party you'll ever have! :-) Then we made a trip to Kansas and arrived the day of your birthday. Your second cousin James was celebrating his birthday the same day, so Grandma G took the "dot cake" you had requested and we all went to James' birthday party to celebrate with family there. Later in the month, we visited Pennsylvania and Grandma Mc made frosted brownies to celebrate your birthday. We didn't have to coach or coax you at all to blow out the birthday candles on your cakes this year!

Next week, we'll be seeing the doctor to see how much you've grown physically this year. I know you can't wear the same clothes and shoes you were wearing a year ago!

As much as I've written here, I still feel like there is so much about you that a post like this misses. Like how you'll whine and throw fits, especially when you are tired, but you will go through your bed time routine and go to bed pretty well, most nights. Or how you only like to eat foods you can identify (not so much casseroles and such) and will just refuse to eat what you don't recognize, even though there are no snacks for you later. Or how you show sympathy for others' hurts and share your toys with others.

It's been a joy to watch you grow these past three years. I'm so looking forward to watching you continue to grow and pray that I will not be a hindrance in you becoming a beautiful young woman with an outstanding love for God and others.