Happy 3rd Birthday!

On Sunday, Y turned 3 years old!!  She has been talking about her birthday for weeks now and in the days leading up to her birthday she kept asking, "is today my birthday?"  She was able to choose what she wanted to do, so on Saturday she and B went to the bounce house for several hours (I didn't wanna take Q because of the deafening music).  And when they came home, we all went out to dinner at Red Robin.  On Sunday, we went to church and I had bought cupcakes for her and her friends in nursery and that night we had cake and watched the videos that family members had made for her on her birthday. (Side note:  for much of the year Y has been making birthday videos for her grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and so we thought it'd be cool if they made videos for her on her birthday.)  As gifts we gave her a Mrs. Potato Head (which she has been asking for for months) with over 40 interchangeable pieces as well as a Dora the Explorer bag which she can use to take her coloring books, crayons, and toys to church.  She also received a Dora paper doll book and the book Alligator Baby from Aunt J and Uncle R in Toronto.  A counting book with a CD of counting songs from Grandma G in Sarnia. And a Tinkerbell umbrella and matching backpack and a little cash from Grandma and PopPop in North Carolina.

At three Y is a smart, vibrant, curious, funny and fairly well-adjusted preschooler (she's no longer a toddler).  She loves to run, sing, dance, use her imagination, play in the pool and at the playground, she still loves to snuggle and she loves to talk and ask questions.  She is very observant of everything that goes on around her and she has one amazing memory.  Don't ever think you can tell her something and she not remember it.  She loves to be around other kids and will mimic whatever it is that they happen to be doing, regardless of their age.  She has found a love for all things Disney, especially princess and Tinkerbell movies, in fact she can frequently be heard singing or even re-enacting various scenes from Cinderella. When asked what she wants to be for Halloween she alternates between Tinkerbell and an astronaut.  She loves to touch and try to play with Baby Q and is very curious about her jerky movements.  She also can't wait for Q to get bigger so that she can really play with her.  Sometimes she tries to play with Q and gets a little too rough but she loves to hold her and take pictures with her.  One thing is for sure Q is going to have to be one tough cookie and will probably quickly learn to hold her own against her sister.  Y has had a bit of difficulty adjusting to Q being around but when we take her out one-on-one you can tell that she really appreciates having the alone time with either B or myself.  She always returns home excited to tell the other parent all about what she did while out. 



 I cannot even begin to put into words the unconditional love that I feel for my beautiful first-born child.  She brings so much joy to our lives whether it be in warm kisses and hugs, funny statements she makes, or bringing us something like a leaf from a tree while out on a walk.  I love to see how bright and wide her eyes get when she learns something new and the questions that she often asks amaze me at times.  I am often saddened at the idea of her growing up, in just 2 short years she will be starting kindergarten and it just makes me want to hold on to her tighter in hopes to slow time down.  But it also gives me the motivation to enjoy each moment with her, to take advantage of the time we have together.  She brightens our lives in so many ways and while there are many moments of frustration they seem pale in comparison to all the joy we have.  I love my little monkey!



Disney Fairies Cake, each  fairy has a ring and the box can store them all.

With it just being us and my mom this year, we opted for the 1/8 sheetcake and so there wasn't much room for writing and her name had to be written below.

The Dora bag we bought before we knew she was getting the bag seen below.



Blowing caution (and superstition) to the wind and playing with her umbrella indoors.  She's also wearing her backpack.  She had been begging us for months for a Mr./Mrs. Potato Head and wouldn't you know it was trumped by the umbrella.  That was apparently her favorite gift of all...who woulda thought?!?

Y holding Q on Y's big day!