laci | three years old

Dear Laci,

Today is your third birthday and I wanted to write a special letter to you. It was three years ago that you made me a momma and I love you more and more each day.

I can't believe how much you have grown and changed in the last year. I spent an hour last night just looking at old pictures and videos of you on my phone. Did you know that a year ago, you couldn't jump? You would bend your knees, say, "1, 2, 3!" and then straighten back up, but your feet never left the ground. Well now, you can jump and hop and almost skip and run really, really fast.

You are bossy and stubborn, but you are also sweet and smart and loving.  You are already a bit of a know-it-all, but you also love to learn new things.  You have a big heart and are very sensitive. Several times a day, you give me a big squeeze and tell me you love me. It melts my heart. And you always want me to be happy, which isn't always easy, especially when you are misbehaving, but it is very, very sweet.  Just hearing the words, "You happy mommom?" makes me smile.

You talk a lot, although it takes a trained ear to understand much of what you are saying. Your cousin Ryan is convinced you speak Chinese. It isn't Chinese, but it often sounds like a foreign language. Some words are easy, like milk is "mulp." Others are more difficult to discern, like "dubba up" means you want to be covered up with your blanket.

And speaking of your blanket, you are just as attached to it as ever. You insist on covering up every time you sit with me, even when it is 108* outside as it has been several times the past two weeks. You still insist on drinking your milk from a sippy cup and like to sit with me several times a day. "I want to sit with you with white blanket, and sippy cup, and milk, and white blanket," you say. All those times I told you to use your words, and by golly, you sure do use those words.

You love animals, but horses and dogs are your favorites. You love to wrestle and play with Maverick and feed him treats. You would rather pretend to be a puppy than play with baby dolls. You have taught Mia to howl and bark. You are learning to tolerate your little sister and become very concerned if you hear her crying in her crib. You are still slow to wake up like your daddy and are crabby when you haven't eaten like your momma.

You call me "mommom" and I love it. You test me daily to be patient, but you are really a pretty easy kid. You love to help me empty the dishwasher, switch laundry, and put clothes away in your dresser. You are a good traveler and fun to take shopping. You love all things pink and tiny, and you walk on your tip toes most of the time. You think brushing your teeth and washing your hands are fun, especially when you can do it by yourself.

You are quite a little artist these days, always coloring or painting. You would love for me to read to you for hours. I love to watch your imagination grow. You have started creating little stories with your toys, imaginative play that I can only observe from a distance or you get shy and stop playing. Don't worry, I was the same way when I was little.

You are almost fully in charge of your wardrobe these days.  You are very picky about what you want to wear.  Sometimes it is just a shirt and shorts, sometimes it is a fluffy skirt, sometimes it is a fancy dress, but always it is YOUR choice.  I have to question your fashion sense sometimes, but you are very practical.  Rainboots with everything might not seem like a fashionable choice, but it makes sense when you are out wandering in the garden with your grammy or feeding the fish with your daddy in the tall grass.  And, just so you know, you are also responsible for pulling your skirts up to your armpits.

We are alike in so many ways, not just our physical appearance but our personalities too. This will probably cause us to butt heads in the future, but it also means I understand a little about how you work.

I still can't hardly believe you're already three years old, and yet, it feels like you've been with us forever.  I know this next year will bring so many new things for you and I'm looking forward to watching you continue to learn and grow.  Happy Birthday big girl.

Love,
Your Mommom
(and daddy and sister, too)