dear emma grace (you are 3!)

oh dear emma gracie-girl…

we should have known when you came into the world 3 years ago, being 10 days late, that you were going to be the funniest, spunkiest, little peanut.

yes, you definitely give me a “run for my money” several days out of the week, have probably aged me a bit more than i would like, and you even test your daddy (the patient one) at times.  But i would not change your fun, energetic, and “challenging” personality in a minute.

you, our sweet 3 year old, are going to get what YOU want in life.  i have no doubt that your charisma, charm, cuteness, and persistence are going to get you FAR.  it may be frustrating at age 3, but i will rest easier when you are 18 that you will stand up to yucky boys, get into the school of your choosing, and love every bit of college life. 

you are SO expressive with your face and your big blue eyes.  you have had the eye roll down for a couple of years now (yes, a trait lovingly inherited from me) and i will never forget some of the funny things you say at dinner and how you make your daddy laugh.

you are also so sweet – you IDOLIZE your big brother Jack and love to follow him around and try to do what he does at all times (and typically succeed!).  you also love the role of big sister – helping me, trying to make Sophia laugh, and lately, snuggling her, feeding her, and picking her up (EEK!).  I can’t wait to see you play together in the next year and how it may make you even softer and sweeter.  you tell your daddy and i you love us a million times a day and love to climb up in daddy’s lap at dinner.  when you are at your grandma and pop’s house, you want to sleep with them and snuggle with pop until early morning.

I think you are going to give these sporty boys a run for their money…your balance has always been fantastic athletically, but then you also pull out these clumsy Mary Katherine Gallagher moments where you trip over an imaginary string.  but you are quick, learn fast, and do love to be active and play outside.

you can play babies for hours.  you have 3 main babies – Baby Baby (also known as Old Baby), Caroline, and Eleanor.  you love to dress them, cover them up, and generally just lug them around.  you also love playing with the big dollhouse that Pappaw and Aunt Kitten gave you for Christmas, and playing Mommy and Daddy.  you are VERY adamant about “girl things” and “boy things” and make it quite clear that you do NOT want to play trucks or anything “boyish.”  Another thing to note is your INNATE love of the color pink – most everything has to be pink – your clothes, your shoes, your fork, your cup, your plate….if it’s blue, you will NOT use it.  Annoying, but it also shows your strong-will.

You are teeny tiny.  we just had your 3 year check up and you were 37” tall (60%) and 30lb (50%)…seems middle of the road, but your features are just so tiny.  we call you our little peanut, and you are.

You are HILARIOUS.  You lately have LOVED to put on concerts to “Call Me Maybe” or “Baby” by Justin Bieber (AKA “The Beaver Song”) and will do it for anyone who will watch.  When you meet someone new, you usually let Jack take the lead (who is not shy in the least), but within minutes, your personality shines through. 

You are also sneaky…there is really no other way to describe it.  the first thing you do when you wake up around 6:30am is to move a stool in front of the freezer, get out a frozen yogurt tube and then find the chocolate chip bag and help yourself to a few handfuls.  you have also been known to climb cabinets, counters, and bookshelves to find candy or other treats.  last week you told me “Mom, you should hide all the candy so I can’t get it anymore.” 

Other things that I don’t want to forget:

--How you play with your nose or lip right before falling asleep

--how you love to snuggle in the morning while watching your cartoons

--how you ALWAYS press us and push the envelope…again, frustrating now, but great later

--like your brother, you don’t forget A THING – if i tell you something, you hold me to it

--how much you love Jack and sneak into his bed after he falls asleep

--that you say your cousins are your best friends, especially lily

--you are SUCH a girly-girl in dress, colors, nails, etc., but are so athletic and sporty and FEARLESS

--how much you love your blanket

--when watching a show, you always point out “who” you and jack are in the show…you are always the girl or anyone wearing pink, and jack is always wearing blue

--how you insistent on putting on your own shoes, but 98% of the time you put them on the wrong feet, but keep them that way the entire day

--your crazy, curly, “hot mess” hair that you usually don’t let me comb

--you ability to be so “easy” with big things – you pottytrained in 2 days, giving up a paci took 1 night, switching to a “big girl” bike with training wheels was done in an afternoon…

We love you, Emma Grace.  You are my fun, my laughter.  As much as you drive me batty at times, I look forward to regaling you with MANY MANY stories when you are 34 about when you were 3.  I’m sure you will be just the same.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Peanut Butter.

Love,

Mommy

 

**Bday pics to come, my card is acting crazy on me and not uploading from that day…but we had a great day with Gma, Pop, and neighbors…just celebrating our BIG 3 year old.