your third year

You just recently turned 3...wow! I just can't believe how quickly the time has flown by. I know that's kind of cliche to say, but the truth must be stated! just for your own enjoyment later on, I thought I'd write down what your third year of life was like and the changes that you went through.

Just a month before your birthday, both sides of our family vacationed together in Hawaii. It was your first time ever to fly on an airplane, and thankfully, it didn't phase you too much. Oma was wise to pack tons of leap frog activities and we also brought along the dvd player and sticker books. I am still amazed at how long those sticker book activities keep your attention so long.

One of the highlights of our trip included your first time meeting your great-grandparents (Poppy's parents) and Aunt Judy, Uncle Bill and cousin Jamie. They all got a big kick out of you, especially when you continued to antagonize their toy parrot, who repeated every sound you made and more. You were a delight to watch on this trip, because everything was so new to you. Sure you were only 2, but you took in all the new sights, sounds and smells. You loved frolicking on the sandy beaches and playing with your sand toys. You also enjoyed going into the water and jumping over the waves. Even just getting your feet wet in the water was a pleasure you enjoyed more and more each time. You saw your first blow hole, and hiked down to the Queen's bath, very intrigued by the sea life we quietly observed.

As we sat in the big airplane on the red-eye flight back home, the lights were dimly lit and people were just settling in to rest for the next few hours when you boldly stated, "AH-LOHHHHHH-HAA!" We weren't the only ones giggling from your cuteness that night.

Within a few days of returning home, we learned that the following spring you would become a Big Sister. We talked with you about it, but of course since your life had not been altered in any way at that point, you were gracious enough to just go along with this new big sister game.

We immediately began planning your birthday party and decided that we'd have a LUAU, especially since you had been a little hawaiian traveler. Family and friends gathered to sing and present gifts to you. This time, you really took in the gift opening experience and received so many "babies" you were just amazed. We hung a Nemo pinata on our tree (since that was one of your long running favorite movies at the time) and presented you with the stick to begin hitting Nemo. As we began, you started to cry, saying that you didn't want to hit Nemo. Makes perfect sense that you would not want to beat one of your favorite animal characters. We passed the stick and allowed the other children to "hit Nemo." Sorry about the confusion on that matter.

One tradition that you have always enjoyed since you were only a couple of months old is spending Tuesday mornings with your Gigi Mama and Papa so that I can attend Bible study. Since we live right next door to them, we faithfully continue the tradition and even added more play dates. Some of the things you used to do last year was dance to old Southern music (Louisiana style) with Gigi Mama and a black cat stuffed animal. You also would pick up her weights, light for an adult but heavy for a child, and would make Papa laugh because you would grunt as you'd pick them up with all your little strength could muster.

In mid-October, Daddy and I went on a week-long cruise to Mexico. This was the longest time we had ever been separated from you. But I think we prepared you well, because we built up the fact that you would be staying with your Nana, Poppy and uncles...Translation = you would get all the attention, be given whatever your heart desired, and be the little princess for a whole week! You did wonderfully! Of course, I had called you on the phone several times during the trip, but it was worth the peace of mind I would feel the minute I heard your voice. It wasn't that I doubted Nana & Poppy's ability to take good care of you...it was feeling so far away from you, helpless if anything were to happen that I could not take care of for you. One day you'll understand these sorts of internal, "motherly" conflicts.

Once we returned from our trip, we carried on our tradition of visiting the pumpkin patch, but this year it became more real to you. They even had a petting/feeding zoo and you bravely fed the goats and chickens. You gave me quite a laugh.

And since the Heffalump movie was another one of your favorites, it was inevitable that you would be "Lumpy-dee-lee" for Halloween. You loved that costume and even wore it several times afterward. You even wore it on your 3rd birthday, after you got tired of wearing your pretty pink Birthday dress...never a dull moment with you.

Most 2 year olds are just barely learning how to form small sentences and thought patterns. Of course I am your proud mother, but your verbal skills far surpass those of your young peers. You have an amazing ability to express yourself with adult words and phrases, just at the right intervals. Your timing and delivery are beyond your years, and you are hilarious to dialogue with. But even though your verbal skills are mature, you still pronounced some words so adorably appropriate for a 2-year-old.

One of the things you really enjoyed during this time was jumping on the trampoline in our backyard. You begged Daddy, almost every day if he would do it, to take you on the trampoline. You did all kinds of tricks where he would plop down and your little 23lb. body would fly through the air. Playing on the trampoline has made you more graceful in your movements and you have not once fallen off (by the grace of God!). I think you enjoy the freedom, in more ways than one. It's a place where you allow your imagination to fly, while other times you and Daddy would just lie down and stare up at the sky for countless amounts of time. Treasured moments. We also have a wooden bench swing on our large tree which you enjoyed riding with me. You would rest your head on my lap and ask me to sing different songs to you...moments I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

Something we enjoyed doing together was our frequent visits to the zoo. You received a zoo pass for your birthday and we would go at least once a month. We'd pack up the car with lunches, the stroller and your sun hat and we'd walk around looking at all the animals. Your favorites included the noisy monkeys, the flamingos, the elephants, the giraffes, and the baby animals.

One of the more difficult transitions for you was to fall asleep in your bedroom by yourself. Every night, it would take about an hour or more to get you to go to sleep. Daddy would lie on the floor next to your bed (and this still happens once in a while, but not as long as it used to) and you would talk and talk and talk and talk about everything under the sun while he would lay there with his eyes closed, trying not to fall asleep. I asked him why he would stay in there for so long and why he wouldn't just say good-night and call it a night. He said, "Because one day she won't ask me to lay with her anymore." I will never forget those words because it revealed the depth of his love for you in a different way.

We celebrated the holidays with our families, but one difference was that you met your new cousin, Azlan, at Christmas. You liked him, but were uncertain of him. We didn't get to spend much time with him but it was a little taste of what our life would be like in the months to come.

One game that you LOVED playing with Daddy and me was pulling out ALL of your stuffed animals and talking to them. But what that meant was that we had to be their voices, and sometimes there were even voices for characters we'd only seen in movies...and so the collection of voices grew and grew. They included: Nemo, Dory, Bambi, Bambi's mother and father, Feline, Lumpy, Roo, Kanga, Dora, Tiger, Dude Crush, and I'm sure I'm missing some, but these were the main ones. Boy, you would just let your imagination run wild. And if we ever forgot to respond in our character voice, you would correct us and say, "No...Lumpy!!" And you were so cute in how you pronounced Bambi's father...you would say "FahVer."

Another game that you enjoyed was being pushed around the house over and over again in one of your baby's strollers...a doll stroller. Daddy would push you all around the house and make all kinds of racket and you would smile and laugh. Then he'd stop, completely out of breath and you'd say, "Again!"

After the new year, I took you to visit the preschool your great-great-grandmother founded in the late forties. Daddy encouraged me to get your name on the waiting list, saying that we wanted to be sure and get you signed up especially after the new baby would arrive. It would be good for all of us. Later in early summer, the other preschool she founded closed its doors and so this preschool would be even more difficult to get into. You weren't too sure what it all meant, but we visited and called it "your school."

One of the hardest experiences I've ever had as a parent was the month that I was placed on bedrest because Grant was coming too early. It was early March and my doctor told me that I would need to rest full-time and make arrangements for others to take care of you until it was safe for me to be active again. This was one of the hardest separation times we've had because you would stay with Auntie, Nana, Oma and Aunt Jan during the week, and then you would return home on the weekends because Daddy could be there to take care of you while I continued to rest. Although we talked several times a day - every day - it was not the same. I cried often and even more so on Sunday nights, when you would have to leave me again. You were so cute because one time you called me from Auntie's house and you talked to me on the speaker phone and you said, "Watch me, mom!" And you did some kind of trick that you thought I could really see. You really hung in there, but separating from me has been really hard for you ever since. I'm sure it's just a phase that you will grow out of, but I love how attached we are to each other.

On April 24, 2006, you became a big sister. You have truly embraced it, even though it has often meant that you are not always the center of attention anymore. I'm amazed that you have never gotten angry or frustrated with Grant over the loss of your position, not in terms of importance but in terms of having to share family and friends, and attention! Sometimes you get frustrated or hurt, but you are good at expressing those feelings to us directly. Sometimes when you get angry and can feel yourself getting out of control, you put yourself in time-out in your room. And then you come back refreshed and ready to move on...Amazing you are, indeed.

You began preschool toward the end of June. It was bittersweet. You told me, "I like preschool. I don't want to go back." Oh-kaaaay...now what are we supposed to do? We kept you in it, and it was still difficult for you to be apart from me, but part of you liked it. Your teachers were Ms. Maria and Ms. Brittany. You were already potty trained, but you were learning to do it completely by yourself with the guidance of your new teachers. There was a lot of change going on at once: becoming a big sister, being potty trained, not being the center of attention, having to share mommy and daddy with this eating, sleeping little boy we called your brother, trying to fall asleep on your own. There was a lot of transition going on...a lot of growing up that maybe you felt unready for. Maybe you are still experiencing some of those feelings, even though several months have passed.

You also took a short-term ballet class...it didn't really hold your attention, but you loved the outfit!!

We took a short break from preschool in August and vacationed with the family. You began preschool again in the fall. You've still been somewhat uncertain about separating from me, but you have more confidence and courage to let me go and to pursue what is placed before you. We just met with your preschool teacher for a conference and she is very pleased with your progress, even in the short weeks you've been there. Your tendency is to only socialize with adults (because that's who you enjoy interacting with). But you are learning to interact and play with your peers. You are very good at setting boundaries and limits with other children, but now we're working on your tone of voice in setting those limits. Some of your most favorite people to be around are Rachel, Cameron, Jacob and Ethan...because they give you your space and let you reach out to them on your terms. You just need time, which is okay.

In the last few months you have also become more interested in "princesses." We gave you a "princess" birthday party, where all of your little friends came dressed up and cousin Jen came and painted their faces and told a story. We ate lunch, opened presents and you were in heaven. We had also been working on finishing up our potty training with you the week before (getting you to stop wearing diapers at night) and we gave you a "poopie chart" where you received stickers for going in the potty. You did so well and your reward was a trip to Disneyland, which we took you for the very first time the day after your birthday party. You were completely mesmerized and your favorite part of the entire experience was watching the princess parade. You couldn't believe they really existed and you just stared at them as they danced around in front of you. Of course, the rhinoceros was a bit distracting and intrusive (you were screaming out of complete fear because of how close he came to us), but he eventually moved on (thank the Lord!).

You've given us some great laughs. Since welcoming Grant into the family, you noticed that he has different body parts than you are used to seeing, which prompted many discussions about names and functions, etc. One day when Auntie Jan and Uncle Pete came to visit you exclaimed with excitement, "Uncle Pete! You have a penis!!" He was stumped. Not noticing, you quickly turned to Aunt Jan and said, "Auntie Jan! You have a vagina and everyone else has a vagina, too!" I almost crawled under a rock and died, but I could not stop laughing to save my life. I thought Jan and Pete were laughing from embarassment. I was happy to find out later that they had repeated the story several times over and thought the incident to be priceless...

Even writing about all this now reminds me not to waste even a moment with you. The dishes will eventually get washed and the laundry will eventually get folded. The floors will eventually be vacuumed and things will eventually get organized. But I don't know how much longer you will beg me to be your playmate in your imaginary world. I don't know how much longer you will beg me to stay longer in your room at night and to sing you one last song and to rub your back a little longer. I don't know how much longer you will want me to tickle you and ask me to read your favorite princess storybook. It's so easy to get caught up in the silly every day things, but I do. I'm so sorry for every time I say, "Just a minute, Madeline. Let mommy do...and then I'll play with you." I hope I remember this tomorrow when you wake up, face shining in front of me, ready to play and explore the world. I never want to forget that beautiful face, so full of life and expectation. I'm sorry for making you try to grow up and transition to new things too quickly. Reflecting back on the last year reminds me now that you're still young. You will inevitably grow up...I don't need to hurry along the process.