Kate at 3

Sweet Kate...

I'm having trouble finding words as your 3rd birthday looms over my head. I almost want to press
the pause button and keep you at 2 for a little while longer. For a few months you didn't even want to
entertain the idea that you were going to be 3. You had just learned to hold up those 2 tiny fingers
to tell everyone how old you were. Now, you have already been telling everyone that you're 3 and
hold up the proper number of fingers to prove it.

We've been witnessing your personality flourish. You are a very strong-willed little girl and you
very much know what you want. I like that about you. To me, that means you will not be easily
influenced.

This year, you have traded your baby dolls & Olivia for princesses, your pigtails for headbands
and your pants for skirts. You will rarely wear anything that isn't a skirt.
You even wear tutus on top of your jeans!
Poses a challenge for your mama though, cause now I have to find more skirts for you to wear.
At least that's for when you actually want to put on clothes at all.
You love hanging around in your underwear.

Your little brain amazes me more everyday. You hold entire conversations with me.
You talk to me about your thoughts and you have likes and dislikes and you are very vocal about them.
You love anything that smells good. You love anything that's pretty, pink or sparkly. You love
sleepovers with Jackie, nail polish, perfume, boots and any kind of jewelry.

You love to get out and explore the world. Traveling suits you well and I will gladly take you with
me on any trip I need to go on. You are so easygoing and love hotels. You love anywhere that
lets you walk around and discover. At Disneyland, you will be perfectly content if you don't do
a single ride. You will search for any character you can find to have them sign your autograph book.
You look dreamily at the princesses with your shy smile and big, green (sometimes blue) innocent eyes.

Your favorite thing of all though, is ballet. You look forward to that Thursday evening ballet class
all week long. You proudly wear that tutu and leotard, ballet shoes and tap shoes. You even
let me comb your hair which has been a challenge for us lately. You march into that class and
without any fear, you take your place and rock out whatever it is that Miss Jessica teaches you that day.

Charlie and Ella are your favorite people to play with. Ella sees you in the morning and she runs to give you
a tight hug. She often calls your name from her crib in the morning. Its very sweet to see.

You've always been a night owl just like me. Although I fight you on it, I secretly love that you and I
have that one on one time where you talk to me and make me tickle your arms and legs and back.
I hope you will always be as open with me as you are now at 3.

Happy 3rd birthday, beautiful girl. Without you, my world wouldn't be nearly as pretty, sparkly or pink.
I love you with every ounce of my being.

Always & Forever,
Mama