Baby #3 Turns 3!

Just after your second birthday, having fun in the yard with the sprinklers.

Ham. 2 1/2.

My Monster. Almost 3.

Dear Sweet Baby Girl (a.k.a Monster),

Just like your sisters, you are growing up too fast. And, you are literally GROWING UP! You are wearing clothes that your sisters were wearing when they turned four and here you are, three years old and fitting into them. Our guess is that you will one day pass me and both your sisters to reach a solid 5 foot 10 inches. You are caring, smart, spunky, and full of love. Everything the baby of the family should be. Here is what you have been up to the past year.

• You love all things HULK. For Natalie, Mack and Brody's birthdays last year, Aunt Sarah threw a Super Hero themed birthday party. I found a Hulk shirt for you to wear because, well, it reminded me of you. Calm and collected...then...BAM! Out of control and angry. Well, you grew attached to that shirt. We told you more about who and what The Hulk was and over the past year you "LOVE LOVE Hulk Smash." Macie found a book at the library and you have learned that Bruce Banner is the guy who turns into The Hulk when he gets angry...and you won't like him when he's angry...but you do. You think he is the best. The shirt in the third picture is your second Hulk shirt since you grew out of the original one. You would wear it everyday if I let you. I think there will be many Hulk presents headed your way this year.
• Orange is your favorite color. I'm not sure how someone so young picks a favorite color, but all of you have done it. Natalie's is black. Macie's is purple. Whether it is picking out a crayon to color with or a flavor of popsicle, you want orange. You also feel the need to point it out wherever we go. If we are driving and you see a truck, billboard, car or construction sign, from the backseat I hear "Momma!!! ORANGE!!!" 
• You have no interest in potty training. I would really like you to be done with diapers but I also know that I would be wasting a lot of energy to try and make you do something that you are not ready for. You have no problems sitting down and going when I tell you to, but you would just rather have a diaper. However, when you are ready, I have a pair of Hulk underwear waiting for you. 
• Recently you have started to call Casey, "My Buddy." It's the cutest thing. One day I heard you yelling, "Buddy! Hey Buddy! Come here Buddy. You are my Buddy. Mom, I love my Buddy." He tolerates you very well. We couldn't have asked for a better dog when dealing with babies and small children. 
• When you run, you kick your heels up so that they hit your butt. It is so funny to watch! You have also gotten into a habit of coming up to me or Daddy or whoever is watching you at the time saying, "I'll be right back, k? I'm just gonna go over here, then, I'll be right back, k?" And off you go, running and kicking your butt the whole time. 
• You have been the only one of our children to love your tricycle. Your sisters had a really hard time getting the hang of pedaling. I think your legs are long enough that you get enough power to get the trike going. You cruise around the block with us and in the backyard on the patio. As you ride you get going quite fast, so you lean back into the seat. It looks very similar to the kid from "The Shining" who rides around the hotel hallways on his trike. Molly and I have asked you to say "Red Rum" a couple of times, but you refuse and ride off. 
• There are a couple of TV shows that you have grow attached to: Doc McStuffins, Curious George (the movie and the show), and Imagination Movers. With the Imagination Movers last CD, Rock-O-Matic, they put out a 25 min DVD to go with it. You are obsessed with both. As far as kid CD's go, it's not bad. Daddy and I have rocked out with you quite a few times, but, after watching or listening to anything over 100 times, it gets a little old.
• You still love your babies. Feeding them, changing them, handing them off to anyone while they sleep so you can go play something else, and pushing them in a stroller. You are so careful with them and they are all named Boom Ollie Ollie (a reference to the Imagination Movers song "Remember When"). Our friends and family have also learned to be careful with their swings, car seats and bouncy chairs when we come over. You go around and buckle them so when a baby gets set down into them, first the parent thinks "Hmmmm...Evie's been here." Then they have to dig under their infants back to try and unfasten the buckles. 

You have kept Daddy and I on our toes these three years. Everyone who looks into your big beautiful eyes tends to fall in love with you. You know what you want, when you want it and, that doesn't always work out in your favor as a three year old, but as the years go on it will be an amazing asset for you. You are funny and full of energy and I can't wait to see what the next year brings. I love you my wonderful child. 

Mommy.