As I sit down to write my annual birthday post to you, there are big changes on the horizon. Time is passing so quickly. The year ahead will be the year that you become a big sister! I have been coming to terms with the fact that you will no longer be my only child. Having a sibling has been one of the best blessings in my life; I can only hope you will feel the same way. You may be too young to remember these first three years as an only child, but I will never forget them. You are the apple of your Daddy's eye and Mommy's little sidekick. It has been so special having you all to ourselves.
This past year has brought so many exciting developments. We conquered potty training back in December, and you have been such a big girl wearing your Peppa Pig and Minnie Mouse underwear. You are still wearing a Pull-up at night and naptime, but you rarely have accidents during the day. You know that going in a public restroom and especially going #2 warrant candy, and you will ask for specific colors of M&Ms when you have performed accordingly. In addition to potty training, another big development has been your vocabulary. Your Daddy and I marvel at all the words that you know. You can string together whole paragraphs and can even hold a conversation with us. You still say "car wash" for the sunroof in Mommy's car - I find I just can't correct some of these cute habits. You are quite musical, too. You love singing along to songs on the radio or making up your own tunes. You know all the classic lullabies and a lot of Christmas carols, too. You constantly surprise us with the melodies that you know. I am not sure if you will be in the band like Mommy or if you just have an amazing memory, but you have certainly caused us to be more careful about what we listen to in the car! I love hearing your voice from the backseat singing along to "God Only Knows" and "Rescue Story." You often like to get into your car seat by yourself with no assistance from Mommy and Daddy. Pretty soon you will have the buckles figured out too, but for now, we still take care of that part. On car rides, you usually have a posse of stuffed animals and your driving wheel. Some of your favorite stuffed animals right now are Minnie Mouse, Purple Baby, Red Teddy Bear, and Bobbie. You also love wearing your Minnie Mouse blanket like a cape and organizing your flash cards into neat rows. For your birthday, Grammy and Grandpa got you a new kitchen set, and I know it will bring hours of fun. You love playing make-believe, and I love listening to you chatter to yourself and to your babies. You often mimic your teachers and Mommy and Daddy, telling your stuffed animals to "not do that" or "you've been good, you get a lollipop." I can envision you playing school, just like my sister and I did. Hopefully your younger sibling will be a willing student, because I know you will want to play the teacher.
We moved up to 3T clothing a couple of weeks ago. You are tall and lean. I love when you run around the house in just your underwear, like a wild child all skinny limbs and bursting of energy. You have a pretty good appetite at most meals. Your special treats right now are Teddy Grahams, cereal bars, and Dum Dums. You are wearing between a size 8 and size 9 shoe, and boy are you rough on shoes! You must play hard at school because it is impossible to keep your shoes clean and in good condition. You know how to put your shoes on by yourself and you know the difference between your right and left foot. You are even starting to know directions in the car when we make different turns in our neighborhood. You are such a little sponge! You are favoring your left hand when you color and when you eat. It seems like you will be a lefty, which Daddy says is good for sports. We haven't tried any organized activities yet, but you have a mean throw when you concentrate hard enough. We may start some sort of sport this year; I can't wait to see what you are interested in.
I hope that we can always continue our nightly tradition of reading together before bed. It is one of my favorite things! Since I am such an avid reader, I hope that you will be one, too. It is something I get from my Mommy; hopefully we will be three generations of book worms. Right now you love anything Fancy Nancy. You are so helpful scanning and checking out the books from the library. You have several books at home that you like to read too, like The Greatest Little Word Book Ever, The Pokey Little Puppy, and "The Daddy" book.
It is impossible to capture all the memories of this past year. We had a wonderful summer vacation to California; you were such a good traveler on the airplane. We've had many field trips to the Science Center, the zoo, the library, and the YMCA. After a fun-filled summer, you adjusted back to school with no problems at all. Your social personality and energetic temperament are well-suited for being in daycare. I hope you will always make friends easily and be kind to others. You are a creature of habit like your Mommy, but you love going on adventures. You get your playfulness from your Daddy and love to roughhouse and giggle. We are so proud of the little girl that you are becoming.
We love you!
Mommy & Daddy
On Sunday, Emmy's actual birthday, we went out to lunch at the Loop after church. There were a few mood swings when it came time to blow out the candles - welcome to the year of the Threenager!
This week, Emmy had Picture Day at school. We all agree that Pose 3 is the best one; it's so Emmy with her hands on her hips. Also this week, with the help of Grandpa and Grammy, we installed the infant car seats in both vehicles. I think the nesting to-do list is mostly complete! With the Veteran's Day holiday, we had an extra day off so today we took a field trip to the Science Center, followed by lunch and a pumpkin pie concrete from Freddy's. It was fun to have one more adventure as a family of 3. As we wait for Baby Kennedy's arrival any day now, I am cherishing these moments with just Boomer and Emmy. I am thankful for the three-day weekend and the extra time it gave us together!
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