3 Years Old

Dear Sarah,

As you turn 3, I find myself hugging you tighter as I watch your baby-ness slip away.  I notice the roundness of your belly diminishing as you start to stretch out. I see how your hair hangs down to your shoulders now (when it is wet) instead of a curly halo around your head. I hear the cadence of your voice changing as you lose the lisp of a young toddler. I'm excited to see you grow, exert your independence, and witness all the incredible changes, but I'm also sad to say goodbye to my baby being a baby.

You still cling to me like a vine to a tree. If a stranger speaks to you, then you grab my arm or hide behind my leg. Your shyness wears off quickly, but Mommy is still the safety zone. Hugs are full contact sports in our house, as both you and Max fling your full weight upon the victim. Your arms form a vise around our necks, your legs wrap around our bodies,  and you grimace as you strain to hug with all your power. Kisses are not acceptable ("No kisses!") unless you initiate them, but you do consent to being nuzzled and love to rub noses. Perhaps you are part Eskimo.

One of my favorite sounds is the rhythmic patter you make while galloping throughout the house. It is a distinct sound that is uniquely Sarah.  Galloping, dancing, and twirling are your favorite forms of movement. Dresses and clothes are judged by their twirly-ness. Many of your facial expressions (the sideways glance and shrug) and sayings ("Awww, man!") are replicas of Max's, but some are very individual like "Bru-dah" for Brother and "Yeaaaah, but….". You are super smart with an incredible memory. If Max pauses while reading his school books, you immediately interject with the correct word or complete the sentence, even if you have only heard the story one time.  Clearly you will have great navigational skills because you can already identify South Carolina, Florida, New York, and Turkey on a world map. You never forget ANYTHING we tell you and woe to the person who tries to fool you!

Sarah, your loving nature is apparent in many ways. You adore "ami-nals" of all types. Instead of calling them by their names, you typically refer to them by their sound. So dogs are "woof-woofs" and birds are "tweet-tweets" and horses are "neigh-neigh". Dogs delight you and you beg to go visit them. Visiting is the only way you will ever enjoy a dog, so don't get your hopes up, kid. It is amazing that you can sleep at night because your bed is so crowded with animal friends. We gave up on trying to limit the number of stuffed animals long ago.

It continues to surprise me by how easily you make friends with other children and convince them to bow to your will. During Max's baseball practices, you gather the other siblings (many of whom are older than you) and have them all playing a game that you suggest or running to the area that you have designated. I've started calling it "leadership skills" instead of bossiness in hopes that you will one day use your power for good!

I cherish our time reading books, doing puzzles, playing up high pretending to be a vet, a teacher, grocery shopper, train engineer, and every other profession your imagination can produce. I love that you wake up with my name on your lips and insist on snuggles with me before you go to bed. I respect your strong will, although I'm sure it will lead to many showdowns in the future. I'm so proud to be your Mama. I hope you will always light up when I come into the room, just like I light up for you.

Love, Mommy