My precious daughter... you are THREE years old. And you are beautiful. Smart. Strong-willed. Sassy. And you are my dream come true.
Ever since I can remember, I dreamed of the day I would have a real-live little girl to dress up. To fix her hair. To accessorize.
I got that little girl. And you are even more than I could have dreamed of or imagined.
My favorite part is that you just love everything about it. You are such a girly girl and you love when you can wear a "pretty outfit" and match it with a bow and necklace!
We recently started doing your hair with sponge rollers and it is so darling! You will sleep with them in at night and love to wake up with curls! You are finally at the age where you enjoy doing girly things with mommy, and I am loving it. You have had a pedicure, gone to your first musical (The Little Mermaid), and a princess tea party with real princesses!
You and your bubba are two peas in a pod. This is where your moody side comes out, because sometimes you love him and want to cuddle him, and other times you don't want him anywhere near you.
He has trouble figuring you out sometimes... I guess he's getting his first lesson in women! Ha!
This is a behind the scenes picture of our photo shoot. Ha!
You are so grumpy with him sometimes, which he thinks is so funny!
And the next minute you both could just not be more precious!
At your 3 year check up you weighed 30lb 6oz, and you are 37 1/4" tall. You had to have labs drawn and you didn't even cry! I was so proud of how brave you were! You are finally potty trained after we worked on it for most of the year. A couple of months ago you decided you were ready to wear your Sofia the First underwear. And you just went 2 weeks straight with no accidents so I knew it was time. You wear mostly 3T clothes but I am buying 4T and most of those fit you too. You wear a size 8 shoe.
This has been a summer of firsts for you! You were so excited to turn three so you can be signed up for classes and more activities now. You had your first real dentist check up and did awesome!
I signed you up for a gymnastics camp a couple of days after your birthday (because you had to be 3 to be in the class!) so you were one of the youngest ones and you had so much fun!
You also could not wait for swimming lessons. Since you had been going to watch Andrew all spring, you wanted to do it so badly that I signed you up for that too! And you are loving them!
I thought you might be shy at first but you just jump right in, and you tell your teacher you want to be "first!" for everything! It is fun for me to see your spunk when you are around others because a lot of times you act really shy. You are starting to open up more and more and show more of your personality in a crowd.
I took you for your first big girl hair cut. You have had a trim before, but this was the first time we cut off about 3 inches. You looked so grown up I almost cried.
But the two things you are looking forward to the most are preschool and dance class. I cannot believe it is time for preschool already. We weren't going to send you this year, mainly because we love your day care and you are so smart we didn't think you needed it. But Ashley is taking her daughter and a couple other girls at your day care, and she offered to provide transportation for you, too. I knew you wouldn't want to be left behind, so we signed you up! And you can't wait.
I remember when Andrew turned 3 and thinking that 3 is way worse than 2! I think the saying is true for you also. I think they should call it "terrible 3's!" Wow! You can be so sweet and precious one minute, and the next minute you are in a full on tantrum! You are pretty demanding and you definitely know what you want and you are not afraid to voice it... loudly! Ha!
You give the word independent a whole new meaning! You go as far as repeating several things that have already been done, just because you want to do them yourself. I have to start getting you ready long before we need to leave, because you insist on dressing yourself, putting on your own shoes, brushing your own teeth and hair, etc. If I do these things for you, you will actually take off your clothes and put them on again. If I lay you down in bed, you will get back up because you want to get in "all by yourself."
Yet, as independent as you are, you are still my little shadow. I am noticing it more at this age than I ever have. You literally follow me everywhere. You rarely let me out of your sight, and if you can't find me you just yell for me at the top of your lungs. Over and over again. I can't go to the bathroom alone, get dressed or take a shower alone without you being right there in the bathroom with me. You love to watch me put on make up, and you ask me all kinds of questions about everything I am doing. If I am putting a load of laundry in, or making my bed, you are right there helping me. If I have to run out to the mailbox, or put something in or out of the car in the garage, you follow me. I am not exaggerating. You do this all.day.long. You will play by yourself on occasion, but it almost always has to be in the same room I am in. I love you girl, but I haven't had alone time in a LONG time! Ha!
I think preschool will be so good for you. You will get to be without me for a while, and we will miss each other, but I think you will grow so much. I think this is just a big "growing up" time for you. You are transitioning out of the baby phase, into a little girl. And deep down I am happy you still want your mama.
Kerigan, I just know year three is going to be amazing. I love watching you grow and mature. I can't wait to watch you do the things you love this year. I can't wait to see you perform in your very first dance recital. Go to school for the first time. This is also going to be your "princess" year. It's the time I've dreamed of since the day you were born. It's time to take you to meet the princesses that you love, while you are still young enough to believe in the "magic!" And I can't wait to watch it unfold.
You are MY little princess, and you have blessed us more than you will ever know. And even though it's time for you to start growing up... you will always be my baby girl. I love you more than words. All the way to the moon... and back.
Love, Mama
