Three

My baby turned THREE on February 15th.  I think it’s the hardest transition for me because “2” still feels like a baby, but “3” means I have a little girl now.

And my little girl is already in her new “big girl” bed.  Annabel wanted a princess bed so I had a blast picking out the shabby chic comforter and a flower canopy, a special splurge from PBKids.

Nothing is too good for my princess.

Annabel is the definition of a princess and that pretty much defines the year for me.  She knows what she loves and she loves everything girly: Ponies, princesses, Hello Kitty (still), dolls, and lots of pink.  We call her our little “princess diva” because along with the sweet demeanor and smile comes her stubbornness and drama.  She will hide her face when someone wants to say hello but five minutes later she will offer a hug.  She will push her brother away when he wants to join in the fun but then they will sit side by side and color a picture together. She knows her letters and she loves to say her ABCs.  She also loves to sing along with songs on the radio and she has developed her Mama’s love for 80s music.  (Thanks Kidz Bop!)  She loves to dance and will spin around in circles until she is dizzy.  She will also grab my hands unexpectedly so we can dance together in the kitchen after breakfast or lunch.

She is growing like a weed and I finally found a gym program that she likes. We get to have our “Mommy and Me” time once a week so she can work on her strength and flexibility.  She still loves to be lazy and she asks to be carried up the stairs or into bed. But she can cuddle, hug, and kiss with the best of them.  She loves to be loved.

Her head of curls will now reach to her bottom when wet, but I don’t want to dare cut an inch.  I fear the curls may disappear and they are such a part of her personality.

She is a little social butterfly now although she still loves to play alone like her big brother.  She is working on sharing with others and I am so proud of her independence.  She is my neighborhood Mommy Playgroup buddy and I am still surprised when I don’t have to worry about her for an entire hour with the other little girls. She also is the only girl when she plays with her big brother’s friends but she will hold her own.  She is a princess but she will not let the boys push her around.

She had two amazing birthday celebrations this year.  On her actual birthday, Grandma and Grandpa drove down from Maryland to spend the special day with their granddaughter.  Annabel was thrilled.  She loved the special attention and all the extra reading and playtime.  Grandma and Grandpa also took Annabel to the mall for a special Hello Kitty surprise and a train ride.

Daddy made a special birthday dinner and I made Annabel a pink heart cake because that is the cake my Mom made me for my February birthday every year.  I’ve decided this is our new birthday tradition.  She had a wonderful day with her Grandparents, her GG, her brother and her Mama and Daddy.

Then Annabel had another birthday celebration on Saturday with 12 friends at the My Gym.  The princess diva theme continued and she left her tiara on the entire time.  There were pink balloons, lots of bubbles, zip line rides, swings, puppets, a ball pit and I’m exhausted just thinking about it all.  It really was such a blast.

Happy Birthday, my sweet baby girl.  Now stop growing up so fast, okay?