Three years old

Taylor is now three years old, and it’s hard to believe that she has only been in our lives for a mere 36-months. Because we can’t imagine life without her.

And I’m cheating a bit and writing this a few days before in order to make sure it gets posted on her actual birthday, because with Baby due to arrive at any moment, I wanted to make sure I had time to record how wonderful she is while my motherly focus is solely directed on her. She is going to be a fabulous Big Sister, and I can’t wait to watch her interact and bond with her new little brother or sister.

And the other night, after she went to bed, Chris and I sat up and talked for the millionth time about how we think she’s going to handle sharing the spotlight. And as I expressed my fears of her feeling abandoned and neglected, he responded in saying, Brooke, One of the reasons we’re having another kid is FOR her. And he’s totally right. Both Chris and I love our siblings and couldn’t imagine life without them. And while I’m currently concerned about how she’s going to handle the addition of a extremely needy new person into our family, I have a feeling that she and her new partner-in-crime are about ten years away from planning a hostile takeover of our house. Yeah, she’s gonna be fine.

So Taylor is starting a new year just as we are all entering a new chapter in our lives. And if year-Three is anything close to as wonderful as year-Two, we are in for a fabulous time. I look back at all the fun, amazing adventures we had this year, and I am astounded by how much she has grown in just twelve months. Physically, she is getting taller, leaning out and has lost so much of that fantastic baby-chub that I spent the last three years squeezing and putting in my mouth.

Her hair is getting longer, and while my only option for styling it a year ago was to wrap her locks into pigtails, she now lets me braid and play with different dos while she stares at herself admiringly in the mirror. She is 100-percent girl, which is a total treat for me, yet a bit scary and mysterious for her sister-less father. She loves dressing up and looking like a Princess, so the other day, when I announced that we would be going to the Mall to buy her a new birthday outfit, her face lit up and she excitedly asked me, Mama, Can I try on my dress at the store?

So when the two of us got to the store, she immediately ran for a bright yellow sundress and then a plum-colored tiered cotton dress and then a white dress with a butterfly pattern on it. And after deciding that those three were the dresses she wanted to try on, we made our way to the biggest dressing room we could find and I helped her into her first selection. And after getting it on her, she looked at her adorable reflection in the mirror and twirled, put her hands on her hips and said, Oh, THIS is bee-U-tea-full! And after trying on the next two dresses to the same, diva-like performance, I called Chris at work and tried to describe the unbelievable sweetness he was missing. And I must have done a good job in my portrayal, because he sighed in delight and told me to buy her two dresses instead of one. Oh that Dad... He might not know much about little girls, but he’s catching on pretty fast.

Taylor’s personality has also grown so much this past year. She is definitely her own individual, and while she may look like me, her character is all her father. She is sweet, loving, stubborn and a constant negotiator. And this is helpful for me since I have been coexisting with Chris for nearly 12 years, and have become pretty good at deciphering his, and now Taylor’s, dispositions. But when you put two like-minded, willful people together, there are bound to be a few brutal tantrums and battles. But if he keeps buying her beautiful outfits and smothering her with unconditional love, I’m pretty sure we’ll all survive the years ahead.

So Happy Happy Birthday to our precious girl! I feel so honored and blessed to be her mother, and everyday she reminds me how it feels to truly cherish someone and put their entire existence ahead of my own. This past year with her has changed me into a more loving, patient person and a better parent. She has transformed me in so many wonderful ways in just three short years, and I am forever grateful to her.