How is it possible this girl was born three years ago today?! I've been looking back through pictures and it's really hard to believe its already been three years. I wish we had a pause button.
Who's excited for her birthday party? This girl!!
We celebrated L's birthday last Saturday and hosted 18 of her little friends (and their parents) at our neighborhood pavilion. It was so fun listening to her excitement build up all week for her big day!
Elsa, Ana and Olaf made various appearances per the birthday girl's request.
And the bubble wand party favors were a hit!
Happy Birthday, Bug!
Presents! Elsa dress from Gigi/PopPop and princess castle from Grammy/Papa Jim ~
ONE HAPPY GIRL!!
Then for our three-year well-visit:
Weight: 34.5 lbs (70th percentile)
Height: 38.5 inches (75th percentile)
An all around good, healthy report from Dr. Herring!
And now, a note to our not-so-little-anymore girl:
Dear Leighton,
We've loved every second of watching you grow during your third year. This is by far our favorite age yet.
This past year has been a language explosion for you. You talk ALL.THE.TIME. You say the funniest things and you've picked up lots of words that make us laugh, like "frustrated" ("Mommy, are you frustrated with me?") and "adorable" (Oh, that dress looks adorable!"), just to name a few. You love to read books and you love to call and chat with people on the phone.
You are a serious rule follower, a good listener and a people pleaser. Your teacher told us the other day that you were the best behaved child in your class and if she had a class full of Leightons, she would have a dream class. We hope that continues throughout your school career.
You have a huge heart and you are extremely perceptive. You always notice when one of us is sad, mad, or frustrated, and offer hugs and kisses to make things better. It truly fixes any bad mood.
You are slightly OCD, just like your mama, and some of your favorite activities are cleaning and organizing.
You didn't really ever hit a "terrible-twos" stage, but you have quite the strong will. You definitely have your moments, but for the most part you've learned to work things out on your own. And Mom and Dad have learned how to minimize those moments by avoiding the "over-hungry Leighton" or the "over-tired Leighton."
You are very shy, in both new and familiar environments, but you completely open up after you soak in your surroundings and feel comfortable. You are so friendly and generous and we enjoy watching you interact with your friends.
You can play for hours by yourself now, creating all sorts of imaginary worlds and stories. It's so fun to listen to you when you don't know we're there.
You are so honest. Sometimes too honest. You almost always come tell us when you've done something wrong or call yourself out when you know you are the culprit. One of the many, many good qualities we love about you.
You became a big sister this year and we are so proud of your genuine love and tender care for your little brother. When he cries, you immediately stop what you're doing to tend to his needs. You love to help dress him, feed him, talk to him, sing to him, bathe him, play with him, and hug/squeeze him every chance you get.
You've slowly changed you from a toddler to a big girl over the course of the past year. You started wearing big girl underwear. You can carry on conversations like an adult. You can express your feelings in words (most times, ha). You love to go to school and practice your letters. You love to help with everything from cooking, to cleaning, to yard work. You are three going on ten, which is often slightly scary, but we love watching you grow and learn.
You are the joy of our hearts, beautiful girl. You are a blessing in our in lives and we cannot imagine our world without you.
Love, Mommy and Daddy
