To My Three Year Old Princess

Dear Gabbie,

You are three years old!  I can’t believe it!  You are growing up so fast and I am so lucky I to be your mom and get to watch you grow up.  

You are such a sweetheart!  I love snuggling with you as you drink your apple juice and do your "trick" with your snugs.  I love laying down each night with you, reading and cuddling as you fall asleep.  The best part is when you ask me if I want a kiss on my check, to which I always answer YES, and then you give me the sweetest kiss.  When I ask you if you want one, you usually answer me with, "Maybe later!"  But quite often, as we snuggle, you will very quitely and sincerely whisper in my ear, "Mom, I just love you!"  Melts my heart every time.

And, oh, how I love you!  I tell you that a lot, but it is because I do!  Usually I get a sweet little reply of, "I love you too, Mom!"  However, the other day I told you as you were playing with your toys.  You replied, in a most aggravated voice, "Mom, I love you too!  But why do you always tell me that?!?!?"  I tell you because I do... love you.... so much!  

You continually amaze me with how much and how fast you learn.  You will see or hear something once and you've got it.  Songs, dances, patterns, games... anything.  You are incredibly observant.  When you watch a movie, you study their facial expressions, their actions, their tone of voice.  When you act out the movies, you have to get it right and ensure everyone else gets it right too!  For example, if we act out the first scene of Beauty and Beast, you have to hold the book just right.  As Gaston, I have to grab the book from you and throw it down just right.  We have to get the lines just right!  You definitely could be an actress or a director when you grow up!

As we drive in the car, you observe if we are on a bridge, what color car we are in, what color the cars around us are.  You observe so many things that most people just never notice.  I hope that is a trait you keep as you grow up!  I hope you always notice and enjoy all the beauty and wonder that is around you   like you do now!

You also make connections that astound me.  Like when we stopped at McDonalds on our way to Utah.  You asked me where the animals where.  I was confused until you stated, "Mom, we are at Old McDonalds!  Where are the animals?!?"  Also, one morning on our way to Jodi's, you pointed out the moon to me.  I asked you if the cow was jumping over the moon.  You looked closely and then replied, "Nope!  He must be at Old McDonalds farm!"  Oh, what a girl!

You are very dramatic.  Your daddy says you get that from me, but who knows!  Sometimes your drama is a little much, like when someone forgets to give you "warmer" apple juice and you totally  breakdown.  But your drama is also quite endearing.  Simple things will put a huge smile on your face and make your entire day, like when I told you I bought more pineapple.  You would have thought you had won the lottery with the way your face lit up and you told me, "Oh, thank you mom!  Thank you for buying me more pineapple at the store!  You're the best!'

You are so excited to be a big sister.  You talk to Liam in my belly all the time.  You tell him that you are his big sister and that you love him.  I can't wait to see you with him and see what a great big sister you will be!  Liam is going to be very lucky to have such a great big sister!

You do not like it at all when I am upset with you.  If I get frustrated or upset, you will ask me, "Mom, are you mad?  Don't be mad!  Just be happy!  Please, mom, please be happy!"

Oh, Gabbie... you do make me happy!  So very happy!  You have added so much to my life.  You have me and your daddy wrapped around your little finger.  You make me laugh.  Your laugh warms my heart and is one of the greatest sounds on earth.  You amaze me.  You make me see things that I didn't see before.  And more than anything, you make me smile... everyday!

I truly am so very lucky to be your mom.  It is such a huge responsibility, but one of the greatest blessings in my life.  I hope I do okay!  You have so much potential and I want to help you realize that potential and achieve all that you want to achieve.  I want you to dream big!  And I want you to always know that you are loved, so very very loved by me, your dad 

and so many other people who love you too!

Happy Birthday Gabbie Grace!

I love you!

Mom

Gabbie at 3 - 

She loves princesses, anything princess

She loves make-up

She can count to 15

She knows her ABC's and how to spell her name

She loves dance and tumbling

Her favorite color is pink - if you tell her your favorite color, she will never forget it

She loved our trip to DisneyWorld in September and always talks about "When we go to DinseyWorld again..."

She is a total Daddy's girl - still

She loves apple juice and would drink or eat nothing else if we let her - we don't let her

She loves loves loves her Snugs - still - and not just her snugs, but the special corner of her snugs.  Yes, she is that picky!

Uses words like frustrated, respect and antagonize.  However, at her 3 year dr's appointment, would only say "Baby---ehhhh"

Loves to have picnics and tea-parties.  She gets them all set up in her kitchen downstairs

Loves to hunt for monsters in the basement, but won't do it alone.  Has to have mom or dad go with her.  She loves to get scared

Loves to be different characters.  She will take on a part and assign you a part, and you better stay in character or she will get quite upset with you!

Has quite the imagination and loves to pretend

Likes to ride her bike down in the basement

She loves to read books

Loves snuggling with mom and dad in bed on the weekends

Likes to make messes, but not so fond of cleaning them up

Likes to help dad fix things with tools

Likes to exercise and lift weights with daddy

Likes to help make dinner

Loves to play with kids - any kids

Could not be sweeter if she tried!!!

Our Princess is 3!

Gabbie turned 3 years old on January 21, 2012.  She was quite opinionated this year about her birthday party - surprise, surprise - she is quite opinionated about most things now!

She wanted a princess party with ALL the princess, not just Ariel like she had when she turned 2! 

She also had very specific friends she wanted to invite.  So with her help, we planned a spectacular princess party for our princess!

 Gabbie's cousins, Jake and Paige, were able to come down from Boise to help celebrate Gabbie's birthday!  She just loves these guys!

Paige is so good to always play with Gabbie!  Jake is so good at teasing Gabbie, to which she tells him, "Stop antagonizing me!"

For her birthday party, the kids played princess dress ups and then we decorated princess cookies with all things sparkly!

Stella played the official role of Birthday Dog - thanks to Kiley and Jake!

After cookies, we had pizza!

And then we opened presents!

And ended with singing Happy Birthday and having cake!  

Gabbie was so tired from staying up late the night before with her cousins, Nana and Papa Charles.  She almost fell asleep with the kids where singing to her.

Gabbie got a special Snow White doll from Nana and Papa Charles.

 Gabbie with her Nana and Papa Charles!

Overall, Gabbie had a great birthday.  I can't believe my girl is 3!

The Big Sister and her Little Brother!

Since we first found out I was pregnant, one thing I was very excited about was to see Gabbie as a big sister.  She was so excited about having a baby from the time we told her she was going to have a little brother.  Although she initially insisted it was not a boy, but a little sister, she finally accepted that it was a little brother.

We would watch videos and look at pictures of when she was a baby.  I showed her some of right after she was born and she immediately responded, "Ewwwww, I was so icky!  Will Liam be icky?"  When I told her that yes, he would, she made it more than clear she didn't want to see him until he was cleaned up.

We also would talk about how Mommy would go to the hospital and that is where Liam would be born.  Every time we passed the hospital, she would remind me that is where she was born and that is where Liam would be born and she would get to go with Grandma to see him.

So, the day Liam was born, my mom told Gabbie that he was finally here and they could go see him!  She was SOOOOOOO excited!  My mom said she jumped up and down and couldn't wait to meet her little brother.

From the moment she saw him, she loved was in love!

Here are her first moments with her new little brother.

She keeps a close eye on him.

She also brought him his first snugs! 

She just loves this guy!!!

She loves to help with everything... baths, feedings, diaper changes, and anything else.  She hears him cry and immediately tells me what I need to do to make him better!  Even if we are in the middle of something, she wants to me to stop and take care of Liam.

When I was changing his diaper shortly after we brought him home, she was right there to keep an eye on him.  When he started to cry, she ran out to the living room and got a toy.  She brought it in and showed it to him, talking to him in her sweet little voice.  When he kept crying, she exclaimed, "That didn't work!", and ran to get another toy.  She did this about 4 times, to no avail.  

She is such a sweet little girl and has really adapted well to being a big sister. 

Some cute photos of the two of them...

I just love watching Gabbie with Liam.  She is such a vibrant little girl with so much personality and love.  She loves to share that love with her little brother, talks to him so sweetly, and just adores that little guy.

She is even willing to share her most prized possessions with him.  One day I was in the kitchen and Liam was in his bouncy seat.  When I came back into the living room, I found him surrounded with Gabbie's Snug and her Dora doll, all warm in her blanket.  If you know anything about Gabbie, you know her Snugs is the most important comfort item she owns.  Just a demonstration of how much she loves this little guy!

Liam has already been given certain roles to play, such as Prince Eric, Flounder, Sebastian, and others. I am sure that he has his work cut out for him in standing his ground with this sister.  However, I also think he is one lucky little guy to have such a great sister who loves him so very much!

Even more, I am one lucky mom!