Happy {third} Birthday Dear Maddie!

At some point I blinked, and Josh and I now have a three year old.  I still can't quite wrap my brain around that idea.  I spent the night before she turned three in tears looking through photos of her from these past three years.  We've been obsessed with her from the beginning, and for good reason.  Ever since I could remember, all I really wanted to be when I grew up was a mom.  And now that it's here  (the mom part - not the grown up part), all I can say is that it is better - and probably harder - than I ever imagined.  We love this girl more than we ever thought possible.

We had one big party celebrating Maddie with my whole family and Josh's whole family.  Maddie was thrilled for her big day and had been anticipating it for weeks.  She had a "Frozen" cake that she was so proud of and lots of treats.  We also broke a piñata at her request - she kept telling me before that she was going to "bat it with a stick" but when it came down to it she was a little timid, so her cousin Sebi broke it open.  It was a perfect day for her.

At three years old, Maddie is a talker - she talks all day long and never stops surprising me with her understanding and increasing vocabulary.  The other day she came and asked what I was doing and I told her I was mopping the kitchen floor.  She said "Oh thank you Mommy! You are the best Mommy in the whole world!"  The next night, after helping clean her room, she told me "Thanks mom! You are really impressive!"  (I'm taking the hint that I should clean a little more).

She loves her dad and asks me, without fail, every morning where dad is.  I think she (like me) lives for Saturdays and Sundays when we have Josh home with us all day.  She loves when he gets home and screams and runs to the door to see him.  

She is getting better about playing with Becks - she has always loved him and been VERY protective of him, but is starting to want him to play with her more.  She loves to make him laugh and always tells me what he needs and makes sure that I am taking care of him. 

She loves reading and learning.  She knows all her ABCs by sight and is a good counter.  She loves to sit and read stacks of books with me.  She lives for her weekly dance class and sunbeams and loves to sing and dance around the house.  I'm not sure if there is anything about her that is shy and I'm pretty sure she would try to take charge in a room full of adults if she felt like she needed to.

I still can't believe she's already three!