Audrey's Third Birthday

I realize this post is a few days late, but I need to get this down so that years from now she won't come to me complaining how on her third birthday I forgot to write my annual letter to her. Because she would TOTALLY do that.

I still can't believe you are three. I still remember your "birth" day pretty vividly. I am very grateful to this day how easy your birth was (most unlike your sister).

But since then? You have proven to us that you deserve some space of your own, that you will not settle to just be the little sister.

In the past year, you have conquered a few things. Potty training came easy and you are learning more and more everyday at school. The one thing that does confront us from time to time is your lack of recognizing some colors, and we have a sneaking suspicion you are color blind.

You use your words well, especially the "you are bad, sister" words and the "no, Mommy, GO AWAY" words. Spunk? You got it. At first glance, you seem so sweet an innocent. But I have caught you a few times, going up to your sister and pinching her or hitting her and then looking straight at me and telling me she hit you first.

Your first love is not me or your Dad, it's chocolate. Seriously, you would eat chocolate every single minute of everyday if we let you. You often pretend to be coming to us to tell us a secret, and you are really just going to ask for chocolate. You don't eat any fruit and shy away from most vegetables, but I can't complain. You still try things we put on your plate and if you don't eat, well, we sometimes give in and give you chocolate. But just sometimes.

Bedtimes have been hard this past year. We thought (very stupidly I must admit) that getting you a really! cool! new! bed would cure your bedtime woes. Instead, you refuse to actually go to sleep in your bed every night. You fall asleep on the floor of your room most nights (and the other nights at the top of the staircase against the gate). And every night I move you to your bed. And every morning you wake up, call out for me, and I come get you and you snuggle on my chest while I go lay back down in bed with you. This is our time together; sometimes you fall back asleep, sometimes you roll off of me and tell me you love me. If your sister wakes up, you ask me to carry you with me to get your sister. You are lucky you are so little still, you fit perfect.

I hope you stay this little forever.