Two, Three, Five More Minutes

The 4 B’s bedtime ritual of Bath, Bottle, Book, and Bed worked like a charm from the beginning.  Even after the bottle was no longer needed, we continued the same ritual every single night without ever skipping and our daughter went right to bed.  That is, until she figured out that we’re really not in bed when she is.  She began coming out of her room just to see what we were doing and then we’d tuck her back in bed.  Then, she started her own ritual.  First time up, she had a booger on her finger.  Second time, she wanted a drink of water.  Third time, she had to go potty.  Fourth time, she wanted to snuggle.  The stall tactics were all in place and she managed to extend her bedtime routine by an additional 30 minutes.

While we no longer get called in for booger duty, we still get called for snuggles.  What parent can deny snuggle time?  “Mommy, will you snuggle with me?” she asks.  Once Mommy has finished snuggle time, she now says, “I want my Daddy.”  Daddy goes in for his snuggle time and then she goes to sleep.  Last night, I was finished snuggling and she said, “No Mommy, just two more minutes, okay, three more minutes.”  I replied, “Just three more?”  She answered, “Just five more minutes.”  I just smiled.

Turning "3" - The Big Day

Happy Birthday, Alyssa! My baby girl turned "3" today. We had a busy weekend getting ready for the big party. The theme was Dora the Explorer and we had quite the fiesta!!! Family and friends joined us for the celebration. We had lots of Mexican food and a chocolate Dora cake. It was so nice to see everyone. Alyssa had a great time!

In fact, we were so busy having a great time that we forgot her special gift from Mommy and Daddy... a Dora scooter like her friend Eden's. Unbelievable! After everyone had gone, Daddy came out and said, "Guess what?" Well, even though we forgot, she absolutely loved it!!! I think our memories are failing us as we get older.

I took the day off work today to spend with Alyssa for her birthday. We had a nice breakfast together and went to the mall to play on the playground and go shopping with her birthday money. She got some new clothes and toys. I still can't believe that she's "3." I think it's going to take some time to soak in.

I started a tradition when Alyssa was born to give her a rose on her birthday for every year old that she is. I hope to continue this throughout my life. Each rose is a reminder of all the years of memories that we've shared together and how much I love her.

Three Years

Three years...  Sam and I were married three years before we decided to have a baby.  It took almost three years to get pregnant.  Now, our little girl is turning "3" next week.  As I reflect on the past three years, I get emotional.  Our little baby isn't a baby anymore.  I remember when we first brought her home from the hospital.  She was in her car seat carrier.  We sat her inside while we unloaded the car.  She was lying there asleep.  We looked at each other and said, "Now what?"  Our lives would never be the same again.

Looking back, I enjoyed every "first" (first smile, first crawl, first tooth, first word, first step), but always found myself looking forward to the next one.  I think as a new mom I was so excited to see what was next that I did not realize how quickly those moments were gone.   I now sit wondering where the past three years have gone.  Yet, I'm also looking forward to getting the 3's behind us.  I guess that's the irony of it all.

There will always be more "firsts" to look forward to and there will always be photos to capture the memories.   My precious little baby has grown into such a darling little girl.  It's been an amazing three years.

Cuz Why?

My daughter is turning "3" on August 11th.  If the past month is a glimpse of what is to come, I will need lots of patience to survive the 3's.  We have entered into the "What's that?" and "Cuz why?" phase of parenting where everything requires an explanation.  A wise friend told me to play along for a few questions and then return the questions, "What do you think it is?" or "Why do you think?"  So far, it's working!  She answers the question and the game is over...until the next question.

Last week, I heard a little voice say, "Mommy, look at me!"  As I turned my head, I saw my darling daughter standing in the center of the glass coffee table.  When she noticed I was looking, she started jumping up and down.  I would not like to see a video replay of what I looked like running, shouting, and swooping her off the table.  The visions of glass breaking took over and it she was quickly removed from her platform.

I thought it would be fun spending the next year blogging about little things like these that give insight into what it's like to be a three-year-old and to see if I can survive "3" without losing my sanity.