3!

Dear Brenna,

You're three.  We've been talking about your upcoming birthday for awhile now and it's finally here.  You're becoming such a big girl and I love being your mommy!

You are a bundle of fun, excitement, attitude, disobedience, and overwhelming joy in our lives.  When you're good, you're so good.  And when you're naughty, you're so naughty!  You are learning to show affection with words and actions.  You can say the sweetest things sometimes and it just melts my heart.  Your recent prayer at bedtime is "Dear Jesus, Thank you for Mommy.  In Jesus Name, Amen."  I'll admit that I secretly love it!  You also know how to use words to hurt our feelings, such as "I don't love you".  You're almost out of that stage (for now), thank goodness!

You adore your brother, although you have a little jealousy issues that come up at times.  You will talk in baby talk, or be too rough with him.  But overall you love to spend time with him, and he absolutely adores you.  You can make him laugh like no one else can.  I hope and pray that you guys will have a strong relationship as you grow up together.

You are now potty-trained except when you're sleeping.  You did great with it when we did it in the fall and it was a huge relief.  We still haven't switched you out of your crib OR taken your pacis away at sleeping time, which I realize is going to be a huge, huge issue soon.  It just breaks my heart to take them away since they are your only real comfort object.  There's going to be some rough nights.  We've been working on your new room at our house and I know your toddler bed is going to make it cute as can be!  You've slept in a toddler bed at Neena's and in a full size bed and another toddler bed at Nanie's, so I'm hoping that has prepared you well.

You spent half a week at Neena/Pa Bill's and the other half at Nanie's while Daddy, Davin, and I went to DC for a work trip.  You were good for them, but had a hard transition back to "real life".  You have absolutely no idea how much you are loved by all of your extended family.  People drove from really far away to come to your party on Saturday and loved seeing you celebrate your birthday!

Some things that you love these days - candy, soccer, riding your new bike, music, iPad/iPhone time, Caillou (the show), Bible stories, Mr. Paul at Sunday School, macaroni and cheese, baby talk, playing on your swingset, your friend Claire, Skyping with Nanie, Neena, and Pa Bill, wearing crazy hats, painting, play-doh, snow boots, crawling around with Davin, sippy cups, puppets, your Lego table, playing hide-n-seek, anything dry-erase, walking instead of riding in carts at stores, ice cream (specifically Sweet Frog), your cousin Lauren, welcoming Daddy home, giving Maggie "shells" (rawhides), dancing, singing, and the color pink.

You're still small, but you make up for your size with your personality.  You wear mostly 3T clothes for length, but most are pretty big on you.  You wear size 4 diapers at night.  You wear somewhere around 30 pounds - you have your 3 year checkup in a few weeks.  You've fought off one ear infection this winter and have a cough/cold now.  You also had a stomach virus last week, but it only lasted about 24 hours total.  You will be having your first dentist appointment before long, too.

I love you so, so much Brenna.  You have made our lives infinitely more precious, though admittedly a lot more work.  You're going to do amazing things in your life and I'm so honored to have a front-row seat to watch!  I know this upcoming year will hold lots more changes for you as you continue growing up and becoming more independent.  I am really committing to being more intentional with our time together over the next few months before you start preschool in the fall a few days a week.  I know I will never get this time with you back, and it makes me tear up just to think about it!  I adore you, sweet little Sprout!

Love you forever and forever,
Mommy