Tuesday, May 6, 2008

THREE

My baby girl turned 3 yesterday in perhaps the most gratifying birthday celebration ever. She was aware that it was her birthday from the moment she woke up and soaked up every ounce of attention. She smiled as she ate her pancake breakfast and asked several times if it was, in fact, her birthday, "It my dirday?" Sometimes it seemed like less of a question and more of an affirmation. She Birthdaycakedecorated_57300443
and her brother went with me to the store to pick out her balloons and she sang about three choruses of, "Happy Birthday to Me"while I paid for the balloons and cake. About an hour before her party guests arrived she insisted on changing into her princess dress, tiara and all. She leaped and twirled in her dress when the doorbell rang and greeted Grandma and Pop-pop and the Byrne family with her affirmation, "It my dirday!" She savored every bite of cake, every slice of hot dog (her birthday request) and every note of her birthday song. She was so anxious to blow the candles out that we had to have a redo for the purpose of preserving the staged moment forever in pixel format. It felt like a scene from The Hills.



For all of those new parents or expectant parents out there, be warned. You will hear the phrases, "Time flies" and "It all goes so fast" and "Before you know it, they'll be driving" countless times in the coming years. They may feel like the cliché sound bites of jaded parents but there is real truth and wisdom in these statements. My daughter can't be three. She was a baby fighting for her place in this world in the NICU just a couple weeks ago. It seems like just yesterday that she was causing me extreme anxiety with her refusal to walk until she was good and ready (almost 17 months). She's off to preschool in a mere three months. She started solo swimming lessons today (no Mommy and Me needed). She can dress herself, use the potty, has preferences about what she wears, watches, eats. She's three. THREE. I feel like I've only known her a short while but I can't imagine my life without her.  Happy Birthday Tater Pie!



6 comments:

  1. 3 and 4 year-old birthdays are the best. Everything makes them happy, you don't need to spend more than 10 bucks on presents, and the pictures always come out great.

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  2. Yep, welcome to the 'where the heck did the time go?' club. It's so sad. My advice? Take lots of pictures.
    Oh, and everyone tells you how bad it is when they get older and become teens? Well, they drive me crazy at times, but so far it's okay. Fingers crossed.

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  3. Ok, I don't know if I'm just over sensitive tonight, but that brought tears to my eyes. Tater-Pie is so sweet! I love her! I still can't believe she is 3!! She was like 7 months old not too long ago!! Time really does fly by!

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  4. Welcome, dear child to the real world of parenting, by the way, day after tomorrow, you should receive your invitation to join A.A.R.P. then, the senior discounts start, keep your eyes open, for, these ARE your 'Good Old Days'. Yes, we're old, been there, done that, wore out the 'T' shirt, and treasure all the memories more than can be expressed in a blogsters' reply. Sure do wish Grandma Mary and I could have been there for the party, maybe next year, kiss the babies for us, and throw in a couple of hugs for mom and dad too!!!!

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  5. Happy Birthday to Tater! I know she and Truman both will have changed so much by the next time we see them...

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  6. awwww, sweet.
    And one morning you wake up and they're in the neighborhood of thirty and you wonder why they're still living in your house. *grins*

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