Oh, this sweet child of ours. She is funny. She is sweet. She is quirky. She is 100% herself all the time (a trait I wish I could bottle and save for her teenage years). And, as of February 23rd, she is THREE.
We have a three year old.
At her check up, she weighed in at 33 pounds and measured 3' 2.25" (75th percentile in both height and weight).
On her third birthday, I took an idea from a friend and conducted an interview with my older, wiser, daughter. So, finally, two months later, here it is; and, if possible, it makes me love her even more.
What is your favorite color? Pink
What is your favorite toy? Princesses and dresses
What is your favorite food? Pizza
What is your favorite tv show? Daniel Tiger
What is your favorite movie? Spiderman and Tinkerbell
What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? Play with princesses
What is your favorite animal? Polar bears
What is your favorite book?
Goodnight, Goodnight, "Truction" Site (Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site)
What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? Play doctor check up and firefighters
Who is your best friend? Ben and Abby
What is your favorite thing to play outside? Swings and slides
What is your favorite thing to drink? Cold water
What is your favorite thing to sleep with? Spiderbunny and my blanket
What is your favorite thing to wear? My "Punzel" dress (Rapunzel)
Where is your favorite place to go? the "wake" (lake)
What is your favorite song? Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
What is your favorite game to play? Puzzles
What is your favorite restaurant? Macaroni and cheese (so...I guess anywhere that serves that)
There is nothing more fun than watching your child run around and play with bubbles with a room full of her toddler friends. We had Catherine's 2nd birthday party last weekend at The McWane Science Center. It is one of her favorite places to go, so it was an easy decision when it came to party planning this year. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
Daddy driving C to her party
Watching the Vulcan ball machine while we wait
We were early (my fault) and had to wait for fifteen minutes before we could go back to the party room. Fifteen minutes is an eternity to a two year old, so she had a mini meltdown right before her party started. Poor thing. Waiting is hard.
But, as soon as she got a milk and was wheeled back to her room, she was a happy girl.
Bubbles AND goldfish?!
The room we got was perfect. The main activity set up was a big bubble table with tons of wands, but the room was also full of other activities for little ones. C got right to work!
Grocery shopping.
Bubble table with cousin Abigail
It was so much fun to see all of her friends playing. The funny thing about this age is that while they are often playing together, they are rarely playing together. Regardless, I think they all enjoyed themselves!
Drayton making bubbles
C working hard at the bubble table
C and Ben at the bubble table
Blowing bubbles with our sweet party helper
Abby and Catherine
Ben at the bubble table
When it was time for cake and singing, Catherine was a little shy, until she heard her name. Then she got excited. She worked so hard to blow out those two candles (then Mommy helped a little)!
Yummmmm. Cake and Ice cream!
Enjoying cake with London, Sara, Abigail, and Connor
Sharing with Aunt Heather
Daddy's girl.
London and Sara
Calton and Ben enjoying a snack
It was so much fun to be surrounded by family and friends. I didn't get nearly enough photos of Catherine with everyone (including one with Mommy and Daddy), but I am so grateful for a room full of people we love and I know she had a blast.
CiCi, Aunt Mallory, and Mommy with the birthday girl
Catherine and all of her honorary "aunts"
After the official party was over, everyone was free to roam and play in the McWane Center. Catherine pretty much parked it at the water table - her favorite spot. It was such a fun party!
GiGi and Poppy
Water table concentration
Playing with CiCi
Showing Cousin Major and Uncle Mitchell how it's done.
Sand table with Aunt Jenn
Being silly with Poppa
High five, Mim!
Headed home for more fun!
Sleepy birthday girl on the way home (her only nap of the day)!
Tonight, as I read Love You Forever to C while rocking her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, until her eyes grew heavy, I had a flash back to over two years ago. As my belly grew and due date neared, I would often spend the evening reading that very same book to her. I would sit in the glider in her nursery, admiring the chandelier Husband and I had just installed, and rock back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, while reading to her, wondering what it would be like to hold her in my arms.
Fast forward over two years and I am holding a tired toddler in my arms. Her eyes flutter as she fights the inevitable, a night of heavy sleep following a day of running and jumping and giggling with a friend. Two years have passed since her birth and I am still in awe every single day of her existence.
I still smile as I watch her sleep. I still tip toe into her room late at night and hold my hand just above her nose to make sure she is breathing. After two years, I still pinch myself every day to make sure I'm not dreaming. Our baby is here with us and she is amazing.
At two years old, she is doing and saying so many things. We have a tiny person walking around with us in the morning, chatting while we get ready. There are opinions about shoes and clothes and acceptable breakfast options. She tells us when she wants us with her by grabbing our hand and saying, "come"; and calls herself "super Catherine" while jumping up and down on our bed. She sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night just to talk to us.
Her vocabulary really has blossomed into that of a conversationalist. Most of the time, we can actually understand what she's saying and carry on a conversation with her. She says too much to list it all, but these are some of my favorite Catherine-isms right now:
"All done" and "all clean." She uses these appropriately (at dinner or bath time) but also when she just doesn't want to do something (as soon as she gets in the bath).
"I scared" or "scary monster" - We're not sure she's afraid of monsters because she loves the movie Monsters, Inc. But, she says this a lot whenever something is an odd shape.
She turns this ballerina over and calls it a "scary monster"
"Oh no! Gwankie!" (Translation: blankie) Whenever she realizes she doesn't have her blankie with her - usually when she's tired.
"This is..." - She uses this to ask for something she wants while pointing to it (milk, Elmo, slide). It is usually followed by a "peease" (please).
"Yay! I dancing!"
"Biiiiiiiinks (Banks)! Puppy come!"
She counts to 13, knows all of her colors, and sings all day long. She strings together Twinkle Twinkle, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Row Row Row Your Boat, and Wheels on the Bus into a never-ending sing-a-long. She loves animals - every single one of them. She grooms her stuffed animals before bed. Banks is still her best friend. She won't go to bed unless he is in the room.
Even though she has a pile of books, she chooses the same ones to read every night before bed - The Cow Loves Cookies and Smooch Your Pooch. Lately, Pete the Cat has made it into the mix a few times, but only as an addition, never a replacement. We sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star together before bed. Sometimes she lets me sing with her. Sometimes she tells me, "shhhh, stop it. Night night."
Her favorite shows are still Sesame Street ("Elmo") and Winnie the Pooh ("Watch Pooh"). Her favorite movies are Finding Nemo ("Memo"), Happy Feet, Monsters Inc ("Scary Monsters"), and Cars. If she wants to watch something and thinks you don't hear her, (ie: we don't turn it on) she starts naming all the characters for clarification. She will point to my iPad and say, "this is Pooh" because we use it in the car.
She plays contently with stuffed animals, dolls, and babies, rocking them, wrapping them in blankets, and telling them goodnight. She kisses and hugs them. She also throws them on the floor. I'm not quite sure what to think about that! Sometimes she calls one stuffed animal "Mommy" and one "Daddy" and makes them kiss. She loves princesses and calls any female on tv or in a movie a princess.
She loves making music and dancing. She loves the loudest instruments most, favoring the drums and the cymbals. Coincidentally, we have recently learned that Banks is terrified of cymbals.
She likes to cook in her play kitchen. This mostly involves "mixing" and "stirring" until everything ends up on the floor. She recently discovered play-doh and makes a lot of "pasta" (aka monsters or worms). She likes to color, but loves to paint; and bath crayons just made bath time way more fun.
She would play outside all day if we let her, rain or shine. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, swings, slides, and just running around, throwing sticks to Banks. Luckily, she has her new swing set to entertain her! Sliding is her favorite.
She is the sweetest, funniest, smartest little girl and I simply can't believe it's been two years since she entered our world and we were forever changed.
I only hope she knows how much she is loved and that we are thankful for her every moment of every day.
Happy birthday, Angel. You make me happy every day.
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