Love At First Sight (A Reprise)

Dear Sarah,
Today we celebrate 3 years of you.  Your enthusiasm and belly laugh are contagious.  Your opinions are strong and well articulated.  We never have to wonder what you might be thinking.  Your emotions are very feminine.  You are teaching us what it is like to be parents of three.  We thought we knew how to be parents before you came along, but you quickly taught us that we didn't know as much as we thought we did.  We are grateful learners.
You love to learn, to draw, your siblings, good food (defined by you, of course), all things princess and all things fancy.  You know that you want to be big like your big brother and sister, but are smart enough to see that there is value in hanging on to your status as "baby".
You are teaching me how to slow down and wait.  Your natural gift of patience is a reminder for me to practice mine.  You can exasperate one minute and make us laugh the next.  You are three.  We've been here twice before, but this experience will be its own. 
We love you so much and are thankful every day that we met you on that cold, snowy night in Michigan three years ago.  It was love at first sight.
Love you,
Mommy, Daddy, Nathan and Hannah

Here is some of how you spent your day:

Daddy was in Italy on your birthday morning, and during the night some time you and your big sister joined me in bed (something happening quite often these days, but we know it will pass...we have your brother sleeping on his own and even going to sleepovers now!). 

Here you are just after you woke up and came downstairs.  You saw the pink balloons and ribbons hanging up and asked, "Mommy!  Did you make my birthday today?  Did you make my pupcakes?"  You immediately found your presents and carried them all over the house. 

You look so big in this picture!

Hannah helped you get dressed.  She loaned you a pair of her panties because she was sure you must have outgrown yours overnight. ;0)  She often wants to help you get dressed in the morning, but it isn't often that you let her and the morning was especially smooth and nice with all of the cooperation!

You and your big sister convinced me that you just had to open your gifts before we took the big kids to school.

BRRRRRR...it was so cold!  You and your sister decided it would be fun to run around singing at the top of your lungs before we loaded up for school.

We headed off to school to drop off the big kids!

You waited for your friends, set all of our snacks out on the table to "share".  You even set a place for your cousin, Julia and your friend Michael.  You were sure that they would be guests at your party as you were a guest at their parties.

Your friends arrived and you played, played, played!

Daddy made it back from Italy in time to join us for lunch and cake!  When you saw him you said, "Daddy it's my birthday today!"

That afternoon it was business as usual.  Here you are excitedly waiting for swimming lessons.  Waiting is the hardest part! (Cold camera + Hot Swimming Pool = Foggy Pictures)

And after the lesson, free time.  Your favorite!

What a great day!  You finished up the evening by talking with Nana on the phone thanking her for your special book and a phone call from Aunt Carole.  We love you, Big Girl!

(At the end of her lesson Sarah's teacher who has been absent the last two weeks said, "She is very good today, but sometimes she doesn't really listen".

Uh, yeah, thanks for that insight.  I'm sure I've noticed something like that in the remaining 6 days 23 hours and 40 minutes I spend with her each week.  As in most situations here, I just smiled and nodded).