Three!

Julia practices being three at breakfast at Beeseckers Diner in Stroudsburg. Grandma being there made her birthday breakfast even more special :).

You get the idea.

She asks her brother to help her blow out her candles.

Julia carefully inspects Nana's nail polish, and even applies some of her lip gloss from the purse Grandma gave her for her birthday. I love this child. Not entirely sure how she came out of me (I don't wear nail polish or lip gloss and rarely carry a princess wand)...but I love her just as she is.

This is my girls half maniacal half joyous excited face. Glad that your birthday provided you a lot of excitement, big girl. Can't wait to see what your third year brings!

Baby girl! We have arrived at three.

This birthday post may come as more of a confessional post, but, hey, at least it is real. You have been "three" for, like, 2 months now. Ever since you started ballet, really. Ballet at ACAC is strictly limited to 3-14 year olds, but because you are always with your older brother, and because you have been potty trained for, like, ever, they made an exception and let you into the spring session a few months ahead of your birthday. Because of seeing you go to dance, everyone at the gym started assuming that you were three. Sooooo, because I have low tolerance for mandatory age requirements anyway (and obviously lots of grey ethical areas), I didn't correct anyone in their assumption. Is that lying? I lied. See, 3 is a really big deal at the gym. It gets you into Cooking Class, Gym Games, Creative Corner, Spider Mountain, and Jump Zone. Since we are at the gym about 5 days a week, this is a big deal for you. It opens your world to a ton of new things. So. Between starting dance, Luke's birthday, your birthday party, celebrating with Mom Mom and Pop Pop the Tuesday before, then with Grandma and Grandpa the Wednesday before....well, honestly your birthday was a little anti climatic. I guess what it mostly did was make me feel better when you held up three little fingers and proclaimed yourself three, because you really were. This will NOT, I repeat, NOT work at 21, there lovebug ;).

We got home from Boston on your birthday eve. It was an unseasonably beautiful day and you had spent all day outside playing around the (covered, wintery) pool with Grandma and Grandpa and Luke. We shared a birthday eve pizza dinner, then had a family style slumber party ~ Daddy, Grandma, you, Luke and I all laying around on sleeping bags and pillows watching Despicable Me together in Grandma and Grandpa's room. I loved cuddling up with you in our pajamas. The morning of your birthday was beautiful. We went to breakfast at Beeseckers, where you got treated to chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes because it was your big day. Then we went straight over to Grace Park to visit Nana. I was so proud of you Julia ~ you walked right up to her (who you have not seen for a long time) and gave her a giant hug and a kiss and started showing her the contents of your purse. I know that you made her day. We stayed and visited with Nana for almost 2 hours, and it was just a treat to see the faces of the residents light up at the sight of three small kids. They loved you!

When I put you down for nap I started talking to you about how three years ago at that time you were still inside Mommies belly. You were about 2 hours from being the first baby that Mommy got to actually push out of her.....and I started crying. Shouldn't I be over this sort of birthday sentimentality by this point or something? All I could picture was that moment of birth, the first time I got to meet this lovely little person who is my daughter. I can't remember life without you, Jules!

We came home after naps, rather plan-less. After so many "special" birthday events I think that Dad and I were honestly a little "special-ed" out. No plan and no food at the house is not a good combo ~ so we tried like 4 different restaurants and found long, long waits at all of them. With three tired hungry kids, that was a no go. Soooooo ~ in a total stylistic disfunction, we ended up at "Winners Circle" with three kids, watched some basketball, and had dinner. You got a huge birthday brownie sunday ~ when the waitress was like 'Ohh! It's her BIRTHDAY!??! Yay! We will SING!!!" I was all "oh, no, thanks, that's okay!" because I didn't want the entire restaurant looking at us like ~ "seriously? These people take a 3 year old to a sports bar restaurant for her BIRTHDAY?" Shameful.

It was a really nice birthday, Jules, because we were all together all day. You are our little sunshine. I'm so proud of the funny, independent, whip smart little creature that you are. May this year bring you nothing but growth and joy and a wealth of new experiences. Love you, baby girl.