Our Three Year Old

Let's catch-up a little on what our little lady is up to:

1. I think the biggest accomplishment was that you were 100% potty trained a week before your third birthday. You just woke up that day and decided you didn't need diapers anymore to do #2 business. At that point you were already wearing big girl panties but still asked for diapers to do #2.

2. With you potty trained, I was finally able to breath a little. I think I mentioned earlier that you refused to poop for 3-4 days in a row. It would hurt after and you would ask for diaper and only then you would do your #2 business. The pediatrician wanted us to try medicine but I didn't want to get you hooked on some random medicine for 2-3 months. I was relieved when you started asking for #1 and #2.

3. Let's just finish with all this potty stuff, shall we? After talking last year to a few parents, I've heard stories how their kids woke them up in the middle of the night, every single night, and asked to go potty. I was sort of dreading that moment. We were finally getting a full night sleep and I just couldn't imagine waking up in the middle of the night again. Well, baby girl, I think you are an exception. You don't wake up at night to go potty. I thank you for that!

4. However, you do wake us up for a few minutes when you march into our room with your pillow in tow, climb our bed, and fall asleep. And this happens pretty much every single night. Sometimes, you forget to bring the pillow and either I or you daddy has to get up. Sometimes you bring more than just your pillow. Your little lady bug projector and your blanket sometimes end up in our room as well.

5. You still love your gymnastics class. You started the gymnastics class at a new school and you tell us you never want to go back to the old one. The new class is more advanced and I would say more challenging. Your teacher is Russian speaking lady who usually talks to you in Russian. Once you got comfortable with her, you tell her stories when we walk in the class and you always want to get her attention when you are doing gymnastics. "Lana, Lana, see chto ya delau" ( look what I can do).

6. You know the colors, the ABC in English and know almost all letters in Russian, and numbers you can say numbers in both languages up to 20.

7. You can write certain words, especially if I spell it out to you letter by letter. You love writing your name in both English and Russian on all your art projects.

8. You are very carrying towards your cousin Alyssa. You give her toys. You kiss her every time you get out of the grandpa's car. You always want her to come in and play with you. You treat her like a little doll.

9. You are my dancing queen, young and sweet only three year old. Baby girl, you just LOVE to dance and you are so good at it. Your body starts moving right when the music starts. You make your own moves and love when people watch you. Sometimes you say "vistupaet Ariela" (Ariela performing") and start dancing and singing.

10. You like singing just as much. You amaze me at how many songs you know already. I have to give credit to your daddy. Every morning he turns on the music in the car when he drives you to daycare.

11. You are still attending the Russian Sunday school and you already feel comfortable with Nellya (Russian language teacher) and you have yet to like Larissa (the music teacher). You are learning songs, dance, and New Year's rhymes for an upcoming holiday performance.

12. You are so grown-up for your age. You continue to amaze me with your language skills. Your sentences are structured and include complex words/phrases. Faina, the daycare owner, tells us how you don't like to waste your words and usually express yourself like a grown-up person.

13. I've noticed you are a bit shy at first around new people but once you feel comfortable you'll want to show them your room, toys, dance moves, art projects, books, and so on.

14. You like playing with dolls now. You pretend they are your little babies. Your feed them, cover them with a blanket, soothe them, and rock them to sleep. Sometimes, I play with you in your room. You like trading places with me. I get into your bed and pretend I am you. You pretend you are me and start playing like it is my time to go to bed. You use my words and phrases (pora spat', zakrivai glazki, bistren'ko spat'). I always have a laugh when I hear you talk like me.

15. You are finally ready to have a sibling or so you say at least. I think because everyone around you either have or soon will have a sibling, you probably feel left out. Now you say to us that you want a sister and a brother. I remind you how only a few months ago you wanted to be the only child. You reply that you were little yourself and now you are older and ready.

I keep writing in all of my blog posts how much we love you. Baby girl, never forget how deeply we feel for you. You brighten our days with your smile and laughter. You are our world now and our lives evolve around you. I hope and pray for you to have a long, beautiful life ahead of you. I hope and pray for you to have good and kind people around you. I really hope you will grow up to be kind, compassionate, and smart individual (and hope we will be around long enough to see). The day we found out we were expecting you, we had no idea how you would change our lives for the best and how much love we had to give you. Our love still grows for you with every single minute of the day. We love you to infinity and beyond!

Love,
Mom (and Dad).