Happy Family Day!

Dear Eliza,

Happy 3rd Family Day!  This time three years ago I could barely sleep making sure that the crib was rolled into our room, taking your clothes out of the suit case and setting up your crib.  I wanted to pinch myself... could all of this be really true?  Were we really about to meet you.  Would you take to us?  Would you like us?  Could we provide for all of your needs and wants? Would you reject us?  How would we tell your life story?  How would we honor you, your heritage and yet show you our earthly ways?  I had planned and planned for you, written about you , made things for you, talked about you, cried over you, and laugh and loved with joy about the chance for me to become your mommy to share this joy with one other women in the world, one other women that decided to love you enough to give you life in her womb, loved you enough to want a different life for you, to dress you warmly and leave you with a warm bottle of milk, and so I share her with you.

Let me tell you what three years has brought me little one.  These have been the BEST three years of my life  Watching you grow, learn and blossom.  Today you are at the top of your height class.  I have to ask your daddy how tall you are because he actually took you to your last doctor's visit.  You weight 30.5 pounds.  It was funny because on your 3rd birthday you weighed 24 pounds.  You are involved with gymnastics and can do a forward roll and are downing a back walk over with assistance.  You love gymnastics.  You are still the youngest one at the barn.  You love riding Monty (all grey horse) and Tini (short for Caramel Apple Martini).  He is  taller brown speckled pony that you have come to love.  YOu love riding but more that riding you love all of the animals at the barn.  You love Ms. Jen's Josie (her different colored eyed dog) and the two barn cats that Ms. Jen saved.  You love the miniture pony and the donkey on the farm.  I love that you love learning.

You are going to two preschools this year.  Partly, because you are a little stinker.  You love that nickname.  You go to Creative Corner a private preschool and a local public preschool where you are a peer model for other students you age because you are smart and you are an early talker.  Although, you are smart, you are very kind and always think of others before yourself.  This is a great quality to have and I am impressed that you have this quality since you are an only child.  You are a stubborn child but it is O.K. because you remind me of your daddy.  I call you spicy when you are stubborn.  Yesterday, you and mommy went to paint some pottery as a special mommy daughter bonding time.  I told you were creative and you told me, " Mommy I am not creative I like to hibernate."  You have such a strong vocabulary for such a young age even if sometimes you do not use the word correctly you are not afraid to try out different words.  Another reason why you go to two schools is because at the end of last year and during the summer you were keeping mommy and daddy up to all hours of the late 11 pm or later evening.  I only mention this because I know in time I will forget this tidbit of information as time heals.  I wish I could keep you small forever but you have so much to offer this world little girl that I do not want to hold you back.

Your latest thing is that you have renamed your baby doll that we named together, Ellie to Layla.  I love that name and not sure but sometimes when we play houses you say, Mommy you are the Mommy and Daddy, you are the Daddy and I am Layla or sometimes you like to be your baby self.  One of the other things that you like to do is give "family hugs" and "family kisses."  You sit in the middle of daddy and I you pull us both down to your level and wrap one around daddy and the other  around mommy and pull us in to hug us or kiss us.  It is so cute.  You sometimes say, I love being a family and that totally melts my heart.

This year is the first year for you to be hospitalized and have a IV because of a bad stomach virus that was going around.  You were so very sick vomiting.  In the mist of you being sick, you were always thinking of us.  You said to me, "Mama, if something happens to me you go and get that boy you want."  Little girl, my little girl, I told you this that night and I will tell you again this, the only one I want is you.  You are our heart.  Maybe we may grow our family but that does not replace you and we love you so very much.

This year, you have loved to throw parties.  You had your first friend birthday party this year, and even though it rained you still enjoyed it.  You love planning and throwing other members of your families birthdays.  You and Omi threw me a beautiful butterfly themed brithday.  You came up with the idea and wanted to make me a yata (pinata), you planned it all the way down to the connoli and connoli cake.  You are throwing Oma a heart birthday.  You really wanted a heart birthday but you graciously gave that idea to Oma.  Opa you want to give a Ravens party for and you planned your Yi Yi's party with a duck and wildlife party picking out all of his party favors and everything.

I could go on and on and I should.... but for now.... Happy 3rd Family Day, you lil' stinker!

Love always and forever,

Your Mama