To My Riya-Ray-Ri On Your 3rd Birthday

My baby girl, you’re 3 today!  Well actually you have been 3 for 3 days now, but I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and write to you because I have been staring at you, rubbing my eyes and then staring again.  I swear you grow a centimetre or do something new every time I look away.

This year has been a super crazy one for you.  You went from being my baby, to becoming a big sister all in one quick moment.  And despite my worries about how you would handle it, you took it in your stride (most of the time).  You love your brother so very much.  You are a really fantastic big sister.  And not only did you become a big sister, you stayed a loving little sister to “your Kyla”.  You two are inseparable and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  And not only that – you also went to school and gave up wearing nappies (during the day).  And again, you surprised me in how ready for it you were and how well you adjusted to it.

I should have known how great you would be, because you love people, and you love them hard.  You really have a real gift for loving people, including them and making them feel special (when you feel like it).  You feel your emotions so deeply that when you’re sad – I’m sad, when you’re happy – I’m happy, when you giggle your gorgeous giggle – I giggle my not so gorgeous giggle in return because I can’t help it, your enthusiasm is infectious.  Your cheesy grin lights up any room.

And because you feel so deeply you react so passionately too.  Learning to control when you are angry and upset has been a real challenge for you this year (and it’s been challenging for the persons on the receiving end too).  But with the help of the naughty chair and some breathing/calming down tricks we are working through it and you’re really doing mostly well.

On another slightly related note, I have to take a moment here to tell you how proud I am of you.  On your birthday you decided that you no longer needed a dummy and that the butterfly fairies could come and take it away and give it to another baby that needed it.  You went to sleep without a peep and slept in your bed without even waking up once.  And even the next night when you asked for it (because I think reality had sunk in a bit more), you were ready to give it another go after some precious cuddles and kisses.  It’s still early days, but I am in awe of how grown up you are, you decided to let it go and so that’s exactly what you did.

Sitting here reflecting on how much you have grown also gives me a chance to remember all the things that I desperately miss about you now that you are growing up so very fast.  Like I miss you curling up in my arms – fitting in there so perfectly and playing with my hair.  I miss helping you to do things, even if it is just to reach something that you weren’t allowed to play with.  I miss singing to you in the dark as I watched your tiny little baby body sleeping in your cot.  I miss staring at your tiny little sleeping face, and the perfect little pout you did with your mouth while you slept.

But now that you are growing up, I get to experience all the new things that you are doing.  I love watching you draw people and that their heads go straight into legs with beautiful ballerina shoes.  I love that you tell me that you love me with your whole heart before you go to sleep.  I love that when you pray you tell Jesus how much you love all your friends and that you get upset if you leave somebody out.  I love your passion for everything.

We understand each other – you and I.  We think the same.  I get you and you get me.  We have a special bond that you won’t let anyone interfere with, especially not your Daddy.  Even though you love him beyond words, he is not allowed to do anything for you when I am around.  And although it may sometimes be inconvenient, it is never unwanted.  I am so happy that you love me that much.

These 3 years have been so much fun, despite all of our ups and downs and I can’t wait to see you grow up into the wonderful little person that you are becoming.

I love you forever and always my Ri-Ri.  Forever and always.