I feel like this past year has gone by fast and before we
knew it, Annie’s birthday was here and just like that she’s now 3. We’ve now moved pasted the ‘terrible twos’ to
the ‘threenager’ stage. Last year
really was no different than the ones honestly, she has been our little
handful since she’s been born so I wouldn’t say age 2 was any harder as she
keeps us on our toes every single day.
What’s new with her?
Talking up a storm! Her pronunciation gets better every month but there
are times where I have no idea what she is saying. And then there are times where I’m like, wait
what did you say and how do you know that?
She’s a pretty smart cookie. She
still starts her sentences usually with about 10 ‘mommies’ in a row before she
actually gets to what she wants to tell me “Mommymommymommymommymommy
that’s yucky!” Well how do you know
it’s yucky, you haven’t even tried it #pickiesteaterever.
I’d say her favorite thing to do is puzzles. She is knocking out 46 piece puzzles all on
her own. We actually can’t keep up with
her before she outgrows and gets bored with a puzzle and needs a more advanced
one. And when she completes one, she is
very proud of it but is ready to tear it apart and do it all over again.
She also loves Playdoh.
It’s the one thing that can keep her entertained on a Saturday morning
for a good chunk of time. Mixing colors
gives me a little anxiety but I’ve learned to get over it because she is the Queen
Bee of mixing all the tubs of colors together.
Potty training has plateaued at the moment. #1 no problem, but sometimes we have to force
her to do it meaning no TV or attention until you go sit on the potty. #2 still in the pull-ups, and she totally knows
what she needs to do, she just has yet to do it. It’s like we are so close but until she has
done it once, we just won’t get there. I’ve
tried every means of persuasion and it doesn’t move the needle so at this point
we are just waiting for her to do it on her own.
She is still very opinionated about most everything but
especially when it comes to what she wears.
The more the better in her world.
Layer on cardigans over dresses with multiple necklaces, headbands and
bows. I’m learning to compromise on her
crazy outfit choices but I’m also getting smarter on this front. I recently bought some Minnie Mouse socks for
example where I can get her to wear what she may consider a ‘not so fun’ outfit
(insert solids colors and patterns) because she is excited to have Minnie on
her socks. And her favorite all time
color is purple so anything with purple on it is a win. I sure hope Claire likes purple too because
her hand-me downs are starting to look more and more purpley.
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| Purple on purple |
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| Who dresses like this? Seriously. |
Annie was incredibly anxious for her 3rd birthday
this year. It was cute but also
challenging. Every kid in her daycare
class have birthdays it seems in Jan and February so each week she was
celebrating someone else’s birthday and she asked me nearly every morning “Is
it my burfbay yet mommy?” And I’d have
to tell her no, it’s not your ‘burfbay’ 😊. So
when a birthday card came in the mail in advance of her day, I gave it to her
and told her it was a birthday card for her, I so wish I had on video her
reaction. She stuttered a bunch and got
very serious going ‘What? What? What? It’s my, It’s my, It’s my BURFBAY?!!” I then realized what I’ve done and had to
explain to her it’s ALMOST her birthday but not quite. She was on cloud 9 when that card arrived and
carried it around with her for DAYS.
Given that Claire’s having her big 1 year birthday this
year, we decided not to have a formal party for Annie but just celebrate hers
at the same time we do Claire’s. I feel
like we only have a few years in these early years to get away with combined
parties so taking advantage of it while we can.
Rather, we decided to celebrate Annie’s birthday by doing
fun things all that weekend. I took the
day off from work and went into her daycare and brought a big cookie cake and
watched all the kids sing HBD to her and played with her and her friends that
morning. She loved having me there. One kid even said, “My mom didn’t come in
when it was my birthday.” Ya well, take
that up with your mom kid.
Love this video from daycare, it's like the look on her face as she is looking around is like "I've been waiting for this moment for a LONG time":
Saturday morning, we took her to Build-A-Bear and even
though she isn’t big on stuff animals, I thought it would just be a fun
experience. She did love it and although
the bear just sits in the corner of the room now, she hung onto it for a good
day. And we got lucky as there was a
purple bear that was just perfect in the clearance bin, win for our wallet/win
for Annie.
Later that afternoon, we took Annie and one of her good
friend’s Alaina over to the nail salon for their first pedicures. Of course, Annie wanted purple and insisted
that Alaina couldn’t have purple but could have pink. Which luckily all worked out well as Alaina
didn’t want purple. Annie actually sat
very well thru it, I was a little unsure how it would go but was happy to see
she loved every minute of it. It’s gives
me some good insight of the fun girly stuff we can do together more often. She
wanted her finger nails done and I told her no way, stop sucking your thumb and
I’ll let you. She also has been wanting
her ears pierced and I’ve told her not yet to that too. I know, I’m such a mean Mom, aren’t I?! #hardly.
I’d say our biggest struggle is keeping her in her bed after
lights go out. Once she’s asleep, she
actually has been staying her in bed at night pretty well with a few rare nights
here and there. Which I think is
probably pretty normal for most parents.
It’s the whole, I have to go potty, need to brush my teeth (again),
hunger pangs kick in, the thirst is unquenchable, she lost her lovey (BTW, we’ve
watched her on the monitor purposely shove it between the bed and the wall and
then come running out saying her lovey is lost). Her delaying tactics is an exhausting process
that I’m looking forward to her outgrowing.
She also lately likes to argue with me in the car. “It’s green mom, GO!” (as she kicks the back of my seat). Child, I can’t move this vehicle until the
car in front of me goes. And if I turn
right on red, total pandemonium breaks out in the backseat. Then I have to justify to my 3 year-old that
I CAN turn right on red. I have a true
back seat driver now. OH Annie, this is
just one of the many examples of everyday life with you!
And that’s a wrap, we got a threenager ruling our world now
in the sweetest, cutest, most exhausting ways.
We love every bit of you, Annie ‘Bonanie’!
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