Happy Birthday, Evie!

Dear Evie,

   You are 3! That just seems so big and you are so proud to be 3. You asked for a big girl bed and keep telling me that you are a grown-up. What a silly girl! You have changed so much this year! Everyday brings new experiences for us all as you begin to navigate your own little world and we step back a bit to allow you to grow. Daddy and I still marvel that you went from this tiny little baby to a real little girl in what feels like the blink of an eye. Sometimes I can not even look at the pictures, it just seems impossible that this is all happening so quickly.

Baby Evie!

You weigh 35 pounds and are 39 inches tall. You sleep for 12 hours a night and take three hour naps when you are home. Sleeping is one of your favorite activities. You have started sleeping with way too many objects. Let's see you have your old favorites of Raffi and blankey but you have added: mouse, hippo, pink blanket, pillow and a flashlight. That was your Daddy's idea and it keeps you busy until you fall asleep. Bedtime is always a nice respite for me but I am always ready to hear you calling "Mama, come get me" every morning. You gather up all of your snuggly things as you call them before heading downstairs ready to start the day.

You are quite independent and want to do everything yourself which is wonderful for Mommy. Every morning, I give you some clothes and a few minutes later you are dressed. This works much better than trying to dress you myself because then you like to turn it into a game of chase. We try to work with your independence instead of against it. You brush your own teeth, climb into your car seat all by yourself and carry your own backpack. Sometimes your independent streak works against us! You can be strong-willed and know exactly what you want in life. That makes us proud even though it can be aggravating in the moment. It's important to know what you want and to make it happen.

You go to school on Tuesday and Thursday. Ms. Molly and Ms. Jen have taught you so much. Daddy and I love to hear you sing new songs, tell us new stories and show us your latest project. We love to hear you talk about your friends especially Molly and Vivi. School has been a fantastic experience for you allowing you to gain more confidence and learn to trust other adults. Mommy likes it too!

You are truly a sweet little girl. I loved it when you said, "Thank you for having a party for me, Mommy. I liked it." Manners are important and nothing sounds more precious than your little voice saying, thank you. You tell us "thank you" without prompting a lot and always at the most appropriate times.

You say lots of funny things! It's so cool to see you making connections and watching you grasp new concepts. You point out objects that are similar and note that they are friends. Your imagination is amazing and it takes us on all kind of adventures. Just this morning, we visited the beach, went swimming in the pool, shopped for cupcakes at the grocery store and sang on stage with your sparkly wand and your dress-up clothes. Sometimes, you tell me exactly what response you want from me. "Mommy, say Evie is a good singer or Evie looks so pretty in her pink dress." I have to say it exactly as you indicate or you want me to start all over.

Daddy and I still refer to you as our Tennessee Tornado because you are wild! You have lots of personality and we would not have it any other way.

Things you like: playing outside, anything pink, hummus, your boys, Caillou and art. You play with your babies so sweetly yet you are just as happy digging in the dirt or riding a 4 wheeler with your boys.

You LOVE to read and spend lots of time checking out your books. Sometimes, you ask me "what that word" is but usually you just chatter away keeping with the general story line. I hope that you will always enjoy books. It makes us so happy to listen while you read to Henry. I read you a lot more books when you were a baby than I read to Henry. You make me feel better about that because you read dozens of books to him every day. After you finish, you always ask him if he liked it and then finish off with an AMEN. That's your way of saying, "the end."

You notice everything! Nothing gets past you. If someone is sad in a book or a movie, you want to know where there Mommy is and "why she not helping." Daddy and I have noticed that you are very aware of our moods too. You say "Daddy, why you not talking" when he is quiet. He reminds you that Daddy does not talk as much as Mommy. You tell us that you like us all.day.long! You make everyone feel so special when you tell them they are the best. You are our best Evie!

Henry adores you! We could not ask you to be a better big sister. You are a natural and love him so much. It's so amazing to see you nurture him and protect him. I hope you will always do that for Henry and that he will always take care of you. You have to stick together! That's what siblings do for each other and for their parents.

Mommy is a planner and likes to map out things way in advance. Just ask Daddy, he will tell you all about my constant quest to create our life as a family. One thing that I never do is imagine you as a big girl. It's happening fast enough right before our eyes. Our greatest hope for you is that you will always be a thoughtful, caring person. That matters more than most anything else. Daddy and I pray that you will continue to follow Jesus and follow His plan for your life. He has plans for you to give you hope and a future. That's Jeremiah 29: 11-14, Mommy's favorite verse for you.

There will be lots of days when we will drive each other crazy and days that you will wish for a different set of parents than us. That's okay, it is part of growing up and then one day you will realize that we set boundaries for you because we love you so much and because we want you to reach your full potential in life. I feel so fortunate to have the privilege of being home with you every day. Daddy works hard to make this happen and I will be forever grateful to him that I am here with you teaching you about the world. Being you and Henry's mother is my favorite role that I have ever played, you are the magnificent little girl, the one that I always dreamed of having one day.

Daddy and I are so proud of you! You are an extraordinary little girl and we are still in awe that you are our precious daughter. We love your sweet smile, your happy laughter, your endless cuddles and your amazing spirit. You have made our lives richer than we ever imagined and more fun than we ever dreamed it would be.

Happy Birthday to our very best Evie!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

1 year old Evie!

2 year old Evie!

3 year old Evie!