Happy Easter!

The milestones you want and the ones you don't

We got C a bike for Christmas. We live where there is snow on the ground until May, so it's been sitting in the house unused for awhile, and she kept asking when she could ride it. There was a really nice weekend a couple of weeks ago where most of the snow melted, so we finally went out with her bike for a ride. I ended up pushing her the whole "ride" because she couldn't figure out how to pedal it. She still had lots of fun though.



I got her a second bike right after that, one that she can actually pedal on her own. It's a bit smaller and when she pushes backwards on the pedals, she goes backwards instead of applying the brakes like she was with the first bike. Luckily the one she got for Christmas will grow with her for years yet.

So, learning to ride a bike was the good milestone. The one we didn't want was an ear infection. Actually, two of them. The first one was about 3 weeks ago, and this weekend she came down with another one. I really hope these don't become chronic. I had lots of ear infections as a kid, and remember how much they hurt. I don't like knowing my little girl is in so much pain.

Since I've been such a slacker in the blog world, I totally missed posting for Valentines, so here's a belated shot of my little cupid!

Phase two of "growing up too fast" is complete

I now officially have a preschooler. Last week we went to the preschool down the block for orientation. C absolutely loved it! She painted, and did puzzles, and played with the other kids. She listened to the teachers and had a great time. She asked all week to go back.



Yesterday was her first day of "school". We got dressed, filled her backpack with her indoor shoes and her new lunchbox, put on her coat and backpack and then stopped for a picture.



She was so excited to go, that she could hardly wait to get out the door. The school is right at the end of our block, so we took a short walk.



I signed her in, she sat down on the bench for the teacher to help her with her things.



Then I said good-bye to my preschooler and tried not to cry as I walked home without her.

My Birthday Girl

Three years old.

I know I keep saying it, and I know it's cliche, but wow, where have three years gone? I still clearly remember every little bit of Chaylyn's birth, exactly how it felt to have her minutes old and in my arms. How she felt an hour old, skin to skin. I remember how much more I fell in love every day with my newborn, with my baby, with my toddler, and now how I fall in love every day with my little girl. She is such an amazing part of my life.

C has grown by leaps and bounds this year. Three full inches to be exact. She is now just over 36" tall, and she weighs about 26lbs. She speaks really well, in full sentences, though she doesn't always get her words right. I love the way she says things. My favorite right now is "That's what my said". She refers to herself as "my" instead of "I", and it is so cute! She can say her alphabet and is starting to recognize some of the letters, can count to 10 and with help to 20, knows all her colors with her favorite being pink, loves to dress herself, and is getting very independant. But she still loves her mommy, and loves to cuddle with me. Melts my heart. :)

She had a big party with her friends and had so much fun. We went to a rec. center that has gymnasiums, party rooms, a climbing wall and a pool. We took all 22 kids into the gym for an hour, and let them play. There were balls, hula(hoola?) hoops (or as C calls them, lula loops), floor hockey sticks, frisbees, a parachute, etc, that kept kids and adults alike entertained for the whole hour.




After the gym we headed to the party room for snacks, cake and presents.







When her party was all done, I took her swimming with my best friend and her 10 y/o son, and my neighbor and her 2 y/o daughter.

On C's actual birthday (Monday) I made her birthday pancakes complete with a candle

and then we had our family over for dinner, and more cake and presents. This weekend we will go to my grandmothers for yet more cake and presents. Such a lucky little girl I have. :)

There are so many new experiences to come this year, with the first being ear piercing, and the second being pre-school. We are taking her this weekend to get her ears pierced, and she starts her first real day of pre-school on Tuesday. I took her this past Tuesday for her orientation, and she absolutely loved it. While it makes me a little teary that my baby is now big enough to go to school, it makes me happy to know that she is going to have so much fun.

She truly is my whole heart. My beautiful girl.

Playing Catch Up

I really should start blogging more. Then I wouldn't always have to go back so far with my entries. :) As it is I may break this into more than one post.

2008 is over, we are already half way through January and I have yet to even post about Christmas. Oh well, procrastination is my middle name.

So, Christmas. We had a very wonderful Christmas. Fairly quiet this year, but full of fun and we all got spoiled rotten. Myself especially. I got some impressive new toys, in the way of an i*Phone and a new laptop with a docking station. I love both so much!

C got lots of good stuff too. A new bicycle, which she has to wait at least 3 more months to ride outside, thanks to a very white winter in Canada. A new camera, just for her, which she loves, and has managed to take some pretty good picture for a three year old. And tons of B*arbies, P*olly P*ockets, and other various toys. Like I said, spoiled!

Here are a few pictures of Christmas.

Happy Birthday to my sweet 3 year old

3 years old. How quickly the years have passed by. Every day brings something new, something fun, something challenging and something more to love.

I can't even remember life without my darling daughter nor do I want to.

Happy Birthday sweet C. You are loved beyond measure.

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