Happy 3rd Birthday, Elena!

3 years ago today we welcomed sweet Elena into our family. I couldn't have possibly anticipated what a wonderful addition she would be! She is so super fun, sweet, and loving. Tonight, as we were having our rocking chair time, I told her some things I love about her. One of those things is how incredibly maternal she is. She "mothers" anything and everything that crosses her path. I love watching her bounce a baby doll up and down and whisper "Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh. It's ok, Mommy's here." I love her laugh- the deep belly one that comes out when she is being tickled. I love when her voice gets REALLY deep and she says something hilarious in a growl. And then she breaks out that laugh I mentioned. I love how she converses about EVERYTHING. (ok, I don't always appreciate this in the moment, but we are talking about overall here!) She doesn't just watch TV, she watches and tells you all about it, play-by-play, as it is happening. She talks non-stop in the car about everything and nothing at all. Her favorite knock-knock joke is "Knock knock", "Who's there?", "A LITTLE GIRL THAT CAN'T REACH THE DOORBELL!!!!!!!" I love her singing voice. And that she knows the songs on my ipod as well as I do. And that, when in doubt of a lyric, she will just make one up. It may not even be a real word. She doesn't care. I love that she messes up her pronouns. ("Her is sad, Mommy." or "I are done, Mommy") I love that she still fits in my lap. That when I rock her, she can still bend her legs and wrap her knees around my waist and lay her head on my shoulder. And that she still licks her wrist when she is going to sleep. I love that she asks, before bed, "Daddy, will you pray me?"
This list could go on and on. There is just so much to love about this sweet girl. Instead, I present you with fun pictures from our family birthday party. We had dinner at Chuck-E-Cheese. (which is where she insisted on going, but with the agreement that Chuck-E would not actually come near her. "He is staying in his nest" is what she kept repeating. The "nest" is a little round stage where a curtain opens and the mechanical Chuck-E sings songs. In case you were wondering, she still has a bird obsession.) We had cake at home, thanks to a dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free cake mix from Whole Foods.

The guests at her party: Baby Jordan, Baby Bunny, and Lasagna
"Happy Birthday, Sister!"

Elena playing the bee game

Riding the bicycle helicopter

Giddy-up, caterpillar!

"Cheese!"

"I got TICKETS!!"

Elena-safe cake

Happy Birthday to ME!