Ellie is 3!!

 Saturday, we celebrated our special Ellie's third birthday. My how the time has flown. I spent some time going through some of the pictures we have taken to capture her life thus far, and I had a very difficult time picking the best ones to show who Ellie has become in her short sweet life. It is also interesting to see how she has changed and stayed the same in just a year.So, beware there are several, but oh how telling these photos are.

Ellie's first few months of life was an amazing time for our family. I had a certain confidence and peace that a mom who has already survived the stress of first time mommydom may have. I wasn't afraid of every cry, every sound, every decision. I'd done it before, and not ruined her big sister, so I feel like I was able to enjoy the first months of Ellie's life so much more. She was a sweet happy baby, she slept well, and ate well (though she did spit up like CRAZY...until almost 1 year!).

As she grew, Ellie grew into her own little person. Constantly being compared to her older sister, Ellie broke all the rules and was night and day different. She is an individual and such a hoot! She loves playing outside and getting into as many things as possible. Ellie jumps in with both feet in a fearless, brave way. She constantly tells me, "Mommy, I'm so brave!" as she climbs, jumps or asserts her independence. 

Often times, her independence can come out in not so pleasant ways. Her high highs can be followed by some very low lows. She has a very keen way of expressing her distaste in any particular situation, quite loudly. She's lately taken to crossing her arms and telling me in a calm, yet emphatic voice, "I am so mad." A tease or distraction usually turns the situation around. Her transparency is oh so her mother, in every way.

One thing that is quintessential Ellie is her love of dress up. As I looked through her photos, I wasn't surprised that her loved started just after her first birthday. Give the kid a necklace or tiara and she is in dress up heaven. Her latest obsession is her Rapunzel princess dress that she wears literally every day. When she doesn't get to wear it, well it isn't so pretty. You can often times hear her proclaim, "I'm beautiful!" or "I look perfect!" Her self esteem is not something we worry about now, and she is often time the source of our families entertainment. She also enjoys singing, but more than that dancing. As soon as the music starts, her little chicken arms start flapping and her shoulders start shrugging. She spins in circles or just marches in circles..over and over. It's a hoot to watch. Ellie often times gives us a concert, upon completing her song she will say, "Ok, now say Parvo (Bravo)!" Which we have no problem at all giving her.

Ellie is an incredible little sister. While at times she leads the charge, she is a wonderful sister. My girls get along brilliantly, sure they have their typical spats, but I couldn't ask for better friends in these girls. I can often times turn around and find them holding hands. They are great with sharing and playing. Ellie loves her big sister and seems to respect her, learning from her and asking for help. 

Ellie is definitely the silly one. She enjoys making us laugh, and when she finds something that makes us chuckle, she will repeat it over and over. 

Ellie has no fear. She climbs higher, goes farther and can find mischief where you least expect it. If something can be turned into danger or disaster, Ellie can findit . Her inquisitive nature leads her to discover new wonders all of the time. She impresses and scares me to death with her dare devil ways. She is just so stinking fun to sit back and watch. Which I must do, my mom tells me often, "Don't take your eyes off of her."

 Ellie is a sweet and loving girl. She loves playing baby dolls and barbies, but her favorite is her stuffed dogs. Miley, Morty and her recent addittion Beethoven. (Have I mentioned she is obsessed with that movie? She can watch it over and over and refuses to watch it from the middle-more of her mommy in her). She tends to ask for me more than her Daddy, unless she is in trouble, then Daddy is preferred. Ellie likes to color and read. She knows her colors (on most days) and can count to 10. Ellie has been potty trained for several months, including through the night when she randomly one day just told me no more diapers. There was no looking back and no accidents have occurred.

While I attempted to ask Ellie 20 questions for her birthday, it didn't go quite like I thought. Maggie was very influential and had to leave the room after supplying Ellie with several answers that didn't seem like the answers I thought she would answer. None the less, the point is to see how she changes each year, so her are her answers.

1. What is your favorite color?
• Purple!
2. What is your favorite food? 
• Pancakes (which we were eating at the time...pickles are her real favorite) and Rocks!
3. Who is your best friend?
• Elizabeth and Noah and Baby Jubilee
4. What do you like to do with your family? 
• Go to Chuck E. Cheese (which is where we were planning to go that afternoon)
5. What is your favorite toy?
• Belle and Rapunzel Dress (Miley and Beethoven are also toys that are always near by)***She then proclaimed, "Done answering questions." I sweet talked her into finishing.***
6. What do you want to be when you grow up?
• A Rapunzel
7. What makes you happy? 
• Chuck E Cheese
8. What makes you sad?
• Princesses
9. What is your favorite show?
• Beethoven
10. Where do you like to go?
• To the park
11. What is your favorite animal?
• Horsies (which she never plays with, talks about or seems to have any interest in!)
12. What do you do best?
• eat
13. Who is the coolest person on earth?
• Daddy (oh, burn...)
14. What did you do when you were little?
• play
15. What is your favorite season?
• About a balloon (note to self: Teach seasons)
16. What is a food you don't like?
• Eggs
17. What is your favorite song?
• (Incoherent singing commences and then turns into...) "Tomorrow" by Annie
18. What is your favorite game?
• Princesses
19. What do you want on your birthday cake?
• Sophia the First
20. What is your favorite candy?
• Lemon (I have no idea what that means.)

Love my Smelly and so thankful she's my girl. Never a dull moment when she is around!