Taylor 3 Year Update

Where to even begin with this girl? She is equal parts smart, sassy, silly, and sweet, but she's also three and she knows it. One minute she's smiling and cackling with laughter and the next she's throwing herself on the floor with tears streaming down her face. While her emotions and imagination run wild, her heart remains sweet and genuine. She is quick to the rescue when she sees someone in need and can make anyone laugh without even trying. Simply put, she is amazing, and she makes the world a better place just by being in it.

She sings "Who Let The Dogs Out" at the top of her lungs, throws on a tutu over her dirty daycare clothes as soon as we get home each night, and loves her little brother more than anything. She is the girliest tomboy I have ever met, wearing costume jewelry and dresses while climbing trees and looking for rocks. She has the most beautiful long, blonde hair that is constantly covered in sweat, dirt, and a handful of bows and clips. Like most girls her age, she loves to play with her baby dolls and cook in her play kitchen but equally enjoys hiding from Sharp Tooth and playing baseball in the back yard. She has a slight obsession with Doc McStuffins and insists on giving everyone (and everything) a "chep-up" with her doctor's kit. She recently discovered hide & seek and continuously asks us to play (even though she hides in the same spot every time). She loves to sing songs and watch movies. Her favorites include Cinderella, Winnie the Pooh, Curious George, Rapunzel, The Land Before Time, Finding Nemo, and The Little Mermaid. I'm certain she would watch all of them on repeat if we let her.

She has a wide variety of tastes and is always open to trying something new. There isn't a food she won't try and insists that she loves zucchini when in reality there isn't enough Parmesan cheese in the world to make her swallow it. She loves all kinds of fruit (berries being her favorite) and continues to ask for pasta or tuna on a daily basis. Mexican restaurants are her favorite, because she knows it means an endless supply of chips, cheese, and guacamole. Friday nights mean movies and "copcorn" with Taylor eating an entire bag and then polishing off whatever is left in ours. She is the sneakiest little thing, constantly swiping drinks from our tumblers when we aren't looking and climbing into the pantry to steal a package of fruit snacks before dinner. She requires a sippy cup full of milk first thing in the morning and as soon as we get home each evening and acts like she's won the lottery if you put a little chocolate syrup in it. She loves "tookies" and cupcakes and eating the icing off of cake donuts. Her favorite "special treat" is a sucker, and you can get her to do almost anything if you mention the prospect of one. She is a scrawny little thing but can put away more food in one sitting than most grown men. Food is definitely the way to her heart!

Turning three has been a huge milestone for the tot. All throughout the summer, she told everyone she met when her birthday was and how old she was going to be. Three has brought a sense of independence for her, because she has grown so much over the past six months and has really started taking ownership of many different things. She has finally mastered potty training (after a record breaking 18 months) and insists on dressing herself, brushing her own teeth, and combing her own hair. She plays by herself in her room, quietly reading books and assembling puzzles one minute then banging pots and pans and sending her babies to time out the next. She shares her toys with her brother and is quick to fetch diapers and binkies upon request, shushing Logan when he cries and assuring him that "It's otay, sissy's here." She shares her love effortlessly, giving hugs and kisses whenever she feels the need and is quick to remind me that "It's otay, Momma" when things don't go as planned.

But don't let her grown-up persona fool you, she is still the ultimate threenager with meltdowns at every turn. A good day can easily turn sour if she can't get her shoe on or Logan looks at her wrong (which I'm still not sure is even possible). She is a roller coaster of hormones and gets easily frustrated by her limitations. She wants to be five so she can play baseball, go to school, and live in our new house. She wants so badly to be able to ride her bike but hasn't quite figured out how to steer and peddle at the same time. She just wants to GO and BE and DO everything, and I absolutely love her endless sense of adventure. She is the perfect combination of Jake and I, and I couldn't possibly love her more. Her sweet balances the crazy and the combination provides us with an abundance of laughter and more love than we ever thought possible.

You are one of a kind, sweet girl. Don't ever forget that.