Baby E is Three!

Our little baby is not so little anymore! Baby E is three years old today. I still remember holding her for the first time. I remember how exhausted I was after a 12 hour labor and two and a half hours of pushing. As I held her in my arms I thought to myself "That wasn't fun, but I would do it again!" 

Yesterday we took her to the Boston Children's Museum for some fun with mommy, daddy, baby brother, and grandma. She had a blast and of course so did we, because the most exciting thing for parents is watching their kids exploring, learning, and being inquisitive. Here she is above playing with tangrams on a light table. 

She was thrilled with the real stove cut down to a child's level as she was with the fridge, giant bubbles, water play, and play tent. In reality, she is one of those children that needs very little to be excited. At least we raised her that way. I love seeing the joy on her face from making a pie or getting a new set of hair bows.  She likes the simple things in life. She's easy to please! So this trip was like a huge party for her (even with the absence of an actual birthday party). At the same time, lately I've been walking on eggshells with her. She's always been a sensitive little girl, but even more so with the arrival of her little brother. You know how toddlers react if you give them a spoon instead of a fork, if you close the book too soon at bedtime, or you put their play purse in the wrong spot? Yeah, we've had our share of that lately.

Despite all the behavior troubles, these little toddlers-turning-pre-schoolers light up our life anyway. They teach us patience, perseverance, love, joy, contentment, among other things. They show us things we never knew about ourselves, positive and negative traits discovered only when we become parents, they mirror us in so many ways. I wouldn't be who I am if I never became a mother. It's an honor to be baby E's mom and to raise her to love God and people.