To our little girl

Dearest one, these last three years have passed so quickly. It seems it was just the other day that you were a baby in our arms ... now you are no longer a baby or a toddler, but a little girl who's full of energy, excitement and love. I don't think we can say it enough ... we love you!

Just moments after birth - you were so tiny!

Even then, you had your Daddy's heart in your hand. I love to watch the two of you play together, and to see the excitement on your face when Daddy gets home from work each day.

You have been a funny girl from the very beginning. People comment on your big blue eyes and white-blonde hair, but I will always remember your funny faces, even as a baby.

You share a love of football with your Daddy. "Touchdown" was one of your first words! (Well, at least the arms-in-the-air motion.) When you saw jelly beans for the first time at Grandma and Uncle Bud's house, you called them 'football candies.'

Suddenly you were two, full of questions ("What dat? What dat?" and "Where my Daddy go?"). It was around your second birthday that you developed a love for JoJo's Circus, Rocket (The Little Einsteins), playing "souside" ... and waking up at five a.m. You also had your first crush ... Michael, the intern who lived with us the summer you turned two.

The summer passed quickly and soon it was fall. We traveled to Illinois to see family one last time before a big change in our family, and you were such a big girl! You and Daddy stayed in Illinois while Mommy traveled away. I missed you so much.

You became a big sister just before Christmas, when you were 2 1/2. You are such a good big sister! Mikayla (or Baby 'Kayla, as you call her) is blessed to have you as her sibling. You love her and are gentle and kind and make sure Mommy helps her as soon as she starts to cry.

Little Katrina, we delight in you more each day. I thank God for the wonderful little girl He has entrusted to us for the time we have together. I pray that we are the best parents we can be, and that you know you are loved.

Happy 3rd birthday, Peanut Butter!

A conversation this morning ...

Katrina: Mommy, Mommy! Where ARE you?
Me: Here I am, Katrina. I'm getting dressed.
Katrina: Come here, Mommy. I have something show you!
Me (with clothes in hand, following her to the living room): You have something to show me? Okay, here I come.
Katrina: Mommy, put clothes down. Watch me. I (mumble)!
Me: You're a dragon? [She had been talking about dragons earlier this morning.]
Katrina: Nooooo, Mommy! I a PEN-GUH-IN! (walks with stiff legs and arms out) Pen-guh-in waddle waddle waddle.

Toy Giveaway

Not much time left to enter ... tomorrow's the deadline, but give it a shot and enter 5 Minutes for Mom's Toy Giveaway.

A little parrot

The intern who lived with us last summer left some stuff here, and we never mailed it to him. Last night when I mentioned to Ryan that Michael (intern) would be moving to Frederick soon, he said, "We'd better find his crap." He was carrying Katrina down the hall at that moment, and I heard a little voice parrot, "I no find no crap!"

Anybody know ...

... where I can get just the insides of green beans? I guess that would be the bean part. The insides of green beans happens to be Katrina's food of choice and she goes nuts for them whenever we have green beans (like tonight). I spent most of dinner opening green beans and giving her the insides to eat. Yes, yes, I know, we should make her eat them whole. But do tell, how do you MAKE a strong-willed-almost-three-year-old eat green beans?

I'd also appreciate any potty training tips. We were doing great, then we went to Illinois. Katrina had one really bad day with several accidents while we were there. And for some reason, she's had four (4!!) accidents since I've been home from work ... approximately one accident every 37.5 minutes. Meh.

Today started off cute, though. Katrina saw this CD down in the basement and said, "O'topus grumpy, Mommy! O'topus WAY grumpy!"