To My Daughter on her Third Birthday
Dearest Aria,
How has another year gone by? It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was writing to you on your second or even your first birthday. And yet here we are celebrating your third birthday. I cannot believe how much you have grown and developed over the last year. You have gone from just learning to speak to having an absolutely vast vocabulary. You happily chatter away about your day and all the things that have made you happy, or indeed cross.
This year has been a huge turn around for you in terms of sleep. We finally worked out while you were hardly sleeping just before your second birthday, and put you back on reflux medication. The difference was astonishing and you went from crying for nearly 3 hours every night, to sleeping through the night. I can now see what a difference it made to your well being as a child and getting the extra sleep has made you more happy and content. Unbelievably you are still napping nearly every day, or at least every other day. Which given how little you used to sleep is some going. Your brother had given up at this age, I think you are making up for lost time.
For the past year it has been all about Paw Patrol, and you will be having a Paw Patrol birthday cake. You have have conversations with me telling me all about the antics of Mayor Goodway and Chickaletta as if they are real people. Over the last month you have found a new love – Barbie. I had tried to persuade you that Lottie Dolls are better, but you are not having it and want all of the pink goodness of Barbie. You have asked for all sorts of Barbie things for your birthday.
Daddy and I are planning on surprising you with a very exciting present. I can’t wait to see your face. Several times you asked for a pink bike for your birthday, but Daddy said no, that you had to use Logan’s old bikes first and then when you have learnt to have cycle you can have a new bike. You are not too impressed with boy bikes, and while we are happy for you to play with any types of toys you like, I think you have fully fallen in love with the world of pink.
This past year you have started pre-school. We had a bit of a blip with your first pre-school and decided to move you and you are very happy in your new school. You love the forest and the garden and taking your little lunch box to have lunch there, as well as show and tell.
Your favourite books at the moment are Maisy or Spot books and each night you always insist on taking on of them to bed with you. You then carry them down with you proudly to breakfast each morning. Usually the first person you want to see in the morning is your Daddy and one of the first things you always ask him is ‘Dad you sitting next to me’ as you like your Dad to sit next to you at breakfast time.
Your favourite songs to sing are wind the bobbin up, baa baa black, or indeed pink, purple or orange sheep. and see the sleeping bunnies. You love to watch Paw Patrol (naturally), Frozen and Dinosaur Train. You love trips to Legoland and the park with your friends and you give some of the best hugs ever.
Daddy has nick-named you ‘pidgin’ or ‘pidg’ which for some reason you think is the best thing ever. I for one, have no idea where he came up with that nickname either. It’s even better if you become ‘princess pidgin’, especially if you have your Ana dress on. You also now like to spot pigeons on the way to school to pick up Logan.
You’re the sweetest girl I know and we are so very proud of you. This next year is your last year before you start school, can you believe that? I love your hugs, your enthusiasm, your giggle and yes even your wilfulness. I cannot wait to see what the next year brings.