Anna at 3 years

My little girl is growing so fast. She is such a big girl. Very helpful and independant. Three years with this girl have flown on by.

She has hit a bit of a grumpy patch since Isaac’s arrival. Of course we ask so much of her now, she must be patient and helpful and obedient too. Some pushback is all part of growth and development. Aside from the few tantrums here and there, she brings joy into our house every day with her feel-better pats and kisses and her words of encouragement. She is a sweet blessing around here. And she is constantly surprising us with her skills, articulation, and kindness.

Anna shows her independence in many ways. She likes to:

• Make her own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
• Pick out her own clothes and put them on, especially dresses and shoes.
• Push her brother in the stroller.
• Say prayers without help.
• Use scissors alone to cut tags and recyclables for crafts.
• Tell us stories. “Once upon a time…”
• Scoop and pour by herself when we are baking.
• Slice strawberries and bananas, knead bread, and crack eggs.

My girl is a happy girl. She is quick to forgive when I am impatient, for which I am grateful. She loves being read to, playing volleyball with a beach ball, coloring, writing letters to friends, trying to make Isaac laugh, having picnics, and running around outside. She has a seemingly endless energy supply and outlasts us almost every night in the fight to go to bed. She understands way more in television shows than I ever gave her credit for and has learned the names of the main cast in Stargate as that is our current family show. She even knows some jokes that we retold a few times for laughs to one another. She is so quick to pick up on things. I enjoy chatting with Anna because she is so observant.

Anna weighed 38 lbs and is 40 1/4″ tall at her wellness visit. Her height is in the 97th percentile and the weight was closer to 75%. The doctor said her height was average for a 4.5 year old and that she had adorable adult mannerisms when she spoke (like her little shake of the head and her hand motions). We are grateful that she is healthy and that she is a part of our family. Most days Jacob and I wonder out loud how lucky we are to be her parents.

Some Anna Quotes:

The doctor asked her how old she was. Anna replied, “two and a hal…three.”

“I’m just not cut out for it.” (Eating carrots)

“I wish we could meet them because they are so handsome and sing so good.” – while watching Florida Georgia Line’s music video.

“This is a octopus. He has tenticals. He tickles, even tickles himself.” – while “reading” a book to her baby doll.

“Tuh, tuh, what does two start with? T. One. Wuh, wuh, what does one start with? W!”

Anna hears a girl crying in the play place at McDonald’s. “Come on let’s help her.” Anna runs up with her friends and starts talking to her. “We heard you say waaah waaah.”

Anna has her own spray bottle that looks like my household cleaner bottle, but hers is filled with water. Jacob was showing her the difference between the bottles, and warned her: “Be careful because one is cleaner.” She replied, “so the other is dirtier. ”

“My tummy says it’s not hungry any more. But it is thirsty for a juice box!”

“Mom, turn down the music! I don’t think Isaac likes it that loud.” – In the car, I was listening to music to help me ignore my hungry baby’s cries, Anna knew the true source of his frustration though.