three and half years old

Myla turns three and half today. I look back at all the pictures to remind myself where the years have gone with her in our life. Each year with Myla seems to be going faster and faster. There are many days I want to stop the time and keep her this age forever. I want to remember all the details of who she is at this age and the ways she is growing daily. Myla and I talk all day long together. We are girls and we have plenty of words to use. We spend most of our days together doing things around the home, running errands, getting groceries, and going to story time. In the morning she usually finds us in the office or downstairs. For the most part Myla wakes up happy and loves to snuggle on our laps or asks to be held for the first couple of minutes. As we cook breakfast she reminds me of the glass of keifer I promised her and her vitamins. Myla says it louder and louder when I do not get them immediately. She thinks I can not hear her when only I can do one thing at a time. As we get ready in the morning she stands on the toilet lid and watches me. She sometime will ask to comb my hair any pretends to be Darcy from Salon Enso. She can dress herself and loves to wear short sleeves and skirts together. Never socks. Not even in the winter. I have stopped buying them for her. Within the last month or two I have found her undressed and in her sink with the water on. She loved to do this when she was under a year old. I do not know how much longer she will fit.

She has become a big helper. Myla will help fold the napkins and dish towels after she jumps into the pile of laundry. She pushes the cart in the grocery store for me and now counts the number of Brussels spouts to place into the bag. She loves order and organized the items in the grocery cart and will get upset if things get stacked on top of each other. When I am cooking she sometimes asks how she can help. She likes to peel the carrots and stir whatever is cooking in the pot, being aware of the hot surfaces around her.  She also loves to taste everything I am cooking by dipping her fingers into it. She is honest and tells me if it is good or not. She loves to eat and surprises me by eating salads and beets. Myla’s questions have been why for over the last year and a half and then follow up with why after the first explanation. I love her inquisitive mind and how she remembers what you say. She is an observer and takes everything in. Myla is my little GPS and often tells me where we are and will ask if I go a different way home. Myla is such a little mom to her babies. She loves to show them off to anyone who comes to the home. She plays with them each day, changing their clothes, putting a diaper on them, feeding them, and pushing them in their stroller. At dinner time she helps set the table and clears her plate.  Myla will stick her fingers in the butter if set on the table before we are sitting down and will lick the salt shaker. She loves to play duck duck goose around the table once we are finished. Myla is fast. It is an all out competition in our home. There is no walking around the table. She can now reach up to the kitchen sink to wash her hands when on her tip toes after meals.

She is one determined girl when she wants something. Lately we have been hiding or stashing her beloved blanket away from her. It was great when she was little as her thumb went in when we tucked her in to bed with her blanket and off to sleep she went. Now we are attempting to have her stop sucking the thumb by hiding the blanket. She will get or carry a chair to reach on her tip toes to grab a dangling piece of the blanket from her top shelf in her closet. She works hard until it is in her hands again. Myla then comes running to show us her prize! Our plan is obviously not working.

One other area I almost forgot to mention is her love of music. It was within the first weeks of life that singing a song calmed her cry. She knows songs and hymns that I can not even remember the words too. On my iphone she has found the voice memo and loves to sing and record her voice. And when she listens to music she likes it loud!

And then there is bedtime. The Routine: Brush teeth, put pull up on, read book, find blankets, sing songs (all five and in order) and prayers. And I forgot to mention eat snack. The the getting up begins if we missed anything from the routine. She comes and find us to tell us what we forgot! Then back to bed. Then you hear feet and she is asking for another snack because she is hunger. This girl can eat! and then we tuck her back into bed. She confesses she wants us to snuggle with her. So we give her another kiss goodnight and she wraps her arms so tight around you and tells you “stay in my arms forever!” She does not let go until you are begging her. This all takes an hour and sometimes more, but I love it! Myla is growing too fast for me and I love the everyday moments I have with her.

Usually at this time of year we are inside, the outside grass is brown and everything is dead. This weekend we got flurries. Enough to barely cover the grass and create a beautiful winter scene. We first went outside for a few pictures for my Valentine’s idea and then we started to shoot without the sign. Capturing her fills me up and give my heart much joy!!