Happy Birthday Jane!

My little girl is all grown up. Well, I guess 3 is still pretty young. I asked her what kind of party she wanted a couple of months ago. She didn't get it so I had to give examples. I tried to sneak princess in quickly without her noticing, but she picked up on it immediately and wanted a princess party. Later she changed it to fairies even though the only fairy she knew was Iridessa from Julie's iPhone game. After telling me the new theme she said, "I can't fly because I don't have wings yet. When I get bigger like Iridessa I can get wings." I started to explain the ways of the world to her but Matt cut me off and told me not to ruin it for her.
So for her fairy party she got to wear some fake fairy wings instead. She loved it. (Thanks Julie). And I made her a fairy cake. My first real cake and it was lots of fun.
We watched the Tinker Bell movie at her party but she didn't love that too much. She ended up bawling hysterically about the "pineapple thingys" (the thistles) that were chasing the fairies. She got a tiny bit shy when we all sang Happy Birthday to her.



She loved opening her presents and I loved that she is finally old enough to do that part all on her own.



She's been saying she's "almost 3" for awhile now. It took a couple times to explain to her that she IS 3 now. And for the past several months she has been claiming that everything she saw at home was "for my birthday, remember?" Now she can actually be correct in that statement, at least for a few things.

Also for her birthday, her Aunt Julie took her to the circus. She had lots of fun seeing the animals, eating cotton candy, and seeing the ladies do the twirls up in the air. She loved the over-all experience but didn't have much patience for the clowns. Julie spoiled her of course and she came away with a new beloved tiger. She said she wanted a flower name and after several suggestions decided on Petunia.




And now for the usual monthly run-down. This month has once again been filled with Jane's love for letters and letter sounds. We've discovered Super Why on PBS, and thanks to Princess Presto, Jane has really taken an interest in writing her letters. I think it's so adorable with the backwards J and triple circle B's.

She still loves to spell everything but has come a long way from the story of the cup-spelling fiasco from a couple months ago. Now it's more along the lines of "T,G,R, that spells tiger."

Also this month, Jane and I had to have the talk about BAD GUYS. She went out of the house without me knowing. I explained to her why I didn't like her doing that. Perhaps I overdid it. Now it takes a few minutes of coaxing to convince her she can play in the backyard while I watch her from the window. And after getting into the car she said to me, "But a bad guy will get me. He will open the door, do my buckles, and grab me!"

Jane has been very into her sense of smell lately. While walking to church she took a big sniff and said, "It's raining." I explained it wasn't raining and she explained that it smelled like rain (which it did). She can also sniff out a horse dropping from far away. After I cleaned the kitchen she came in sniffing, "Mmmmm, chemicals! Yummy!" And after Matt did his hair and bent down to kiss her she asked for him to bend down again smelled his hair and claimed it was yummy too. My favorite is when I'm cooking dinner and she says dinner smells so good. My least favorite is that anytime something smells funky she accuses me of passing gas, no matter where we are or who's around. Sometimes when I explain I didn't she looks surprised and says, "I tooted!?"

Along the lines of smell, Matt bought Jane a book about breaking wind. (And I wonder why she has her fascination with it). In the book it explains that eating meat makes your gas smell bad, whereas eating vegetables, like potatoes, makes your gas smell not so bad. So one time when Matt passed gas in front of Jane she did a big sniff and complained, "Eat potatoes!"

Jane has such a tender heart. Especially for animals. She saw a bit of Snow White at a friends house and has been talking with great concern about how the birds were scared. And during the hundredth reading of "Five little ducks" she was overcome with compassion when Matt got to the part where all the ducks have left. When Matt started in on "Sad mother duck went out one day" Jane started sobbing and sobbing. I guess it hit her particularly hard that day.

Jane has gotten past the overuse of the word "because" and has taken on the words "Why not?" It usually makes no sense whatsoever. Sometimes it's clear she should have said, "Why?" but sometimes it follows a simple question like when Matt said, "Jane, how are you doing, buddy?" "Why not?"

It's been 6 months since Jane has used a pacifier. Yet one morning I went in after she woke up and Jane was VERY upset with me. "Why'd you take my paci away! I NEED my paci. I need my paci in my mouth! Why'd you do that?" I think maybe she had a dream about it?

Jane asked Matt what was on his shirt. He said, "It says Miami Football. You know you were born in Miami?" She replied, "Yeah, I was born in your Ami. I was a baby in your Ami." The confusion continued days later with "There was a little baby Ami. Jane was."

Matt got home from work after Jane had gone to bed 3 days in a row and she was really missing him. When he was on his way to the post office and then to BYU for work-related stuff he asked Jane if she wanted to go to work with him. She said no and started crying inconsolably. Matt said they would have lots of fun. She said, "But I'm not Daddy!" Slowly, she started warming up to the idea, even getting nervously excited. Matt suggested maybe he should run to the post office, come back to get her, and then they would go to BYU together. She said, "But I don't know how to drive!"

Jane started crying in nursery, and the nursery leaders came and got Matt. Matt told her she could stay in nursery and play and have fun or she could come with him to his boring class where she'd have to sit on his lap quietly. She said she wanted to go to Daddy's class. They went in to priesthood opening exercises, sat down, and after what Matt explains was literally at most 3 seconds, Jane said, "I want to go to nursery by myself." While walking out she said loudly, "I was SO bored."

(I think Jane weighs around 29.5 pounds and is 3'1" tall).


Dear Jane,
I am so grateful to have spent another year being your mom and watching you grow. I love you more than I ever imagined. It is so fun to watch your personality emerge. I enjoy being around you so much. I love the way you like to laugh and to make us laugh. I love how you always remind me that it's not okay to be mad. You have such a tender heart. I love the way you love your stuffed animals, and want so desperately to pet the real ones that you see. I love listening to you when you are going to bed and play and talk and pretend for so long with all of your toys. I love how much you love your daddy. You have him completely wrapped around your finger, but in a very sweet way. All you do is mention something about him being your best friend and he does whatever you ask. I had so much fun with you when it was just the two of us at home during the day, but it is really special to see you being a big sister. Thanks for the countless times I have asked for a pacifier, a burp rag, my phone, the remote, etc. while nursing or rocking and you have been happy to help. You get so excited to see all the little things that Jack is learning. He is going to enjoy having you as his sister. I hope that I can be a good mom because you deserve the best. I hope when you start to remember things that you will remember these years as fondly as I will.
I love you,
Mom