3 years, 4 months

My Sweet Mollie-Girl, 

Tonight is the last night you are an only child. I thought I had a few more weeks to savor you, focus on you and snuggle you, but you and I were in a car accident that on Tuesday and that resulted in placental abruption, caused contractions and is resulting in a c-section.  

Baking with Grammie

Brother snuggles

Okay... fast forward 13 days and here I am to continue this letter.  I didn't get to finish it in the hospital... things went so very fast.  Then, your brother was in the NICU and it took us 6 days to even get home. Then the whirlwind of healing and feeding and sleeping and changing.  Your grandma, aunt and three cousins were here for the first week, so life was crazy but good.  This week, your Grammie is here and we are trying to adjust, but I am having so much pain.  Your Grammie extended her trip and now your Grandma is coming back on Tuesday.  

You have been so patient!  With everything!  This summer I carted you all over the place.  Your Popa passed away and we were back and forth to Dallas many times, we were in IL, OH, MI, IN, PA, TX and OK and for the most part you were with me.  You are a great traveler, and because of our rooming situations, you had no schedule.  Then we got in a car accident and instead of us being able to savor our last few weeks with you as an only child... BOOM!  We had a baby, and one that required extra care.  He is definitely healthy and doing well, but that first couple of weeks was a bit rough. 

Cousin Love

Celebrating Olivia's Birthday

This summer you have developed a few interesting behavioral things, and I don't know if it is because of our travels, how little you have been with mommy and daddy together, all the changes, too much stimulation or just being three years old, but here goes...  You like to yell, talk back, whine, and spit. We are working on all of these things, and you seem to understand that they are unacceptable, but we are definitely spending a lot more time in the thinking chair.  However, the tender side of me wonders if this is a result of how I have managed your life this year... it has been overwhelming and you have already been faced with death of someone close to you at such a young age.  You still talk about it every day.  

You don't really dig having your picture taken these days...

But you love wearing pretty, pretty dresses!

You and I love to snuggle with each other!

On the flip side though, you are incredibly loving, sweet, caring, affectionate and kind.  Any time you see that I am hurting you want to fix it, when your friends cry, you want to make it better. You give me, Daddy and Max kisses and hugs all the time and make sure I know that you love me... even when you are spending time in the thinking chair.  You are funny and a performer (always want to put on a show, which makes me so happy), and you enjoy bowing and clapping ;-)  You are literally my sunshine... you bring me such joy and working through the struggles of figuring out the parenting thing is something I am grateful for and feel quite fortunate to be blessed with.  

You are so smart, so kind, so funny, so energetic, so full of life and personality, you have leadership skills, and are 3 going on 30.  I don't want to squash any of that in you.  I find that I continue to gain confidence in my parenting even despite what others have to say about it.  

A lesson from me to you... people will always have opinions of you and the way you do things.  Wisdom can come in a multitude of council, but you also have to know what accept as something that resonates with you and what to set aside and advice that you disagree with.  Otherwise, you will be swayed with the wind, and that can be dangerous and harmful. This is something I am learning in a big way right now, and I am 38 years old, so I want to pass these little nuggets on to you as I learn them.  

Here are some pictures of me and you from our summer of fun!

The most important thing is that I love and adore you, you are an incredible kid and your Daddy and I know that even despite the mistakes we have made and will continue to make and learn from that we are raising an incredible kid that will do great things.  We are so very proud of you and who you are, who you are blossoming into and the relationship we have with you.  We are so grateful to call you daughter, and I am fortunate that I get to be your mommy... what an honor. Keep smiling and laughing and keep making others smile and laugh... You are treasured every single moment of every single day!

I love you my sweet monkey... stay exactly who you are, but with less yelling, whining, and spitting.  ;-) 

Mommy