Golden

Three.

It's a magical number today.

My third-born turns three years old on the third of May.  It is her golden birthday.  And my mind boggles that the day has come.  Weren't we just floating away into the Cumberland River?  And here we are....

I realize I should be captioning these photos, but, man, what I see as her mother -- her mommy -- looking at each of these is hard to put into words.

It's so much more than "Erin loves her chocolate milk."

And, "Erin is all about rainbows these days."

It's more than "I wear you's pink stipstick."  It's time in the morning, even when the morning hasn't made time, to spend a minute in the bathroom with my girl, whittling away at the Mary Kay tube of Fancy Nancy, and watch her try to blot her lips "just like mommy."  It's pausing to realize that she is truly my mini-me, watching and mimicking my every move.

It's more than "Erin is an artist at heart."  It is that you are passionate about what you love.  Color and pattern and beauty, and you see it in so many things, and you create it where it doesn't naturally exist. ;)

 

Oh, Erin, two was a tough year, little miss.  We gave you a baby brother for your second birthday, made you start preschool, moved you to a big girl bed, potty trained you, stuck you in the hospital for a week...

And you were a rockstar.  A dramatic, angelic, often (literally) snotty, adorable 21 pound handful.

You are an amazing sister, daughter, friend.  Your favorite people in the world are your family, plus Mr. Doug ad Tiff'y. You are still shy around most people, but I love that innocence.  You amaze me, sweetheart.  You are everything and nothing that I imagined, and I am so lucky to be the one who is your momma.  I won't always be your favorite, or your best friend, but I'll always be your biggest fan.  You are the brightest star in my sky.  I love you.