My baby girl turned 3 at the end of July.

I had this *brilliant* idea that I would go through each and every picture file on my folder and pull out my favorite pictures of Cecilia over the past 3 years. I poured myself a glass of wine, popped some pop corn, put in my ear phones and rocked out to Small Black, a new band I am crushing on at the moment.

I thought I could get a couple of good ones in an hour or so.

I lost myself in picture land that night.

Four hours later, I looked up from my screen to check the time. My eyes were watering (most likely too much ‘all-at-once’ screen time), my back was stiff from my non-ergonomic chair and my wine glass was empty. Triple threat. BOO!

Almost one month later, I have completed my search.

I think I have gathered my favorites from the past 3 years.

And to think, it only took one month.

I have a ridiculous amount of pictures. To think I could find a couple of favorites from the past 3 years in one hour is a shining example of my eternal unrealistically dreamy self.

I live day-to-day, in the trenches of motherhood. I am in a perpetual state of mental “fog”. I can always benefit from more sleep. Nine times out of ten, I cannot remember what I did the day before.

Just three small facts about myself.

So I find it humorous when I look back at these pictures and I remember every moment. I remember who was crying and why, where the spit up was on the above outfit, who was having allergies (and the times I got creative with Photoshop to delete/diminish little snot runs) and who threw a fit because their pet stuffed monkey fell in our dog’s fecal matter.

Unfortunately, they may not all be perfectly in focus…

 But I believe, in some way, they all show her amazing personality.

Our big thing lately is sitting on the couch together, she sits on my stomach and we play little games. My favorite game is when I pretend to fall asleep and make a silly snoring-whistle sound. She says, “wake up” and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I wake up and we laugh. At the moment, it’s the only way I can get kisses from her.

Everyday I would ask for little kisses and for a while she would comply. BUT, she’s 3 now and let’s face it, she has a reputation to uphold. She has an independent spirit to assert dammit. She can’t just be dolling out kisses whenever asked.

I am not above resorting to silly games in order to get a smooch from my baby girl.

A momma’s gotta do what a momma’s gotta do.

Her favorite game is the animal/color game. I hold up an animal and she tells me the animal (either through sign or saying the animal name) and the sound. I then go around the room and ask her for the color of several different items.

She nails it.

3 years has gone by pretty fast. Once they hit 3 years, it goes even faster.

She has grown so much in the past 3 years.

I am excited to see the person she is going to become in the next three.

I love this baby girl.

She means the world to me.

Every year gets better…

I am pretty damn lucky and thankful AND grateful to have such an amazing little person in my life…

3 is after all, my favorite number. I think its going to be a pretty great year!