Micaela is now 3-years-old. She has actually been 3 for over a week now, but in the midst of our chaotic lives I haven't had the chance to write about her third year of life. And it has been a great year. I am so thankful that I have this child in my life. We celebrated her birthday with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory with 13 of our nearest and dearest. It was great and she had fun, and the day after her birthday Caleb and I took her out for a Micaela Night. She loved that as well, especially the non-stop treats she got. Every one needs a little sugar on their birthday!
Thinking about these last three years I have many thoughts about Micaela. I know every parent thinks their child is amazing, and I am no exception. Micaela has the most beautiful smile and she laughs more than any kid I know. I call her everyday from work and when we talk on the phone I can hear her smile, and it makes my day. Whenever I am gone from home, whether at work during the day or out to get the mail, when I come back in the house she looks at me, yells "mama" and runs up to give me a hug. Often times throughout the day she will ask me for a hug, or ask to sit in my lap, which reminds me that even though she is growing up she still needs her mama.
Her personality this last year has really developed. Her love of princesses and anything Disney is apparant to all who know her. She loves her new Cinderella outfits and insists on being called Cinderella. She will usually also name me and Caleb. I will be Belle and Caleb will be "little mermaid."
Her sense of style is also developing quite nicely. I have started letting her pick out her own clothes, which is an increidbly difficult task for a control freak like myself, but she has done amazing. She's turning into a Rands girl, pick out the clothes and hit up dad for the credit card!
Her dad will buy her anything, rivaled only perhaps by her grandpa. This has gotten worse as she has learned the power of the word please accompanied by the "puppy dog pout."
On a more serious note, she is one of the most empathetic kids I have every known. When she hears other kids crying, even babies, she becomes very concerned asking why they are crying and saying things like "oh no!" She can also sense emotions between Caleb and I. We are very concious to not raise our voices in anger and we do not believe in yelling. However, we joke around a lot, and whenever I raise my voice she looks me in the eyes and says "calm down mama. Just calm down." I am not sure where she learned this calming technique... She is also very encouraging, often saying things like "good job!" to Caleb when he gets the car to start or when I acutally fix something around the house without using the common heard phrase of "let's wait untill dada gets home..." She also told me the other day while I was dancing to a workout video that I was a good dancer. Which of course is true, I'm just surprised she noticed:)
Our girls nights are one of my favorite times of the week. As she has gotten older we have been able to do more things together. I'm still amazed that we can sit in a coffee shop for an hour drinking hot chocolate and looking at books, or acutally go to a movie together and sit the entire time.
She has so many good qualities and she is such a good fit for Caleb and I. She likes to stay up and party with the adults, and we often get the look from friends and family that we are crazy, but she sleeps in every morning and takes a 2-3 hour nap each day. Perfect for us. She's loud and friendly and will flirt with anyone. She loves kids and has a great memory for names, often asking to call a friend or relative or a relative's pet on the phone, and we usually let her.
Her pediatrician refers client to me, and is very familiar with my line of work. He asked me how I thought she was doing, and all I could think to say is "she's well adjusted to her life." As for me, I am well adjusted to her. It gives me faith that the guy upstairs thought about me and Caleb when he sent Micaela to us. And I am absolutley convinced that my next child will be the child my parents wished on me during my adolscent years. Happy Birthday Micaela!!
Labels: The Fam
posted by Michele at 6:57 PM
