Happy 3rd Birthday, Eva!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Eva Kate! We are so happy to celebrate another wonderful birthday with you. You are still as energetic as ever and have a great big caring heart for others. You love being around other people and are always asking to go somewhere fun. You know all of your colors, most of your shapes, most of your alphabet and are working on learning more numbers when we do school together. 

You weigh 26 pounds and are 35 inches tall, just big enough to wear some 3T clothes now. {You only added 3 pounds and 2 1/2 inches this past year, but you seem so much bigger!) You wear a size 7 shoe. In the past year we have moved you to a big girl bed, said goodbye to your binky, and {mostly} conquered potty training - such big steps for my big girl! You have a giant vocabulary and can carry on conversations so well now. You like to sing songs by yourself. You usually sleep from 8:30 PM - 8 AM (although it takes much longer for you to actually fall asleep now) and nap from about 1:30 - 3 PM usually. Lately you've been eating a lot and sleeping extra so I think you're getting ready to grow some more! 

You've just been learning how to play games and this has been SO FUN for us to do together. You like Candyland, the Princess Cupcake game, Memory,  Go Fish, and Old Maid a lot - you always want to be the "old maid." For your birthday you got Hungry Hippos, Twister, and Hi Ho Cheerio so I'm sure we will be playing those often now too. You have been learning to cut with scissors and love any art that uses scissors, glue, and GLITTER! We read books together all the time and your favorite ones right now are the Duck and Goose series. You favorite bedtime animal is the moose Daddy brought you from camp, although you usually sleep with at least 20 other stuffed animals, 4 extra blankets, and your favorite fuzzy green pillow. You pray almost every night for Tabala, the child we sponsor in the Congo, me, and the baby...such sweet little girl prayers. This summer we swam a lot....right now you swim best with your arm floaties and love to jump in and practice going under the water.

This photo collage makes me cry a bit to think about how much you've grown and changed since you were that tiny newborn, but it also makes me smile at how much you've just become a more "big girl" version of that same baby. You have always laughed a lot, always been a cuddle bug, always been a wiggle worm, always wanted to be in the middle of the party, always loved your family, and always been so very beautiful. I feel like three will be such a wonderful age for you as you do more things independently yet still want me and Daddy right there. I am excited for you to be a big sister because you love babies and other kids so much. Sometimes the years pass by too quickly...sometimes the day passes by very slowly....but I am always so thankful that I've gotten to be right beside you almost every single day. I am excited for all the new memories we will make together this year!!!

I am so blessed to be your mama and pray all the time that I would love you well and continue to point you towards Jesus. You are more special to me and Daddy than you will ever know.
love,
Mama