Dear Madeline: February, 2014

Dear Madeline,
First off, I can't believe how grown up you've become. I look at pictures from this past fall, and you are taller, slimmer, less baby-faced already. Then I watch old videos, and your voice has matured; your vocabulary has expanded.
I am left staring at you, mouth agape, wondering where my baby went. Who is this little girl that lives with us? What happened to my chubby-cheeked Maddie Bear?

It's funny. Since I'm not a huge fan of the newborn stage, I'm urging your sister to grow, grow, grow. Meanwhile, I feel like shouting, "Slow down! You're growing up too fast!" in your direction.
Yet, you are very much a little kid..solidly entrenched in the terrible threes. I'll stop just short of labeling you as obnoxious, because that would probably make me a bad parent. It's just that you do a lot of obnoxious things. You're seriously testing your limits and pushing our buttons.

Every direction we give you, from picking up your toys to using your fork, is followed by a "Why?" And you usually don't accept the rational answers we attempt to provide. I've found the words, "Because I said so," coming from my mouth way more than I'd like.
You love Vivienne so, so much, and are such a good big sister. She was crying while I changed her diaper this morning. You held her hand and said, "Don't worry, Vivi. I'll be right here for you." Aww.

Sometimes you love her a little too much. There is such a thing as too many kisses, especially since you recently had a cold. We've had to chase you away from her from time to time.
You like playing in the snow, which is good because we've had a ton of it. You're obsessed with the movie Frozen. We listen to the soundtrack daily, and most of your pretend play involves Elsa and Anna. You color a lot, and still like puzzles.
We love your sweetness, sense of humor, and even your feisty side.

Love, Mumma