Dear Julia:
Just over a week ago you turned three. Not one or seven like you keep telling us, but three. I know, I can't hardly believe it either. You are really three! You are always one of my daily smiles (even when I don't write them down); how can I possibly begin to capture everything you are right now? Maybe I'll begin with a small list of the little things you do that are just so, well, you:
• You give fantastic hugs. Squeeze hugs. That is, tight hugs that include a small grunt. You've done this for as long as I can remember and let me tell you, these are the best kind of hugs especially from someone that comes in such a small package, like you.
• You have the most wonderfully expressive eyebrows. My favourite is when you express how something makes absolutely no sense to you. You lift your hands, repeat what you heard in an inquisitive, higher pitched voice and raise one eyebrow higher than the other practically closing one eye.
• One of the less precious, but nonetheless notable things you do happens when you don’t get the answer you are looking for. Your first line of defence is typically to continue repeating the question louder and louder until you get what you want. When this invariably fails, you stomp your foot and declare that you hate whatever answer we have given you.
This whole insisting you are seven thing relates to just how much you adore and idolize your brother, I think. For a while now you have wanted to do everything "just like Hunter." He's turning seven so naturally you expect that you should be seven like Hunter. When you insist you are one I have to conclude that this is because you know it's on one side of two (you love numbers)- you've just got the wrong side, that's all.
Besides your brother being one of your favourite toys, you've got a few others: you really love trains and puzzles and books and dress-up.
You've got the most incredible imagination.
You love to play picnic or take care of babies or go to school "just like Hunter". You also have an ongoing obsession with giving babies or stuffies medicine. I don't know where it comes from because you've only needed real medicine once, but giving babies or stuffies medicine is just one of those things that you love to do. You continue to love animals. Luckily for you, Shadow tolerates you well.
Our newest cat Benson hasn't fully adjusted. His strategy is escape, but I'm sure he'll come around. Speaking of Benson, another side of your personality presented itself when we first got him. The two cats got into a fight, which made Hunter cry but was somehow exciting to you! When things settled down, you were waving your arms in a cat fighting motion announcing that the kitties were "rarring like tigers"! Like Tigers! Clearly, you're going to be just fine with conflict. It's probably not a bad trait. I'm sure it will mean that you are resilient but believe me, I am not worried about that. You are the definition of tough.
Julia, my crazy mazy, you are the best Valentine's Day present a girl could ever have. I love you more than you can imagine for ever and always. Huggies! Kissies!
Love Mum
