Somehow Olivia and exclamation points go very well together.
Her personality is so wide open and energetic I feel that I should end every sentence describing her in exclamations. :)
But almost two weeks ago my little girl turned THREE!
I find it hard to believe. She’s just a little girl, and how can one grow so fast?
I wanted her to stay two forever.
Yes, it has been our most challenging age with her, but oh goodness,
THE most wonderful stage so far too.
How one little person can be so completely exasperating and so completely adorable at the same time is beyond me.
She doesn’t need much sleep. Even as an infant, she’d hardly sleep.
She fights bedtime, and tries to find multiple excuses to put it off.
On the 5th time out of bed, when we’re fit to be tied, she’ll say, “Oh, I fuh-got to give you a HUG!!”
and how can a parent resist a kiss on each cheek and a tight little squeeze about the neck?
For all her energy, she sure is a snuggler and a cuddler. I love it.
// birth site, in a car //
She’s the one that gives us near panic-attacks as we see her carrying two-week old Hudson from one end of the house to the other,
all across hardwoods, holding him around the neck so tightly he probably didn’t breathe the entire time.
This is not allowed. But she’s “sooo bigger!” since the baby’s born, she thinks.
She has a lisp that I hope she doesn’t outgrow for a long time.
“I want to go to da pa-wick [park] an’ fwing on da fwings.”
“Him weft him toys he-ah!”
“Him wike him daddy.”
“Wook! I have two ones!” [look, i have two ones; meaning, i have two]
“Can you help me, Mom? I can’t hawd-wy do dis.”
“Mom, the baby cwying! Him ‘CREAMIN’!”
to the baby: ‘Hi, fweet-ha-weet!”
She says things like “dand-aid” for bandaid
and “bi-puh” for diaper
and other little words that now the whole family says.
I told Ben the other day that by the time our kids leave home
WE – not the kids – will have no proper grammer left!
And he said with a grin, “Dat okay.” :)
// two weeks //
// one year //
// two years //
[this picture by c. smucker photography]
From Olivia’s sommersaults in the womb just days before birth
to her 50 hours of labor
to her carbirth
to her first birthday being spent at the doctor and hospital lab
to her fiesty spunk in standing up to perfectionist older sister
to her wild imagination [i.e. making mommies and daddies from her fork and spoon]
to her infectious giggle
to her gorgeous dimples
to her long blonde hair…
She has been a small form of the energizer bunny.
She’s brought sunshine and laughter in wonderful degrees.
She’s brought us to our knees in prayer countless times.
[“I not wike angels!” after being told they watch over her at night so she won’t have to be afraid.]
She melts me in a puddle.
She’s come from her bedroom before, saying, “I was pwaying to Jesus, Mommy.”
She is a gift from the heart of God, and I am so humbled by His entrusting us with her.
She is a witty one.
When I was combing her tangly hair one morning:
“Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Oh, Lord Jesus, COME!”
When at breakfast one morning, Ben handed her a biscotti,
she burst into song, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul!”
Witty little comments come out of her tiny little mouth all the time.
Her mother wishes she would’ve been given that gift as well. :)
She is Little Drama Girl.
If I forgot to give her vitamins in the morning, she’ll come to me later with a dramatic GASP, huge eyes,
and in a tone of voice that says the sky is falling says, “You begot to give me VI-MINS!”
Gasps and “sky-is-falling” voice is every-day common.
I wonder how much time I spend laughing at her each day.
// birthday girl at church this year //
Dear Sweet Girl, may you continue to be a messenger of peace and joy, as your name means.
And may you fulfill all of God’s plans for you.
And most of all, may you learn to love the Lord Jesus with all your heart…
We love you with all of ours…
My in-laws were so sweet on Olivia’s birthday.
Our little family has had the tradition of doing something special together on birthday day, rather than big parties.
But since Hudson was only two weeks old, and I wasn’t quite up to a day away,
my mother-in-law and sister-in-law offered to help me out.
Sonya made a darling little cake,
the party was at Mama Yoder’s house with cousins,
and I picked up a few little party supplies.
THREE! She practiced long and hard before the birthday to be able to do this.
We call her our little monkey, so hence the monkey blow things. :)
Happy birthday, Lovies!
~clarita
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Clarita, she’s just sooo beautiful! How fast 3 years goes when you’re having fun!
Happy Birthday!
she’s SO cute! i love her white dress on the swing….
you are such a sweet mommy and you have a beautiful family!!
What an adorable little girl! And she sounds like she is SO much fun…even if that also means that she can be quite challenging at times!
Laila says “happy birthday, 3 is awesome!!”
not really… but…
olivia is a total doll. :)
Happy Birthday to Sweet Olivia!!! She is such a pretty little girl!
I know what you mean about proper grammar…just last night as Jeff and I were getting into bed he asked me if I wanted a sip of “watay” before he put the glass onto the dresser. Haha.
Love the last shot.
Happy Thursday to you. =)
Such a sweetie! She reminds me of our little grand-daughter, Ella. I’ve never seen a child as out-going and inventive as she is.
happy birthday to beautiful olivia! 3 is SUCH a fun age. i also love the “kid talk”. kierra is pretty good at pronouncing a lot of things correctly, but one of the cutest things is how “th” becomes “l” in certain words. like “muller” for mother and “stop bollering me” for bother. someday she’d like to have a baby bruller like your girls have.
that cake is so pretty and feminine, yet simple enough that even i could do it. i will have to file that away as inspiration.
also, i know you’ve said before that olivia was born in the car after 50 hours of labor. i would love to her that story, because it seems 50 hours would give you enough time to drive from there to our hospital and still have time to spare :) sounds like a good story!
Happy Birthday Olivia. My Akilah will be 3 in two weeks. Wow, sounds like they have the same personality. Fun and challenging!
She’s adorable and sounds like she’s got some good spunk! Glad you all had fun celebrating her!
What a girl! I was sitting here reading and lol . . . Happy Birthday, Olivia! And good job, dear mother, with remembering and/or writing down all the precious things she does and says. Either my children are not that funny or I don’t have a sense of humor to see them or, or, maybe I just need to write more down!!? Either way, I loved this post. :)
happy happy birthday to darling olivia and her mother.
what an amazing, spunky little girl. she makes me laugh right here as you are describing her! and i’m thinking that laughter aids the energy level needed to keep up with her. :) that pic of you in the hat is my fav…but all of them were funfun to look at.
She is most definitely my most FAVORITE and my BEST 3 year old niece in the world! Love that kid, i could hang out with her all day! :) ADORABLE quotes, just love it!!!! So privileged i get to see them grow up, now that i live close!
O what a sweet post for such a sweet little lady. We so love being able to share a little bit of this precious, sweet girl. I think she is one of Jeffersons best friends, but little boys are not “supposed” to have a girl “best friends”:) I love how you remember all the FUN stuff she says, I thought I would never forget the sweet things my children said as toddlers, but I have and I never took the time to write them down:(. May Gods presence be so very near you in the next several days and weeks.
Happy Birthday, Olivia! In her birthday party pictures, she looks so grown up…it’s sad that little girls don’t stay little for very long! :)
She’s sooooo pretty! I love all her photos, and you look so lovely in them all, too!
Happy birthday to a lovely and witty little princess! You’re descriptions make me think of Anne Shirley… what a kindred spirit she has! :)
she just looks like a squirt!! that look in her eye…the pixy look she has about her…she’s such a doll! what a sweet thing that your MIL and family pitched in to help make her birthday special!
hoping you’re still recovering well and feeling up to the next jaunt north! see you before too long, i hope!
(hugs)
Happy Birthday Olivia! Clarita, she sounds so much like my Chayla… I just smiled and laughed all the way through your post. I would have thought you were describing Chayla the whole time. I think these two girls would have loads of fun together. =)
such a sweet birthday post. so glad family helped you make her birthday special. that’s awesome. she is such a dolly! hope to see you soon!!!!
What a doll. I hadnt realized her and Madelyn were so close in age, Madi is turning 3 in July. I think the age/stage is so much fun-and super cute. I think they would be great friends.:)
happy birthday olivia! 3 is a FUN age to be!!
you are beautiful, just like your mama~
give her a big ole hug from me!!! :)