It’s hard to believe that Janie is now 3 years old.  She’s now considered a “preschooler” and no longer a “toddler”.  We’re going to have to start paying admission for her at some places and the search for a preschool in SF will be on our minds for the next few months.

This past year has been such a whirlwind.  She has grown into quite a little person with so much personality, language, and independence.  We have watched her learn how to ride a scooter and tricycle along with going up and down stairs reciprocally.  She runs with such gusto and can jump off of higher surfaces now.  We also transitioned her from being home with Mirian to full-time daycare this year, which was hard for her at first but now she looks forward to school, talks about her friends, and has learned lots of Spanish.

This little girl has also learned how to be more independent in self-care.  I’m still in disbelief that she’s actually potty trained and can be trusted to be in underwear during the day now.  She wears a diaper at night still but will actually take naps without an accident.  She is also brushing and flossing her teeth (with a bit of help for thoroughness) and can dress herself completely now.  For some reason, she prefers to eat with her fingers but she is fully capable of using a fork and spoon and cuts soft foods with a knife pretty well.  Her fine motor skills are also coming along nicely.  Mommy is so proud of her pencil grasp and how she uses scissors.  Cooking (real and pretend) has also become a favorite activity.

Everyday, we are amazed at all the language that comes out of this kid.  We can have real conversations with her now and I’ve lost count of how many words she has in both English and Spanish.  She seems to record everything she sees and hears around her and will spit back things that we didn’t even realize we’ve said or done.  Her memory is pretty good and a little scary at the same time.  She can count to at least 20 in English and Spanish and tries to count beyond that too.  She knows her letters really well and recites the ABCs in Spanish all day long.  She continues to love books and has memorized most of her favorites: Pout Pout Fish, Awesome Book of Love, Dragons Love Tacos are just a few. She has also had the pleasure of watching some TV programs and movies this year.  Curious George, Finding Nemo, Winnie the Pooh, Daniel Tiger, and Chip and Dale have been her favorites.  She was also into Frozen for a while but that had lost some steam lately.

Over the past year, Janie has had some eventful things happen.  We finally put away her pack-n-play and got her a toddler bed, which she loves.  Janie had her first trip to the ER with croup, which was more of a scare for her rookie Mommy and Daddy.  She transitioned off the pacifier with flying colors but still loves her GG.  She traveled to Hawaii twice and also to Mexico, which was her first international trip.  Speaking of, she also had to get her first passport.  Janie also learned about siblings.  She’s going to be a big sister soon and has watched Mommy’s tummy grow.  She will usually say things like “that’s my baby brother” or “Mommy’s cooking baby brother”.

In the past month, we recorded some new things about her:

1. Self-care: Janie mastered putting on her a shirt correctly.  She is officially in underwear all day long without accidents (even during naps and in the car!)  When she uses the toilet at home, she insists that she doesn’t need the potty cover for the toilet.  She also brushes her teeth and flosses now with a little help at the end from Mommy.  We also transitioned her to toothpaste with fluoride after she learned how to not swallow the toothpaste.
2. Language: This kid is getting pretty sassy and it shows in her language.  Some new phrases include: “Sounds good.  Let’s do that.” “Sounds gross.” “You’re stinky.” “I’ll be right back.” “That’s the rule.” “That’s not a question.” “Really?! Are you SURE?!” “How did that happen?” “Hey!” “What’s going on?” “Of course!”  We have also entered the “why” phase, which I had been dreading.  So far it hasn’t been TOO bad.
3. Gross Motor: She has a new flamingo dance.
4. Personality: We’ve always known that she likes to be independent but she’s definitely testing our patience this month.  There have been lots of moments when I know she heard what I asked her to do and she will selectively ignore it.  Sometimes she will just flat out say “no” and protest too.  At the same time, she is so sweet and caring most of the time.  When Mommy injures herself, she will console her and say “poor Mommy”.  She’s also very sweet to her stuffed animals.  I can also see the bossy side of her when she orders her stuffed animals and sometimes Mommy and Daddy around.  Her scowl and scolding face is a little frightening.  Poor Baby Brother is going to have to learn how to deal with his older sister.
5. Stats: Size 7 shoes.  3T/4T clothes. Weight and height will be measured tomorrow at her doctor’s appointment.

What a year (and month) it has been!  It’s sad to see the baby in her gradually disappear but we are so excited to see what else she will learn and accomplish this coming year.  She insists that she’s not a baby anymore and yet will still ask us to carry her at times.  Our little baby is now a full-fledged little kid now and we love her to pieces.  We are so proud of all that she has become and look forward to seeing how she handles being a big sister this coming year.

Happy 3rd Birthday (and 36 months), KK!  You’ll always be our Baby Girl!!