Lyla Turns 3

 On September 8th, Lyla turned THREE!!! I begged her all day to stay two but she wouldn't listen. ;) It feels like a lifetime that we've spent with her because I can't even remember what this world was like without her in it but I also spent so much of her birthday remembering every last detail of the day she was born like it just happened yesterday. 

She is the sweetest, sassiest little thing I've ever met! I could not love her personality more! Everyone who knows her, loves her too. Her birthday didn't land on a preschool day so she took treats to her class the day before ... chocolate cupcakes (from a box, thanks to Covid and the no homemade treats rule). She was beyond excited to share them with her friends! 

When I went to pick her up she was beaming in a birthday crown! Totally fitting for this girl and her princess backpack!

That night, I tucked my two year old girl in her crib that we converted into a toddler bed for the very last time. Makes me emotional just thinking about it. Where she once only took up a small corner of it, she had outgrown it and wanted nothing more for her birthday than a "pink big girl bed".  

First things first, greeted in her room with balloons and singing "Happy Birthday" to her with a stack of donuts for breakfast ...

She was in HEAVEN! No, I did not let her eat all three of those. haha

Right after breakfast was my favorite part of the day. While she was eating her donuts, I sent Nic in her room to take down the crib and set up her new big girl bed!!! She loved even more than I hoped that she would. She spent the next hour hyper as can be jumping up and down on it as well as snuggling up and testing out the covers. A pink big girl bed of her dreams!!

I should mention that it was on the floor for a brief time because the bed frame didn't come in time ... even if it was ordered months before (again, thanks Covid). She didn't care one bit!

Liam had online school (his first day actually!) on her birthday morning so we waited for him to finish and then off we went to the ZOO! The kids hadn't been in quite a long time and were both so excited! I didn't end up doing my research ahead of time and discovered that you need a reservation after we showed up. Luckily with it being a weekday, we only had to wait 15 minutes for the next spot to open up. We wandered around the beautiful rose garden and the kids spotted a tree with a heart in the trunk ...

Lyla loves all the animals at the zoo but Liam comes for two things, the bat exhibit (which he was heartbroken to discover was closed because of social distancing) and the crocodile! Our kids at this age always have a little bit of a hard time with their sibling's attention on their birthday so we did a few extra things throughout the day to make him feel special too. Visiting this guy was at the top of the list ...

Meanwhile ... Lyla was enamored just passing by the pond with ducks in it. ;)

I know someday I'll look at this picture and see how tiny she really was at three with her favorite "bear ears" as pigtails for the zoo. 

Masks were required to enter the zoo but the best part about having a reservation, it really limited the number of people who were there. They also had walking paths that were only one way so we pretty much got every exhibit to ourselves with a front row view of the animals! The tiger was SO close to the window ...

"It's my party and I'll photobomb you if I want to!"

Holding hands with my favorite girl. <3 Something she rarely does anymore so I cherish it.

Perching on daddy's shoulders to see the giraffe! We caught them at the perfect time, right when they were eating their lunch!

This one was being fed a head of lettuce over the fence by one of the zookeepers. haha

We had the best time at the zoo that day! 

Before leaving, they each got to pick a new toy at the gift shop. 

Lyla has slept with her "elepant" ever since. <3

Cutest birthday girl!!!

Right after dinner, she was surprised with a Crumble cookies delivery from her Papa and Grandma Dee! We reused her puppy party candles and cake topper on her cookie for a birthday treat and sang "Happy Birthday" one last time for good measure. ;)

She was a little freaked out by the flame so she had no problem blowing it out to make her wish. Followed by the best pink frosting sugar coma every birthday girl deserves. haha

I've never seen someone more excited to go to bed than Lyla on her birthday night. She tried to ask us at 6:00 PM but we did everything to distract her until a little later. haha This cutie was SO excited to sleep in her pink big girl bed!!

Giving daddy a kiss goodnight. <3

We read one of her favorite stories, "Are You My Mother". I love that we can both fit in her bed together so much butter.

Happy Birthday Lyla girl!!! We love you so much!

Ya Ya at three ...

- She worships the ground Liam walks on, follows him everywhere he goes, and calls him "Niam". 

- She is growing like a weed and is in the 99th percentile for height, weight, AND head circumference. 

- She tells me every day that I look beautiful and when you tell her she looks beautiful too she says, "I know that." <3

- Her favorite book is Llama Llama Red Pajama.

- Her favorite color is pink, "pint" as she likes to call it.

- She isn't much of a breakfast girl but always eats and likes her vegetables no matter what they are.

- She has taken her first shower, mastered the Strider balance bike, is potty trained after attempt #2, and got her first haircut.

- She tried her first dance class and learned she didn't really love it.

- She loves magnet blocks, reading books together, playing with animals and barbies.

- She is obsessed with preschool and wishes she could go every single day.

- She is a sucker for snacks. 

- She loves trips to the library, playing at the playground, and riding her bike.

- She is a social butterfly!

- She adores all of her grandparents and puppies.