She's THREE

I usually look at my Facebook "On This Day" memories when they pop up in my feed (but I almost never share them because you guys! Obviously I have shared them before, and I don't want to just rehash yesterday's cute moments.  I want to bore you to tears with TODAY'S cute moments), but today, I studied them intently.  Because I REMEMBER that day so well.  The long labor.  The peaceful contractions in the hospital bathtub.  The tiny baby I tucked in one of the holes in my nursing gown and slept soundly with for five perfect late morning/early afternoon hours after being awake for 2 days.

And now?  In a blink, a flash, a whirl of knitted turbans and sparkly tutus and body-smeared sidewalk chalked masterpieces, she's THREE.

She's the kind of person who says splendid when she's asked about her day.

When she smiles with her crowded, pointy little teeth, we all smile back.

She's completely bossy in the most competent way.

She calls her dad Ben when she really wants something.

She sounds like her Golden Girls namesake and Tallulah Bankhead when she wakes up in the morning.

She's the kind of person who hugs with her whole body.

We've had so much fun celebrating her, but it's the kind of fun that's going to totally haunt me next week on the beach because I have had birthday cake and/or pie everyday since Saturday, and I am making cupcakes for Harry's class on Thursday.  Gaaaaaaaaah.

One of her school friends got her a sleeping bag, so she immediately wanted to play campout.

 Not birthday related, but you guys.  I have no more fucks to give about school lunch.

 Ben threw this Big Wheel together in less than 30 minutes-- he is getting to be a pro-level dad.

 This cake is ugly but super sincere. Also, her new favorite colors are green and blue.

 She totally digs the big wheel but will only drive it with shoes and can't quite reach the peddles.

 She's an adorable present opener and has gotten much faster since Chrismukkah

 ALL she wanted was this pack of Peanuts characters.  She is obsessed with that movie and watches it almost every day because we have super lax screen time limits which isa side effect of working from home.

 She insisted on a candle on her pancake

 She went shopping to spend her gift card from Ben's parents and picked out some really stereotypically girly toys.

 But then she and Cooper played a really feminist game of house where they took turns going to work and staying home with the baby, so that was awesome.

 More candles.

 Her room before bath:  evidence of a good day to be a 3 year-old.

 She side cars her baby.

 I threw together a Pioneer Woman chocolate pie for Pi Day, and if you have like 15 minutes of prep time and 4 hours of pie-in-the-fridge chill time, you really should, too.

My baby is a preschooler with Farrah Fawcett hair.  I haven't NOT had a baby since 2005.  Trippy.