A Third Birthday for Rachel!!

Ok, folks...it's official!  We have another child out of the two's!!  *cue streamers and party horns!!*

Yesterday was Rachel's third birthday and we had a wonderful day celebrating her.  It was also a stellar day for mama, as we got out of the house (with no sickness!!) and off to the Y without a hitch. 

Did I mention what Elizabeth said to me Saturday?  I was bending over and she came up and patted my stomach and said, "Mama, your belly is getting bigger.  Are we going to have another baby?"

Nothing builds your confidence up like a four-year-old. 

So anyway, we went to the Y and got a good sweat on.  Once we came home, we had a wonderful playdate and lunch with friends. 

Seriously, why does my child look like she could be 16 in this picture?!

We took off in the afternoon to pick up the birthday cake from Publix (she picked out a Minnie cake) and also got a couple of balloons.  I can't remember what started the tradition, but we always get the girls balloons on their birthday - one each.  Elizabeth tried telling me that Caleb wanted one, but I blew it off.

Silly mommy...

Haha!  Both balloons are mine!!

My mom always let us pick whatever we wanted to eat for dinner on our birthdays and I love to do the same.  Although I almost lost my teeth when Rachel asked for chicken, green beans and noodles this year.

"Are you sure, honey?  Wouldn't you rather have something else?" I asked.

"No,"  she said.  "I like chicken, green beans and NOODLES!!"

"Do you want mac and cheese noodles?"

"NO!  I JUST WANT BUTTER NOODLES!!"

(Why did that require yelling??  Maybe she thought I couldn't hear her...)

So I fixed grilled BBQ chicken, steamed fresh beans and egg noodles with butter.  

Guess what the new three-year-old ate?  Yup...noodles.  Oh, and the required three bites of chicken and beans in order to get cake.

Brat.

Birthdays...they take it out of you...

A little bit about Rachel as she turns three.  You know, when I was carrying her, it was hard to believe that children who would come from the same parents would have such different personalities...I think that's just an aspect of parenting that you get when you experience it.  And she is drastically different from the other two.  

Rachel is sensitive and shy - she is slow to warm up to people she doesn't know well and many people say they didn't know she could talk until they hear her talk to me.  At that point, she talks my head off.  She is intelligent and has always talked in full sentences and thoughts.  She's also our biggest snuggler.  The other two will wiggle out of a hug pretty fast but Rachel will stay on your lap and be held as long as you let her.  And I think, because she's sensitive, she can also throw some whopper fits. 

She is very imaginative and loves to play Barbies or dolls and has gotten really good at puzzles.  She runs fast and is very athletic...jumping, kicking, and dancing.  

Oh, and she loves cake.

The kid scooped her cake out like she was digging a trench.  Oh, and you know who else liked cake?

You guessed, it...captain icing face.  Oh, and just in case you didn't get enough with that video...

Anybody got a firehose??

Happy birthday, Rachel Lynn!  We love you!