still three.

my sweet girl is three and a half. she talks about her fourth birthday almost daily and tells strangers she's going to be four next week. i want to remember this age. she way she talks. and the sweet things she says. she thinks she's a big girl. when we are playing with friends and the babies are playing and us moms are sitting and talking she wants to be right there with us. she joins in the conversation saying going something like this. um, yeah, so i have a boyfriend. she knows that will get peoples attention and have us talking to her immediately. i just love that she is confident and not afraid to join in even if she has never met that person before. today she picked some flowers (that's what we'll call the weeds) and said they were for me. they were my present. she something how they grew in the ground. so i went on to elaborate about roots, etc. she then added, yes and then they grow so they can be your present. naturally, i agreed. :) she'll figure it out eventually. somedays it's hard. i feel guilty because she went from being an only child and getting all the attention to sharing it. but even when her brother is getting all of the attention, like he was at dinner tonight, i glance over at her. she's not sulking or pouting but she's smiling at him and watching us interact. i just love her. i love her helpfulness. she loves to help put her brother to bed. daddy's had some late nights for a couple of weeks now and i've actually enjoyed putting both kids to bed. we put brother to bed first. i sit in the rocking chair with him and avery and i together sing him songs while she rubs his head and he sucks his thumb. in those moments i realize, while they might not always get along, their bond is special. and giving her a brother was the best gift i have given her. she's got a nurturing personality and i have no doubt she will continue to care for her brother. 

she takes delight in seeing her brother laugh. they always play these silly games that she makes up. the other day i was putting clothes away in the bedroom while they were having a snack in the kitchen. i hear hysterical laughing from both. usually a sign a huge mess is being made. i walked in and asked what they were doing. avery said "we're playing the spoon game". they were throwing the spoon at each other and then both would crack up. thankfully, neither has great aim. i know i should have stopped it but it's so cute watching them play together and laugh together that i just let them. and then made sure the clean up the mess because they didn't clean the spoon before the throwing started. :) 

little girl. you have a beautiful heart. you are my avery, my only avery.