our beautiful ellory turns 3!

this was your first birthday. you still weren't big into smiling. eating? yes. smiling? not so much.
this was the night we brought you home from guatemala.



dear ellory,
what to say? what to say? you continue to amaze, exasperate, and delight us.
amazing ellory-
1. your communication skills have grown by leaps and bounds this past year. you speak so clearly now.
2. i love to watch you eat. the way you hold your utensils is so grownup-like.
3. i love to watch you color. again, the way you hold your crayon or marker is so "big girl." and you are even starting to stay between the lines and be so precise in your work.
4. you love to read books. count. say your abc's. sing.
5. you can pedal your dora tricycle now!
exasperating ellory-
1. transitions can be hard for you. we can't just tell you to stop what you are doing and switch gears.
2. you continue to be a mommy's girl most of the time. i think this makes daddy sad sometimes as he loves to cuddle and play with you.
3. you are our sensitive girl. sometimes just simply telling you to "stop" will bring showers of tears.
4. you want to "do it myself" more and more. a good thing at times but when mommy is in a hurry and just wants to dress you herself, it can be frustrating. :)
delightful ellory-
1. you can be quite the mommy. telling a crying marin, "it's alright baby." and patting her on the head.
2. i love picking you up from preschool. you always coming running over yelling, "mommy!"
3. you love to read books to marin. not that she always appreciates this.... :)
4. your smile lights up a room. you are such a beautiful little girl.
we went to the doctor for your 3 year well check. you weighed in at 37 pounds-94th percentile. and you are in the 69th percentile for height.
i recently talked with a friend who placed her child for adoption 3 years ago. she said that she thought of her child every day. most days i don't even remember that you were adopted. i feel like i gave birth to you and have known you from the very beginning. but i know i need to remember that there is a young woman in guatemala who probably thinks about you and wonders about your life. you still haven't asked any questions about being born in guatemala. or realized that your skin is different from mommy and daddy's skin. i wonder how you will handle the story of your birth and pray that we will navigate that time well. we are so thankful for you, ellory. happy birthday big girl.