Today, my sweet baby girl is officially three years old. Where has the time gone, seriously? It seems like she was just born and now she's this independent little big girl who loves "whip gloss" and princess and baby dolls. She has such a kind, nurturing heart and loves to take care of me and Bubba and Daddy and her baby dolls. She cannot wait to be a big sister and tells me daily how she is going to change the baby's diaper, feed the baby, sing songs to the baby, and teach the baby all kinds of things. She loves to lift up my shirt and kiss and hug on my belly and is constantly asking "how's your baby doin'?" and "is your baby sleepin'?" or "your baby like that?".

She also loves her Bubba. It's funny because when she's mad at Luke she calls him Bubba, but when she's trying to be sweet she calls him Bub or Bubby. And she loves her Bubba so much that just about every other day she wakes up and tells me that she's a boy and wants to wear boy clothes. I let her a few times when we were staying at home, but now it seems to be a more frequent occurrence. She tries her best to be a "boy" so Bubba will play with her, but her girly ways always come out. Luke will try to trick her by asking her questions like "do you like pink?" and then when she forgets the correct boy answer and says "yes", he'll say "see, you are a girl!". And then, of course, she comes crying to me saying that Bubba told her she "not boy". Ha! Such is the life of a little sister...

Some other things I love about Olivia at this age...

She loves to read books, play dress up, and dance (especially when she thinks no one is looking). She likes her room to be clean and will even hang her own clothes up in the closet. She loves to carry a purse and fill it with things like lip gloss, extra undies, and Barbies. One of her favorite songs is "Jesus Loves Me". She knows all the words and constantly asks me to turn it on in the car. She loves to help me set the table at dinner and put the dishes away. She loves bubble baths and playing tea party. She can still be shy at times but is becoming more and more independent and confident every day. She loves babies. If she sees one anywhere she begs me to go with her to say hi. She loves to touch their little feet and tickle them under the chin. She can be quite sassy at times and has learned how to push Lukey's buttons. She tells him that she's older than him and that he's the baby and it makes him crazy. If you ask her what she wants to do that day, 100% of the time she will say, "go to park". She is still upset that Daddy forgot to pack her pink walls from our old house. She loves going to the "nail shop" and says that she's a big mommy. She rubs my back when I lay down in bed with her and will stroke my cheek and ask me over and over "you comfy, mommy?...you all tucked in?". She still loves me to sing the Sunshine Song.

This little girl has brought so much joy and love into our family and watching her grow into a little big girl has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. She is such a loving sister with an incredibly tender, nurturing heart. I am so excited to watch her grow into her new role as big sister.

Happy Birthday, Olivia Kate! We love you more than words could ever say!