Hi Stelly,

Last weekend you turned three.

It was intended as a low-key affair, with a few of your peeps from the inner circle, and one set of grandparents. However, this party was a testament to the fact that birthday fun is in no way limited by small numbers. That day, the four of you were only beaten in energy production by THE SUN. Had we actually invited your entire class from school, there is a good chance that we would have been able to sell back some kilowatt hours.

As you peruse the photos from this year’s festivities, don’t be too alarmed when you stumble across the photos of your “birthday cake”. You’ll note that I put birthday cake in quotes to signify that it is wholly innacurate to consider this thing a celebratory confection. I saw the writing on the wall when you insisted that, this year, you wanted a round cake with a ladybug. Stella, there is a reason you have had cupcakes for your first two birthdays: I am not a particularly good baker. Furthermore, I am horrid at frosting and decorating cakes. Your father – ripe with naiveté – decided it couldn’t be THAT hard. HA. Well, it tasted good – nevermind the pools of strawberry cream cheese frosting encircling the entire base of the cake, or that the two layers had to be held together with sawed-off bamboo skewers, or that it was adorned with creepy red and black bugs with sharp and pointy claws. The latter of which, I am sure will give you nightmares for a while. The lesson here is that I need to Mom-up and get better at this whole birthday cake thing, or you are destined for a life of disfigured cakes with depictions of abstract buttercream motifs. And, I love you just too much to let that happen.

This past year has been full of so many big changes for you. I have watched you go from toddler to girl, and then some. You are silly and fun and stubborn and smart. Oh girl, are you smart. Listening to you talk – how you say your words, and string thoughts together reminds me, daily, just how much you are growing up. And, this year you were thrown the mother of all curve-balls: a younger brother. It has been a joy to watch you fill the role of big sister. As these pages will attest, it has been bumpy, but hopefully it is also clear that it has been fun, and overwhelmingly joyful to watch our family take form. Through all the chaos, arises my admiration for you, and what a great girl you are becoming. In case you, or anyone else out there is wondering – yes, I know how lucky I am.

Happy day, sweet girl.