Three years ago today a prefect little girl enter our life. Thinking back all I remember is how scared John and I where that she was coming early but excited to finally meet our daughter. I only got to see her for a second before they took her away. I didn’t know at the time how sick she was, it was only a few hours later when I asked for the 100th time could I see my daughter. When the doctor came and told us that she had to be placed on a vent, but she was a fighter. My heart sank, as any mothers would. I love her beyond words at that moment but the love I have for her now is so much stronger. It’s funny how our love for our children counties to grow with them. Alana is a fighter the doctor knew what he was talking about. It still amazes me how her strong willed nature showed at 1 day old, when she pulled her vent out. It was a long 5 days before I could hold my precious baby. I remember the feeling I had when they put her in my arms. It’s a moment no mother or father should wait 5 days for. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about how hard it was not to touch or hold my baby. It a feeling you can’t understand unless you have been there. People gave me such a hard time for holding her all time in the beginning but they had no ideal what it felt like to not hold your child or really even touch her until she was 5 days old and even then it was very limited. John and I held her non-stop for the first 6 months, we would fight over who was going to hold her or wear her. It’s funny, to think about it now.
Alana is one strong willed child, as I said before she has been since the day she was born. When she was 18 months old, it really started to come out. I smile to myself thinking of the head butting I did with my 18 month old. I would say to John, man we are in for it, she is only 18 months old. He would smile and say, it’s good to be strong-willed she will be the leader of the pack not the follower. He was just trying to make himself feel better. I showed her who was boss, well I pretend I was but knowing all long that she was the BOSS.
When Alana turned two, she was still VERY strong willed and very mommy depended. That is was is so amazing about a year in a child life how much they change. A year ago she was still a baby in every sense of the way.
Over the last year our baby has become a BIG girl. To think just yesterday she was 2 and today she is 3! She is very proud to be 3 like her cousin William. She has told me at least 10 times today “Now I am 3 like Will”. She just wants to be like her cousins. Here are some things Alana has learned over the last year that has taken her from beginning our baby to our BIG girl.
In March she spent her first week away from Mommy (harder on Mommy than Alana)
In May she learned to spell her Name.
In June she told me “I not wear diapers anymore, I wear panties.” She has been wearing them ever since.
This summer she learned all 26 Letters and most of their sounds. (Now she knows them all)
She can count to 20.
She knows her colors and shapes.
She can buckle herself into her car seat.
She can get herself dressed, if she is in the right mood.
She can put her shoes on. don’t tell her if they are the wrong feet because she will tell you no there not
She knows her right from left (most of the time)
The most important one of all to Alana… She is going to be a big sister in July.
Wow, what a difference the last year as made in her life. I can’t believe it myself she is a little person now. Over the last few months, life with her has really gotten a lot easier she knows the rules more important she follows the rules most of the time. I’ve heard 3 was harder than 2 but for us I think 3 she is going to be much easier. Guess time will tell…
Here are a few pictures from her day. She had a party at school and a party with John and I. Her favorite part was that she got 2 cakes today. Her friend party is at the end of the month.
