My Three-Year-Old: Development, Behavior, and Parenting Tips

Yesterday my baby girl turned three. It’s a mix of joy and bittersweet feeling watching her grow — I love who she’s becoming and delight in the new facets of her personality that appear each month. Still, part of me wishes she would always want a hug and a kiss from Mommy or Daddy. I want her to stay my little girl forever.

Her main birthday party will be on Saturday, but we had a small celebration on her actual birthday. She was thrilled to open gifts.

img 2732 1 She loved her new baby doll.

img 2732 2 For dinner we took her to the Cheesecake Factory.

img 2732 3 Here she is with her Nana and Poppy.

We treated her to a slice of chocolate cake to share — a special splurge for the day.

img 2732 4 Fortunately she wasn’t very interested in the sprinkles, so I could gently push them aside. I worry about artificial food colorings even more than I worry about sugar.

After the staff sang “Happy Birthday,” she was ready to dig in. Can you tell she loves chocolate? This shot wasn’t posed — just a candid moment as she enjoyed her cake. Her face looks like this with every bite; she’s truly serious about sweets.

img 2732 5 Happy birthday, baby girl. Every day with you is a gift.