AK turns Three

Dear AK,

It is on the occasion of your third birthday that I write to you. I cannot help but think back to the first few months of your life and remark at how far you have come. You are in one word, "thriving." A word I desperately wanted to hear uttered by the medical staff that helped you during those first eight months. You have overcome incredible odds to be where you are today and we are so grateful for you.

Physically, you have grown by leaps and bounds. One year ago you were running around in size 12-18 months and looked like thisCurrently, you wear the size 4T. Your growth spurt has left us with boxes of brand new unworn clothing because you simply grew too fast to wear them. However, no complaints from us, we are thrilled to see you thriving. Secretly, we think it is all the premium dog food you have ingested. I have watched you wander outside and grab a tomato and a handful of strawberries to eat from the yard on numerous occasions and caught you snacking on dog food. Totally gross, but mildly comical and it will come in handy if we ever need to tell embarrassing stories about you later in life.

Your joy is contagious and you often will fall over with laughter. We have recently spent some time watching a television show that involves people falling off big giant rubber balls and have laughed so hard together as a family that you told me, "My tummy hurts, no more laughing". As we watch you laugh and embrace life we are reminded that life is too short not to marvel at the small things and laugh at the funny parts. You have a great time wherever you are and are not afraid to make your own fun. You are fearless, which has made for scary moments as we watch you hurl your tiny body off tall steps. You enjoy jumping off things, tables, the jungle gym, and the bed. You rode the Matterhorn at Disneyland and laughed during the whole thing while I clutched onto you and screamed. AK, don't lose that gift of being fearless. It will provide many great opportunities in your lifetime.
This year you have discovered the joys of pretending to be a Princess. You love to watch movies about Princesses, read about them, dress up and meet them. Often people have told you, "Oh what a pretty princess you are!" and you will always correct them. "I'm not a princess, I'm AK". You have a strong sense of self and take ever opportunity to assert yourself. You will fight to get your way and are willing to take on whoever dares get in the way. You are also very girly, but also have a strong tomboy streak. You have a fascination for "didosaurs" aka dinosaurs and love to play with cars. We love your well rounded personality. For your birthday you requested at first a Princess Party, which quickly morphed into a "Dinosaur Princess Waterslide Party with Nachos". It is the perfect event for your birthday, it embraces the sweet girly, the fiercely independent personality and your fearless nature. This year you've becoming increasingly more social. We've thought that as a second child you would love one on one attention, however it has become more obvious that you want to play with more people your own age. You attended summer camps these past few weeks and I have NEVER seen you more happy than when you are playing in a group of people your own age.
I have watched with joy and horror as you imitate me as a mother. You aren't discriminating and imitate my good and bad behavior. I have learned not to curse or make gestures while driving this year as I caught you imitating me in the rearview mirror. I have also watched you with Baby Roller Hand and seen my moves and words imitated. It has made me a better mom, because I am much more aware of my actions. Also, this year, your language has grown by leaps and bounds. You went from uttering the phrase "Mine" to complete sentences. Last year you acquired Pink Cowboy boots because you rarely talked and pointed at them and said, "Mine". Also, our favorite phrase you said earlier this year was "Here bop!" instead of "Here you go". Your dad simply cannot get enough of hearing you utter the words "Dee-Do" instead of Thank you.

We would be remiss if we didn't comment on your eating habits. You would be in utter bliss if you only ate bananas or ketchup. It is the only thing you actually request to eat. We were looking over an old letter from your beloved birthmom who wrote that while you were in utero she craved bananas non-stop. Also, when we pretend the banana is a telephone, that joke for the last 730 days or so has NOT gotten old. Thankfully, you still find us amusing.

On this day, we take time to pause and give thanks for the birthparents who placed you into our arms. We love them in such an undescribable way and they love you more than you will ever realize. Adoption is an amazing thing AK, I hope you can one day grow up to understand that it intertwines two families forever, and essentially doubles the amount of people who love and are cheering for you. It is a decision that was made out of a love so deep and intense for you. I cannot imagine the courage that it took your birthparents. I hope you inherit their courageous spirit, and have seen snippets of it in you already.

With Love,

Mommy