Birthday Girl

Three years ago today, this beautiful little baby girl blessed our family, like a ray of sunshine.

We got a call at 5:15 on Saturday morning 5/15 and raced to the hospital in Roosevelt thinking we would make it in time to be there for her birth. Even though we made it in 2 hours 45 minutes, faster than expected, little Miss Sloane arrived at 7:38 a few minutes before we arrived...and we've been playing catch up with her ever since.

Sloane captured our hearts from the get-go. Sweet, fiesty, lovely, miraculous. And embraced by so much love from all of her family.

By her first birthday, Sloane had been crawling for 2 months and climbing things for about as long. She put everything in her mouth and managed to find all kinds of trouble. But no matter how much mischief she would get into, those big baby blues and her sweet, sweet heart would just melt you and all was forgiven.

My favorite thing about Sloane has always been her joy. That bigger-than-life smile and the arms-up-I-love-everything attitude is one of her greatest gifts.


And then she was two. Frilly skirts, cowboy boots, a love of music...and mischief, still. Her borderline baldness became a cute little pixie mullet. She climbed, she talked, she sang.



The beauty of Sloane (and rumor has it that this is just girls in general) is that she's a bit of a roller coaster. For her 2nd birthday, she was so excited to ride the pony. Then she cried the whole time she was riding the pony. The second we tried to get her off the pony, she was demanding to ride the pony again. Roller. Coaster.


Sloane at three? Amazing! She loves to give "huggy-kissies," giggle, and put on fashion shows in her room after we put her to bed. Every 10 minutes you can walk in and she'll have a different outfit on. Sometimes till midnight! She's a little night owl. And then she crashes like this, with a bed full of everything she's organized, played with or worn that evening.

Sloane still loves to climb and jump and run, and put things in her mouth. She likes to organize and pack-rat things. Have a deck of cards? It will be squirrelled away in her princess purse. A drawer full of underwear? In her baby stroller. All of my jewelry? In her piggy bank.

We think she's a vegetarian. She'll pick the tiniest piece of meat out of any meal and she would way rather eat fruits and vegetables than any cookies or cakes. And apparently we've said that enough that now when she says 'I don't like it' when it referring to meat, she adds: 'I'm a vegetarian' so she gets an automatic out.

She drinks like a fish. Anything and everything but especially orange juice and Capri Sun (although I sneak in the V8 ones...mwahaha). She loves to have her ponytails (her word for toe nails) painted. She loves daddy's arm tickles when she goes to sleep. To the point where mommy is currently not allowed to take her bed because I don't do it right.

Her cousin Harper is her "best friend" but Sloane is a sweetheart to everyone...if someone is sad or hurt or upset, she's always trying to make it better. With a hug, a kiss, a share. Especially her brother. She wants to do anything to be like Tagg or make him happy (unless she's trying to hijack his favorite toys or books). She loves to sing still and we make up songs all the time. Her current faves are the Yo-ho Pirates Life for Me from Pirates of the Caribbean and a song we made up, Face Face Tickle Tickle. Still loves Dora (ugh) but is also into Disney princesses, especially Ariel, since we went to Disneyland, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

She's starting to get dramatic. If she doesn't like something, she'll drop to the floor in a sobbing heap. If you're doing anything she doesn't like, her hands go on her hips, that bottom lip goes out and she has this great pouty voice that says: if you do that, you're in big trouble. Sometimes with a finger point for emphasis.

But usually, this smiley face is what we see. The happy, lovey, huggy, funny, mischief Sloane who is such a joy to us each and every day. What a miracle you are, Sloane. Happy birthday!


(and here she is singing Happy Birthday to herself)