Ellery turns three

Today you turn three. There are no more babies in this house, which is bittersweet. I’m happy to sleep more and see your personality emerge, but I do miss that baby thing where they snuggle into you in a way nothing else can.

I suppose this transition has been helped by the fact that you were hardly a baby when you were a baby. You really are about 43 years old in your head.

You are forever making order out of the crazy we live in, which is good, because someone needs to do it. You’re continually bringing me my things—coffee, shoes, phone. Clearly, I have not left them where they are supposed to be. If something in the house is lost, we know to ask you where it is. 9 times out of 10, you scurry away and return with the missing item. When we check on you before we go to bed, you have often lined up all the things in your crib in neat stacks before you dozed off.

You’re now a professional eye-roller and brow furrow-er. You sometimes give us this look of exasperation, as though you’re thinking, “These grown-ups! Shouldn’t they know this by now?”

Even in your play, you have this controlled sense of self. You could spend ages just playing by yourself in the play kitchen. Cooking, talking, lining up your babies and blobs for dinner, you play with stamina that I only heard about in tales from other moms at the park. You adore playing with Neko and Shep, and they’ve discovered the real joy in playing with you these days.

This year was the first year I think you really understood it was your birthday. When I got you up this morning and wished you a happy birthday, you squealed with excitement. You love your cake and your presents. (Underwear! You were thrilled to get underwear!) You are so excited that this is your day. But what makes me even happier, is how excited Neko and Shep are. There are just overjoyed that this is your birthday.

Happy birthday, little one.