A big milestone: Anna is 3!

I've been saying for years that when our youngest hits the age of three, it will represent a real watershed moment for our family - no more babies, no more toddlers, no more diapers and soon-to-be no more cribs or pacifiers (some baby things just have a way of sticking around a little longer than I planned! :-)   ).

In any case, we're mostly thrilled about reaching this milestone in our family (although Jake still loves to cuddle with a baby any chance he can get).  We just had a family only celebration with a pony theme.  Anna joins a toddler pony group with my mom's group and has enjoyed riding Macy, Maple and Eddy (she's quite partial to all the white ponies at the Royal Stables).  Anna's main present was actually something that Jane has been asking for for months - a set of matchbox cars and garage that are getting as much use by the big girls as from Anna (the garage from us, the set of 20 cars from Gaga and Grandpa Carl).  She also enjoyed her other gifts - a fun bouncy toy, big water squirt gun and doll from Uncle Dan and Aunt Susan, a cute outfit from Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary Anna, and a giants camel and book from Gammy and Poppy.  The camel is as big as she is and she insists on squeezing it into her crib with her (barely room) and taking it in the minivan with us (she can barely see over it in her car seat!).  A great set of gifts for our great little three-year old.

Our little patriotic ham of a birthday girl!

Probably laughing at her own joke

She's been asking for blue cupcakes for months!
She went around her nursery telling all the teachers they
were invited to eat her blue birthday cupcakes (sorry,
teachers!).  See the cute pony candles?

She's singing happy birthday, too

The giant camel that she named "Lucy" who
sleeps with her and rides with her in the car

Look!

Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy

New outfit!

The new garage all put together

A little birthday dance (on her actual birthday - we celebrated the
day before)