Growing Pains

Giulietta is growing. And, I know this sentence is obvious, redundant, and probably not necessary. However, it explains so much about her at this very moment.

Being three is hard, and being a Momma of a three year old is even harder. You see...there are battles, fits of screaming, tears streaming down faces (both hers and mine), consequences for actions, and testing of bounds. Some days are harder then others, but this is life as we know it and I wouldn't change it for the world.

When I'm telling my rendition of our day which often include G's behaviors, my mom kindly reminds me "That it is her job", and she is so right. It is Giulietta's job to be three, to learn who she is without me stifling her, to find her place in this world with our guidance, to ultimately grow inside and out. And, with each growing pain endured, my little lady and I both learn more about who we each are, who we each strive to be, where we want this path of life to take us.

I can proudly say that my sweet girl is developing the ability to express her true emotions, whether or not they are dramatized that is beside the point. Today she melted my heart into a million pieces when she randomly looked at me in the mirror with a mouth full of toothpaste and proudly exclaimed, "You're the best Mommy in the world." It caught me off guard, in a good way, and left me questioning her "I am? Really? Why do you say that?" Her only response..."Because I love you!" As tears stream down my face with each press of a key, I realize that my first born is growing, needing me less at times, wanting me more at others, expressing how she feels in the here and now.

I know this isn't the first time, nor the last that she will say these words to me. And, I'm quite aware that one day she will sadly be screaming the opposite. What I can dream is that she forever understand how much I love her!