Three Years

02-22-2012

Dear Chloe,

Today you are three years old!  To celebrate your big day, you had a princess party at Grandma and Papa Sundin’s house with all of your Oregon family.  You had a great day, and you cried and cried when everyone had to go home, including us.  Today we’re getting lunch at the Rainforest Café to celebrate.  It’s your favorite restaurant. 

This year has been rough.  There have been nice moments here and there, but it’s been hard for you, and for that I’ll have guilt for awhile. 

The day of your two year well child appointment, we found out you had dreadful ear infections in both ears.  We tried many rounds of antibiotics, on top of other ideas for clearing out the fluid, but nothing was working.  You were referred to an ENT surgeon over the summer, and we waited patiently over a month for that appointment.  Unfortunately, it was an awful medical office.  After a couple appointments, your primary care nurse practitioner made a personal recommendation for a referral to one of the best, if not the best, pediatric ENT surgeons in the Puget Sound area.  You were able to see her in early October, and you had your ear tube operation on November 1st. 

Your constant ear infections made it hard for you to enjoy life in with the happy demeanor you had since birth.  It also made the big sister transition much harder. Merely hours after your operation, you were back.  It was such a blessing to your daddy and me to see you return to the Chloe we knew was still inside.  The rest of November was such a happy time for you, as the Army gave your daddy more time to spend with us than usual. 

The first week of December, your daddy had to leave on a one year unaccompanied tour to South Korea.  It’s been hard for you to understand, especially during the first two months.  I know you love me, but you’ve always been a daddy’s girl, and these times apart get harder and harder the older you become. 

You’ve started going to hourly preschool a few days a week on post.  You really enjoy that time, and on the days when we’re home, you always ask to “go play with the kids”.  I like seeing you interact with the other children; you love to socialize.  The children are drawn to you, and we’ve even had to make a couple goodbyes that were hard for the boys.  I can’t believe that is starting already. 

You are still fond of organizing.  You can be a bit of a hoarder, and you like to give every item a particular spot, even if these locations don’t always make sense to anyone else.  Along with this, you’ve started being a good helper to Mommy when the mood strikes you. 

I’m really excited to see where this new year will take you.  Since two was such an uncomfortable time for you, I have high hopes that three will be amazing.  I continue to love you more and more each day, and you’ll always be my precious blessing from God.   

Love Always,

Mommy

Chloe was annoyed that she received a pile of books for her birthday, and instead of letting her read them… I wanted to take an official photo. I suppose that was insufferable parenting ;)