Today, Julianna turns 3 years old.

I can’t believe I have a 3 year old human being child daughter.  For the last month or so, she has periodically been asking when she wakes up: “is today my birthday?”  Well, today the answer was “yes”.

I think in terms of human development, this was a big year for her.  Let’s just say that on a scale from 0-100, where you are a 0 the day before you are born and then as your life goes on you progress to 100 and at some point, you’ve reached your own personal development ceiling.  Slow it down.  I’m not suggesting you don’t have the POTENTIAL to grow more.  I’m suggesting you WON’T.  However, it seems widely recognized that as a youngster your rate of growth developmentally is faster than any other time of your life.

I certainly don’t know how the rest of her development will play out but I’d guess that the change from birthday 2 to birthday 3 will have been one of the largest progressions she will experience.  To put it another way:  She’s grown so much this year and it has been so much fun to watch.  I also suspect that most kids her age have similar growth.

Let’s compare the types of things she learned this year with the types of things I learned this year.  You should try this exercise too:

Julianna: Learned how to speak in full sentences, spell her name, spell my name, and other various English language things.

Matt: Learned that the phrase is “Couldn’t care less.”  Not “Could care less.”  The latter means exactly the opposite of what you wanted to say.

Julianna: Learned how to run, jump, and shoot baskets.

Matt: Learned how to comb out curly hair.

Julianna: Learned how sit on the potty and act appropriately.

Matt: Still trying to learn that one.

Julianna: Learned how to be a good sister.

Matt: Unfair advantage.  I will never be anyone’s sister.

Julianna: Learned how to go to school and not cry hysterically when Mommy or Daddy drop you off.

Matt: Never learned that.  Ask my mother.

Julianna: Learned how to user her imagination to express and entertain herself.

Julianna: Learned how to pronounce her nanny’s last name.

Julianna: Learned how to drink out of an open cup.

Julianna: Learned how to put her own jacket on, turn the tv off, help mommy cook, dance to the music, sit in a ballet class for an hour and follow directions, write a few letters of the alphabet, skype, eat vegetables, swing on a swing without anyone having to push her…

…and about 1000 more. All in one year.

I’m sure I learned a few things too but not many as cool as any of the things I got to watch her learn.

From day to day, its hard to notice these changes but when I started to review the year in my head, its a staggering set of accomplishments.

I won’t go as far as saying its all down hill from here…but…she better get to work.  Its gonna be a long year.

Happy Birthday Julianna.