The Journey of Parenthood…

Britt’s 3rd Birthday Letter From Mommy

Dear Sweet Britt Britt,

While I can’t believe how fast this time has gone, I also can’t believe that you are only three. You have always looked and talked and seemed so much older and I feel like you’ve been three for awhile now! Becoming a Big Sister this year has even made you seem that much bigger and older. You’re growing up and I wish I could slowwww it down. You are so special to me and such an important part in our family. We are truly blessed to have YOU!

I will never forget the first moment I found out I had a daughter. While I’m so thankful for Kye and so blessed to be his mama, I was always so worried that I’d have all boys! I have always dreamed of having a daughter and you fulfilled that dream for me. You are the girly-girl I’d always hoped you be 😉 I love that you love dress up, and accessorizing. I love that you enjoy watching me get ready each day and that you are all about making sure things “match” when you get dressed. It’s not always easy dealing with your strong fashion taste…but we find our compromises! 

While it is adorable when you ask “me look pretty mommy?” it is my goal that you never forget that inner beauty is the most important. You are getting older and understanding about God and Jesus and the importance of the Bible more and more. I love hearing you recite your memory verse and I love how eager you are to attend church and Bible class. I love watching you bow in prayer and love hearing your sweet little voice while you talk to God. I know this year ahead will be a big year for you with your learning and I hope I can provide you with a LOT of knowledge and understanding about God and especially provide you with an example of how to live your life for the Lord.

It is so interesting to me how many traits you share with me, but how much you truly are just like your daddy. I’ve been married to him for 8 years and I’m still figuring him out! Your spirited personality is a challenge for me. I just want to be the best mom to you I can possibly be and I so often feel like I’m failing you because I’m not sure how to best relate to you. Even though you are my second child, there is more “trial and error” when it comes to parenting you than I had as a first time mom. We are learning together. We are figuring each other out. 

I’m sure as you grow older that our personality differences will frustrate you at times. I hope you know that I want so badly to understand your feelings and your perspective on life. I’m always open to growing and changing and learning and I know you will continue to provide me with endless opportunities for those things. 

While we may be different, I cherish your wonderful unique qualities. You literally bring light into every room you enter. People are naturally gravitated towards you. You shine in the spotlight and I envy that! In situations where I would feel uncomfortable or awkward, you just own it. You make people laugh and have such a quick wit. On many occasions you have had your Daddy and I in tears from laughter! I hope you always keep your amazing sense of humor! 

This year has been filled with so many big experiences for you. Starting school, going to Disney, and having a new baby sister! You have LOVED school. I knew by only having you go three days a week that you’d be wanting to go more, and it’s true, you do. You wake up every morning and ask “school today?” You love your friends and your teachers. And they love you! I’m always so proud when I hear from your teachers about how wonderful you do in school. I hope you always continue to enjoy learning and that you have as much fun in the classroom next year as you have this year!

I am SO excited that God blessed you with a sister!!! I have ALWAYS wished I had a sister and I’m so thankful you will experience that special bond that sisters share. I know you adore your brother but as you grow up I think you and Tess will have a wonderful relationship as well. You took awhile to start realizing she exists (ha!) but I’ve loved how recently you show more interest in her. My favorite thing is watching you read stories to her. Your love of books is contagious and she enjoys seeing the pictures and hearing the words you read! 

I’m so very proud of how well you have adjusted to being the middle child. It’s a tough role and you have handled it beautifully. You feel left out and behind whatever Kye is into and yet are too old to be into baby things which can frustrate you.  I’m thankful that we do have so much alone time together. I know how important it is for you to be able to play with your toys that are on your age level and to be able to have that special one-on-one time with Mommy. We have our “girl time” and I know as Tess gets older the three of us will do so many special things together as well! One of my goals this year is to do more special things with you and to find “girly” things to do together for your age. The boys have their golf…we need something for us 😉 

You have ALWAYS been a “Mommy’s Girl.” And when I say always I mean always. You just want to be near me all the time and especially want to be able to touch me in some way. Your love language is 100% “physical touch.” You are comforted by touch and feel loved by touch as well. Since touch is so important to you…it makes you THE BEST cuddlier in the world! We don’t co-sleep but if we did I am sure you’d love it and would be so snuggly! I love getting in your bed with you and cuddling up. You also give the sweetest kisses and my favorite time of the day is when I come to tuck you in at night. Your giggles are precious and those moments together are priceless. 

Often when I come in you are already asleep and I enjoy just watching you sleep in your bed. You LOVE sleep and are such a deep sleeper. You sleep right at the edge of the huge bed. I often tell people you sleep in the same way you live your life: right on the edge 😉 You test boundaries and are the child who if we set a timer for you to eat your food then you sit and wait for the timer to get down to one minute before you even start eating. Those boundaries are SO important for you and consistency and structure are things that you really need in your life. When the new baby was born it was hard for me to provide you with everything you needed and I felt a lot of guilt over that. I’m thankful now that we are back in the groove of things and I’ve noticed a HUGE improvement with your overall attitude and behavior now that I’m able to be present in all aspects of daily life. 

A lot of people refer to the year of being 2 as the “terrible 2s.” I try not to use negative terminology when possible so I like to say “trying 2s.” And that’s a lot of what being 2 was for you. It was a trying time. But girl we got through it and are totally on the other side of it! Whew! You grew and matured and learned and were molded so much this past year. While there are so many wonderful things that happened together, I’m very excited for the year of 3 and all that it will include. Even just in the short time since you turning 3, I can already tell such a big difference and change! You are making Mommy’s life easier and more FUN!

As we look ahead to this year I’m very excited for all of our beach plans. You just are a beach girl! You LOVE it and it makes me love it even more. I just enjoy seeing you happy and you are truly your happiest self at the beach 🙂 I’m also looking forward to taking you back to Disney World. I know you have fallen in love with all things Frozen and I can’t wait to see you meet Elsa and Anna! I’m also excited about this princess stage. Princess dress up clothes are SO fun and hearing you sing all the songs and do little dances just warms my heart. Of course I also find it adorable that Donald Duck is your favorite! I love that you have a mind of your own and truly march to your own beat 😉

While it’s hard as a mama to watch you grow up, I’m also excited to see where your life takes you. I pray so much that you find an amazing husband and that you’re able to be a mommy. Motherhood is the greatest gift and I never take a moment of it for granted. I don’t know what your interests will be as you grow up. You have told me you will play basketball…which is something Mommy will have to adjust to! 😉 You have a very nurturing spirit. You are a great “mommy” to your baby dolls and you also are always wanting everyone around you to be happy. You are fair and never want anyone to feel left out or not included. You love people and do not like to be by yourself for long periods of time. All of these traits will make you such an amazing mommy. I know you may have other career goals and aspirations and I, of course, will support you and be proud of you in whatever you decide to pursue! 

The MOST important thing I hope for your future is that you follow God’s path for your life. It is NOT going to be easy Britt. In fact, I can promise you that it’s going to be very very very hard. But it will be worth it. Don’t worry about your peers. Or even about your siblings or parents. Keep your eye on the Lord and if you follow HIS will for your life then you will know happiness. Maybe not always what we consider to be happiness on this Earth, but eternal happiness with Him. And that’s the best kind of happiness you can have!

As I look towards the future I hope we always share our special bond and that it only grows closer as you grow up. I LOVE the little girl stage but it’ll also be so fun when you’re older and we are able to be friends. (I reallllly want to have a girls trip to NYC when you are engaged so we can get your wedding dress there. Yes, I need to start saving for that dream!!!) I know I’m your mom and as your mom it’s my job to discipline you and provide you those boundaries and structure in your life to help keep you on a righteous path. But it’s SO important that you know that I’m always here for you. My door is always open and it always, always will be.

Never ever worry that I will judge you or that my love for you can falter. It’s can’t. I’m never, ever, ever, EVER going anywhere. No matter what! If you know only ONE thing about your mother then I want you to know that. I am your MOM. Period! And nothing, or no one, will change that. Ever. So when the world disappoints you or when you make poor choices…I will be here. I don’t ever want you to think you can’t tell me things or that you can’t be your truest self with me. I love you Britt. I love you more than is even describable and that love doesn’t change depending on your choices, it’s constant. Forever. 

Being your mommy is such a gift and such an exciting adventure. These three years have been wonderful with you and I know the best is still to come. I cry just thinking about how fast this time will go and I hope you go to bed each night truly feeling loved and appreciated and special. Because you are so, so special to me. There is only ONE Brittlynn Parker and I’m so thankful that she’s mine! 

I love you my sweet, sweet girl. You are my forever sunshine!

Love, 

Mommy

This is a yearly tradition both Zach and I do for our children for their birthdays! Each letter includes all the photos of us with the child solo throughout the past year of their lives 🙂 I LOVE this tradition and know our children will also love it someday! You can read Britt’s 1st letter from Mommy here and 2nd letter here. 

Emily Parker
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