3.5

Today is Paprika's half birthday. She is 3 1/2 years old today. Time is flying, so fast, so fast, so fast.

We moved back into our townhouse here when she was 7 months old, Ginger's age. This is the only place she's ever known.



Everyone has been asking me for a year if Paprika is 4 or 5. Then, when I say 3 or "almost three"- they would say, "No, surely she's at least 3 1/2!"

Well, now she really is 3 1/2. My big girl.



Paprika loves cooking, or "making" - that's what she likes to call it.

She is starting to read now, a development of the last two months. She can pick up books and sound out the words. The first word she ever read for real was "Baby" from the front of a Baby Signs book.



As I've mentioned before, she is a wonderful big sister to Ginger. She is so protective of her. A few weeks ago, we were at the park and a stranger came up to Ginger's stroller to admire her. Paprika ran over and pushed the stroller out of the way, and said, "Don't you touch my baby sister!"

When she's at preschool and I pick her up (with Ginger in tow), Paprika always wants to show Ginger off. "Hey everyone, look at my baby sister!"

She is impossibly beautiful on the inside and out (most importantly, the inside) and I am so grateful that I get the chance to raise this amazing person. She is just the light of my life- (well, one of the lights of my life)- my first baby, as she will always be.