The night before three

Last night I said goodnight to a two year-old for the last time.

Last night I got home in time to let you eat two little candies and called it dessert. We hugged and we cuddled and we rubbed bonked heads and bandaged scraped knees. We pet the kitty (Not so hard! Not so hard!) and we fed the dog and we read the next chapter of Peter Pan.

Only you wanted to read it yourself. You traced your finger across the words like Thalia does, and called out each one; although the words you saw were not JM Barrie’s.

I want to go make a quickly pee. And he wants to go make a quickly pee. And if I don’t make a poop I can’t poop but I can make a quickly pee but not both. And I want a Mo-Mo and a lo-lo and a lalalalala. And that word says Peter Pan! And that one says POOOOOOOP.

And Thalia and I both laughed through our tears at the exquisite humor of a two-year old for the last time.

And we cuddled and we had a sleeping contest and we had a second sleeping contest when that first one didn’t work. And then we had a third sleeping contest only I counted to ten without the seven because you said you don’t like seven and then you asked for another sleeping contest. And then you wanted to pick just one doll to sleep with — just one doll to sleep with, only you came back with four. And your S pillow. And your milk.

And I rolled my eyes at a two year-old for the last time.

I told you that the sooner you would go to sleep the sooner you would wake up three. The sooner we could kiss you and sing happy birthday and give you a present. The sooner you would go to sleep the sooner it would be the morning.

You held my palm in both hands and pressed it to your soft, sweet cheek and smiled.

Last night I touched my lips to the sweet forehead of a two year-old for the last time.
Then this morning, you woke up three, just as I had promised.

How has it only been 1,096 days? I’m sure you’ve been in my heart forever.

Happy birthday Sagey. I love you down to your toes.

{41 Comments}

41 thoughts on “The night before three”

  1. I love this entry!
    Please make sure you print it and save it in her baby book — or, if you're more like me, shove it in a drawer in your nightstand and take it out repeatedly over the years to re-read it tearfully.
    Happy Birthday Sage!

  2. This was so sweet. As the mother of a baby turning little boy way too soon I got all teary eyed reading this. While tantrums and unrestricted emotions abound, there is something so special about this age. And I somehow sense that looking back it will be the age I miss most.

    Hope your little Sage has a great birthday!

  3. My 6-year old son (the youngest of 2) will turn 7 on Friday. From the start he's been the cuddlier of my 2 boys, the one with a sweet nature and permanently baby-soft skin even as he grows. He's never protested when I wrap my arms around him and nuzzle his neck or the crown of his head…until recently. I can't help thinking how time flies and how many mixed feelings I have about seeing him grow!

  4. Happy birthday, Sage, from my 4 1/2 year-old Sage! It is such a bizarre concept for them to go to sleep one thing and wake up another, you know?

  5. Oh my. Can you please stop making me cry at work? I think this is the best line ever written (EVER):

    “How has it only been 1,096 days? I'm sure you've been in my heart forever.”

    Happy birthday Sage!

  6. Happy Birthday Sage! Gosh, I remember when you were debating even trying…then the whole cat poop scare…and here she is, three already. How can that be?

    Such a sweet post. Glad she can read 'POOOOOP'.

  7. If she lets me, I'd like to give Sage a big Smiss and a Smug when I see her next. Such a sweet little girl, so lucky to know her. Happy Birthday Sage!

  8. awww, this is so sweet.

    happy birthday, sage! know that your cherished and loved always 🙂

  9. Happy Birthday Sage! I too turned another year old today. And as a mom to a soon one year old (32 days away!)I'm loving this entry…and your words as always!

  10. Thank you all so much for the nice wishes. I'll make sure to read all of them (well, most of them) to Sage tonight as she fights about bedtime. Again.

    And happy birthday to you Tracy!

  11. I just started reading this blog and it's awesome! My Rosie is turing three in a few weeks… 🙁 This post was lovely.

  12. Apparently I need to stop reading your blog, because you always write such sweet things about your girls that I start to cry! Happy Birthday Sage, I hope you all had a wonderful day!

  13. Happy Bday, Sage! Your friends in Massachusetts send you a big MWAH!

  14. When you write these posts about your children and how you feel about them my heart melts, which is why I come here to read them. A beautiful post.

  15. Happy Birthday Sage! I feel your pain Mommy, my baby turns three on the 21st and I am feeling a little anxious about this being the last weekend she will be three:( The firsts are so exciting, but the lasts…NOT SO MUCH!

  16. This post warms the entire heart. So sweet and special. I know your daughter will hold on to this (if they still use that thing called paper in, like, 5 years) as yet more proof that her mom loves her “down to her toes.”

    Thanks for sharing this. Just beautiful.

  17. Belated Happy Birthday to Sage!

    This was such a lovely post. And I can't believe she (and my daughter) are 3 already. What happeneds?

  18. So sweet! My girls are just a few months ahead of yours, and I love reading what yours are doing, they so closely echo what yours are doing. The “reading” like big sister? Have had almost that same paragraph read (except it was Ariel and not so much poop, as we'd already heard too much about it at dinner). Happy birthday, Sage!

  19. What a sweet, lovely post. I sobbed and sobbed during “Happy Birthday” at my baby's girl's first birthday party in April. It's wonderful that you're taking the time to enjoy every moment!

  20. Oh. I only have 202 days left. Sniff. Who ever called them the terrible twos had no idea. They've been my favorite twice.

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