Chloe's 3 yr Well-Check

Chloe on her 3rd birthday (12/22)

I can 't begin to describe the enourmous relief I feel and the burden that has been lifted now that we have finally found a pediatrician in Abilene that I am COMPLETELY comfortable with!  We had to go through a couple of akward experiences, but the search is over!  I am very grateful for the friends that recommended him to us!  You have to love a doctor that actually sits down and just visits with you for 15 minutes about you and your family, AND even asks questions about the other kids that are not there to be seen.  The office was clean, decorated very cute & amazingly enough we were the only ones in the waiting room!  Chloe was in her extreme "diva" mode, was out-of-character whiny, and doing everything she could to draw attention to herself.  I am very proud of how I handled the situation.  I have really progressed with not letting this get to me, and because she doesn't show her "color" very often, it actually made me laugh.  She got a wonderful clean bill of health, and weighed in at 37 pounds and 3 and 1/2 feet tall!  Crazy!  My baby is all grown up. 

In addition to getting bigger, we have fully transitioned out of pull-ups (even at night), naps, and sippy cups.  No more signs of babies or toddlers in the Karnei house.  I have very mixed emotions about all of this.  On one hand my diaper days are over and my schedule is much more flexible.  I'm excited about getting to go and do "big kid" things as a family like roller skating, camping, family bike rides, etc. without having to worry about leaving someone behind or making special arrangements.  On the other hand, I'm devastated.  The kids are growing up and are not as dependent on me.  It makes me feel like a new mom all over again as we transition into this new stage of  parenting.  My main role is still the same: to comfort them and enable them to be the best they can be, but man is it a whole new can of worms!!!  If you thought teaching a toddler to share or to potty train was tough, try teaching a young boy how to handle peer pressure and to be confident to always make the right choice, especially when you're not there to encourage him.  I am so sad to say that we live in a world where 1st graders have "diet clubs", kindergarteners "break up" with each other, and "grown up" topics and words are introduced WAY too quickly.  Before I get too blah, I'm going to choose to stay focused on the blessing we've made it this far, and relish my new found sense of freedom!  My plan is to pray for my children, their friends, and their futures, and take each day as it comes.  Tomorrow can worry about itself! 

I'm looking forward to having Jarred home tonight and to our yummy dinner!  I'll post the recipe if it earns a high enough rating.  Ha!  I'm off to go cuddle with my big girl before we have to get the others from school!  Remember: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift...that's why they call it the present!" (from Kung Fu Panda)