Leah {at 4 years old}

Leah has definitely changed a lot this past year in terms of what she likes, doesn't like, how she acts, etc... I think it's always fun to document these little changes over the years. As of now, Leah...

...has become very independent. I am thankful that she has found this independence and likes to do things on her own, BUT she thinks that she can do everything on her own, which isn't always the case. I have to keep a close eye on her as of late, especially when we are outside playing. I have to keep reminding her that just because she's four doesn't mean she can do whatever she wants. She almost always disagrees with me, but I do tend to win these little battles. It's all for her own good :).

...is {still} a little stinker when it comes to eating. I really, really, try to be patient with her at any meal, but it does get so frustrating when she won't eat what we are all having. I pretty much refuse to make her whatever she wants, as I want her to be able to enjoy a variety of things. Plus I just don't think it makes much sense to give in and make her whatever she wants. Over the past two weeks, she has gotten a lot better, but she still has her moments when she flat out refuses to eat. She prefers milk over pretty much any food. I keep telling myself that it's a work in progress.

...absolutely LOVES to color and be creative. She is not at all interested in legos, or building things, but she loves to draw and use her arts and crafts to make little creations. I have loads of papers that she has given to me, and each one is so special. Some of them are actually quite good, as she really does spend a good amount of time creating them. I always love to see what she'll come up with next.

...can write her name. She has actually been able to do this for quite some time, since she writes her name on every piece of art she creates {which is a LOT}. She can also write all of our names {mom, dad, Noah, Isaac} and is very proud of herself for being able to do so.

...can recognize all of the letters in the alphabet and the numbers up to 10. She can also count to 20...I attribute this to the fact that we play hide-and-go-seek a lot :). She also knows her sounds and is really good at putting sounds together.

...absolutely LOVES to learn, as you can tell from the previous fact :). She craves learning and is such a sponge.

...LOVES to sing and dance. She loves to watch shows with music so that she can sing along with them.

...has a crazy good memory. She has certain movies almost completely memorized and it is absolutely hilarious to watch her while we watch these shows. My favorite is when she recites the words from Tangled...and when she sings the songs. She'll do all of the actions as well...pure entertainment!

...sleeps pretty well at night. We recently moved Leah downstairs with Noah and I was expecting her to have a really hard time with it, but it wasn't at all! She'll come up to our room occasionally, but I think that's to be expected with someone her age. The only hard part is getting her to bed. She is pretty much done taking naps, much to my dismay, but there are days when she is so dang tired that I have her lay down with me and she zonks out. On those days, it is really hard for us to get her to go to sleep. It's hard because if she doesn't take a nap, she's grumpy the rest of the day, but will go to sleep just fine at night. OR I can have her take a little nap and she's as happy as can be the rest of the day, but then she won't go to bed! It's hard either way! Oh well...

...loves snuggling with me in the morning hours, and I love it too! She is the best little snuggle-bug, just like Noah and Isaac. It really is the best!

...is {still} such a girly girl. She's all about dresses, jewelry, having her hair done, etc...and I really don't mind one bit :). I love watching her walk around in her dress ups and beg me to paint her nails again and again. Makes me smile every time :).

...is very concerned about her hair and wants it to grow so badly. She has super duper fine hair and it has taken a while for us to grow it out since cutting last year. After her bath, she'll sit in front of the mirror for a good amount of time and just brush her hair over and over again. She kind of reminds me of me when I was little because I was so obsessed with my hair and how it looked. She also tells me how she wants it styled every day, and I have to do it the way she wants or she'll get a little put out.

...is very tempermental! Oh my, Doug and I just don't know how to handle this little girl sometimes. If she doesn't get her way, then watch out! She can be SO emotional at times, and it is so hard to calm her down. She is getting better at listening to us and understanding why certain things can't go her way, but we're still working on it.

...tests the limits a little too much. If we tell her that she can't do something, she will do everything in her power to try and do it! Seriously, it can really wear on me sometimes. After her testing the limits one too many times, I think that we are finally getting through to her and she is beginning to realize that she needs to listen a little better. Thank goodness!

...is as sweet as punch! Yes, despite all of her emotional break downs, she can still be the sweetest thing ever. She loves to give Doug and I hugs and kisses and shower us with that gorgeous little smile. She totally has us wrapped around her little finger...it's a good thing we know when she's just trying to get something out of us! Ha!

...is the best sister to Noah and Isaac. Yes, she butts heads with Noah at times, but at the end of the day they are the best little friends. Leah also looks out for Isaac daily...she is definitely a little mommy to him and wants to make sure that he is happy and taken care of. She and Isaac really enjoy playing together too, which is a great thing if you ask me. Even if she does dress him up in her princess clothes...as long as they're having fun, right? :)

...is VERY excited to have a little sister! Oh my, I just know that she is going to shower this little girl with so much love. She is always asking me if she will be able to hold her and help take care of her, to which I always say "yes". I so look forward to the bond that they are going to share :). I also look forward to Leah meeting the baby for the first time...that will definitely be a precious little moment :).

...is a very imaginative little thing. She loves to play house and school and come up with different ways to play. It's always fun to see what she'll come up with next.

Our lives sure wouldn't be the same with out our little Leah. She's definitely the little princess around here and we just love her to pieces. I look forward to all of the new things that are going to happen to her this coming year...it's always exciting to watch these kiddos grow and change :). I'm sure that Leah will definitely keep us entertained along the way too!