Kickin' it with The Kadzban's: Happy Birthday, sweet girl.

Despite being up until 2am last night, I woke up at 7:30. Desperate as I tried, I couldn't fall asleep as thoughts starting flying through my head about the journey I was on three years ago in that very moment. I watched the clock as 7:52 struck.... the moment in which Liana Grace Kadzban officially turned three years old.

Where has the time gone?!

Three years ago today was the most life-changing day of my life. Three years ago today, I became a mom.

And the person that made me a mom has turned into the most beautiful little girl I could've hoped for.

She is kind. Always concerned about others, when she picks up on pain or sadness she's right there making sure that person is okay. Even when other kids aren't being kind in return, she always is.

She is caring. The way she "mommies" her baby dolls and now her brother leaves me speechless. She's so gentle and so nurturing that it makes me proud.

She is funny. The kid loves to make you laugh. She's a huge goofball and can put on quite the show.

She is smart. So, so smart. She can read her letters, count without actually counting (does that make sense?) and her speech is now articulate and detailed. She says things like, "Mom, that nail polish wasn't so good. Almost all of it came off. Hopefully this nail polish is better."

She is vivacious. This kid has a thrill for life that goes unrivaled. She runs like it's her job and does laps (literally) around the neighborhood. She loves a thrill which scares me to death most times.

She is sassy... in both the good and the bad sense. I'm sometimes reminded of what my mother had to put up with when I was younger and thankful that this sentence is able to include "sometimes".

She is a master manipulator. She knows which buttons to push when she really wants something... this is especially true for her Papa, who she has wrapped around her finger. Her new favorite phrase is, "Mama, I think Lukas wants to ....." when clearly she's the one that wants ".....".

She stalls. Oh Lord how she stalls. This is a new one for us that's just come on in the last few weeks. Naptime, which was always SO easy, is now a process. I hear "But Mama, I want...." at least 15 times before I finally just shut the door. Same thing at bedtime or when it's time to go home and she doesn't want to. Or when I'm leaving for work. It's awful. I hate it.

She is imaginative. We have a hippo that lurks around our house, one that pops up randomly from room to room. I'm not sure where this hippo came from but it seems he's here to stay.

She is affectionate and loving. Kisses are common place around here and nothing melts my heart more than when she randomly runs up to me and throws her arms around my legs. On the days I don't work, she loves to snuggle with me in bed as we watch the Disney channel until Lukas wakes up. On the weekends, our queen size bed becomes very crowded with two big people and one little one. I wouldn't give it up for anything though.

She is responsive. "Warnings" work well for her and when I have to count to three (getting to three means going to time out), we rarely get beyond two. She listens well, especially when safety is on the line.

She is independent. Last year, she always wanted to have someone by her side. Now I see her venturing out on her own a little by doing things like going upstairs to play in her bedroom alone, going into the backyard alone, or going and playing downstairs alone. In addition, we hear "No, I'll do it" much more often these days. She doesn't always want our help even when sometimes that's for the best.

She is a friend, through and through. Lily is her best friend, Graham is her forever friend, and Vivi from playgroup has a special place in her heart. She tries to make friends wherever she goes and when kids don't reciprocate, it pains my heart. She's so happy when she's around other kids that I get excited thinking about the opportunities that lie ahead as she starts preschool in the fall.

She is relentless. If she wants something, you know it.

She is potty trained (yay!!!).... just not during sleep times. It'll happen when it happens.

She is my girly-girl. She loves to have her hair done and her fingers & toes painted. She loves to go to the store and pick out new clothes. She loves to dress up in her princess dresses and watch Strawberry Shortcake. At the same time though, she's got a little tomboy in her as the moment her daddy gets home she loves to play rough and tough. A perfect blend for both Mike and I. :)

She is pacifier free (yay!!!!). I promised myself it'd be gone by her third birthday and when we got down to only having two left, I said "It's time.". The first day was awful and the first week was hard but now, she doesn't even miss it. Neither do I.

She is helpful. If I ask her to go get something for me, she will. When it's been a long night and mama needs a nap, she'll play quietly so I can lay down for a little bit. She loves to "help" us cook and clean and she'll do anything we let her to take care of her brother. When Lukas was born, she mastered her own potty training during those first few weeks as I couldn't go upstairs with her every time she had to go (which was often!).

She is whiney.... when she wants something she can't have or when she's tired. Most annoying thing ever.

She is a big sister and a FABULOUS one at that. I can't believe I was once so scared about how she would respond to Lukas and whether she'd like this new role or not. She looks at him with adoring eyes but best of all, he reciprocates that. She's so gentle with him and so concerned for him all the time and I realized this week that as long as that continues, they're bound to be the best of friends. My heart soars just thinking about it.

She is a little girl. No longer a baby and no longer a toddler. I see it in her everyday actions, I see it in her personality, I see it when I look at her. I miss my "baby" girl but obviously, she's still my "baby girl".

She's our angel. She may not always act like one, but this girl is everything Mike and I hoped she would be. She's been an amazing gift from God and as her name implies, our answered prayer. As Mike and I were driving around last night and talking about her, I shared with him how I knew while I was pregnant with her that she was going to be "perfect". I knew she'd be an easy baby and I knew she'd be everything we wanted her to be. (It is also possible that this was me being naive and endlessly optimistic during our first pregnancy.)

Liana Grace changed my world three years ago today. Best of all, she didn't just change my world, she changed Mike's too. And our family's.

Happy Birthday, my sweet little girl. I love you to the moon and back. I am so proud to be your mama and as Taylor Swift says, "You are the best thing that's ever been mine. "