Oh, The Difference a Year Makes

Katie's 4th birthday is quickly approaching.  This milestone always makes reflect on what has changed for our daughter in the course of the year.  And while sometimes I feel like Katie hasn't changed much between 3 and 4.  Other times I realize there is a world of difference.

Changes in a child from birth to 1 year are vast in very quantifiable metrics.  For example, she quadrupled her birth weight and went from a blob who couldn't hold up her own head, to walking, babbling one year old.  Changes between 3 and 4 are different.  They are less tangible, harder to immediately identify.  Sure, she has grown in height and weight.  But the personality changes are much more significant than the physical.  Katie's shy, timid nature has altered.  Its certainly still there --- and in crowds, or new/unusual environments she is as clingy as ever.  But its improved significantly.  I credit a great deal of this change to her preschool teacher and director.  Sometimes I feel the school isn't as focused on academics as I'd prefer.  However, they provide a loving/caring environment like nothing we expected.  Preschool has helped Katie come out of her shell and really develop friendships with her classmates.  As an only child, I feel this socialization is unbelievably important for her.

There is a big maturity shift between 3 and 4 (and I'm sure the years to come).  Katie has fever tantrums.  And when they occur, I can usually say "Hey, let's talk about this."  Amazingly, she will stop and listen.  Well --- most of the time that's true.  Usually those sessions end in some kind of "negotiation", which I see as somewhat positive.  She is learning to find compromise when we don't agree on things. 

And if I want REAL tangible differences in Katie's changes between 3 and 4, I look at her "artwork" (as much as you can call a 3, almost 4 year old's drawings artwork).  She loves to draw!  Each day, in place of naptime, Katie has quiet time.  She basically lays down, or plays in her room alone --- so mommy can have a little break.  Most days, she spends the time drawing on the white board.  I took a picture last week of her drawing because I thought it was pretty good.  When quiet time is over, she enjoys telling us about what she drew and what's happening in the pictures.  Today, she is in the bottom left box.  She said she was playing outside in the sunshine, with the flowers on the ground nearby.  She also said that she was eating her pear, but dropped it.  LOL!  FYI - that's me on the bottom right with the super long legs (ha --- wish that was true), and Matt in the top left. 

Now, look at her self portrait from almost exactly 1 year ago --- when she was 2 years 11 months old.  Its just crazy the difference. 

This little one of ours is growing entirely too fast.  Some days I want to slow things down.  Other days, I'm dying to know what she'll be like one year from now....and what type of changes we will see between 4 and 5.