Three years ago, I was at the hospital laboring away. I didn't know that by the afternoon I would have a little baby girl. I had a fairly easy labor, but didn't know that was almost the last thing that she would make easy for me. A tiny little thing compared to the over-nine pound giant her brother was, she was still over eight pounds and feisty from the moment she emerged.

The Middle Girl has always been a bundle of energy. She's quick tempered and sneaky, but she's also quick to flash a smile and positively radiant. Although I sometimes think that if she'd been born first, no other children would have followed, she's also the child that made my brother-in-law want to have children some day. She's spunky and fun, even if we do hear at least one scream of rage from her every morning and hear her say things like, "I had to hit my brother because he smiled at me and I didn't like it."

Although my son is the cuddler and she has never been, I really understand The Middle Girl. I'm the middle girl too and not only that but we share the same looks, the same tastes and I hear that I was both as chatty and as high maintenance as she is when I was small. She's as close as I'm going to get to a clone. Although I'm not exactly sure I ever wanted a clone -- especially one that mimics my bad points at least as well as my good ones -- I can already tell that having a daughter is different from having a son. She likes to go with me places, she likes to pretend girly things and she loves it when I paint her toenails. And for some reason, getting to do those things is a real joy for me -- more, I must admit -- than playing army men or Legos (although I enjoy watching my son do those).

I never know what a year will bring, but three was a really wonderful year of growth and change for my son. He went from baby to kid when he was three. I look forward to seeing The Middle Girl making that change, despite all the challenges and struggles (and with her I mean a lot of challenges and struggles). She's still my tiny girl, only this morning outgrowing her size 18 month jeans and moving up to a size 2T, but she's twice that size in personality and vitality.

I can't believe it has been three years already.