Mad Tea Party

You had a great birthday party today with your friends. Saturday we are having a combined party for yours and Chase's birthdays, just family will be coming to that one. Today's party was all about your friends, and you had a great time. A GREAT time. Surprisingly, none of the ceramic tea set pieces were broken, and no balloons popped!

I setup a large toddler-height table (made from a hollow-core door atop our coffee table) and set out your colorful polka dot tea sets. You and 8 of your best buddies (Abby, Benjamin, Chloe, Dilen, Mia, Morgan, Roman and Taylor) had a blast playing at the table and being silly. We really wanted to invite all of your friends, but 8 was the perfect amount to keep it manageable.

Your friends' moms, Jessie and I watched you guys share and play for a long time before we sang Happy Birthday to you. You had your first taste of cake! You and I shared a cupcake. We made them yesterday at your friend Mia's house. You gave Mia lots of hugs and big muaaah kisses, and you're learning to say her name.

You also had your first taste of whole milk this morning in your sippy cup. That's right, you made the switch from bottles to sippy cups already, a few weeks ago in fact. You're such a big girl now!

After cake and milk, we went into the living room where you and your friends played with some of your toys, and we had a little game. Each of your friends attempted to throw sugarcubes (aka big styrofoam ball) into a teacup (aka big big huge wooden salad bowl). When they got the 'sugarcube' into the 'teacup' they were awarded a prize - the party favors we wrapped up like teabags. The girls got handmade barrettes and the boys got a wooden block stamp set. You played for a bit more with your friends, then it was time for everyone to go home and nap.

You slept for 5 minutes shy of 2 hours...pretty much a record for you. I did have to get you up an hour early so I could make sure you were bathed and fed before your guests arrived, but you had so much fun I think you'd have slept that long regardless - you were wiped out! This gave me time to clean up and get your presents ready to open.

When you woke up, we did exactly that, and you had a blast doing so. We spent hours playing with your new toys and being silly in the party room. You went down for a second nap, and did not want me to lay you down in your crib, so I just let you sleep in my arms for the entire 45 minutes. I figured it won't be much longer that you will want to do that, so I sat down with you on the couch in my bedroom and pretty much just watched you sleep thinking about the past year and how far you've come.

Your Dad was watching tv while laying in bed, and I turned to him and said "Michael, you know our baby isn't a baby anymore...she's one, she's a toddler now." to which he responded solemnly "She's a big girl now.". That you are...a big girl, but I have a feeling you will always be my baby.

Here's the link to the pictures