Baby Girl Turns 3!

Gillian had her first tea party today for her 3rd birthday. She wanted a Strawberry Shortcake party of course, so I decked everything out in pink, lime green and red! We painted everyone's face or hand with strawberries, played with strawberry playdo, colored in Strawberry Shortcake coloring books, made strawberry shortcake for a treat, had strawberry sandwiches and fruit kabobs for tea and drank strawberry lemonade too! It was very cute! I am super tired! The whole family helped! Our house is a sea of strawberryland still! We had a lot of fun!

The Invitations!

Strawberry and Me!

Time for Tea!

Some of Gillian's Tea Party Friends

A Birthday Note To Gillian...............

Gillian,

I can't believe how the time has flown! I still remember everything about my pregnancy with you, your birth....you being in the NICU for 2 days, your beautiful rosy cheeks and blue eyes (which are now a beautiful green color). You were the best baby and you loved your schedule but you didn't mind being interrupted from it either. You have always been very easy going.

I never put you down except for naptime and night time not because you were fussy but because I wanted to play with you all the time. You were then and you are now my little doll. Now that you are 3, I guess we can't keep calling you "Baby Girl" anymore..........but that is what you will always be to me. :)

I love your spunky personality. You can be a little shy and afraid of new people sometimes but you always warm up quickly and really, truly love all the people in your life. You don't like dresses very much but we have an agreement that we both have stuck by very well. I get to dress you on Sundays and for special events out or parties and you get to dress yourself the rest of the time. Most of the time you are mismatched and your hair isn't combed but that was our deal and soooo I stick by it and so do you. lol

You love learning!!!!! You read all the time (although most of the words are made up), you like to practice writing your name, you take every direction very seriously at preschool or at home when we are teaching you things and then repeat your newly learned skills meticulously. You love to fold laundry and put things away but that doesn't apply to your toys or playhouse. You change your clothes at least 5 times a day and talk and talk and talk to your imaginary friends.

You love your brothers and are happy to have any of their attention. They love you just as much. We all know this is true when we find one of them playing dolls or letting you dress them up in your room because it makes you feel so happy. Your relationship with them is very sweet.

Your favorite color is pink of course but you are by no means just a girly, girl. You are a perfect balance......... you love your jewelry and playing with your dolls but you try as hard as you can to keep up with caleb and we expect that you will love sports as much as all the boys in the family do. I am sure that you will out-wakeboard, out-boogie board, out-ski, and out-sport them someday. But don't tell them I said that. hahaha

Right now, you are mommy's girl but daddy has your heart! You know right where to go when you need a little love and understanding. haha. I wouldn't say that you have daddy wrapped around your finger because he doesn't want you to be spoiled but you have a very special relationship with him that reminds me of me and my dad.

I love you so very much and I'm grateful everyday for having the opportunity to raise you here on earth. Just as my dreams of having a baby girl to love and grow with seemed out of reach,I was blessed with you. You have enriched my life in more ways than I could ever express to you. Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Girl!

Mommy