Mommin' It Up!

November 21, 2011November 20, 2011

The Incredible Fantastic Birthdaypalooza!

So as I mentioned the other day, I had quite a bit planned for Sophie’s 5th birthday. And quite a bit went very well! It all started on Wednesday, her actual birthday. After taking some Lulee’s Lollies to school to share with her friends, she then had two girlfriends over after class for a play date and cupcakes! Then, after Daddy got home from work, it was PRESENT TIME! She had just (ahem *cough*) a few to open.

Then, Friday after Joshua got out of school, we picked Daddy up at work and headed slightly south to CoCo Key, an indoor waterpark in Cincinnati. We stayed the night so we got to play Friday night and Saturday. It was awesome! I will post a full review later, but we had a fantastic time. Sophie and Joshua were in HEAVEN!

Finally, FINALLY, yesterday we had the main event – Sophie’s Hello Kitty birthday party. Usually we just do a family party, because we have a big family, but this year since it was the first birthday Sophie really was excited about, we went all-out. We had all her friends from church and a couple special other friends as well! It…was…HUGE! And even though it was totally crazy and I almost had a panic attack during the chaos that ensued the busting of the ($20!!!) Hello Kitty pinata, Sophie had an awesome time!

the "Happy Birthday" song — The "Happy Birthday" song

We had a wonderful few days celebrating our little girl. And I think she was feeling pretty special about it all. Happy Birthday, Sophie! But I gotta warn you, next year is probably gonna seem pretty lame.

November 16, 2011November 15, 2011

Birthday Wishes, the sequel

Sophia Diane,

Happy birthday, baby. I can’t believe you are FIVE. When you were born, with all that almost-black hair and that perfect face, I could not imagine you as a five-year-old girl. And now, look at you:

You are sweeter and more beautiful that I ever could have dreamed you would be. My imagination just wasn’t capable of seeing and knowing all the many kinds of wonderful that you are.

Last year on your birthday, I made a wish for you. I wished that you would share your awesomeness with others. You were, at that point, not really spreading your greatness around so much. And oh, girl, these past twelve months you have really made that wish come true! You are SO social, so good at making friends, so sweet to others – I couldn’t be more proud. I am so proud that you LOVE being YOU. This year, I wish that you will always love yourself, that you will see yourself as God sees you – perfectly imperfect, and created exactly the way you are supposed to be.

Sweet girl. You have made me so proud this year. You can read. You can write. Your speech is amazing. You have gotten so strong in gymnastics! You make up the funniest songs, and just like me, you think life should be a musical and it is fun to sing what you are doing. I love singing with you about eating lunch or coloring a picture. I love being silly with you!

You are SUCH a good big sister. Last year on your birthday you were still the little sister, but now you are both! I was so afraid you would be jealous of your baby brother, but you’ve been nothing but loving. I have loved seeing you be so sweet and motherly toward Jonah. You are so good at taking care of him and at playing with him. I love how you talk to him and reassure him. I love how you can’t wait to share the exciting things in your day with him. I love how he lights up when he sees you!

You light up my world, baby girl. Five seems like a big, big deal to me. I’m a little sad because I always want you to be my baby girl. I always want you to say to me, like you often do, that I’m your best friend. But I promise I will be even when you think I’m not. No one could love you more than I do, Sophie.

Happy Birthday!

November 11, 2011November 10, 2011

Having it all

Be prepared to hear a lot in the next few days about Sophie’s 5th birthday (which is Wednesday, November 16th). I’m sorry, people, but I need to emote.

This birthday is a really big deal for me, as Sophie’s mom. Because you see, it’s the first one she’s ever cared about. The receptive part of Sophie’s speech delay had kept her from really understanding exactly what a birthday was. Last year was the first year she really got it, but she was pretty shy then, and didn’t like being the center 0f attention, or being at parties and large gatherings. So, last year, we didn’t even really have a party. Just a small, family-only gathering at my mom’s house. She opened her presents away from the group, in the dining room with just Bobby and me and my mom. She just really was not into people staring at her while she did so! We didn’t do singing, no candles, just a very low-key celebration. She liked her gifts, but they were all things I had picked out because she hadn’t really grasped the idea that you could ask for things for your birthday, even.

But, oh, how a year has changed things.

Now she is so excited about her birthday party, her friends, her Hello Kitty cake, her pinata, and oh, the presents. The presents, the presents, the presents. As I mentioned a few days ago, she has already made quite the list of things she wants for her birthday and Christmas. She got twenty bucks in an early birthday card from my Grandma yesterday and immediately wanted to go to Target and spend it. (Which we did, as I am the indulgent mother). Up and down the aisles of Target we strolled, Sophie pointing joyously to everything she saw, saying, “I want this for my birthday! I want this for my birthday! I want that, too!” It’s so fun for me to see her so excited about stuff. I know it’s just stuff, and it’s not that I want to raise a material girl, but the fact that she’s caught up and is acting in such an age-appropriate way about her birthday has me giddy.

She wants it all. And because she finally wants it all, and because honestly, the child has worked her butt off in therapy an at home for the last 13 months, I want to give it to her. So I *may* have gone a wee bit overboard this year. But I’ll try not to make a habit of it.

Because what she doesn’t know, but I know, when I look at her, is that she already has it all. She’s all caught up, she’s where she needs to be. She is sweet, smart, beautiful, and loved. She has it all.

And Sophie my girl, so do I. So do I.

___________

Thanks, Shannon, for the photo