Happy Birthday Butterfly!

Everyone,

Butterfly is 3 today. 3! I can't believe it's been 3 years since she came into our lives. She has grown up so much. It's interesting to have newborns again and think that this time 3 years ago, we had another newborn. She was so small. She was so new. And we were new to parenting. While we didn't know what to expect (because what brand new parent does?) we were so ready for her to join us.

Because it took us so long to have her in the first place, I suppose it's fitting that today was our annual baby reunion with our infertility clinic. They have a big party every year for those who have had success with them. They have clowns, face painting, pictures, and balloons. Butterfly got a purple dog balloon from the clown Bubbles. Everyone oohed and ahhed over the boys, and Butterfly ran around having fun with her dog on a leash. We also had yummy lunch and I got to talk to all my old work buddies.

When we got home from the party, Juice took a nap and Butterfly and I played with her new cars and new tea set from Nana and Grandpa. Dinner happened, and then cake. We ordered her an ice cream cake and I got to enjoy some this time! Yum! She was having a hard time blowing out the candles because she was blowing over them and not on them. Very cute. We each had 2 pieces of cake (except Grandpa who only had one) and opened a few presents.

Juice and I got her a little laptop of her own. It has Cinderella on it and you can use a magic wand to make the choices, or use the glass slipper mouse to move the cursor around. It is SO CUTE and you should have seen the look on her face. Oh wait, I think I have it on camera. She loved it and I'm expecting to be annoyed with in by this time next week. Good times.

I still can't believe she is 3 years old. Where does the time go? She can count to twenty (although she thinks that 1100 is right after 20 and the end of counting), she knows most of the shapes, most of the colors, and can recognize her name. Her friend from my mom's group sent her a few little books and by the end of reading them, she could recognize the word 'woof'. She runs, she jumps, she pretends like there is no tomorrow and all she wants to do is play. She says, "aww, a baby!" every time I pick one of her brother's up. She thinks every dress she puts on is a dancing dress and has to have music. Although not the same music that she likes for every day. She likes faster songs for every day, and only likes to listen to classical music if she has a dress on. Go figure.

I think she is having a harder time adjusting to the brothers than she always lets on. The past couple of days she has not been her usual cheerful self. She is crying more often. I can tell it's a fake cry, but she is crying none the less. She also bit Juice this afternoon. We had our new stroller out with the boys at the party today and she wanted to help push it. Fine. Except it has a tendency to tip backward and she was pulling on it. I finally told her she couldn't push it if she kept pulling it down. So she stopped and started to cry. We needed to get home so Juice just picked her up and we headed out to the car. She cried she wanted to get down. He told her he would put her down when she stopped crying and would walk. Her answer to that was to bite him. Boy did she get yelled at. And then she cried harder because she was in trouble. Ugh. 3 is turning out to be harder than 2.

But it's amazing to be able to have a chance to parent someone who is 3 and a new big sister. I hope that we will be able to do a good job. Juice said that he remembers things when he was 3 years old, so I'm hoping that we are making good memories for her. I wish I could have given her a birthday party with all her friends, but it's just too hard with the boys to do that. I'm hoping a cake, some presents and then a trip to the 'pond restrant' will be a good birthday memory.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl. Oh, sorry, Big Sister. Or Baby Red Bird. Or Honey. Or one of the other terms of endearment we have for you. Because you are endearing. Very. Love you!

Safire (and Juice and the Brothers and Soot)