4

So yeah....2 months behind now instead of just 1...at least I'm eventually getting to things. 

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I can't believe this little beauty if four.  As in ONE.TWO.THREE.FOUR.  She tells me now "Mommy, I'm a big girl because I'm four.  I'm not little anymore."  I can't believe how fast time is flying.  And I can't believe she still has those long eyelashes!

I make a very big deal out of Ivy's birthday. Some people don't understand why but it's a special day for her and for me. It's her birthday and all about her but it's also the day I became a Mama.

We had her party a week early because of Clifford and Jeanna's wedding.  I had the idea of doing an art party for Ivy and all the kids could paint pictures.  I thought it would be great because Ivy loves to paint but she quickly shot down that idea and said she wanted a princess party.  I reminded her that a lot of her friends were boys and she looked at me like "So....I want a princess party."  So I let her pick out her decorations and she picked a few friends to invite.  She wanted her Daddy to cook cheese quesadillas for them to eat and she wanted lemonade to drink (although I was lazy and didn't make it...I just bought lemonade capri-suns but she didn't seem to mind).

Her only other request for her party was a pretty pink princess cake with her name on it.  And of course, Grammie delivered.

Ivy told me she wanted the piece of cake with her name on it....I explained that was too much cake and after some negotiating she settled just for the letter "I" but no one else was allowed to have a letter, those two pieces were to be saved for her.  I thought that was pretty cute.

Then it was time for presents and her best friend Henry helped her quite a bit.  These two are so funny together.

This picture is going to be a classic when they are older.

I recently reconnected with a friend from high school and she happens to be an amazing photographer!  She has a daughter named Reagan that shares the same birthday with Ivy...just one year apart.  So happy belated 3rd birthday to little miss Reagan!  And a VERY BIG THANK YOU to Tanner for bringing her awesome camera with her to the party!  I love all the pictures so much! 

Viva Photography

Viva Photography

Viva Photography

Viva Photography

Viva Photography

Viva Photography

Viva Photography

Viva Photography

And this is where Ivy broke my heart.  She told us she wanted a bike for her birthday so we took her to several different stores to ride bikes and see which one she liked the best.  She chose this one and was very sure of it...I was relieved that she didn't pick the Disney princess bike.  But then when we rolled this out at her party her smile disappeared and she looked me straight in the eyes and said "But Mommy, I really wanted a princess bike."  I felt so bad because it had crossed my mind to just buy the stupid princess one anyway...but as you can see she eventually warmed up to it.

Viva Photography

Ivy didn't have school on her birthday so I made some cupcakes for the day before. Of course they needed to be pink with princess sprinkles.

Ivy's actual birthday was the day before the wedding but we tried our best to make it all about her before we went to the rehearsal. So we asked her what she wanted to do.....

1. Bo Berry biscuits at Bojangles - check.

2.  Go to Target and spend a gift card that she got at her party - check.

No pictures from this event but here's a cute story...She picked out a Rapunzel princess dress to add to her collection of dress up clothes.  The gift card was from Logan, the son of my very good friend Kimberly.  Every time we would go to Target Ivy would walk to the toy section and ALWAYS asks for that dress.  I would always say "not today" and that she should wait for her birthday to see if someone bought it and she always responded with "Well maybe Logan will come buy it for me."  This cracked me up every time and she had been saying that for months. She really doesn't see Logan that much so I thought it was kind of strange.  But she got that dress and I guess Logan really did buy it for her.

3.  Go home and open her present from Mommy and Daddy - check. 

Squinkies, Princess wall decals, Clifford books, and a Giraffe hoodie.

4.  A trip to the Pumpkin Patch - check.

5. Mellow Mushroom for lunch - check.

She was so silly the whole time.  She loves her Mellow Mushroom and always chooses Mighty Meaty or Hawaiian Girl.

They even gave this silly girl some ice cream for dessert.

I think she had a pretty good birthday.