Happy 4th Birthday to my Baby Girl
This may be the most overused phrase or idea in parenting, but I swear -- I just don't know where the time went. It seemed like yesterday I was being told that it was time to take our baby girl home. And even though up until that point, it was all I had wanted to do, I remember being scared; seriously, they are trusting us to take this tiny human being home, and care for it... all by ourselves???
I quickly realized that we had all the tools and were fully up to the task. It's a job that I have never wanted more in my life. A job that I have never dreaded having to wake up to the next morning. While it's not always hugs and kisses, or even semi-quiet seconds of calm, it's the best job I have ever had. Four years ago, this sweet little girl named Isla made me a Mom, a title that I will hold forever -- and I could never be more grateful.
Birthdays have become a big deal for Isla. She wants to know when everyones is, and can memorize a surprising amount in the correct order. Of course Isla's birthday is the most exciting to her. Since we were having Isla's birthday party a week after her actual birthday, we decided to take her out for a special day that was all about her on her birthday. Okay, it was actually a day before, but her actual birthday fell on a Monday, so going out on Sunday was a much more feasible plan. The morning started with Isla's birthday present from Mom and Dad. She has been wanting a big-girl bike for a while, and we decided it was probably time.
***I apologize for the video quality on these. We are trying to figure out how to use the focus button on the camera for videos... After a lot of trial and error, I'm beginning to think it will not be our go-to video choice.
After testing out Isla's bike, we went for a short family bike trip to the park (Isla and Holden rode behind our bikes - I don't think she's quite ready for a long trip just yet). We played on the jungle gym at the local elementary school and Daddy tried to teach Isla the basics of soccer... We have a long way to go until soccer starts in January.
After the park we dropped Holden off at Adventure Kids (drop-in-day-care), and headed to the mall. The day started off with some shopping and lunch - Isla got to order whatever she wanted, and decided on a strawberry smoothie. After lunch we headed to the movies. I think that Jordan and I may have enjoyed "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" more then Isla. thats okay, because the best was yet to come...
As Isla's red rimmed eyes illustrate, it was a long and tiring day, but Isla had a great time celebrating 4 years, and we had a great time spending the day with our big girl.
Islas Disney Birthday Party
A week later we celebrated with Isla's friends at her birthday party. The party had a Disney theme, and guests were encouraged to dress in their favorite Disney character. Originally we had planned to hold the party at a local park, and were even going to bring our bounce house. Unfortunately Mother Nature had different plans. The weekend was unseasonably cold, and we decided to move the festivities to the lake house early in the week.
The kids still had a great time with the balloon princess as the star of the show.
Isla was especially enamored. I'm pretty sure she had at least twenty different balloon characters and things made for her that day.
Even princesses get tired, and it was time for this ones beauty rest...
Isla's Birthday Questions
Every year we ask Isla the same twenty questions on her birthday. It's interesting to see how her answers change, or stay the same... See the post from her birthday questions at age 3
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Isla's Birthday Questions:
(Age 4)
1. What is your favorite color?
Pink and Purple
2. What is your favorite toy?
Strawberry Shortcake Berry Cafe
3. What is your favorite food?
Strawberries, Pancakes and Chicken
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Strawberry Shortcake
5. What is your favorite movie?
Strawberry Shortcake
6. What is your favorite thing to wear?
Everything that she is currently wearing in the video.
7.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Strawberry/Lazytown - After some prompting she also said a Pet Doctor
8. What's your favorite song?
Strawberry Shortcake
9. Where's your favorite place to go?
Party City and Menchie's
10. What's your favorite animal?
Piggies
11. What's your favorite book to read?
Strawberry Shortcake
12. Who's your best friend?
Ella G.
13. What's your favorite drink?
Milk and Water
14. What's your favorite holiday?
Christmas, August and Mothers Day
15. What do you sleep with at nighttime?
All her toys
16. What's your favorite thing to do with Mommy and Daddy?
Crafts
17. What makes you happy?
Mommy, Daddy and Holden
18. What makes you sad?
Veronica -- (Watch out Veronica, I'm coming after you...)
19. What's your favorite birthday present
Strawberry Shortcake Bike and Minion
20. What scares you?
The Dark, and Mommy and Daddy when they are trying to surprise her
And that concludes what I swear was a month of Isla's birthday celebrations. Now we are off to Nashville to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends -- More on that soon!