O.N.E.

On September 27, we woke to the most beautiful weather - blue skies, sun shining, and 75 degrees. We also woke to a baby with runny eyes, a runny nose, and an "I just want to go back to bed" attitude. The poor thing was miserable, but alas it was her birthday and we were determined to make the most of it. My mom and I spent far too long in the kitchen Friday night, but we had a table full of treats ready for our party guests to enjoy. My dad and husband were on decoration duty, so I sent them outside with a drawing of my vision and a tote full of decorations and told them to get to work. While we prepped the food and the men blew up balloons, the tot was fast asleep in her crib. I knew a long nap was our only shot of her making it through the party, and, thankfully, she crashed instantly. At that point, I was pleasantly surprised by how well everything was coming together.

 

By 1:30 the food was ready, the tables were set up, and the bounce house was inflated. Taylor woke from her nap just in time to put on her birthday outfit and take a few quick photos before our guests arrived. However, just as I was handing her off to my dad so that I could greet our guests, I heard her scream bloody murder. And she didn't stop. She wailed until we finally took her outside and put her in the bounce house. And then came the smiles! She was so happy just sitting there watching the other kids bounce and go down the slide. Who knew?!

In order to contain her happiness, I quickly encouraged everyone to head toward the food table. I strapped the tot in her high chair, gave her a handful of strawberries, and sat down to engage in one of the few conversations that I would have during the entire party. I no longer turned my head and Taylor's white shirt and gold tutu were covered in red. But that was the least of my worries. Five seconds after she finished eating, the tears started again. She was fading fast which meant that it was time to expedite the cake smash. We tore off her strawberry-stained shirt, attempted to light the candle (which I never was successful at), and sang a quick rendition of 'Happy Birthday'. She stared absent-mindedly throughout the song, but as soon as I sat the cake down in front of her she lit up! What started as a couple of fingers in the icing soon turned into an entire face plant into the cake. Our tot did not disappoint!

After we decided that she had enough sugar for a lifetime day, we dug her out of the crumb-filled highchair, stripped off her tutu, and headed straight to the bathtub. Ten scream-filled minutes later, she was dressed and back outside to open presents (which was the last thing she wanted to be doing). I opened her gifts as quickly as I possibly could, throwing out thank you's as I wiped Taylor's nose and tried to contain her on my lap. As soon as the gifts were opened, we let her play in the bounce house a little longer. We knew she needed a nap, but I wasn't about to make her miss playtime with her friends on her birthday. After all, I'm pretty sure that was the only part of the day that she truly enjoyed (aside from the cake).

Here's our tot giving true meaning to the phrase "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to."

As our guests started to leave, I took the tot inside to lay her down. I'm not sure if it was the abundance of sugar or the fact that she had reached the point of being too tired, but she laid in her crib and screamed for a solid 20 minutes. At that point, I couldn't take it. No amount of crying was going to put her to sleep. As soon as I picked her up, she laid her head on my shoulder and wrapped her body around mine. I sat in the glider and rocked her for what seemed like forever. I could hear doors closing and cars pulling out of the driveway. The party was ending and I didn't get to say a single 'thank you' or 'goodbye'. But at that moment, I didn't care. All my sick baby wanted was to be held by her momma, and I wasn't about to deprive her of that. As we rocked, I sang "Hush Little Baby" on repeat - the same song I sang to her the very first night she slept in her crib. Then I realized that the detailed party that I had planned and all of the food and decorations that I had crafted by hand - none of it mattered. What mattered was that I was there to comfort my baby when she needed me. I can't think of a better gift than that!

A special thank you to all of our family and friends who attended Tay's birthday party, whether in person or in spirit! It's always hard having family and friends who live far away, but I hope this post makes everyone feel like they were a part of her special day! We are so thankful for the abundance of gifts she received as well as the love that surrounded us that day. We love you all so very much!