Pre-Birthday Celebrations!

Olivia’s 2^nd birthday is next week and we have started celebrating early! Last night we visited the American Girl store to pick out Bitty Baby Twins. During the entire ride to the store Olivia kept telling me she was getting “Bitty Baby twins”! When we walked in the store, the clerk gave Olivia a birthday sticker and let her push the baby in the doll stroller. Olivia went all around the store pushing the stroller while wearing squeaker shoes (oops-those shoes are loud) as I quickly searched for where to buy the twin stroller cheaper (Ebay).

After our visit at American Girl, we headed to Cheesecake Factory where the waiters sang to Olivia. She was so surprised and kept telling us “everybody sang Happy Birthday Olivia.” She knew how to blow out the candles and definitely knew how to enjoy the ice cream!

It is fun to watch the excitement of a child about their birthday! Olivia has been helping me make decorations for her upcoming Mickey and Minnie themed party and we have practiced what to say when her guests come to the party: “thank you, thank you.”

As excited as I am for this milestone, I really can’t believe she is turning 2 next week! I have been very emotional about it all-I love this stage we are entering, but I wish time would stand still. I remember so clearly, like it was only yesterday, the challenging pregnancy, anticipation of her birth, difficult labor, and most of all, the sheer exhilaration once we held our healthy little girl in our arms for the first time.