Our baby girl, better known as Cienna Elise, turned 4 years old today and boy was it crazy (fun.) Let me start by saying that I tried many, many times today to transport myself back 4 years to remember what it was like to become a mom for the 1st time. While my heart was bursting with emotion, the one thing that I kept remembering was the fact that 4 years ago I was laying in a hospital bed, having someone wait on me hand and foot and each and every time I wanted to go to sleep I simply pressed my "magic" button better known as liquid pain killers. It was heaven. They would bring Cienna in and we would nuzzle and I would inspect her and take in every bit of this new little person with the most gorgeous lips and then I would take a nap. The best. My life is a little different today. But it is great all the same. Just a little less inspecting and almost no resting!
The birthday celebration really started last night when we let Cienna pick ANY restaurant in Albuquerque that she wanted to go to. Her 1st choice was Mariscos Altamar, our favorite Mexican restaurant. But then doubt set in...She insisted that she must pick a restaurant that they would sing "Happy Birthday" to her. So after careful, careful consideration she stuck with her 1st choice, but only after we told her if they didn't sing to her we would take her out for ice cream too. Not only did she get sung "Happy Birthday" to, but some other VERY LONG song in Spanish. It was practically uncomfortable. The guy with the guitar was at our table for like 5 minutes straight. Cienna loved it (especially the sombrero) and so did AJ. But mom and dad were over it!
Then came the real birthday celebration. Cienna and 13 of her closest tiny friends saw magic tricks, received balloon art and got their faces painted by Huggs the Clown. After dining on chicken nuggets, lil' smokies, cheetos and fruit salad we wrapped up the party with presents and a cupcake cake. I for one am going to change things up a bit next year. I am going to have the cake at the beginning of the party instead of the end. Cienna was bouncing off the walls for the rest of the day and I am pretty sure she would have crashed and burned if I had fueled her with sugar at the start of the party!
The Birthday Girl
The Kiddos Feeling Huggs the Clown Out
It Took Lots of Tries (And I Think A Little Spit) To Get the Candles Out
I used the party as an excuse to get out my hot glue gun and put some of the gems that Tony got from a hauling job to good use. Cienna got a princess party hat and all of the guests received custom headbands. I am no longer responding to Alexis anymore. You can call me Martha Stewart (as long as it only involves using a glue gun.)
So another birthday has come and gone. Today she is 4. Tomorrow, 14. And by next Saturday she is going to be my age. It sure does fly. But we are loving every moment with our growing gal!
