A Tutu, A Tiara, and A Tiny Baby

What a precious two days we've had celebrating our 3 year old!! After church we all went out to lunch. The kids voted Chuck-E-Cheese and I quickly vetoed!! Macaroni Grill it was! Of course there was a slice of German Chocolate Cake delivered by our waiter!

Then it was off to Patti-Cakes for petit fours with pink hearts.

It wouldn't be a proper tea time without hats!

For the second year in a row, my sweet friend Margaret has given Evie a birthday outfit. Margaret knows how to dress little girls! I absolutely loved it!! Evie is so blessed to not only have two very involved, adoring grandmothers, but a couple of surrogate ones as well! Thank you friend!

Oh how I LOVE that mischievous little twinkle in her eye!

This morning, we set out on a little excursion. It is quite possible that I was more excited about Evie's birthday date than she was. My very earliest childhood memory is getting a baby-doll for Christmas when I was two. "Angel" is part of all of my most cherished childhood memories. I took her to the grocery store. To lunch at the Swan Coach House. Bundled her in a coat and toted her around Christmas caroling in the neighborhood. She road in the pram with mothers' "real" babies. It seemed the appropriate time to get Evie used to the idea of a baby, so C and I took her on a special outing this morning...

There is a local toy store that has a "baby nursery" in it. It's set up just like a hospital nursery and you get to choose a baby doll to adopt. This is her expression the moment she saw the store front window display and asked if WE could get a baby??? Priceless!

Daddy had to hold her up so she could see through the glass nursery window.

What an ordeal! What a hard decision! Blonde hair or red hair? Brown eyes or green? In the end, Evie selected the "preemie" sized baby who looks remarkably like her. Brown hair and blue eyes. It was love at first sight!!

"Nurse Jennifer" then took out her clipboard and conducted the interview to make sure Evie was a "fit parent". Evie had to promise to sing to her baby when she cries and keep her dressed and warm.

Then the nurse took the baby's measurements and weight and listened to her heart with a stethoscope. She filled out the "birth certificate" and Evie had to sign her name.

Such a fun event! So, we're in the car and Evie is dutifully "changing the baby's diaper". She gets the doll stripped down and stopped....her comment stunned me. Looking at the seam down the middle of the cloth body, Evie exclaimed "Look Mommy, God fixed her heart too!"

Clearly, we found the perfect doll for Evie!

There was one more hard decision to make for the day. Red Velvet, Cinnamon Swirl, Strawberry or a S'more cupcake?

We stopped at a notorious bakery that we had yet to try....well worth the stop. C and I decided we should try a cupcake as well. So special to have a morning just the two of us and our little Birthday Girl.

One of those golden memories I have filed away. A dreamy swirl of rhinestones, chocolate sprinkles, soft brown braids and a tiny baby doll. Pulling my face with her chubby hand on the way home, she whispered, "I have a secret......I wuv you Mommy!"

I love you too little sweet heart!