Happy Birthday Presents

Thank you first of all to those of you who sent cards and also those who wished me a Happy Birthday. Several people have asked what I did special today. Overall it was just a "normal" day in my daily adjustment to being a parent!! We started the day by heading off to the hospital to have an echo cardiogram done. Since I have never had a child or reason to visit a children's hospital before, I was just amazed and in some ways saddened by all the children that I saw there. On the other hand, I was very impressed by the staff there. They were so friendly and kind, from the check in department to the clinical staff. The first thing she asked me was if she was going to get more shots. Poor thing. But I assured her that she didn't have to have any and that they were just going to look at her heart. She did great during the whole procedure and when we left she got a "Dola" sticker. She loves yogurt and I have been buying the ones for kids made by Yoplait. Dora the Explorer is on every cup and she always asks me who that is. Unfortunately, we lost the sticker somewhere in the parking lot. So after we got home, I went up in the attic where I have packed the many books, puzzles and other treasures that my sister Susan has passed onto me. There was a stuffed Dora in a box. I brought it down and she thought it was the best thing. Later that afternoon while she was taking her nap, I put Dora at the foot of the bed. When I went into her room later to wake her up, there was Dora on the pillow besides her (see picture.) It was such a contrast in size and just a reminder of what a little girl she still is.
We had soup for lunch and she really enjoyed it. We had not had it for awhile since she kept refusing it. I also gave her crackers to put in the soup instead of bread. So she ate the first bowl without a problem and then asked for more. While she was eating I decided to empty the dishwasher. When I went to see if she was finished, I found the bowl of soup looking very cloudy and strange. It was at that point that I realized that she had added her chocolate milk to the broth. As we were preparing for her nap, I had her use the toilet and set her up to wash her hands. This child loves water and for some reason keeps filling up the sink (one day she had flooded the bathroom when I was trying to get some laundry done.) I returned back into her bathroom only to find that she had not only filled up the sink, but she had put my old cell phone in the sink for a bath. In the evening, as she was brushing her teeth, she would fill up the cup to rinse her mouth and take one little sip and then pour out the rest from the height of 12-15 inches which resulted in my clothes getting wet and water on the walls. After she finished using the toilet before going to bed, I again left her to wash her hands and walked into my bedroom for only a minute. When I returned she had managed to wet down half of her hair. Now you have to realize that she had had a bath only an hour or so earlier and her hair was now dry.
I guess she really wanted to make this birthday quite memorable. :) I am realizing that things we take for granted that we just know to do or not to do, is not the case in her situation. So I find that a big part of my job as the parent, is teaching her how to pour the water from the cup close to the drain so it doesn't flood everywhere and to firmly let her know that she cannot put electrical devices in the water and why. Once I do this, I find that she really does understand and is able to do the right thing afterwards. So even though she made this birthday memorable, she also made it the best birthday by far by the fact that she is finally here and for just who she is. Everyday she just wiggles her way deeper and deeper into my heart. So without even realizing her, Natalie gave me the best present ever, herself!!