Birthday Girl

Our little Mae is THREE years old now!!!  

Friday was her birthday and we had a BIG day celebrating her. 

She is trying to show me 3 with her fingers... she does a pretty good job but its a hard one to do. (:

Cody took the day off from work.  We went to IHOP for a delicious pancake breakfast.  mmmmm... Mae wishes everyday started off with a pancake breakfast with her daddy.  

After breakfast we went to the Children's Museum in Atlanta and it was fantastic!  Definitely take your kiddos if you live in the Atlanta area... it was better than I had hoped for.  Mae loved every activity and there is soooo much to see and do there.  Mae would have stayed glued to the first thing she did if we'd let her... we kept her going to the next fun thing; each new area was just as fun & exciting as the last.  

These pictures are a miniscule glimpse of all the fun activities: 

Moon sand to sculpt.

 Fishing in a pond and rain jackets are provided so that your sweeties don't get soaked.

Giant building blocks

[ Mae's birthday present this year from us was a baby bed that my sister and I played with when we were little... I painted it blue to match her big girl bed and I made a small quilt that matches her bedding.  So Cody and I wanted to find her a special baby doll that looked like her... and we decided on the popular American Doll Bitty Baby. ] So when we left the museum and headed for the mall...  to go experience the American Girl Store.  We witnessed the crazed girls pulling their mothers and fathers everywhere to show them all the babies and the loads of accessories.  Mae enjoyed watching the girls more than noticing what was in the store.  We showed her the baby and she was happy with her.  She loved her all the way home, hugging her and singing to her very sweetly.  

 It was past nap time here, you can see how tired she is.

 Later, we had a small family dinner with balloons, cake and presents.  I love my family!!!

 We talked about Mae's birthday coming up for weeks before and all she really took from it was that she was going to get "happy cake" -- ALL DAY all she kept asking for her "happy cake"... finally she got it and it made her the happiest of all. (:

Mae was showered with presents... you can see her bed for her baby and a new baby stroller here.  

So the fun could and maybe should have ended there... really my mom said that having parties can only lead to Mae wanting a big wedding one day (;  We were so delighted about a small and perfect party place for Mae's little playmates.  It was at Tuck-n-Tumble gym and it was more than perfect.  

Mae was so happy to run free, jumping and hanging and seeing her friends. 

 But all the fun didn't compare to you guessed it... "HAPPY CAKE!"

 

My heart is so torn... loving the big girl that Mae is becoming but saddend to say goodbye to my sweet baby.  I love the conversations that we can have now and her helpful heart but still missing the little round faced, lovable little one Mae was only yesterday.  I am smitten with this girl and am blown away every day that God chose us to have her.  Happy Birthday sweet girl!