First time Birthday Girl!

No, it isn't her first birthday, but it's the first time her birthday has been celebrated.....that we know of. Do we know for sure that today is her birthday? No. But, we do know that she was found on November 22nd and she was obviously a newborn. Her birthday was assigned to her based on these things and I see no reason to question it. It is one of many things China gave to her....along with her Chinese name, her heritage, her features, her life saving first surgery, her chance to be adopted into a forever family....

So, today is her special day and let me tell you, she has been made ready! In the past month we have celebrated Lizzie's birthday (10/20) and the boys' birthday (11/13), so she knows what this is ALL about! We have been coaching her for weeks on how to say she is 3 years old and show her three fingers! She knows without a doubt that birthdays mean CAKE!

And, in our house, birthdays mean being woken up with a camera in your face! Not really liking that tradition!

Give her a minute....there's our happy girl!

You don't get breakfast in bed until you sleep in a bed....but Isabel got up early to bake cinnamon rolls (and they aren't even organic) and cut up Claire's favorite strawberries! What a sweetie sister! So, no breakfast in bed, but a special breakfast still.

A present, for me? She did not know what to do with this. Lizzie and the boys are at that age where all they got were cards full of money! Don't worry, Isabel was happy to show her how to tear into it!

Ooh! Ahhhhh!

Letters, my favorite! This toy is really cute. She knows all her letters already, but when you put the letters in the sun it tells you the sound they make and if you push the green button it sings the ABC song! She really liked this!

Later, we will have a dinner with cake, which she has asked for all day. She will also get two more presents from us as we missed her first two birthdays. Isabel decided we had to make up for it and get her three presents! Makes sense! Anyway, Miss Claire will think she is a princess when it is all said and done, because she is getting not just today, but two birthday parties! We couldn't skip celebrating today because today is the actual DAY, but she is having a party on Saturday with all of Paul's family and our close Charleston friends. Then she will have another party out of town next weekend with my family and some friends from my hometown! I bet she learns to sing the Happy Birthday song soon!

I don't have to tell you how special this day is to us. Somewhere, on the other side of the world is the mother that gave Claire life 3 years ago today. She made the choice to give it and not to take it away and I thank her for that. We will never know or understand why she did not keep Claire, but I do know that we waited two long years to welcome her home and we love celebrating her life!