Lily was getting excited for her birthday long in advance (mostly thanks to her older siblings talking to her about it and helping her understand that she'd be three, and reminding her of all the perks of a birthday.) Lily woke up and could finally open the package from GramaLee that has been sitting on the mantle all week, with tempting Disney princess stickers all over it. She had help on all sides tearing it open and playing with the princess presents. After the kids went to school she went to Calder's house to play while Mom went to Costco for strawberries for her requested strawberry pink cake. She played with her new toys all afternoon while Elizabeth slept and Mom made cakes and dinner. Then the UPS man rang the doorbell (luckily not waking up the sleeping EJ) and there was a package from Grampa Lee and Pam. It was a very real looking baby doll that could coo and babble, and make sucking noises when you gave it a pacifier or bottle. She said her name is "Abbie, or something" Maybe because cousin Abbie was playing with a similarly big doll when we were at her house in the summer...
After Tyra's dance class all Lily's friends started arriving. She had Carol Anne and Ellie and Johnny Lambert, Dorian, Calder, and Auden Baldwin-Bott, Sammy and Liam Farrell, and Angela Turay all come, not to mention their parents, and Lily's nursery teacher, Sister Bott. Quite a crowd, and Lily was quite at home with them all. We ate dinner then the kids played, then Lily opened presents most graciously, and then she blew, and blew, and blew (with help) out the candles! Every time she did something new by herself today I would mention "Wow, you can do that now that you're three" and she would get the cutest proud smile!
