Adelaide's 3rd Birthday

Here is a photo of the fabulous dinner spread....

Adelaide turned 3 years old yesterday! We celebrated with our family party on Friday night since Daniel had to work all day yesterday and then we had the Christmas party in the evening. We had a very elegant dinner of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, grapes, and green beans (per Adelaide's request). I made a chocolate chip cookie cake and frosted it (totally too rich for the rest of us, but Addi loved it). It was fun to see how much Adelaide "got it" this year. At her first birthday she had no idea what was going on...on her 2nd birthday it was a little better, but this year she really put it all together. She loved us singing Happy Birthday to her. I have caught her many times over the last 2 days singing, "Happy Birthday to Addi." She blew out her candles all by herself (one at a time)...and she was able to unwrap her gifts herself. 

When Addi unwrapped this she said, "A BOX!!!" Alicia had given her one of her toys that she doesn't play with anymore, but Adelaide loves to play with. After Addi saw it then she tried to give to Alicia, so we had to explain to her that Alicia was giving it to her and that it was hers now....so cute.

Saturday was the big day, and Addi and I have been talking for about the last month how she was going to give her binkies to a baby when she turned 3 because then she'd be a big girl and wouldn't need them anymore. She seemed to understand and got excited when I told her the baby would give her a gift in return. So, yesterday morning we drove over to a friend's house who has a 3 month old baby (who happened to be Baby Jesus...see post below), who Addi was going to give her binkies to. She was a bit apprehensive, but she did it and in return she got a baby doll stroller (something she has wanted for a long time). She was so excited, but I feared what would happen at bedtime that night. I was right...bedtime was a nightmare and if I had those binkies I probably would have given in. She cried that she just wanted her binkies and she didn't want the stroller anymore. I spent a lot of time rocking her, laying in bed with her, letting her read books with the night light on, etc. Finally, I left her alone to really cry it out and eventually she got out of bed to come find me. I think she finally fell asleep sometime around 11:30. I certainly hope this gets easier as the nights go on!!! Poor Addi, I felt so sorry for her and what a horrible birthday gift! I felt like I had traumatized her! But she was up at 10 am and happy this morning, so cross your fingers!

Here you go baby...

...what have I done???