Dear Sophie,
Because you love to cook, this year I let you help me make your double-layer chocolate cake with homemade chocolate icing. You loved licking the icing spoon—a couple times.
For awhile we thought you’d be celebrating your birthday in a T-shirt—and no pants. But Gramma somehow convinced you to wear your very pretty ladybug dress with your favorite cherry red patent-leather shoes.
We decorated the dining room with purple streamers and purple balloons as purple seems to be your favorite color as of late.
We also bought you flowers.
And, of course, we hung the birthday banner. On the mantel you had two cards from your great grandmas.
You celebrated your birthday with all your grandparents, and Mia and Tucker.
You’re still not sure about your birthday hat, which is OK—it makes for a lovely table decoration.
We made your favorite food—three homemade pizzas and a fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples and bananas. You asked for “more strawberries” (with an added “please” if prompted) over and over again during dinner.
Waiting for dinner to cook is easier with grandparents around.
Carrying on a Gebhart tradition you got the red plate for your birthday.
You were most excited, though, for presents.
But first we sang “Happy Birthday” to you …
and helped you blow out the two sparkly star candles on your cake.
We took a family picture …
and a quick one with Pop Pop and Nini before you got too upset (presents were waiting, after all).
And then you opened your many gifts!
Pop Pop gave you your very first baseball bat and, although I’m not sure why, you love to push it around the house like it’s a vacuum cleaner.
He also gave you your very own baseball to throw on opening day.
The Wonder Pets toy from Greg and Suzy was a huge hit. In fact, we had to distract you from it so you’d open more gifts!
We got you a Buzz doll that talks. You slept with him that night.
Uncle Kyle and Aunt Christina sent you a very cool book called Swing, and Aunt Lizzie sent you a set of the very cool The Young Mad Scientist’s First Alphabet Blocks.
After opening two cute outfits from Nini and Pop Pop, we took a cake and ice cream break. You love cake and ice cream, and often ask for it for breakfast (unfortunately you get served oatmeal or toast or fruit instead).
Then, if you can believe it, more presents—activity books, sticker books, your very first board game, fruit you can “slice” open and a perfectly sized Sophie chair from Gramma and Paw Paw.
We then brought up your brand-new play kitchen (which I was so excited to find on Craigslist).
Nini and Pop Pop gave you your very own set of pots and pans to use with it.
Paw Paw taught you how to “cut” your fruit on the cutting board.
You played with your kitchen for a very long time.
Happy birthday, my love. You have given us so much joy these past two years—it’s amazing how much you’ve grown. In addition to loving you we now really, truly, play with you and have conversations with you and every day we learn more and more about you. We can’t wait for the years to come.
Love,
Mom
“We turn no older with years but newer every day.” —Emily Dickinson
