Ella's Birthday Party

For her birthday, Ella wanted to have a Tangled (Rapunzel) birthday party. She also wants to be Rapunzel for Halloween, so I figured we could somehow combine these themes.  (In fact, with her birthday so close to Halloween, how has it taken me this long to figure it out?!)

Ella dressed up as Rapunzel.  At her request, Eli is Pascal (Rapunzel's chameleon and only friend).  The other kids got to play princess dress up as well.  Brady had a knight's costume, but he was a little bashful about wearing it.

We had such a great time.  And now, my baby girl is 4.  How have four years possibly gone by so quickly?
Yesterday, Nick took the kids to Jack in the Box for brunch.  (BTW, Ella finds the concept of brunch to be hysterically funny and that Daddy must be mistaken!)

I was a little bummed that I didn't get to be there when she woke up in the morning.  But I decided to make the best of it and do something fun when she woke up from her afternoon nap.  I blew up a bunch of balloons and put them all over her bed.  When she woke up, she asked, "Oh my gosh!  How did these get here?"  It was so stinkin' adorable!

For dinner, Ella requested buttery spaghetti noodles and some pineapple.  So that's what we had and she ate it like a queen!  We also played with play dough and finished a puzzle.  It was a great time.  Ella got 2 bedtime stories last night, one that she picked, and then one I picked, "The Story of You."  Nick and I cuddled her in our bed and told her all about the night before she was born, how excited we were to finally meet her and how we could hardly wait to become Mommy and Daddy.  She loved it.  I want this to be a birthday tradition.  My favorite part was telling her the first words Nick said when he saw her, "Look babe!  Look!  Look at how beautiful she is!"  and how I was crying uncontrollably and repeating, "Thank you God! Thank you!  I love you so much Ella.  I love you so much."  And how soon even the nurses were crying with us.  I love my girl, and I can't believe that day that is so very clearly etched in my memory was already four years ago.  It's so fresh it can bring tears to my eyes as if I'm in the hospital room again.

Ella, you are so special to me. <3

A few weeks ago, I made Ella a slideshow of all that we did this last year from Oct. 2011-Oct. 2012.  I worked really hard on it and it makes me cry.  I wanted to share it with everyone at her party....and then I forgot. :(  That isn't the point; I know the point is for Ella to be able to watch it when she's older.  In which case, Ella this is for you.  I cry every time I watch this, especially during the first song, so perhaps get a tissue.