Clara's 3rd Birthday

Way back in July we celebrated Clara's 3rd birthday!  It's so bizarre how all of a sudden your baby/toddler looks so much more like a "big kid."  I have so thoroughly enjoyed raising Clara.  She is the best little girl around!  I love my boys, but I am so so happy for this fun gal to be my sidekick.

Clara loves her sleep.  From her tiny newborn age I learned that she REALLY needs a lot of sleep, and just can't handle missing out.  She's one that will go to bed super easily, sleep straight 12-13 hours, and still often take a nap at 3!  She sleeps in until 8:00, which is pretty fantastic.  :)  On the morning of her birthday, David went out to buy donuts before she woke up.  It was getting later and we were all waiting for her to wake so we could start celebrating (and David needed to get to work).  Finally we walked into her room to help her wake up.  She was so funny and kept pretending to "sleep" while we were videotaping her.  :)

It's pretty fun to play with balloons as soon as you wake up!  

She always lets me know that her favorite colors are pink and purple, so I put one of each on her highchair.  :)  We put a candle on her birthday donut, and she about burned her mouth during her attempts to blow it out!  (Video below)

During the day I took the kids to play at Traders Point (a great climbing/slides indoor playplace).  For dinner we met David at Chick-Fil-A.

We had the grandparents over the following Saturday for Clara's party.  I made a rainbow chip cake with rainbow chip frosting.

Grammie reading to the kids before the party started.

Clara had a puppy-themed party.  (She picked out the decorations herself.)  She likes to tell me that she likes "babies and doggies."  This is very true.  Any time we see either she makes a quick beeline to it.

Clara was so cute opening her presents, and of course she loved every single one.  Clara's so easy to please.  You could give her a stick for her birthday and tell her it's a magic fairy wand and she'd be thrilled.  She received this very pretty dress-up dress and wanted to put it on right away.  Whenever she's in a dress she declares, "I'm a ballerina!"  She also received a lovely wooden tea set, a new baby doll with a carseat, a magnetic doll set, tennis shoes, a purse, a Minnie Mouse van, and UNDERWEAR!  (to get pumped up for potty-training!)

Eli wanted to be very "helpful" at opening Clara's presents for her.  ;)

Checking out the new toys together.

Grandma showing Clara how to hold up 3 fingers.  :)

Yummy!

Both grandmas were able to get some Ezra snuggles during the party.  ;)

Modeling her new dress-up dresss

Love celebrating this sweetie girl!  Happy 3 to Clara!