A little Fairy turned FIVE today

Five years ago yesterday I only had one child; but five years ago today I woke up, got dressed, bid a bittersweet farewell to my little Bracken and Justin and I headed off to the hospital for an event we knew would greatly change the dynamic of our little family. The day that Abbie was born was a beautiful spring day in northern Virginia and I was extremely excited---albeit a tad irritated that my induction couldn't occur the next day on the coveted date of 5-5-05---to have this little girl.

She is worth staying up until 2AM making birthday party signs for...

(it says Fairy Abbie)

...and worth driving all over town to multiple Michael's to find the perfect items to decorate fairy wings and wands with.

I love her so much I am happy to bake hearts and bugs so her preschool class will know that she is special and today is her day.

She is amazing, and creative, and unique. She chose to spend her last night as a four-year-old in rainbow GAP pj's with a white leotard on over them, and a tutu over that. She finished the look with her favorite white cable-knit cardigan and struck these poses when I told her in the morning that I didn't want to forget the way she entered her fifth year of life (what's better, the hair or the outfit?).

She was celebrated at school and got to wear the oh-so-original "It's My Birthday" hat, but mostly she was just thrilled that the day to wear her Oopsy Daisy skirt had finally arrived. It had been hanging in my closet for a few weeks and she would go in to look at it, or try it on, but knew it was for wearing on her birthday. She got her special birthday shirt from her Aunt Jessie who shares Abbie's belief that a special event is merely an excuse for a new and equally special outfit.

She twirled and twirled all day long and never got sick of seeing the skirt swirl out around her. When it was finally time for her party I decided to release the panic I was feeling over the fairy wings that had not yet arrived via UPS (though the entire party was based around all of the girls in their wings) and to just enjoy the moment with her; I was aware of the fact that my beautiful little girl is no longer my baby. Something happens when a child crosses over from preschool age to being old enough for elementary school and it seems to happen right before your eyes. She is now officially a big kid and I love her.

Her friends love her too as you can see from the party shots. Most of her best friends were there in their best fairy attire and were excellent at shaking their wands and spreading fairy dust throughout the house. I have decided to view the glitter that I spread all around the table displays, and which the girls spread everywhere else and is now covering every surface of my home, as a reminder of the fact that today was special for us all.

Abbie is one of the six loves of my life and I hope that she knows that each and every day. She is her mother's daughter and I would not change one thing about her---given the chance I would have ended the day in some fabulous new shoes and an amazing dress too! {wedding apparel courtesy of grandpa who had to endure a zillion times of Abbie reminding him that's what she really, really wanted for her birthday if mom said she can't get such nice things just on a random trip to Target....who is that mean mom????}

Oh, and the UPS man did finally show up. Thank heaven.