Paul and Jill Family: Nicole has a Birthday!

Jacob broke the wick on the candle while we were decorating the cupcakes, so the wax overtook the flame pretty quick. Double the wishes for getting it out in 0 breaths?

Banana cake cupcakes with homemade chocolate frosting.

Ice cream, too.

Time to open the first present. She doesn't get what's going on, but she's sure having fun!

Emily made her this placemat and I covered it with contact paper.

A doll from Grandma Finlayson.

Pink PJs from Grandma Finlayson. But what a cool doll!

Present from us. I looked and looked for something worth giving her! Nothing at our American store seemed worth buying, so I found something at Toys R Us Japan.

It's a big set of stacking cups with holes in each one for balls to drop though. The purple thing is the base.

All the kids were very interested in this toy.

Nicole loves the balls. Some of them rattle.

She mostly likes to knock it down

and manipulate the pieces. You don't have to stack the whole set to use the balls with it, but she isn't interested in using it that way yet.

So cute in her new PJs.

The next morning I hid the new toy until all the kids were ready for school (knowing it would be a distraction). They were ready for school a half an hour early--a record! Nicole was still eating her breakfast.

Grandma Finlayson also sent these hats for the boys...

And these "squinkies" for Emily.

Here she is the next day, ready to take a nap with both of her babies. She loves them both!
The other one was a baby shower gift from Paul's family.

It was a fun birthday with Nicole! All day I reflected on the past year with her. I am so happy to have her. I think about that a lot. We love her!

My mom's package is still in the mail so there are more surprises to come!

Update: here are pictures of her with the presents from my mom. She understood the gift-getting thing and had a ball with it.