It's Gretel's Birthday #7!

Gretel has been so excited for her birthday to come! We are glad this day is finally here. She is having a birthday party with 5 friends here at our house after school. This is her first "friend" party and I just know we're going to have a swingin' time!! She chose to have a Pink Poodle birthday out of the Birthday Express catalog, so Pink Poodles it is! This year all Gretel wants for her birthday is a Baby Alive doll that poops & pees and comes with her own potty! Doesn't that sound like so much fun to play with? Wow, this should be a blast!

So Gretel is the 3rd child of the family, and is the only of our children's births that Ryan missed! His brother Dennis had flown him to St. George that day, and after he left I had a doctor's appointment. Since I was leaking amniotic fluid, my doctor started me right away and told me to go to the hospital. I called Ryan, and he and Dennis left as soon as they could, but it wasn't soon enough! We tried to delay the delivery, but little Tilly was right there, ready to come out, and there was no stopping her! Ryan ended up missing the birth by 30 minutes. Luckily, I had called my mom at work when I arrived at the hospital and told her I was in labor and that Ryan was in St. George, so she quickly came to the hospital and stayed by my side the whole time. It was special to have her there, and I told Gretel she's special because she's the only one who got to have Grammy there as they were being born.

Being the 3rd child, the middle-child syndrome has unfortunately fallen upon our Gretel. She is naturally quiet and more reserved, so she tends to get left out of things sometimes, unintentionally. She was such a good baby and always entertained herself and has always just gone with the flow that I have forgotten about her a time or two, like once at my parents house on Halloween we all came in through the garage door, but poor Tilly got left out in the garage. I thought she had come in with the rest of the kids, but she just stood outside the garage door on the steps crying because she was little and couldn't get the door open. And the worst part is that it was so loud in my parents' house with everyone talking that I couldn't hear her crying out there. Finally I realized after a while that Gretel wasn't in the house, and went and opened the door and there she was. I felt so horrible! She is so sweet, and yet she is one tough little cookie. I think she has the most bravery out of all the kids. She'll try anything with no fear. She loves to help me in the kitchen, and willingly sets the table for dinner for me almost every night. She loves to read, and likes doing her homework (so nice for me!). She is very independent and likes to do things herself. She's been playing the violin for 2 years and sometimes gets fiesty with me when we practice, but it's kind of funny. She just likes to do things HER way and not have me telling her how to do it. She has a good feel for music and we can always find her tinkering on the piano, playing songs such as "Veggie Tales" or "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by ear. She is very loving and likes to cuddle and likes to have bodily contact. We call her our little Tilly Monkey, and she puts a smile on our faces every day!