Happy Birthday Natalie!

Natalie turned two on September 13th. It was her first birthday with us. It was a day of mixed emotions for me. I wondered what her first birthday was like. Did her birth family mark the day in any way? Did they know, then, that this would be her last birthday with them? That they would be relinquishing her to the orphanage in a matter of weeks?

I have no birth story to share with Natalie. That bothered me more than I expected. I wanted to ask her birth mom about her birth, but emotions were running too high and our time together was too short. I have no photos of Natalie when she was a baby. I have no idea what the first year of her life was like.

I wonder how her birth family felt this year on her birthday. We plan to send photos of Natalie's first six months with us. I hope they're a comfort to them. I hope they can see how happy she is. And that she is so so loved.

Okay, enough depressing stuff. This is a birthday after all. It's time to PARTY!

Natalie hasn't had much experience with American birthdays. But when the cake and presents came out, it didn't take her long to catch on!

She ripped the wrapping paper one careful strip at a time. She drove her five-year-old brother crazy!

When Wes was two he was infatuated with the number 8 (he carried around magnets, foam numbers, birthday candles--all shaped like 8). Everett at two loved the color yellow. Natalie is obsessed with HORSES. We had a "My Little Pony" cake. Here she is sharing her cake with her horse.

Grammy and Papa sent Natalie a play kitchen.

Everett delivered a "pizza" to Grandma Joan.

Natalie delivered the kitchen sink. Already she has her daddy's sense of humor. :-)

Happy Birthday, sweet two-year-old!