Last Friday, my baby girl.. that tiny little 5lbs 2oz baby… turned four years old!
I’ve said before that I’ve never really felt sad as Mayana has grown up; I’ve enjoyed every age, and loved watching her grow bigger and learn new things. While that is still true, this year I am feeling a little more nostalgic. I don’t know if it’s just the knowing that this is her last year at home.. her last year she’s *my* little one before she goes off to school and starts a different facet of life without me. I’ve never seriously considered home schooling before, but I’m beginning to understand its allure! (not that I’m seriously considering it now I don’t think… Mayana would be devastated, she is SO excited about starting school).
I have and do love watching Mayana grow up. I was looking at some of her baby photos today, and am struggling to reconcile that wrinkly teeny tiny baby girl with my big four year old, full of laughter and chatter, with a wicked sense of humour, wild imagination and infectious giggle. With her lanky long arms and legs, hair closer to her bottom than her shoulders, and just so many brains. Four is just so BIG!
I really do feel blessed to be that girl’s Mama. She is so sweet and funny, and has so much love. She challenges me… she is so clever and understands so much and I just so want to make sure that that part of her stretched and given a chance to develop. I just know she is capable of so many amazing things, and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds for her.
Mayana’s fourth birthday was a lovely day. Peter was given the day off work, and Mayana was so excited to have her Papa home all day. With so much anticipation and counting down in the weeks leading up to the big day, we had expected to be woken at the crack of dawn, and were surprised when the clock rolled over past 7am, with still no sign of the birthday girl! In the end we had to wake HER up, with protests of, “I just need a little bit more sleep!” Have you ever heard of such a thing?
Kami and Opa FaceTimed with us, and watched Mayana open her bazillion birthday presents in our bed, which included lots of jewellery, some nailpolish, a few books, a home-made dress and a puzzle. After presents, we went out to the dining room where Mayana was very excited to see the way I had decorated it for her…
and even more excited when she walked around the corner and discovered just one more present…. a big girl BIKE!
We had plans to meet friends at the pool at 8am, so we decided to postpone breakfast (though we fed Reuben of course) and get ready for our swim. Mayana wasn’t hungry yet, and the thought of going for a swim before breakfast was very appealing to her! We had a lovely morning at the pool with our friends, and when we came home Papa made pancakes for breakfast, as per the Birthday Girl’s request. We offered ice-cream to put on the top, but she refused, preferring butter and ‘make-up syrup’. Funny chook.
Next on the agenda was morning tea out at a cafe with another friend. Mayana was wearing a ‘birthday girl’ badge, and when her morning tea came out, her babycino was pink, and her cupcake had a birthday candle in it!
She thought that was very special. She also of course enjoyed having some time with her friend Hannah.
When we got home we had to pack our bags because we had a big weekend ahead of us! We left for Noosa in the afternoon, where we had a special birthday dinner planned. Mayana had requested spaghetti, and Alexie had gone all out, making three kinds of pasta (bolognaise, carbonara and pesto), followed by a chocolate cake with vanilla icing (as requested by the birthday girl). Yum!
On Saturday the birthday celebrations continued. We had to make a trip to Brisbane, as the son of Mayana’s godparents was being baptised on Sunday. We decided to make a weekend of it, and hit Ikea (we needed a few things and it made sense to go when we already were headed that way), and then Southbank. We took Mayana on the Brisbane Wheel, to the Southbank Beach and to Max Brenner as part of her birthday fun.
We had a lovely family day together, and it was topped off with dinner and a sleepover at her Godparent’s house.
Next Saturday our celebrations will round off with a special celebration…. Mayana’s birthday party! She has asked to have a Mermaid party, and I have made an awesome costume for her (even if I do say so myself) and she’s hoping that all of her friends will dress up as either mermaids or sea creatures. I have been working hard on decorations and the sea-inspired menu… I’m really looking forward to it and hoping it doesn’t rain!!
In the meantime, I’m enjoying Birthday Week with my beautiful big four year old. The house is still decorated, and we’re trying to do something memorable every day.
I love you my Mayana Berry. I love you more every day and week and month and year. I love the little girl that you are and the person that you are becoming. You are my sweetest, funniest, loveliest girl, and I’m so thankful every day that I am blessed to be your Mama.
Love you!!
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