Balloons for Birthday Belle

My poor baby Belle has been fighting this awful flu or virus for the entire week. This morning was the first morning she woke up without a fever over 102. When I heard her wake up, I opened the door to her room and was also greeted with her first wake-up smile of the week!

I gave her a big hug and said, "Happy Birthday!!" We postponed her party until next weekend, and I decided to not make a big deal out of the day -- to save my excitement for next weekend.

I put on Blue's Clues for her and picked the birthday episode. "That's appropriate," I thought. Steve's and Blue's virtual house was decorated with big, blue balloons. I told E that it was Blue's birthday, and that today was her birthday too. She thought about this carefully then said, "Balloon!?" Yep, lots of blue balloons!

Then she burst into tears! She kept sobbing the word "balloon." I hugged her and brought her some balls from her play room. It didn't work. She started tugging at my shirt, crocodile tears running down her face. "Balloon, Mama!" This went on for 20 minutes. I'd never seen her so desperately asking for something.

I honestly think she knew that it was her birthday, or that, for whatever reason, she should have a party like Blue today, balloons included.

I know that I shouldn't teach her that you can get everything you see on TV, but it is her birthday (whether she realizes it or not), party postponed, and cake baking cancelled. It's so sad.

And I promised myself before she was born that I wouldn't spoil her, that I wouldn't give her everything she ever cried for, but I know there's a balance too. She's one year old today, and she has an entire life ahead of her filled with trials and heartaches to test her faith, test her will, to teach her life lessons and patience.

Today, all she wanted was a balloon.

Happy Birthday, my sweet baby Belle!