On Petunia's first birthday, we hosted an open house in our new townhouse in NJ, and over a hundred people attended showering her with enough clothes and gifts, even a Halloween costume, that we didn't need to buy her a stitch or a toy for a full year later. She pretty much slept through the whole event. On her second birthday, we hosted a smaller open house, and that night, she threw up. We decided it was the excitement of the occasion, with her being two and old enough to notice it... And then she threw up on her third birthday, and on her fourth, and on a couple of Christmases somewhere in there, too. On her fifth birthday, we spent the day in the ER using a nebulizer for newly-discovered asthma. Last year, blissfully, finally, she remained well.
This year, she did not throw up, but she went to bed with a 101 fever. Of course, her two year old brother decided to kiss her sloppily right on the lips multiple times today, declaring "I love you, princess!" as many times as she could bear.
Regardless, today was a great day. After an impromptu after-school visit to Daddy's office in far-away Pennsylvania -- specifically to distribute the remaining number-7 shaped Dunkin Donuts -- we enjoyed some Macaroni Grill dinner complete with a chocolate cake and an Italian-singing waitress's version of "happy birthday." She's quite proud that she now has seven (!) Webkinz, a fourth American Girl doll, and a fantastic new dress from great-grandma. At least when she's home tomorrow, she'll be well-dressed and have plenty of things with which to play... and company from a well-meaning little brother who's bound to suffer alongside her.
P.S. Next year, for Petunia's 8th birthday, we'll be inviting all of our doctor and nurse friends to a sleepover. Or is it possible to rent a room at a hospital...?
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