Newly dating someone and it's their birthday

So about a month and a half ago, I started dating a girl that asked me out on a dating app. She is very busy though, so there have been a couple multi-week periods where we couldn't see each other, and we are not in a relationship. We've been on 3 dates and the last two ended on a goodnight kiss, the first initiated by her, the last initiated by me. I have no real dating experience prior, and she was my first and second kiss. So I basically don't know what a kiss means exactly; I'm afraid of her suddenly just wanting to be friends or something. We don't really text each other much except to briefly catch up with each other or to try to schedule another date. It's usually me who initiates the conversation, but she is a grad student who works 20 hours a week and is president of a club so she is pretty busy. She sounds enthusiastic when we are able to see each other though, saying things like, "can't wait to see you!", etc. I guess I just have low confidence because of past rejection and being trans, so I just kinda feel like she could just be being nice to me because she's not sure how to tell me she doesn't want to see me romantically anymore. I just don't know what is normal when dating someone. If she didn't want to date me anymore, she would likely just not see me anymore, or tell me so though right?

She invited me to her birthday party this weekend too. I'm nervous because this will be the first time I meet a lot of her friends. We actually have some mutual friends though, so I will know around 4 or 5 other people there too. I'm not sure of what to expect, or what I'm expected to do. This dating stuff is all kind of new territory for me, which she doesn't know yet either. Should I get her a present? I'd probably get her something small, if anything. My current plan is probably just to make her a card (I always make my own funny birthday cards; I never buy them). It's kind of a joint birthday party though, with one of her friends who I've met a few times. I don't know if I should make her a card too, this is what I really need help with. I feel like what I get the girl I'm dating should probably be more significant than what I give her friend. Would it be a bad idea to just get her the card and just get her friend nothing? Should I buy the girl I'm dating a small gift? Help is appreciated.

 

How much should I spend on a gift? Like 5-10 dollars? She really likes parrots, and has three of them; would getting her a parrot poster or something be a good idea? And if I get her something, would it be mean to give it to her in front of her friend who I just got a card? I'm just not sure of a good way to give a gift to her in private, and I would feel awkward implying I had something to give her and then doing it later for some reason. I obviously know the girl I'm dating a bit better.

---------- Post added 3rd Apr 2015 at 12:07 AM ----------

Or maybe some small parrot thingy, or Pokemon thingy as she likes Pokemon a lot too. Like a tiny little toy figure or something.