Celebrating anniversaries is very different when there is a little one in the house - especially when neither member of the happy couple (i.e. me and Stepan) are all that enthusiastic for the details of planning anything. Even though we did nothing special, it was a wonderful anniversary. It being a Wednesday, Magda and I had kindermusic in the morning, but were able to join Stepan for lunch afterwards. We also had a puppy class for Rose in the evening which are always a lot of fun. Once Magda was in bed, Stepan and I watched a little tv, and had sudaku races. Before going to bed, I made Stepan look at our wedding album with me, then I gave him his presents (a couple of pairs of polarized sunglasses and an atrocious glass nose to be used as a glasses stand - it's going back first thing tomorrow - What was I thinking???).
I have a new addiction. On Tuesday, the Statesman debuted a Sudoku puzzle. For those of you who haven't heard about them, they are logic puzzles utilizing the numbers 1-9 on a 9x9 grid. You have to fill all the squares of the grid and the numbers cannot repeat themselves in any row, column, or 3x3 sub-square. I like them because they have unique solutions I can work out given enough time (so far, I've finished every one I've started) and they don't have obscure sports references for clues (like cross word puzzles do).
I deem it a wonderful success! Magda always likes it when we have company, especially if that company includes either little children to watch/play with or related adults to adore her and make her giggle. And we had an abundance of both. Magda got some exciting new toys, clothes, and videos yet had the most fun ripping up the wrapping paper as it came off the packages.
I baked a pineapple-carrot cake which of course I had to bake twice (the first one was kinda flat and undercooked). The recipe was from a baby food cook book and was pretty tasty, though the chocolate cake that Abuelito brought was slightly more popular with the guests. Magda wasn't too thrilled about her first birtday cake either though she did enjoy playing with it and flinging pieces of it to the floor.
It's hard to believe we've had Magda in our lives for a whole year, yet at the same time I find it hard to remember what life was like without her.
For the past 36 hours, Stepan and I have been playing the "this time last year" game. Though most of labour is a blur to me now, I do remember the setting sun peaking through the blinds in the delivery room 24 hours after my surges started. Norah Jones playing in the background (the same cd, over and over, all night long) and Seasha's aromatherapy giving the room a deliscious spicy aroma. I also remember hour upon hour of the nurse and doula promising that it was almost over towards the end. Stepan seems to remember endless hours of supporting me while I sat on the toilet and my imperious demands for water.
When Magda woke up at 4am this morning, I thought, "3 hours to go". Then I woke up a little after 7am, kissed my beautiful, sleeping daughter, and wished her a very happy first birthday.