Birthday Bean

Bean turned one today, at 4:18 pm, PST. It was a profoundly odd feeling to keep looking at the clock thinking, goodness, one year ago today at this time I was starting Pitocin/managing contractions/feeling in control of contractions/contractions were in control of me/screaming for an epidural/wanted to know WHERE IN THE HELL WERE MY OB AND ANESTHESIOLOGIST/got through labor without said epidural (sorry, just had to self-aggrandize a bit)/Bean came out/Bean peed on me/I could see my feet again.

We had the classic first birthday party---all adults, wine, champagne, tea sandwiches, etc. However, Bean had her first taste of whipped cream, and lo, she saieth, it was good. We did not let her eat as much as she wanted to, never fret, but we also figured, screw it, it's your birthday, and it's not going to hurt you. The presents/cake/Happy Birthday song were rushed through to try and maximize good humor, and for the most part, it worked. At least we have the picture of her looking perplexed in front of a be-candled cake.

She got a pile of amusing presents, of course. A stuffed palomino pony that seems almost as big as her, a "Fun Ultrasaucer" for entertainment while Mommy tries to grade papers, some new clothes, some active type toys, and LOTS of books. Lots. She literally has enough now to fill a small bookshelf in her room and an entire shelf of our bookcase. Two highlights were the "Listen Peter Rabbit" from my aunt and uncle, in which a noisebox is embedded, and when one turns to the appropriate page, snoring sounds emerge. They're rather loud snores, though, and it caused one guest to comment, "Peter...I am your father..."

The second is a wonderful picture book called "The Day You Were Born", and it sounds sort of crunchy and Berkeleyesque on first reading, but as I reread it, it was poignant and powerful enough to cause me to start quietly weeping. I won't go into the whole text here, or even some of it, but it just brought back so many memories of pregnancy and childbirth, and in particular, caused me to think of a quote I once read that said, in effect, "Deciding to have children is the same as deciding to let your heart walk around outside your body for the rest of your life". Indeed.

A very happy birthday to our sweet and eccentric Bean...may every one be the best ever.

Happy birthday to Bean! My birthday is a scant two days later. Yay for Pisceans!

PS Wells says hello.