Meera's First Birthday

Meera's birthday is right at the height of strawberry season in the mid-Atlantic states. In the days surrounding her first birthday this year we ate quarts upon quarts of strawberries from our local farms. Meera's birthday also coincides with the blooming of pink rose bushes in our yard. MorMor picked perfect pink roses for Meera's birthday.
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And Meera Grace wore perfect little pink ballet shoes for her special day.
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Everyone she loves most was here to celebrate Meera's first birthday. Her Godmother, Beth, came from Connecticut. She arrived on Wednesday afternoon and played with Meera in the sandbox on her birthday eve (and Beth was absolutely dismayed by Meera's eating of sand!). MorMor and MorFar had already arrived for the festivities on Tuesday afternoon.
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Meera's birthday began with her waking up to her first end-of-the-bed present. Kyle and Owen were so excited for Meera's birthday that they were up bright and early at 5:45 ready to get the party started (!). They waited patiently, listening closely to the baby monitor for the cooing and babbling sounds of their baby Little Miss awaking. And then, when they finally heard her, they were super excited to go into her room and greet her in her crib singing 'Happy Birthday to You.'
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The end-of-the-bed present was a nice wooden shape-sorting toy.
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We all gathered in the playroom bright and early for Meera to open her gifts from MorMor and MorFar and Beth. Lately Little Miss seems especially fond of her MorFar.
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From MorMor and MorFar, the perfectly precisely perfect present for Meera right now-- as soon as it was out of the box she was on her way! And she's been cruising along with her "cart!" ever since.
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The box the "cart" came in was then used over and over and over as a 'jackS in the box' box... MorFar 'wound it up' and the big brothers 'popped' out... repeatedly. This was, supposedly, for the entertainment of the Birthday Girl... but the Birthday Girl was actually far off in the distance roaming around the house with her cart.
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Kyle makes sure that everything is just so for his sister's birthday breakfast. Late the night before I had made strawberry muffins for the morning...
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...and of course we sang Happy Birthday to Little Miss at the breakfast table, with one pink candle in her strawberry muffin.
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After her morning nap the Birthday Girl, in all her finery, played with her cart and got lots of undivided attention -- a rare treat -- while her brothers were off at school.
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I don't think I've ever thought she was cuter than I did on her birthday.
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Margie was with us to celebrate Meera's birthday. It would not have felt right for her to not be here -- she is such a huge part of Meera's life. Meera was in her glory surrounded by so much love.
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Meera's present from Mommy and Papi.
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I had taken Kyle and Owen to a toy store on Sunday so that they could each get a birthday gift for their sister. They both insisted on the same thing: a jack-in-the-box. So, for her first birthday Meera got two jack-in-the-boxes from her two brothers. She wasn't quite sure what to make of them at first (the brothers' enthusiasm for winding them up and jumping/screaming/wildly-laughing-and-hurling-their-bodies-all-about as the 'jacks' pop out of the 'boxes' is a bit much for anyone to take)... but she quickly did warm up to them and the jack in the boxes are growing on her (especially when she gets to play with them by herself while her brothers are nowhere nearby).
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All set for the "Birthday Party." Kyle and Owen like to hear the stories of how their first birthday was so similar to Meera's: a sweet, sweet little 'party' lunch for just us, their MorMor and MorFar, and their godparents. Meera's day was so similar, and yet also so perfectly just-for-her too. Meera inspires sweetness and light-- we had lots of pink balloons and a simple day. For Meera's Birthday lunch we had rotisserie chickens we cooked on our grill, a pesto pasta salad loaded with fresh veggies that Margie made in our kitchen that morning, and a big caesar salad. Dessert was vanilla cake layered with custard and fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
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It is hard to believe that a year ago Meera Grace came into our lives. It has flown by way too fast. And even though it has only been one year, it is truly hard to imagine life without her. I know everybody says that about their kids, but really, it is true; we feel it. We adore this girl so, so much. And she is such a core part of our family now.
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It is even harder to believe that this little perfect person came directly from us, and literally came out of me. As an adoptive mom, this past couple of years (pregnancy, labor, childbirth, nursing, having a 'biological child') has been so full of brand new intensity for me. I look at Meera and I see the resemblance. That is new for me. And I also see Meera Grace, uniquely herself -- which is not new for me. It is all so rich and full and real. I try to savor every single second. I try to hold on to every moment. I am so deeply grateful for the past year of seconds and moments with this awesome sweet and light little soul, Meera Grace. Happy Birthday Sweetness.

A Little Bit from the Blog: Meera's First 12 Months~~

• Meera's Born
• Meera's First 60 Hours
• Meera Comes Home
  
• Meera's First Week Home
  
• Meera 3 Weeks Old
  
• Meera 4 Weeks Old
  
• Meera 1 Month Old
  
• Meera 5 Weeks Old
• Meera 6 Weeks Old
  
• Meera 12 Weeks Old
• Meera 4 Months Old
  
• Meera 5 Months Old
  
• Meera 6 Months Old
• Meera 7 Months Old
• Meera 8 Months Old
• Meera 9 Months Old
  
• Meera 10 Months Old
  
• Meera 11 Months Old
• Happy 1st Birthday Meera Grace & Meera's First Cake