2004-09-06 - 9:37 p.m. - Cycle day:

Welcome to the first full day of M.'s second year! Her big ol' first birthday was yesterday, and I still can't quite wrap my head around it. Having a baby really makes a year seem like a meaningful timeframe. So much has changed, in our lives and hers, since last September 5th. And a year from now, I know we'll barely recognize the way our family is today. It's astounding, really.

We celebrated with a party that was fully intended to be a small, adult affair but ended up being a backyard shindig with two dozen people, nearly half of which were six years old or younger. Fortunately the weather was nice and the kids were happy and the pizza came quickly. Plus one of the perks of having cool people as friends is that their kids are usually pretty cool, too. We may have scared our single/childless friends a little, but I think everyone had a good time. M. spent most of the afternoon hanging in her pool, watching everyone else run around. She handled the hubbub remarkably well (and went right to sleep when it was over). I don't plan to have a big blowout like that every year, but since we never had a shower or new baby party when she was born, it was a nice way to cap off the year. We don't have any family in town. All we have are friends, and a couple years ago we didn't even have those, so we value each one.

And now, for your entertainment and enjoyment, I bring you The Traditional First Birthday Cake picture ...

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