the universe paused

this pups celebrated her first full rotation around the sun last week. as i write this, we are mid-celebration and the eve-ster shows no signs of birthday fatigue. these photos are in chronological order due to volume, but i think they demonstrate the sheer joy that eve feels in nearly any experience. of course, the events captured here might inspire elation in anyone. evidenced, we have present opening, shade wearing, straw sipping, candle blowing, cupcake eating, new clothes wearing, and fledge petting. all in all, pretty much a perfect storm of pups luxury. this babbling, nearly walking, dancing, lovely lovely child continues to teach me all sorts of sentimental and fundamental lessons about the better angels of our nature. at the EXACT SAME TIME, she WEARS MY ASS OUT.

they say it's your birthday

evesie-pups: as of 6:31 this morning, you're one year old today. thank you for sleeping past the anniversary of the exact minute of your arrival among us.

i won't vouch for you or your papa, but i know i feel a little more rested today than i did a year ago. i'm even more awed by your existence, too.

for all you fans-of-eve, we'll post more pics later, documenting the day's festivities. for now, please enjoy these shots of our little girl on her first morning in the world. for comparison's sake, i've also included a more recent morning pic, along with the evester's very convincing 'braveheart' impression.

i never did eat a pumpkin pasty. . .

a year ago today, i was looking for harry potter-esque recipes and talking potter-centric trash on facebook, all in preparation of the h.p. trivia night to which ted and i and my enormous belly were invited.

how things have changed.

today, i've been looking for carrot cupcake recipes for the evester's first birthday celebration. not only are we not in durham (sniff), many of those friends who were expecting us at trivia night 367 days ago are not there either (sniff, sniff).

but what do these days have in common?

colors: pumpkin pasties and carrot cake are orange-hued. eve was wearing pink and khaki this morning (one of my favorite outfits from the huge box of clothes that hope sent!), just as i was wearing those colors a year ago. i think that was all that still fit my massive frame at that point.

and feelings: i was feeling a similar fullness then and now, centered around eve. then, she wasn't among us (she was only a jordan at that point), but i couldn't believe how much my life and thoughts revolved around her, nor could i believe how much more aware eve made me of our wonderful and caring friends and family. i was, emotionally and physiologically, full to bursting. and now, my thoughts are seldom far from eve. she's made me fall in love with her more than i could have ever guessed, and the joy that she shares with the world deepens my love for all of you who've come along with us so far in evesie's life. now, i'm only emotionally full to bursting.

she takes her time and doesn't feel she has to hurry

this pups is about to complete her first full revolution around the sun, and i think we must be celebrating her birthday all month. she's been opening presents for about two weeks. this trend will slow to a trickle right after thanksgiving, only to go all vesuvius in late december. it's a shame that no one loves this baby. above, you'll see evesie with her granddaddy, matthew and isabel, her grandmother, wearing the hat her papa got her, wearing the dress and shoes her grandmother got her, and wearing the snowsuit and boots that came from her other grandmother (she loves them both, and really everyone, equally). this pupper wants for nothing but loves everything.