Birthday Wishes from Aunt Anna

Dear Maevy,

You are getting close to your first birthday, and there has been a lot of fuss going on. You will read many blog entries about how great you are and how cute you are, all that stuff. Don’t buy into it. Having visited you numerous times in this your first year, I haven’t seen you do anything all that special. You had a lot of trouble unraveling your fingers in the first few weeks of your life and subsequently, you would shove your fist into your mouth on occasion. I don’t think you even know your name, at least you never turn around when I call it. Let’s be real, it’s a big hassle trying to go anywhere with you. There are bags to carry and toys to remember and tiny packages filled with unrecognizable food. Speaking of food, you eat almost nothing from the restaurant when we go out. I used to be that picky, but I got over it. You take after G-pa Taylor, both of you take a series of naps each day and you both have to be fed on a regular basis; but come on, Maev, he’s had a spinal cord injury. I have taken dozens of pictures of you and half the time you find a way to screw them up. Then there is all the time spent fixing red eye and deleting the bad pictures, Grandma M messes up some of the pics as well with her “Momma smile,” but I digress…

Seriously, there has never been a baby more precious and happy as you are. Anti-Anna wants only the best for you as you become the smartest comedienne or the funniest astronaut ever. You have brought so much joy to your Mom & Dad, Aunts, Uncle Glenn, Grandparents, and everyone else who has met you. Life has many ups and downs; without the downs, you can’t appreciate the ups; without the ups, the downs would not be bearable. I hope your ups vastly outnumber your downs.

Love always,

Anti-Anna