Happy Birthday Eva!

Happy Birthday Eva!  On January 2nd, she turned one.  We had a very small celebration - we went to Dairy Queen and she had her first taste of icecream.  At first, she wouldn't eat it.  I think she thought it was yoghurt.  However, she came around, and eventually started eating, playing and flinging her new beloved food all around the restaurant.  Evidence below. (Overkill on the video?  Maybe.  But Grandma and Nana eat it up.)

Cultural Tidbit:  In contrast to our small gathering of three, it is customary for our friends from India to have very, very large parties when a child turns one.  I was told that this is a tradition because in the past (how long ago "past" means, I'm not sure) many babies did not survive the first year.  We went to what was described to me as a small celebration, which turned out to be no less than 50 people.  Fantastic!  Its also common for parents to shave their child's head - it helps the hair grow quicker and thicker (we are sometimes tempted with Eva's bald head).

On Saturday, we had a small gathering with some friends at the wild life preserve in Bahrain.  It's not big, but Eva was able to see some neat animals:  giant tortises, heyenas, a variety of dear-type animals, and a donkey that licked her fingers and scared her a bit.  At the end, we sang her happy birthday and she had her first taste of cake!