Iris celebrated her first birthday, January 24, 2007, with a party, presents, and special friends Rufous, Tom, and Kathy (and we were there, too).
Dinner had a 'red' theme and also consisted of Iris' favorite foods: sockeye salmon, pasta with (red) pesto, and little orange chunks (the reddest we could buy). Red is a lucky color in China and is used liberally for events like a birthday party. And of course we had a birthday cake!
Another Chinese tradition is to tell Iris' fortune by plopping her down in front of many items, toys, etc., and the item she selects or reaches for is meaningful. She reached for a pen - perhaps Iris will be a writer.
We finished off the evening by dipping into the Snake Wine we brought back with us from China. Iris will have to wait for a future birthday to join in the drinking of the Snake Wine.
Just a few days later, Iris actually started to walk on her own. At her 1-yr checkup, she weighed 20 lbs 4 oz and is 29 3/4 inches tall.
