happy birthday aven

Today is Aven's birthday party, though her actual birthday is May the fourth. After Leila was born other people's babies became just that, other people's babies. They were still cute and cuddly, but they weren't as cute and cuddly and wonderful as mine. Aven is different. I love Aven, and watching her grow up this year has been an absolute joy. If there was no Aven there would be no Leila.

Tom and I met Aven one spring day last year when she was just two weeks old. We had been fighting and I almost didn't come with him, but I really do like babies so I relented. I rode on the back of Tom's motorcycle out to Burnaby with him. It was the May long weekend. I was going to visit my dad to get away from Tom for a while, to be alone and figure some things out. Aven was beautiful, cuddly and sweet. We stayed for longer than we probably should have now that I think about it. On our way back to the bike Tom grabbed me and held me whispered in my ear, "make me one of those."

Tom came with me to Pender Island that weekend instead of me going alone. Forty weeks and one day later, Leila was born.

Aven and me, the day we first met.