No longer are you Baby Anna, but now Little Anna. It’s hard for Daddy and I to believe that one year ago today you were finally born. Daddy and I were very patient and waited a long time for you to make your debut. Mommy’s body kept showing signs you were coming to us, but you never appeared. Your US due date, April 27th arrived and you did not come, your Indian due date, April 29th arrived and yet you still waited inside my belly. Dr. Unni made Mommy come into the hospital for appointments every day after April 29th to check to see how you were doing, and you were fine. Finally, on May 5th—a week and a half after your due date, Mommy and Daddy checked themselves into Jehangir Hospital and we began the long slow process of giving birth to you. On May 8th at 12:20 am you were born. You did not cry or make one sound when you were born. Lina, our doula, and the ayahs handed you to me, and you looked up at me with your beautiful, big blue eyes and a slight smile on your lips. Daddy had not cut your umbilical cord yet, and he thought you were a boy and exclaimed this out loud. Dr. Unni started laughing and said no, you were a girl. At that moment, Mommy held you for the first time and said your name, ‘Anna Katherine.’
We chose your name ‘Anna Katherine’ for its meaning after much long debate. ‘Anna’ is derived from the Hebrew name ‘Hannah’ and it means ‘Grace.’ Later, we learned that ‘Anna’ is a popular name in India and comes from the ancient language, Sanskrit and means ‘Grain.’ ‘Katherine’ is your second name and comes from the Greek language meaning ‘Pure.’ And so, little Anna Katherine you arrived in the world with grace and purity in your heart.
April and May are very hot months in India, not cool with fresh rains as they are in our state within our native country, America. You were born on May 8th in the middle of the hot season. The earth was dusty and red, but the flowers were in full bloom. Indian flowers always bloom during the hot season in the most magnificent colors—fuchsia, red, yellow, orange, white and everything is green amidst the dust. The air was thick, dry and heavy from the heat.
India is a land of dichotomies. India is the great divide between the have’s and the have not’s. The great subcontinent can be a beautiful and an ugly place. Amongst the chaos, sometimes your senses will capture the most beautiful sound, smell, or sight. I sometimes wonder if you will remember these things from India? The swoosh of the sari; the tinkle of bells on silver anklets; the colors and sparkle of bangles on a wrist; the design of henna on the palm of a hand; the honking of the rickshaw; the man singing Marathi on the street calling for trash to be brought out; the wind rustling the bamboo; your love for classic Bollywood tunes on the radio while driving with Laxman; smelling cinnamon, chili, sweat, ripe guava and mangoes, chapattis cooking on the tava, and jasmine blooming. These things made you Anna during your first year of life. Will you know this once we move back to America? Probably not, so I will write them down for you now so that you may dream of them, and one day we will take you to this foreign land so you can see them.
Your mother and father love you so much. We held you when you cried, we laughed with you and at your infectious smile which has now turned into humor, we danced with you to music, we talked to you when you asked us questions and showed us new things though we don’t quite understand yet, and we have held you tight when you are scared. We do these things because we love you so much.
So Little Anna, this blog entry is dedicated to you and your first year of life. Here are some photos from your birth, this last twelfth month I will document online, and our celebration of your first year today.
Dr. Unni and Dr. Vashi come to say goodbye to us as we take you home for the first time.
Here you are meeting Lily for the first time.
Five days old and already posing for the camera!
Finally, sleeping! Still not one of your favorite activities. 
An afternoon snuggle with Daddy...still awake...but Daddy is asleep!
And now, look at you with your best friends--Ethan and Drori--all of you born three weeks apart.
Look, mom! Here I am! This month you have decided to crawl into every small space you can find . . . including your toy hamper.
My little yogi!
Anna enjoys a mascarpone cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread. You also enjoyed eating figs and Alphonso mangoes this month.
Your two best friends at Waterfront . . . George and Sanarita . . . the neighborhood pigeons. Here you are with Pooh looking for them to come and visit.
Easter lunch with Ethan--you two loved eating fish!
You learned how to open the cupboard! Diapers, sheets, baby wipes, baby powder, towels, wash cloths EVERYWHERE!
Anna decides to help the tailor measure the cushion covers for our sofa.
Jasmine and Anna have dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe!
"Let's walk to breakfast at Dario's, Mom!"
"Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday Dear Anna...Happy Birthday To You!!!!!" Nana and Grandpa called first thing in the morning on your actual birthday to sing Happy Birthday to you. Here you are clapping for them while they sing on Skype.
After breakfast, we open some presents mommy and daddy gave you.
You finally realize that the present is not the shiny paper, but inside the paper!
But, you still like the paper best!
Laxman, Shivling, Urmilla and Pauline all bring you presents throughout the day as they come into work.
Sharing is caring . . . ;-)
Pauline brought you silver anklets. Here you are examining them while in your choli.
It's party time! Bring out the bindi and sari!
Our Indian baby looking absolutely gorgeous in her sari. Let's walk! Today you took your first three steps by yourself.
Happy family!
Anna sporting her bindi and mobile . . .
Your friend Zak came to the party in his Indian dress. He gave you a dolly for your birthday, but you enjoyed playing with the bag it came inside.
Karen and Baby Nora, and Emma and Jack enjoy a chat as the party gets started.
Your best friend, Drori, and new friends Maya and Yarin, bought you a cool pink riding car for your birthday. You were especially drawn to the box. We have not assembled it yet, but will soon for you to cruise around the house.
Mommy made you a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting!
Here comes the cake! Hila helped Mommy get it ready for you in the kitchen.
Happy Birthday our darling little girl! You got a little scared when we brought out the cake and 15 people started singing to you, but you loved your first slice.
Not scared anymore after you got to eat your first piece!
Here you are in your lengha playing with Maya.
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