Kalaya's First Birthday Party

Sunday was Kalaya's first birthday party and it was so much fun! We had a great time! We are so blessed that we have all of her grandparents close enough that they all got to come and we had so many wonderful friends attend the party too!

For those of you who don't know, Nelson's father is Pacific Islander, specifically Micronesian. In their culture, the first birthday is the BIG ONE. It probably goes back to a time when it was less common for babies to survive through their first year. So, following tradition, we had a bigger party than I'm used to for a first birthday. But, I'm so glad we did!

We had almost 30 people attend the party all together. We held it at my parent's house (in Portland) so that we'd have enough room for everyone and because it's a more central location than our house in Battle Ground. We kept everything simple and invited a lot of people.

Kalaya wore a super cute dress that I found on clearance (and had a coupon!) that was Carter's. Pink with a first birthday cupcake and a tutu! Too cute! I also found a little crown at Target that she wore too!

I didn't really pick a theme for the party. I'm trying to avoid licensed characters for as long as we can get away with it. Kalaya doesn't watch any TV yet, so she doesn't know who any of them are anyway. Her favorite thing in the whole world is Pippy....maybe we should have had a dachshund party! Next year... : ) Anyway, I just used pink and purple, very basic stuff. We had crepe paper up and a few balloons, with plain paper goods to match. (all from The Dollar Tree, can't beat that!) I'm kicking myself, because I didn't take any pictures of Nelson's excellent job of putting up the streamers!

We had snacks and stuff for the guests and lots of kid activities. I felt the teacher in me coming out, because I basically created "centers"; we had a place to color, a place for Play Dough, a place for bubbles and chalk and a place with lots of different toys. We had a least 10 kids there, who ranged from 6 months to 7 years old and they were all so well behaved! They played and had a great time!

We got lucky and had a pretty nice day. A little windy, but no rain, which for Oregon is GREAT! So, we walked up to the park, which is only about 2 blocks away. It has baby swings, lots of slides and other fun stuff. The kids played and blew bubbles and had a good time!

Then, we went back to the house for cake and presents. I made cupcakes for everyone, from a basic Betty Crocker mix (chocolate) and with cream cheese (BC again) frosting tinted pink. I found really cute cupcake cups at Ikea and used those.

For Kalaya, I am just not ready for her to have processed sugar. She doesn't eat a lot of food as it is, I don't want her to develop a sweet tooth if I can help it. Plus, there's so much extra junk in so much of that food! So, I found a recipe for a simple banana cake and made that. It had no sugar and I used organic ingredients. It tasted good! Pretty plain (since I'm used to sugar stuffed cake!) tasting, but really nice texture and a hint of banana flavor. I just made "frosting" out of organic heavy cream whipped up with a little vanilla added. It was really easy to make and I felt so good doing it!
Kalaya went to town! She ate almost ALL of the whipped cream. I had to get her started, gave her a little taste and put her hands in it, but then she ate it! It was really easy and it was good to know that she enjoyed it and that it was actually healthy for her!

We didn't really expect presents, but we got some nice ones! She had already gotten her new big girl car seat from my parents. She got lots of 18 month clothes, which we really needed! She got some 24 month too. She got a cute alligator pull toy and an adorable tea set that teaches manners, which she LOVES, new books, a doll and a doll stroller. She'll get some more things from Mommy and Daddy on her real birthday! We had such a great time and feel so blessed and loved that so many friends came out to share the special time together! Now, I need to go write those thank you notes!!

Enjoying her first birthday cake!

I will post a full description of the first birthday party with more pictures soon! For now, here is a picture of the birthday girl in her special outfit and the video of her first birthday cake experience!




This was a shorter one after the initial video (it was taking to long to upload). She keeps signing "Daddy" and getting it in her hair! : ) She enjoyed her sugar-free-organic-banana-flavored-first-birthday cake!

11 Months

Yup, it's upon us. Kalaya is officially 11 months old. And you know what that means. The next month milestone is 12 and she will be turning 1 year old! I truly cannot believe it. And yet, at the same time, I have a hard time remembering my life without her. I look at her face and think Haven't I known you my whole life? I recognize you like someone I've known for years! That face is as familiar as the one I see when I look in the mirror. But, in so many ways, it has gone so fast. I look at pictures and videos of her from her first few months and even just a couple of months ago and can't believe how much she has changed and how grown up she looks. I hate when people say, "She's starting to look like a little girl!", but I know it's totally true. She's turning into her own little person and showing her own personality.

She is so fun and curious! She makes such funny faces is I swear she already has a sense of humor. She is so giggly and smiley and content. It's so easy to read her and she is such a pleasant baby. She's super active now and is starting to get into everything. She "creeps" around slowly, but efficiently. She knows what she shouldnt' play with and wants it anyway, but responds really well when redirected. She's eating more and more willingly. She has totally mastered the sippy cup and loves drinking water as much as her mommy! She loves to explore new objects and toys. She loves singing songs and hearing stories. She loves, love, LOVES books, which just tickles me to death. I have always loved reading and have hoped to instill that love in all my children. Just today I set her up with 6 or 7 board books while I was cooking dinner. She sat there and just quietly looked at the books for THIRTY MINUTES! It was awesome. Her sleep habits are great and she's started taking longer naps. I'll say this about having a "high needs" baby in the beginning: it makes you appreciate when they get "easier" SO MUCH MORE! I find myself with 2 whole hours every afternoon and hardly know what to do. (of course, now I've jinxed myself and tomorrow she'll only nap for 30 minutes again!!) Sometimes it's almost sad, because I don't feel as needed as I used to be. Obviously she still needs me a ton, but I look back fondly at those days when all she wanted to do was be rocked or nurse all the time, never wanting to be put down. I don't look back at that and think how exhausting it was, only how bonding it was.

So, I'm planning the first birthday party! Nothing big, just inviting a bunch of friends and we'll have bubbles and sidewalk chalk for any little ones that come. I've started looking up first birthday cake recipes and really need to try some out. I know it will be here before I know it! I really need to get invitations out! That's one of my goals for this week. I think we know what we're going to get her too and I actually found TWO coupons for it, which is awesome! I'm waiting to buy it, because I don't want to get it if someone else gets it for her. Honestly though, what this kid will need is clothes. She's starting to wear 18 month stuff and a lot of the 12 month stuff is getting tighter. I'm holding out to shop until after her party. Luckily, we know where there's a fantastic consignment store!

I came across this the other day and it made me cry! She was so small and looked so different! And those cheeks were the best! Ooooohhhh it makes me ache a bit. I can't be around newborns, it makes me think I'm ready to have another one! NOT YET! I can't believe that when I was 11 months, my mom was going to be pregnant in only for more months! Just imagine! Wow.



Even this one, she looks so little and unsteady and this was only in November! Wasn't that just the other day???

Easter 2010

Family picture, see note below.

Baby's First Easter. I loooooove her dress! Thank you Ross!

She actually kept the ears on a lot of the day, including at church!

Looking at her loot; new socks and carrot baby food! And bubbles!

Cookie Monster socks

Pail and shovel and new barrettes

Ha, ha, love this one!

We had a very nice Easter weekend, spent with many family members. We are so blessed! Saturday we spent the day with my parents in Portland and had a nice Easter dinner. Sunday morning, Kalaya had her first visit from the Easter Bunny! Then we all went to church and spent time together in the afternoon. Then we drove down to Salem and had another yummy Easter dinner with Nelson's family too. You know, if this keeps up, I may never have to cook on Easter! Enjoy the pictures!

On a side note, I look just LOVELY in our family picture, because I developed a really yucky eye problem this week and spent 3 hours at Urgent Care on Saturday as a result. The doctor is still trying to determine what's wrong, but it's not allergies or pink eye. I've been on antibiotics and they've helped, but they think it's an ulcer on my cornea, whatever that means. I'm going back in today. I can't wear my contacts and opening my eye more than halfway is really painful. It is also very, very sensitive to lights of any kind, including camera flashes. But I wanted a family picture for Easter!

Videos

Here are some videos of recent accomplishments, or attempts to capture them. Mainly these are proof that my daughter is not a trained monkey and does not do things on command!

Kalaya "creeping" around a bit. Though it doesn't appear to make a lot of progress, it is amazing how much ground she covers as soon as your back is turned, particularly if something she's supposed to have is across the room! (aka remote controls or phones!)




Wait for it and you will see the signs for "more", "nurse" and "dog" (which is hard, because it's supposed to be on her leg, but she does it the best she can in the Jumperoo) Then you hear me say "yay!" over and over, because it usually makes Kalaya clap. Nope, not today!



And this includes clapping and the sign for "dog", plus giving the doggie kisses! Mind you I was going for "more". And you will see that our dog licks carpet over and over.

First Easter Egg Hunt

Since we live in the Northwest, it was not surprising that it rained on Palm Sunday and pushed the Easter egg hunt at church indoors. For 3 and under, the eggs were hidden in the nursery. Here are Kalaya and her BFF Elena finding eggs on their first hunt!

Holding the eggs was definitely the best part! (and putting them in their mouths!)

They preferred taking the eggs out, rather than putting them in the basket!

Their moms totally shop for them together, note the matching shorts : )

Spring Break

We have been busy, busy, busy during the last week! My teacher friends and those taking classes were on spring break, so we went to visit with friends! Let's see, where to start:

2 weekends ago: I took a much-needed trip to Silverton to go visit friends I taught with my first year teaching! I haven't seen them since my baby shower and the hospital when Kalaya was born! It was a lot of fun just hanging out and catching up with my mentor teacher Jennifer and her almost 4 year old son Tommy. We walked to a duck pond, had lunch and just spent time together chatting. Being moms together has brought us even closer and it was so good to see her! Tommy was so sweet with Kalaya, he kept saying he wanted a baby sister too!

1 weekend ago: We drove down to Cottage Grove to see our friends Chris and Lindsey Morin who just had a baby at the beginning of February named Stella. We were all on the orientation team together in college and all started dating our now spouses right around the same time. We also got married the same year and now our daughters are less than a year apart. Fun! We spent a Saturday night at their house, went to dinner and hung out. It was really fun, but at first very frustrating. Stella is the absolute lowest maintenance baby I have ever been around. She is only 6 weeks and can completely fall asleep on her own, sleeps on anyone, anywhere and in any situation. She didn't cry the whole time we were there!! At first I was completely jealous and in shock (as was Nelson), but then came to some realizations. I realized that as nice as that would have been, I realized that babies truly, truly, TRULY are all different. It wasn't anything we did or did not do that made Kalaya's sleep habits they way they were/are. There's nothing Stella's parents are doing/did to make her sleep the way she is. It was definitely an "aha moment" for me to see just how completely different newborns can be. And, if truth be told, I'd rather have a high needs baby first, so I didn't get the complete shock the second (or third, or forth) time around. That being said, Stella was beautiful and Kalaya was totally fascinated by her.

Last week/this past weekend: We had play dates almost every day! We had a mommy group play date at our friend Naomi's (and Emily!) house. We had a play date with Elena (and Sarah!) with a walk through Portland on a beautiful sunny day and a trip to meet the daddies for dinner at Hooters. (yes, that's right. I love their wings, what of it???) We had a super fun reunion with other girls from my college of ed group with 4 babies, 4 mommies, 1 daddy and one extra friend. We stopped to see our friend Marlee, who I used to nanny for. We had lunch with Naomi, Emily, Heather and Nathan. We went shopping. We went to Salem for a funeral, thought it wasn't for anyone I knew, we just went for support and to see family. We went to our first Easter egg hunt! Kalaya was good at picking up plastic eggs and putting them in her mouth, but not so much at finding them or putting them in her basket herself. She did find a special egg though that meant she got a special prize of sidewalk chalk shaped like eggs! Fun! Whew, that's a lot of stuff! It was a fun week, but today we took the day completely off and rested. (and did a lot of laundry and cleaning!)

Kalaya is now doing 3 signs regularly! She signs dog all the time when she sees Pippy or someone says dog. She does the more sign when prompted and when eating. Tonight she did it in a different context; we were singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and when I finished, she did the more sign to sing it again! She is also signing nurse/milk when prompted. Last night she was sitting on my lap and started pulling at my shirt and when I looked at her, she signed nurse! It is amazing to see her communicating!! We're working on "eat", "water" and "all done" next! Oh and "Mom" and "Dad" too!

Kalaya has outgrown her infant car seat! She is now in a seat that will last her almost until she is out of a car seat! (until she is 65 pounds) She is not quite too heavy for her infant seat, but she is too long! I did a lot of research and found a seat that will be rear facing until 40 pounds and has a 5 point harness until 65 pounds. It is the longest for each that I could find for a reasonable price. And it is side-impact tested. This thing is huge and safe and she seems to like it! She is growing up so fast....I am in total denial that we're just over a month away from her first birthday. I'd better get out of denial a little bit to start planning the party! She also went from laying completely down today to sitting all the way up without help today. She is creeping "army style" around, usually to get to Pippy's dog toys; gross! She has been pretty fussy today and when I stuck my finger in her mouth, I felt 2 molars starting to poke through! I bet that HURTS! Hopefully she can sleep through that challenge!

Interesting Article

This topic came up with a group of mommy friends yesterday, so I did a little more research. Thank goodness Nelson and I had a girl so we didn't have to make this choice yet. We had already decided to say no for future boys and this article reinforced that. Just thought I'd share. I totally respect people wanting to match their fathers and sons, it makes sense. Nelson said he'd be happy to explain to his son one day why the two of them look "different".

http://www.mothering.com/health/the-case-against-circumcision

Baby Swing

We FINALLY found a park with baby swings to try out and Kalaya absolutely, positively LOVED the swing!! She laughed and giggled and squealed, it was so cute!!

She's wearing green for St. Patrick's Day

So excited!!

I swear, the swing is moving, you just can't tell : )

Just hanging out watching our friends Nathan, Naomi, Logan and Mason play!

10 months (plus 2 weeks)

Miss Kalaya finally had her 9 month appointment. I got really frustrated, because it kept getting rescheduled! I understand why well-baby appointments are not top priority if there are sick kids needing to see the doctor, but it took forever! We really like our pediatrician, but we decided after all of this that we are going to switch to one closer to home. (We had been going all the way back to Tualatin for each appointment, because we liked our doctor so much) I've been asking around and think we have found a new doctor. She was highly recommended by a friend who said she is very supportive of attachment parenting. (co-sleeping, long-term nursing, etc)

The appointment went really quickly! The 9 month appointment is a nice relief because there are no vaccinations involved! Usually we have to wait a fair amount of time, but this time we went right in and we were even early! This was the first time Nelson has missed an appointment, which he was disappointed about. But, the visit we had scheduled around his work was canceled. So, it was just Kalaya and I. It was right around nap time, so she was kinda fussy, but a little bit of nursing made everything better and she did great! She weighed 18 lbs 14 1/2 oz (35th percentile), was 30 inches long (96th percentile!!) and her head circumference was 18 inches (84th percentile). Dr. Wu said she is very alert and seems to be a happy, healthy child, which we knew! We talked about her eating habits, sleeping habits and about when to turn her car seat around. I was surprised, since a lot of families I know turn the seat around at 1 year. Turns out you should keep them facing backwards as long as possible, AT LEAST until they are 2! Glad I asked the doctor! She is right at the limit for length in a car seat, so we have to get a new one SOON! Luckily, my parents have said that they will get that as her first birthday present, since they are kinda spendy!

It is so fun to watch Kalaya grow and change, she is doing so many things! She is clapping, giving kisses, playing in new and interesting ways, rolling all over the place and attempting crawling. She is really taking her time becoming completely mobile, but I see crawling in the very near future!! It's sometimes frustrating to have a baby that is "on the slow end" of crawling. (not my phrasing) While we are perfectly confident and comfortable in our daughter's ability to become mobile, others are more anxious. We're starting to get, "She's STILL not crawling?? Hmmm..." and it's hard not to notice that most other babies her age are cruising around everywhere and many are walking. I know I'm not supposed to compare my child to other babies, so I really try not to, but I can't do anything about those other parents comparing their baby to mine. One person went so far as to ask, "Are you sure she's 'okay.' Do you worry there's something wrong with her??" Thanks, like that helps a lot. Yes, we are sure she's okay and no, we don't worry right now. Get back to me in 6 months if she is still rolling to get around.

Kalaya has a mouth full of teeth (8!) and we think more are on the way! Her hair is getting longer too, long enough for little "Pebbles" ponytails! I need to take a picture of that and her teeth. Her language skills are so close to actual words!! And she has now signed two words! Her first was "dog" (2 pats on the leg) and her latest is "more" (touching the fingers together on each hand and bringing them together). She has done both several times and in the correct context. Very exciting!!