Walking!

HERE we are on the way to baby group on Wednesday afternoon.

While she may look quite happy on her bike here, Z was on her feet a lot.


Everyone kept asking if she had started walking.

"Not really," I said. "Though she has taken a few steps herself."

Then overnight, she became a walker.

All of Thursday, she was taking step after step all by herself.

Let the chasing begin!

Oh! A blogworthy first: Last night, Z fell off the bed with a great big THUD. Every night, Z and I lie in bed together. She rolls about, burrows like a rabbit in the doona and falls asleep on her own. Well, last night she misjudged the edge of the bed during a mega roll. It all happened far too quickly for me to catch her. Poor little baby was more stunned than hurt I think. Big cry.

Teachers' pet

GYMBOREE was a blast today.

Z did good. Not a grump from her.

She was so cute that one of the teachers pulled out her camera and they all took turns to take a picture with Z at the end of the class.

Note to self: Make sure she has a good nap before class AND a snack on the way there.

And here is the most fascinating world of Gymboree in pictures:

Z crawls up a foam hill...


Z climbs up a step...


Z crosses a bridge...


Z gets some help going down a slide (you'd think gravity would be enough help)...


Z reorientates herself...


Z decides she wants another go on the slide but can't be bothered going the long way round...

Bye bye Malaysia

WAVES of change have hit since Z hit the big O.

We are leaving KL!

Home in less than three weeks.

And in other news:


The handbag gene

Z has inherited it from me.

And her first designer handbag?

A vintage (ie. old) Gucci pouch.

The skinny tall genes

These she gets from D.

According to Dr Belinda at her one year check-up, Z is a little underweight at 8.8kg.

But above average height.


Mother's Day

My second one as a MOTHER!

D and Z took me for lunch at a fancy dim sum joint.

Because D didn't make a reservation the restaurtant misplaced our reservation, we had to wait in line for a bit.

Why won't they let us in, Mom?



Baby steps

On the 18th, Z took her first step.

Or rather her first four.

There was pure joy and exhilaration on her face as she realised she was WALKING without help.

But since then, she hasn't bothered walking again.

These shoes weren't made for walking!



The creative gene

Z is tres artistic!

She loves crayons, pencils and pens.

Now, if she'd just use paper as her canvas instead of her face.

ONE

HAPPY birthday, my baby!

Today, as a treat, she got to eat... a lot of rubbish.

She made a big mess and it was all GOOD!




From babycenter.com:

Believe it or not, your first year is over. The boot camp of babyhood is behind you. Hold on for the toddler years! In the coming months, your child will seek more independence, discover the world from an upright position, find her sense of humor, and learn to say she loves you.

Handy T

A MORNING nap.

We had already packed everything for our journey home.

So D's smelly T had to make do as her blankie.

The birthday outfit

KNICKERS when a little too big makes a perfect matching cap.

This is Z on her birthday in a dress she picked out all by herself from the hotel boutique.

We had popped into Jim Thompson to have a look at their very adorable kids outfits.

I made her try on a couple of dresses. But she kept grabbing at this one off the rack and wouldn't let go.


So the decision was made - by her.

D, without a credit card, put aside the dress to come back later to pay for it.

But Z got upset when we walked out leaving it behind.

So Grandpa went back in to buy it.

She got dressed up and had a little photo shoot.

Boy, was she a happy cherub...

...until she fell!



Oops!

Phuket

WE headed to Thailand for the long weekend to celebrate Z's birthday.

The weather couldn't quite decide if it was going to be nice to us or not.

So it rained about half the time.

But when the sun came out - usually in the morning, it was super nice.

Ahhh, we love 'em Blue Sky Holidays!

Some photos:

Splashing about with Mom.


Post-swim appetite made this, her first croissant, a very tasty treat. Holding up her pointer finger is her sign for Good!. If something is Super good!, she will hold up both pointers. She can't yet seem to grasp the concept of the thumbs up.


Playing peekaboo with leftover decorations from a very lavish Indian wedding (they even had elephants!)


Speaking of elephants, here we are checking out a baby one roaming the beach.


On a morning walk.


With the GrandM and GrandP, who came along for the weekend, on the resort grounds.


Practicing her cooking skills in the kitchen play area at the restaurant while we feasted on PadThai and Tom Yum.


And just being the happy camper she is.

Pretty in Pink

Z DUG out another one of her birthday presents from her cupboard.

This one was from baby Brian (and his Mom).

A super dressy gown fit for a baby ball!



It's silky, boofy with tulle and has a satin sash.

With her hair (or rather the lack of it), poor Z could be mistaken for a boy in a pretty pink dress!



But still, her Mama thinks she looks awfully sweet!

Nitya's 4th Birthday Party

A ROOMFUL of some thirty or so very rowdy, robust four-year olds isn't usually the happiest place for babies.

But little Z held her own.

She wasn't overwhelmed and actually quite enjoyed witnessing the mayhem.


But of course she had her Daddy by her side.

Doesn't she look like such a grown up little one here at the big kids table?



The party was held at Kid's Zone which is a play-area type place. So being the runabout kid she is, Z hitched up her skirt and played monkey.



Her favourite thing is climbing up steps.


But of course, she doesn't quite know how to make it down yet without help.

Green with delight

THIS Baby Gap dress with matching green knickers was a gift from Sienna (and her Mom).



And Z really dug the outfit, as evidenced by Little Ms Vain at the mirror.




Did a mini photo shoot coz she just looked so darling in the outfit.

This one was my fav: How's that for a pose?

Gone shopping

IT was a public holiday in KL today with the new King being installed.

D and I decided to stock up on the essentials and then we went shopping.

We were bbbaaaaaaaadddddd.

Her favourite present

...ISN'T really a present.



It's a box one of the presents came in.

She just LOVES it.

To her, it's a car, a chair, a step, a bathtub, a Hyde Park soapbox, somewhere to hide stuff, a horse...

And even when she topples off, she gets right back on in.

Here's a four-minute video of Z conquering the box. It was taken when Lynn was fixing up the contents of the box. There is no sound coz the file is already so big!