The Adventures of Gracie Lou

I love "The Adventures of Gracie Lou" music DVD. My all-time favorite is I Am the Music Man. Watch how I react to the music video:
 

 - age: 1 year 8 months -

As much as I want to sing the whole song (you can actually see from my expressions and hand gestures), the only parts that I can manage to sing, as of the moment, are the words "way" and "play".  =)

My other favorites are "If You're Happy and You Know It" and "Ring a Ring of Roses".

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1st Birthday

It has been a month since I turned 1 year old. We were supposed to have my first birthday party on my actual birthday on Saturday, 5^th of April 2014, at our new house but renovation was still not finished. It also rained on my birthday so we were not able to do the planned outdoor photo shoot with my brother Hendrik. I had a quick photo shoot inside our empty old bedroom. And oh, I loved my cake and I loved it even more that they allowed me to devour it the way I wanted to! =P 

Although we didn’t have a party on that day we still celebrated my first birthday at our new house with 2 of our very closest friends, Tita Claire and Tito Edwin who came all the way from Penang, Malaysia. Actually, Daddy forgot to inform him that my birthday party was postponed to the following Saturday, 12 April 2014. =) We had pizza dinner and a nice time with our dear friends.

Days leading to my party Mommy and Daddy were pushing the contractor to finish the renovation works. But, as luck would have it, renovation was still not 100% finish and Mommy and Daddy were already very stressed out with the contractors because they were so slow in their work. Mommy and Daddy had indicated at the start that we would need to move-in to our new house by end of March; at the end of the 4th week. At that point in time, it had been 6 weeks since they started the renovation works and 2 weeks delayed from our planned move-in/completion date.

Finish or not finish we still pushed through with my Mustache Bash as my 1^st birthday party theme:

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11 Months

Last 05 March 2014 I turned 11 months. We were all - I mean Mommy and Daddy were very busy because this was the time that we have started renovation for our new house. Yes, my family bought a house and Mommy and Daddy were very busy packing things as well as doing the necessaries for the renovation.

At 11 months, I have become more active and mobile. I can already walk on my own.

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10th Month

For my 10^th month I caught my first ever colds and had also coughs with it. I was not able to escape from the virus as everyone at home had it going round to each and every one of us. At night my sleep would be disturbed as I cough due to my very itchy throat… and then I would throw up the ingested milk in the end. The good thing is that I don’t cry when I vomit, which surprised Mommy, because my brother cries when he vomits. The smell and the feeling are definitely not pleasant, but I guess I just cannot be bothered by it. I just wanted to be done with it and get back to sleep. Now, as of this writing I am having another strain of colds and cough… (sigh)

Aside from the cheerless report above, I have been busy balancing and trying to walk. Guess what, I can do 2 or 3 steps without holding on to my crib railings! Quite an achievement right?! But Mommy is not comfortable with me doing it on the floor. I think she is protective of me because she knows that I am the adventurous type and that she knows that I will surely get hurt if I venture to try my no-hold-2-or-3-step out of my crib. =D

I also have my 4 upper incisors and 2 lower incisors showing if I haven’t mentioned it already. Because of this, I like to eat solid foods. I so would love to try what my family is having for their meals. But, as of now Mommy would only allow plain bread and a bit of pancake/waffle from Prima Deli shop for me to munch on aside from my usual baby food staple (Heinz biscotti, mashed fruits and veggies and Cerelac). Mommy tried mashed boiled egg for me but I think I am not ready for it yet as I was having a hard time chewing and swallowing it.

I love to laugh now when I find things are funny. And oh, I love Gracie Lou music DVD. I will clap my hands and shriek with delight when I see the TV and DVD player being switched on. Among my favorite songs from Gracie Lou music DVD are Ten Little Indians, I Am the Music Man, Horsey Horsey, If You’re Happy and You Know It, etc. Gracey Lou can make me sit down and stay still for a few minutes.

I love to throw things on the floor. I think I love the sound or noise it makes when I throw my toys out of my crib and from my high chair. And I also yell in disagreement when anyone in my family gets something that is in my hands. Oh yes, I can tug something with anyone now. But don’t worry, anyone can have my toy or anything that I am holding after a few minutes without my objection after I am done examining it…  =)

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9th Month

3 days after we arrived in Singapore from our family holiday in Hanoi came my 9^th month celebration last 05 January 2014. The usual monthly cake was present of course!  =)

Here are a few things that transpired so far on my 9^th month:

I giggle a lot when somebody comes near my crib to play with me. On top of giggling, I also feel like I am being chased and I have to move quickly so that I can avoid them and they won’t catch me. My Mommy and my brother make me do it a lot. I like it. It gives me the thrill.

I think I am not drinking enough milk compared to what I am supposed to drink. They say that as the baby grows milk intake should also increase. I don’t know why. Maybe this has something to do with my teething? I must say I have a ton supply of saliva as I don’t run low with it given the fact that it drips from my mouth all the time. And oh, my 2 upper central incisors have shown! I now have 4 front teeth – 2 each for the upper central and lower central incisors.  =D  And I think this also explains why I like to munch on something a bit harder now like my Heinz baby biscuits…

Yesterday when Mommy came home from work, I demanded that she carry me by raising both my arms and calling her in my own baby way. She understood it and carried me. When she tried to put me down on the bed after a few minutes so that she can wash her face, I cling tightly onto her so that she won’t let go. I like to feel her warmth and love. I probably missed her after spending 24/7 with her on Saturday and Sunday while Daddy was away in Manila. I embraced her while carrying me and I also placed my head on her shoulders. I loved it. I think she was also teary eyed by my gesture.

I have also started to sleep at night on my own (at least for 2 consecutive nights – Sunday and Monday evening). There were times when Mommy tried to rock me to sleep on her arms, but I objected and wanted to feel the softness of my bed covers as I try to doze off. I also like to hear the mobile music playing as it relaxes me while putting myself to sleep. And when it stops before I am asleep, I definitely make a gesture to indicate that they have to turn it on again.

1 more week to go and I’ll be 10 months…

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First Overseas Trip

At the age of 8 months I had my first overseas trip with my family. We went to Hanoi, Viet Nam. We stayed there for 6 days, from 28 December 2013 to 02 January 2014, for a family holiday.

- my family's first holiday with me! @ Changi Terminal 3 -

It was my first time to ride an airplane. I didn't cry. I didn't make a fuss. In fact, I was very "mukan" (short form for Visayan word "samukan" that can mean cannot keep still and/or keeps moving) as Mommy and Daddy say it. It was generally an easy one except that I had wind in my tummy on our way to Hanoi. It was probably because of the plane’s air pressure. I think it made me slightly uncomfortable for the first few days because I can’t seem to have uninterrupted sleep at night (which I usually enjoy) until I was able to let it all out and pooed on the third or fourth day (I cannot remember) that I felt all fine.

- first plane ride -

- with my brother Hendrik and Gary the snail -

- touch down Viet Nam @ Noi Bai International Airport -

- welcome to Gondola Hotel -

- good morning Hanoi! -

It was also my first time to experience winter. Although there was no snow but it was cooold. The average day time temperature was 17 degrees celcius (but with cold crisp air) and the lowest temperature being 4 degrees celcius early in the morning. Good thing Mommy was prepared as she brought a lot of winter stuff for me – long sleeves, long pants, mittens, booties, beanie, thick sleep wear, etc. She even asked Ate Mitch, my cousin who is way older than me (and a year older than my Mommy for that matter) to buy me winter/snow suit from Zurich. It was very timely that Ate Mitch was scheduled to visit Singapore more than a week before our trip as the winter/snow suit she gave me kept me warm while we cruise the cold winter streets of Hanoi.

- my red winter suit courtesy of my Ate Mitch -

- with my brother, Hendrik, @ the Red Bridge, Hoan Kiem Lake Hanoi -

- family love -

- @ The Tran Quoc Pagoda -

- look at my brother! @ The Tran Quoc Pagoda -

- with Mommy @ the huge grounds of Ho Chi Minh mausoleum -

- oh, hello there! -

- smile... -

- my happy Mommy and I @ the Lenin Park -

- oh, I want to ride that too... someday... -

The cold winter breeze surprisingly caused me to naturally doze off while we were out and about. I think my family finds it funny that I was sleeping while they were exploring the sights and sounds that Hanoi has to offer. Oh well…  ;)

- I dozed off in the middle of our mini train ride despite the screech and the snort -

- thanks to the good 5-year old stroller (which has been to a lot of places than I have been to), Mommy can rest her arms from carrying me -

- fun time @ Gondola Hotel -

We also celebrated Mommy's 35th birthday in Hanoi. It has been a tradition to celebrate her birthday overseas as it always fall on the dates of my family's annual holiday trip. Lucky her!

- with the birthday girl -

- can I have the cake now? -

As our bodies had adjusted well to Hanoi’s weather, we were all sweating when we arrived at Singapore Changi Airport even after removing our layers and jackets. Two different places two different weather; and it suddenly changes with just a few hours of travel.

- "mukan" moves inside the airplane going back to Singapore -

- being nice to the girls sitting at the back trying to befriend me -

I will forever treasure my first family overseas trip. This is one happy milestone for me.  =D

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