Keira Turns 1!

Birthdays have always held a special place in my heart. 

Today - May 28, 2014 is super special as not only is it the date that our little princess officially turns 1 year old, it also marks Kevin and my first year as parents - the celebration of the day we became mommy and daddy to our own magical creation. The best day of our lives and the one day that change everything for us, forever (for the better, too!). 

We didn't have anything big planned for her today (since it is a week day) except for a special homemade cake, baked by the best aunt chef I know (thank you, Makcik Jah!), and a happy birthday singalong with just the few of us at the stroke of midnight :) It was enough to spark her excitement!

Of course, we also have an ultra special "royal party" planned for our little princess this coming weekend and we can't wait to celebrate it with close friends and family. 

In the words of Barney Stinson, the party will be LEGEN wait-for-it DARY!!!

Isn't She The Cutest Flower Girl?

My cousins had a triple-wedding fiesta (yes, the three siblings got married at the same ceremony and reception) over this weekend, and guess who stole the show during the bersanding, two days in a row?

Our adorable little girl, of course! 

Hmmm, but are flower girls meant to "eat" the flowers?

 

Money, Money, Money!

At 9 months+, Keira's a pro when it comes to grabbing things. She has mastered her fine motor skills. 

What happens is that she will sit back and observe what are the "most sought after" items of her liking, and then after analyzing it in her head, she awaits the right time to grab it. 

She loves to rummage through my handbag as she knows there are all sorts of "surprises" kept in there, including this pink thingy that mommy seems to always be carrying everywhere, opening and closing it all the time when we go out. 

One guess what this pink thingy is? MY PURSE, of course!

 

For today, the RM50 note was the biggest one in my purse, and of course when she was rummaging through my purse she conveniently took it out. 

She did not choose the RM1, RM5, RM10 or RM20. She went straight for the biggest value available - RM50. Smart gal!

Mere coincidence, pure luck or does she really know the value of money already at 9 month old? 

Whatever the case, she convinces us everyday that she's wiser beyond her months and has the ability to differentiate and analyze... Definitely miles ahead of other babies her age!

Wedding Bells for Keira's Godmum!

Keira's godmum "walked down the aisle" with her best friend earlier today!

Kevin, Keira and I were so honored to be there to witness the beautiful wedding ceremony and reception at the City Harvest Church in KL.

I absolutely love weddings and get teary-eyed, and this one was no different - except the fact that we had a baby with us and we had to ensure that seated in the hall of hundreds, Keira does not start screaming did not disrupt the wedding proceedings. 

It was also Keira's first wedding attendance, hence we had no idea what to expect...

All we had was a plan, and we plan to stick to "the plan":

• The moment we noticed that Keira's mood was going to go "crazy" we're out of there. 
• We plotted our quick exit by sitting as close to one of the exits as possible, just in case.
• We made sure to pack lots of milk and have it ready for when hunger scream strikes.
• We had her pacifier ready as well, in case of any indication that there was going to be tantrums or loud sounds coming out of her.
• We were equipped with toys and stuff to keep her entertained and some glow in the dark items as well, foreseeing that it was going to be dark during the ceremony.

Thankfully, Keira was in her best behavior and we sat through the whole wedding ceremony without any problems. She even clapped and waved when she spotted her godmum standing at the top the of hall, with the spotlight shining on her as she made her way down the aisle with her father in hand to be given away.

Kevin and I know Hannah on a very personal and friends level, back in the KDU Penang days. He knew her while he was a student there, and so was she. And she is his god sister. 

I knew Hannah while I was employed at KDU Penang, during that same time she was still taking evening classes and working at the School of CIS and we were actively participating in netball and all other social activities at the college. Yes, even as an employee at KDU Penang, I still took part in the student activities to keep my sanity going. During that time, Kevin and I did not know each other and little did we know that we already had a friend in common. And this, we found out only years later.

Many probably do know know that Hannah has been through so many hardships at such a young age. As she is also a local celebrity, all people see is the glitz and glam that come with being in the entertainment industry. Strip all that away, and the reality of it is that you have one very intelligent, workaholic gal who we are proud to have as a godmum to our baby girl.

To see Hannah "glow" in her wedding gown, on her special day... well, here comes the water works! 

We're just so happy that she has found her happily ever after and love of her life in Bryan.

Congratulations to the gorgeous bride, Hannah and charming groom, Bryan!

Baby On Board: Keira's First Flight

We're so excited! Our good friend from long time back, Hannah Tan is getting married tomorrow and the three of us (daddy, mommy and baby) are attending her wedding in Kuala Lumpur! Keira, of course, will have to come along too as Hannah is her "godmum".

We were also quite nervous as it was our first time to fly with our baby. That's Kevin, me and baby. Meaning: no mommy or auntie for mine or any kind of family support would be available to us during the plane ride of 40 minutes. 

What if the air pressure is too much and she cries and cries non-stop? 
Would Kevin and I be able to handle it? 
What if she poops in the plane and makes a big fuss about it? 
What if we forgot something that she really, really needs and she won't stop crying? 
She's not a morning person, cos she sleeps around 4am. And our flight is an early morning one, means that we would need to be up and at the airport before 8am. What if she throws a tantrum for us disturbing her during what's meant to be time for her beauty sleep?
What if...? 
What if...? 
What if...? 
Whatever the case, there was no way out and we would have to deal with all of it like grown-ups.

Thankfully, we ended up having no problems at all with her first flight earlier this morning. Everything went smooth sailing, as our anxieties ensured that we be well-prepared more than ready of anything that coulda, woulda, mighta gone wrong.

• Before the flight, we made sure to put Keira in comfortable clothes and give her a fresh diaper change. We also made sure not to feed her too much milk otherwise she would reject the milk during take-off (and we can't afford that to happen).
• Before take-off (and before she was belted to me as all infants need to be for safety procedures), I lifted her up with both hands so that she can catch a glimpse at the people seated on the flight.  The natural princess nature in her of course shone brightly as what she was lifted up, she gave all the passengers that she made eye contact with a glowing smile and a "princess wave". We could hear the "auuwwws" and "Look at the baby wave, so cute!" compliments that followed.
• During take-off and descent, we kept Keira sucking on something to relieve ear pressure. The flight from Penang to Kuala Lumpur is short, so at takeoff we fed her milk from her bottle. 30 minutes later, as the plane was ready to make its quick descent, we could not stuff her with more milk, so we had alternatives ready - water from a bottle or her pacifier. Pacifier was her pick, of course!
• During the flight, we brought her favourite toys and soft-book so that so that we could keep her occupied. It was also a small plane and we did not get the front row, so we had to make do with positioning her strapped on me in the limited space that there was. Turns out that we did not need anything. She was happy to be gazing out the window during take-off and landing.

From this first experience, we discovered that SHE LOVES AIRPORTS and AIRPLANE RIDES! She did not mind the air pressure or the noise during take-off and landing at all. She loved flying with her "royal subjects" and was very well behaved throughout the entire flight.

Hello, Kuala Lumpur! Happy Valentine's Day! We made it here in one piece with our 8 month old! :)