A beautiful year

On this second last day of twenty-ten, I want to sieve through my memory and jot down the highlights of the year to refresh my memory of the fun & memorable times I experienced, to record the tremendous progress of my lovely daughter Kate from an infant to a toddler and loving moments worth mentioning.

Kate's first Christmas, December 2009

She was 3 months old then & sitting aided (bfeeding cushion which served as her armchair). Oh boy, those early days of parenthood were a hoot - tough as h*ll and probably one of the most memorable and challenging days of my life! I definitely appreciate how caring, patient, understanding and helpful the husband was through the early months, when I was considerably blue post-pregnancy. I was nervous and anxious about everything - bfeeding, diet, losing weight, gaining weight, baby regurgitating, baby drinking too little, expressing milk, losing hair, lumpy tummy, vaccinations, sick baby, lack of confidence... you name it, I'd probably experienced it (either fleetingly or in full-force)! The best Christmas present I got last year was definitely the Miu Miu bag that the husband selected for me - my very first very lovely Miu Miu! Besides it being a much coveted bag, it displayed the husband's thoughfulness and generosity in buying it for me. I heart it muchos!

Adult holiday in Phuket, January 2010

This was a holiday that we'd planned with our friends for months. It took a lot of co-ordination of leave, time & money for everyone to have gone. It was the first time the husband and I went away together, away for Kate for three full days! I was still bfeeding then, and it took the husband patience and I tenacity & determination to fit that into our holiday routine. We had to make detours to do the deed, or I simply had to pump away manually till my hands/arms ached. But we perserved together and my worries of weaning being away from Kate were unfounded. That holiday was great - I was in great shape and it was a good break away from being parents to focus on ourselves and each other. The trip also coincided with the husband's 30th birthday & it was great having a birthday celebration in a foreign land with all our good friends.

January was also the month I went back to work after my maternity leave and I had to adjust to being apart from Kate. It was tough and I suffered from separation anxiety! I learnt to deal with it and it was also joyous and very comfortable working 4-days a week (a work arrangement that was super).

Chinese New Year, February 2010

Kate's first lunar new year! She was uber hot property, every relative and friend was asking to see her, as she was the newest addition to the family. The husband and I were obviously very proud parents, showing off our little bundle of joy. See the pink dress she's wearing in the pic? I bought it for her then and she can still wear it today (albeit as a shorter dress). At 4 months, Kate also could flip over on her own - I'm so thankful for FB where I can monitor her progress through the pics and videos that I'd uploaded.

Kate goes on her first holiday, March 2010

Yes! We brought her on her very first holiday when she was 6 months old. We worried about her comfort levels on the flight - but we needn't have worried! She was a natural traveller, charming the flight attendants in-flight. It was quite an experience, the food was good, the weather was decent, the sister, the husband and I managed to squeeze in exercise time too; it was fantastic. I also managed to catch up with some old friends, visited my old university and shared it with the husband and daughter - lovely!

The reason why we went on this holiday - we're all very proud of the sister!

Celebrating my birthday as a family of three, March 2010

Besides the travel, the other highlight of the month was me turning the big 3-0. I remember doing this checklist then: job - check; husband - check; house - check (in-progress); baby - check! My life is good!

Cousins, of the same size in April 2010

In April 2010, Lukas was about a month old already. Here's a shot of them cousins together - cute huh! Lukas is 6 months younger than Kate but being a boy, he's pretty big in size. He was a very big infant to begin with. Today, Lukas is already heavier than Kate though she's still slightly taller. He's definitely a boy through-and-through! His build is chunky and manly; making Kate look terribly petite and girly in comparison. At 7 months, we could place her in high chairs when we ate out, her drooling became uber-intensive and she was definitely teething.

8-month-old Kate doing gymnastics, May 2010

Kate was developing very quickly these months and at 8 months, she was pulling herself to stand on anything she could grab her tiny baby hands on. She'd also graduated to being able to sit upright on her own. She also finally sprouted her first two teeth and began to crawl.

It's so tiring growing up, I can barely keep awake while eating, June 2010

After 9 months, the husband and I had definitely gotten used to being parents. It was terribly fun and endearing to watch Kate grow and we (especially the husband) will be rather cheeky and as a result, we have plenty of funny (some haha, some outright spastic) pictures and Kodak moments. The above is a classic one where Kate fell asleep in the chair, while eating.

Watch me walk, I'm trying! July 2010

At 9 months, Kate also slowly began tiring of crawling and we encouraged her to walk with the walker. It is more independent than the sit-in walker where she was already very adept at since she was 5 months old. That month, we also celebrated Fathers' Day, a first for the husband.

Happy Fathers' Day, Papa! July 2010

Celebrating August birthdays, the family picture's complete, August 2010

The sister-in-law lives in New Zealand, so in August, she came back for a holiday. Then, the whole family was complete which was nice, as we celebrated birthdays of the eldest brother and the MIL. Kate could toddle around, preferring for us to hold her while she ventures everywhere she wants to - training on the push-walker has paid off!

The princess turns ONE, September 17 2010

The husband and I had stressed weeks leading up to the birthday party that we'd planned for her. As luck would have it, she contracted HFMD a few days before the party! How sad! We improvised and instead of a big party with many friends, we did a cosy little dinner with immediate family only. I love the picture above, it shows our little princess enjoying herself with her whole cake in its full glory (numero uno!) Celebrations are meaningful when you share it with loved ones, the number of people doesn't matter. Another super highlight, a very special homemade gift from the husband to Kate, was the video he put together for her. I was very touched as he also attributed it to me, telling me beyond words how I'm doing a great job as a Mother. Yay!

A couple of weeks after Kate turned one, she discovered mobility - she found courage to walk on her own. There's no stopping her after that! She began to walk everywhere and anywhere she wanted; but this little one is no fool - she knows to choose when she wants to walk, requesting for us to bao bao her when she's lazy.

When Kate turned one, I also stopped breastfeeding. It was a tough time weaning her off, especially when she was very reliant on suckling to sleep. With the help of my mother and the husband, we did it. I slowly stopped latching her on, and also slowly stopped expressing. I had no issues with stopping, and it was very odd having "my breasts back", if I may put it that way. I no longer had to carry my 'mommy bag' (full of equipment) everywhere I went, I no longer had to worry about spillage or engorgement, I lost the fullness of my boobs, but I gained back my independence. From the very beginning, I'd wanted to bfeed and I'm very proud of myself that I did it as I planned to for a whole year. I'll like to thank the husband for his support throughout the whole period, I'm beyond happy that he also encouraged me to perservere; yet never pressurising me to do it, allowing me to take it easy and do my best.

In November, I had a stressful & emotionally charged two-weeks, where I debated internally and decided on a change of job; the decision seemed easy to make but was so tough emotionally, because I was at Ogilvy for 4.5years, having built my own base, friends and strengths over time through sheer hard work. It was a decision that came rather naturally, despite the emotional entanglements, because my priorities in life were different. I knew that being a mother, I wanted more time with my family as time lost cannot be re-captured, and so I know that my decision was right.

WAAAH, Kate & her super Christmas present, December 2010

So it's been a whole year. I love the picture above as it shows Kate in her ultimate cutest state - she was wow-ing over her present, she could tear apart the wrapping paper on her own; a vast contrast to how she was a mini bundle last Christmas. I love December, who doesn't? It's full of holidays, of fun, of great food, of over-eating, of love, of presents, of laughs, of reminiscence and of thanks.

It's been a beautiful year for me; thanks to the husband and Kate for making my life so much fuller and beautiful than ever before, and I'm looking forward to twenty-eleven!