zara's first birthday

It seems Zara's first birthday came and went so fast!
The day of her birthday, I had planned to do several errands.

First, we headed to this store. I've always wanted to go there and it seemed like a perfect day to go. I could scope out a birthday outfit for Zara as well as some birthday gifts. Well, we ended up with 3 dresses (all pink!), a purple floral dress for Sofia and two wooden toys for Zara. A large wooden activity cube (only $17.99!) and the ever-classic rainbow stacker (rings stacked on a dowel).

Then we picked up deli sandwiches from across the street and met Jamie for lunch at Robinswood Park. Zara slept through most of lunch.

Next stop was a camera store - to drop off the film I shot in NY/NJ and to get my camera checked out. Unfortunately they couldn't fix it in-house so they sent it out for repair to Canon. It cost $50 but I figure it's worth it if I don't have to package the camera up myself and worry about shipping. Plus they will deduct the $50 from the actual repair fee.

When we got home, I cooked the girls' favorite dish: chicken adobo with brown rice and fresh sliced tomatoes on the side. Then we connected with Jamie's folks via Skype and they sang Happy Birthday, watched Zara smoosh and then devour a mini-cupcake from Cupcake Royale (delivered via AmazonFresh) and open up her birthday loot: the items I mentioned above, a Sleep Sheep (from Jamie's parents) and a mystery present (actually from me) that included these two books: book #1 and book #2. I think Zara actually liked the books the best of all.  The sleep sheep is very handy because our CD / CD player is forever skipping/scratching. Also the furry sheep is a plus. Zara goes shrieky whenever she sees a furry creature.  The toys were a hit too. She has played with them just about everyday (as well as Sofi) since we got them home.

So it was a small family celebration. Just about as much as I could handle after our trip. But we are planning a bigger celebration with a few families later in the summer. Hopefully my camera will be repaired by then. I feel so lost without it! I can't rely on my iPhone forever! And my film camera (as I sadly discovered in NY) is on the fritz as well. I noticed some black gunk on the shutter when I took my film out.


And now a little tribute to the birthday girl.

100 things about Zara at 1

1. She said "uh-oh" for the first time.
2. When I'm holding her, she points to where she wants to go.
3. She shrieks with high-pitched delight when a furry creature is near (in person or on tv)
4. She ate cheese for the first time and liked it.
5. She is a climber. She tried to climb into the cabinet where we keep our XBox and DVDs today. 
6. She climbed up a small shallow slide at a park in NJ.
7. She lets Jamie put her to bed in the crib. 
8. She loves ice.
9. She loves to take off my glasses and hand them back to me.
10. She is really clingy right now.
11. She is a fast crawler. No walking yet.
12. She pulls herself to standing with support (chair, couch etc.)
13. She loves baths with her sister.
14. She loves being in Sofia's room with all the art and colorful things hanging from the ceiling and walls. Definitely her favorite room in the house.
15. She is still breast-feeding.
16. She loves meat. Chicken adobo, pork, hamburger, meatballs etc.
17. She often says "mama" when she means "more" or wants something.
18. She can say "dada" but often calls Jamie "mama".
19. She calls Sofia "baba".
20. Jamie thinks she said "pork" today.
21. "Buey" might mean book.
22. She loves books. She turns the pages and points to the words.
23. My mom gave the girls Ty animals during our visit back East - Zara got a duck called Quackers. Sofia got a sheep called Fleece. They love them!
24. Zara loves to eat dirt and play in the dirt and just get dirty.
25. She loves trees and flowers and gets excited when she looks out the window or when we're outside.
26. She loves oranges. Juicier the better.
27. We haven't fed her baby food (from a jar) in weeks. She prefers to eat what we eat.
28. Her hair is beautiful shade of medium brown.
29. She still has that baby smell.
30. She seems to like Jamie more (or come to accept that sometimes Jamie is the one that will take care of her.)
31. She is little more smiley at strangers.
32. She likes to put the littlest bits in her mouth. If there is a crumb on the floor she will find it!
33. She LOVES lift the flap books. Especially Karen Katz ones. Good thing she is prolific! Almost one for every occasion!
34. She has been sick for the last few days.
35. She did so well on the plane rides to the East Coast.
36. She loves to cuddle mommy.
37. When I put a pillow in front of her, she will flop her head down. So cute!
38. Sometimes she does the same thing even when there is no pillow. Ouch!
39. She likes buttons.
40. She likes to gnaw on my iPhone.
41. She likes to pull on wires. Computer wires, videogame controller wires. etc.
42. She likes to touch and feel everything.
43. She is attracted to the heating grates in our house.
44. She is (half the time) gentle with the cats. But often she pulls Zoe's tail. Nermil is too fast for her to get anywhere near her.
45. She pulls off any hat you put on her head.
46. She has enough hair to put a barrette in her hair.
47. She is a sweet sweet baby.
48. She naps 1-3 times a day.
49. She sleeps from around 8:30 to sometime in the early morning in her crib. Then I get her and we co-sleep in my bed.
50. We think her favorite color is green (Because she loves trees).
51. She loves music and will jerk around/bob her head to the music.
52. She has a ticklish spot under her neck and will giggle for you if lightly tickled there.
53. She hates to have her diaper changed. 
54. I now change her standing up!
55. She pulls off her socks and legwarmers almost as soon as you put them on her.
56. During mealtimes, she often rubs her hair and ears with her dirty hands.
57. When she doesn't want something she will fling it off her tray.
58. She usually loves to ride in the car.
59. When she doesn't want to ride in the car, she will arch her back and squirm her way out of the carseat while you are trying to buckle her in.
60. She understands me when I say "Go get the bear! or Quackers (the duck) or cat"
61. She understands the word "eat". When she had picked up something off the ground and I said "Don't eat that!" She put her hands to her lips.
62. She still mouths almost everything.
63. She has stopped tearing up magazines/ books for the most part and now just turns the pages.
64. She still loves taking out tissue or wipes out of the box.
65. She cries if you say "NO!" really loudly as she is about to do something dangerous.
66. She cries when she see the doctor. Any doctor.
67. She will always be my baby.
68. She doesn't like wearing necklaces
69. She has super-long lashes.
70. She has super-soft skin.
71. She doesn't like it when I try to "walk" her.
72. She can spin around using her bottom and her feet to propel herself.
73. She is too big for the baby bjorn.
74. She loves to play with the blinds cord near our bed (only under parental supervision of course ;)
75. One of her favorite books is this. (which we borrowed from her cousin Noah).
76. She often goes barefoot. No shoes yet.
77. Another favorite stuffed animal of hers is the white bear she received from the hospital where she was born.
78. She loves bubbles.
79. She loves to splash in the bath.
80. She loves running water.
81. She has never met her Aunt Christine.
82. She cried when my Dad held her. 
83. She cries whenever anyone but me (and sometimes Jamie) holds her!
84. But she let her Uncle David hold her (while Jamie and I had a little date in NYC).
85. She already saw her first movie (Princess and the Frog) in a movie theater.
86. She never took to a pacifier or her thumb. I am her human pacifier.
87. She can drink out a cup. She will be wet afterwards but she got the motion down pat.
88. If you're not careful, she will throw things in the garbage that are not garbage!
89. She likes to empty boxes and then put things back in.
90. She likes to pull things off shelves.
91. She is NOT a hair puller. Well not mine.
92. She often pulls Sofia's hair.
93. She likes to play with my necklace.
94. She is a wonderful baby!
95. She is now a toddler? But she doesn't toddle yet.
96. She is overdue for her 1-year-check-up (I'm kinda stretching here).
97. She has a similar birthmark on her forehead to Sofia.
98. I often brush the hairs around her ear behind her ear with my fingers.
99. She likes her hair brushed with a soft baby hairbrush.
100. She likes to play with the broom and dustpan, mimicking the sweeping action!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl! I love you more than you can possibly know! (And Sofia too ;)