She's One!

Hana is now officially a one year old and how fast she's picking up on things left and right.  She is now able to wave and say hi at the same time - still working on bye :)  She clearly identifies Kendall and says, "Hi Dog" which is pretty amazing considering I only get the "mama" with no "hi" preceded by it, and poor Dad gets just, "Da!" Hana has been consistently taking 6-7 steps at a time and stands alone so well for several minutes.  She gets so excited while walking she tries to run and that's when she collapses into giggles.  She is officially an ambassador of the blueberry and can't get enough.  Surprisingly, as much as she loves fruit, she does not share the same penchant for sweets and baked goods (see below).

Her "dol" party went great, though Grandma and Papa Johnson were sick with bronchitis while staying in St. Louis.  We celebrated with Korean, Indian and American elements.  Hana also selected a microscope as her first item of choice during the "dol jabi" ceremony -  much to her Achacha's delight.  We had placed scissors, rice, yarn, a stethescope, paint, a pencil, money, a butter knife, and a book on a table to represent various elements to bless her future, such as prosperity, wealth, good health, etc.  After the dol jabi (which translated means, "first grab"), we attempted to give Hana bits of Korean rice cake, as well as her organic birthday cake (yes, I am a crazy mom like that who found an all-natural bakery, yada yada yada).  Hana did not want any of it.  She seemed gaga for the chap-chae (Korean noodles) my mom made for the event.  We've tried fro-yo, ice cream, a muffin, a cookie, and pancakes with our little monkey, but she has no palette for sweets.  It's savory all the way.  Guess we won't have to worry about cavities in the near future :)

We have her big annual check-up this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing if this kid still ranks off the charts for height - she's already in 2Ts.  We might have a supermodel on our hands, or at least someone who can get the fancy dishes off the high shelf in the kitchen.

Here's one tip I'll likely use for future party planning:

1.  We went to Party City (yes, cheesy I know) but found great deals on pom poms (just like the Martha Stewart version or similar on etsy) that came in a pack of 3 for $5.99.  Though I only wanted to use the pink and not blue or green, still a better deal than previous said vendors.  We also purchased solid color cups and napkins to accent the more pricey and decorative items for the party.  I'd suggest "hitting up" (as Hana's dad might say) PC for one time use items needed in bulk.

Some presents we love love love:

1. Scanimation - This was one of the many presents from Cousin Mala but has definitely appealed to our little bookworm.  I find myself flipping through the book too amazed at the motion of the animals.

2.  Wonderful Wooden Cart - A "supermom" purchased this for our busy, on-the-go girl.  She absolutely loves strolling around the open space at her grandparents' crib with this fun, non-battery operated toy.

3.  A gold bracelet engraved with Hana's name and birthdate - perfect accessory for her Indian outfits.

4.  Hip Fruit - As much as we enjoy the giant knob Melissa & Doug puzzles, this one has an "artsy" boho feel which pairs well with her Sara Anderson books. 

5.  A classic - Though the illustrations are a bit cutesy, the rhyme itself has entranced our toddler.  Whenever she's on the move about to get into a little curious mischief, I start reading this and she literally turns around comes back to me wanting to read this together. 

Finally, here are some pics of our Korindian toddler in her Indian dress (being held by her Ammama), one of the happy fam (Hana in her Korean hanbok), and finally capping the day off with cupcakes.  

Recap of 11 months

Well I'm finally committing to keeping an a virtual album of Mini Kumar's achievements that's I've only been able to keep on Babycenter.com.  Though I've been good about writing in the dates of first smiles, foods and such, I'd like to write down in detail the things that make my husband and I laugh out loud to the times when she just melts our hearts with a "hi!" 

Not going too far back in time, Hana has been keeping us entertained with her constant mimicking of sounds such as "biaper" for diaper and the constant, "hi" or "hi there!"  I love waking up and peeking in at her in her crib at 7 am, saying, "Hi.  Hi.  Hi." to her stuffed dog or little lamb.  She is now saying hello to just about anything with a face - babies in books, Kendall (our golden retriever) and even the teapot with a smile printed on it.  We have a social butterfly on our hands!

Hana finally has two top teeth, can take up to 6 steps solo, throws a ball overhand into targets like her shape bucket and toy basket.  She's also moving onto whole milk - I've been pretty adamant about her organic eating habits so we've toyed with 2 grass-fed cow options.  My favorite, feels like a throwback to the Lassie days of milkmen at your door, but so far, so good.  The only downside is the glass jugs only come in 1/2 gallons, have a very very short shelf life and are quite heavy.  You'd think having an almost toddler at your hip would build up those muscles - not so much.

The next big transition aside from the big birthday party ahead is moving to a cup.  I'm still on the fence about sippy vs. straw vs. whatever else my books and resources tell me.  I have heard great things about the Nuby and I'd like to try that before moving onto the Zolibot - though I do love the teething sticks from the latter we bought for Hana a few months ago.  Coupled with the Sophie and Chan squeakers, teething hasn't been too big of an issue.  Thought I'd end my posts with some items I love (both for baby and sometimes for moms like me).

1. Blabla dolls and accessories (we have two dolls and the fruit shaker set - she loves them all, especially this one). Giant Blabla

2. Leslie Patricelli books - exploring the world of opposites has never been so simple and engaging.  We have at least 5 of her books and Hana can spend 10 minutes just "reading" to herself.  Hana's Library

3. Sesame Street Elmo remote - I know there are parents out there opposed to anything with batteries, but we actually really enjoy this toy... it may even be partially responsible for Hana learning to say, "hi there" (a la Ernie).  Sesame Street & Co.

4. Egg by Susan Lazar -  here's a pair of great leggings to pair with any tunic -  wish this print came in adult sizes

5. Kate Quinn organics - we have bibs, crib sheets (in jersey), and LOTS of sleeping gowns, kimono tops, soft pants, and dresses ready to be brought out once the sun shines.  organic heaven

6. livingsocial.com - purchased ten 1/2 price yoga classes for my current studio, as well as a couples massage for the hubs and I for next weekend.  not bad I'd say!