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.