Now I Know My A, B, Cs...and other songs*

I know, I know, it's been way too long since I've posted.  I hope I haven't lost any of ya'll because she's growing up too stinkin' adorable and too fast!  Amelie just turned the BIG TWO last week and we are so blessed because she continues to top her cuteness every single day just when we didn't even think it was possible!  Every day is filled with a new surprise from Amelie but my favorite thing right now is when she randomly starts humming, singing and clapping to her own songs and boppin' around.   She's recently started singing her A-B-C's and although she'll fumble her way through the whole thing, she sings up to 'G' confidently.  Her awesome Fridge Phonics has been such a helpful tool in helping her learn her A-B-Cs as well as using it as a beat box guide for her Alphabet song. 

Here is another clip of her belting a toon using her sunglasses as a mic (she won't sing with anything else now).  She was inspired by the dress she tried on for her aunt's flower girl gig this summer.  Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll croon for us at the wedding too?

A Gleeful New Year*

It's a New Year with new resolutions, new beginnings and new and exciting Amelie-whimsies in store.

See how Amelie rang us into the New 2011 Year with her spontaneously cute little song and dance that she performed for us out of the blue during dinner.  I especially love how in the middle of her show, she gets distracted by the pretty lights and ornaments on the Christmas tree and forgets that she was the star.

Joyful, Joyful We Adore She*

Amelie brought much JOY to the family this Christmas and New Year with her steadily increasing cuteness.  She gladly got into her Christmas attire while I set up a little 2 minute photo shoot (that's all the time she would give me in front of the camera) and the little darling stole my heart. 

She even let me get her into her hanbok to give her grandparents a traditional bow for the New Year.

Like all 1 year olds though, she did have a couple sad moments that involved not getting what she wanted but they were still so cute I had to document.

She gave her mommy a wonderful birthday gift by giving me a birthday holla, a birthday kiss & her delightful rendition of the first half of the alphabet oozed in with cheesy smiles.  I couldn't have asked for more.  Enjoy and Happy 2011 and stay tuned for a peek at Amelie's new singing and dancing skillz!

L'exposition d'Amelie

Amelie's been taking an interest in the family camera recently so I've been letting her give it a whirl.  After taking a look at her composition skillz, I've noticed that she has natural talent.  Not surprising since she mos def has my creative genes.  I've decided to start her shutterbugging young like when parents have their children start playing the piano or getting golf lessons when they've just exited the womb.  Anyways, welcome to Amelie's first photography exhibition at the radiant age of 20 months new!

'V8 Kind of Day'

(isn't the composition of this one just so daring?)

'Finger of God on Her Life'

(this one is just so profound.)

 

 'Sandy Toes'

(after shooting this, she took one look at me and said, "beach". how brilliant is she?)

'Hello Toes'

(she was very retrospective of her feet that day.)

'Strike a Pose'

(hint: picture an invisible person actually visible in those moccasins)

'Rushing Light'

(i mean come on, look at the detail she shot this one in.)

'Peekaboo'

(this piece is her voila moment when she suddenly realized that she could freeze her current favorite game in time! isn't she remarkable?!)

'Self Portrait #1: JOY*'

(she had to do a couple self-timer shots on this one due to the exact depth & height she wanted this in.)

Adventures with my Banana

Amelie's been filling up our lives with laughter, lots of chasing around and rapid growing.  You don't want to miss a moment at this age because they are just too stinkin' adorable and this is where their curiosity, imagination and longing for adventure really start to take off.  Lately, she's been having a growing interest in interacting with other children.  We're thinking that it may have been sparked by the tots that have been hurling themselves at Amelie with tackle-hugs & kisses at her Gymboree class.  Anyways, here's a little clip of Amelie who was frolicking outside the gelato store while enjoying her favorite snack as of late and catching the eye of a boy walking by with his parents. 

Arriba Arriba Amelie!

Amelie came back home last week from her Helen Emo's house with some fast feet.  No, really, quite literally.  I didn't think much of it when Ms. Melanie took her off into the other room & started doing football drills with the little one.  Sure enough, the very next morning, we're playing in the foyer and she starts fast feeting!  I didn't even ask her to!  I was like, "what in the...world?"  This unique little girl will only fast feet by herself when she's on this particular rug by the front door.  Strange huh? 

Enjoy!



Her coach, Ms. Melanie is currently working on Amelie's Heisman pose.  Stay Tuned!

Learning Amelish All Over Again*

So what's been going on with Amelie?  With the summer slowly winding down and Amelie already more than halfway to becoming 17 months, it's never a bore.  Everyday I'm reminded of all the firsts I've had as a toddler growing up.  The fascination in her eyes watching an ant crawl by.  The innocence of not understanding why it's not ok to eat her dog's food and why the toilet is a very dirty thing and not a water table.  There's actually so much zipping through that brain of hers that she's been wanting to say a whole lot.  Here she is trying to explain to us all that she's been through lately in Amelish. 

(Please email me directly if you can help decipher any of it.)



Amelie's also been helping to remind me that still, everyday is filled with something new so we should look forward to it.  I'm throwing it back old school style by kicking away jadedness and bringing optimism back into my life again.   

Hello again, Optimism.  Here's to hoping for a better tomorrows*

The Ramblings of a 15 Month Old*

There are some kids that love to talk and some that don't.  The ones that love to talk either say words that they know they can say with a somewhat clear enunciation or they ramble on in jibberish in their own foreign language.  Amelie does the latter.  Everyone thinks parents understand what their children are jabbering but I sure as heck don't.  I wonder if she even comprehends what she's saying... Who cares, it's so freakin' cute!  *sigh* i fall more and more in love with her everyday.

Amelie SpongeGirl SquarePants*

Okay so it's been forever since I've posted anything (Jane, this is for you).  Notice this was after she turned the ripe age of One.  So try imagining having a sponge of a toddler that suddenly wants to do and mimic everything you're doing and has the most intelligent problem solving skills (they only need to be taught something once and they get it the next time.  scaaaaary.)  And just wait till they start walking because then it gets even more fun.  On top of that, try having a part-time job while being a full-time mom. 

Here is a quick fast forward of what's been going on with Amelie-amelie-bo-Bamelie, Banana-fanna-fo-famelie, Me, My, Mo-Mamelie:

 Chilling in my new shades

 

I love my new shiny shoes

 

 Hello is anyone there?

 

Caught red-handed

  

What did I get myself into...(butt paste on my face)

An artist in the works

 

Really the best barber in town

 

My new Hepburn or Jane emo look

 Daddy's scary BBQ rib

 

I love the swimming pool

 

My mom asked me to smile really big so I can show you my dimple

My new easel that Grams bought me to encourage creative expressions

  

Hard at work

  

Hard at work

Ransacked Great Grams room while she wasn't looking

Me with my grown up look
 

It Was Her Birthday and She'll Laugh if She Wants To*

Check out Amelie's One Year Photoshoot from the fabulous Two Leaf team!  They captured the essence of Amelie perfectly.  Here are some photos from Amelie's First Birthday Party~

The Birthday Girl~

She is destined to be a Scholar!

Excited to Study forever like her Aunt?

Or maybe destined to be in the LPGA!

Officially a Toddler!

Amelie Year One Recap*

Man oh man has it been a long time since posting.  Blogging is no joke!  Trying to research, get photos & footage of all the stuff you want to post to make it interesting all the time and for readers to keep coming back.  But I still love it.  If you have the passion to do something, it's not a chore and how could it not be fun when your muse is your adorable little girl?

Anyways, so I made a video for Amelie's first birthday party and people have been asking me to post it so here it is finally. 



Watching her grow up the first year was so much fun that I'm recharged and ready to start documenting her 2nd year of life now!

Enjoy~

HAPPY 1ST!

Exactly one year ago from midday today, God gave us our beautiful daughter, Amelie.  This year has been one of the most challenging, rewarding, exhausting, humbling, blessed, remarkable, mystifying, intriguing, heartfelt, maturing, exhausting (wait, did i say that already? well it deserves another mention), unpredictable, tender, demanding, delightful time of my life.

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO OUR BABYGIRL~

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Amelie and the Funky Bunch*

So Amelie is already almost 11 and a half months!  Man alive, where did that time go?!  My friends always ask me what I do with Amelie during the week.  When I'm not running around after her at home and working my part-time job while she naps, we try to go out and meet her friends so she can practice being around other lil' people like herself.  I just cannot get enough of watching the little tikes interact with each other.  Put one cute little person with another cute little person and you just melt and ooze onto the floor because they are so funny and so darn adorable.  So without further adieu, say hello to Amelie's funky bunch crew.

This is a classic shot of big sis Amelie at 5 months old welcoming her new friend, Cana into the world.  They're going to go on missions trips together and share the Gospel.

This is at 6 months old on their first playdate probably wondering a lot of different things...

This is her friend Lexi.  They will probably play doubles tennis together like me and her mom did.

This is the first time Nora came over and hung out when they were 7 months old.  They're only 5 days apart and they're going to play sports together.

This is big bro Lincoln who is expecting a baby sister soon.

This is Daniel who is a couple months younger than Amelie and the only baby lad at church among 3 other baby chicks.  What a lucky lad!

This is her church bud, Soleil, a fashionista.

Here is our absolute best attempt to get a group photo during this playdate.

Here is Amelie trying to get her big bro friend, Maxx's, attention who loves the movie 'Up'.

Amelie got to welcome his new sister, Ellie, into the world.  She loves to smile.

This is Aunt Soo and another new friend, Elias, who Amelie got to welcome into the world.  They will make beautiful music together when they get older. 

Fresh from a recent playdate and looking much older now are buds, Nora and Cana.  Nora can already wobble walk.

To get this rare photo of them together, it took lots of strange sounds, snacks and one heckuva strong grip*

I leave you with some cute little videos of all of them "playing" together.  Notice how they all just kinda do their own thing.