My baby Penelope,

Earlier today while washing you for bed, it suddenly occured to me – you are ONE year old.

It’s not like I didn’t know cos we just had your birthday party a week ago wtf. But it really hit me that a year has passed.

A year has passed since you came tumbling out into the world. A year filled with stress, tears (yours and mine), challenges, sleepless nights, prayers and just plain endurance. You, my high needs baby, challenged everything I thought I knew as a mom. You blocked me at every turn!

Other babies have their Terrible Twos, but your Terrible Twos started at two months wtf. Your fits of rage rivalled Daddy (and Grandpa) at his worst wtf.

You resisted sleep like Freddy Kreuger was in your dreams. Which made me sleepless for a year too, thanks. You were even tougher to breastfeed than Koko and HE was the premature one, not you. I only somehow pulled through with pumping, sometimes brute force, and cheating you into drinking while you were asleep.

Sometimes it felt like Love just wasn’t enough because no amount of holding you, rocking and hugging you would make you stop crying. We just had to endure.

Endure we did, and look where we are now. Today you are technically no longer a little baby, but a little girl.

You may not be as giddy and hysterical as Koko can get sometimes but you have your own cheeky sense of humor. You have the silliest laugh – sounding like a cross between a cough and a shout hahahaha.

You can’t hide your smile when you think you’re getting away with something mommy told you not to do. You know exactly what you want and have no problem letting us know.

Your will is iron clad and your curiosity knows no bounds which is why you learn and develop so quickly. Which is also why we will have a handful when you’re older hahahaha.

You are the most loving little girl, always toddling up to me for hugs and to lean on my shoulder. If I don’t hold you, you come up behind me and squeeze me from the back. You are also generous with your food, always offering it to us or Koko.

You adore and idolize Koko, beaming with happiness when he deigns to hug you. Even when he accidentally chokes you when hugging, you still smile happily hahahaha. At the same time, you have learned to fight back when Koko tries to bully you. You’re much stronger than you look; when Koko tries to push you, you grab his hand and fling it away which is hilarious hahaha.

You are so vain! Whenever someone says you’re pretty, you smile (with your tongue out) and put your hands on your head. Hahahaha. You clearly take after me because you love shoes HAHAHA. You’re always trying to put on my shoes, daddy’s shoes, Koko’s shoes. When we go shopping, you love reaching out and touching the fabrics of pieces hanging on the rack.

I had never consciously thought about it but if I could have planned it, I probably wouldn’t want to have a second baby so soon. I might have waited a couple more years in fact. But I’m so glad the decision was taken out of my hands because if I had waited, we would not have this perfect little girl in our lives.

To my darling Penny, Thank you for teaching me about patience, perseverance and love.

Happy 1st birthday, from Mommy, Daddy and Koko.

*

We decided (OK I decided wtf) to do our first family photoshoot as the four of us sempena Penny’s first birthday! Worked with the people who did our pre-wedding shoot, One Way Tix.

Hehehe. Our shoot was Up themed and I still love the story so I decided why not do a continuation of the Up theme for our family? Some more photographer also the same wtf.

Our wedding shoot was done outdoors in a park but because there are two additional people who happen to be babies, and there’s also dengue wtf we decided to do it in the OWT studio instead.

When we got there, it really blew us away!  Their styling is really damn cute and vintage and nice and sweet and… *runs out of breath

True to the theme!  Fatty was Mr Frederickson and I’m Ellie, although a bit fail my outfit hahaha I just went with a demure retro-ish dress to reflect the adult Ellie.  (Dress from Azorias, shoes from Emoda). Fatty was a hipster Carl with bowtie (from Zara), skinny jeans (his own) and Converse shoes.

Fighter was Russell!  I got the yellow tee from AliExpress, khaki shorts from Mothercare and I made the scouts sash and badges myself with fabric glue hahaha.

And Penny was Kevin LOLOLOL. Too funny hahahaha she pulled it off though.  Her shirt is Mothercare but her tutu and headgear was made by a friend’s friend Jackie, who’s selling baby tutus.

OMG this Kevin super in character, eating everything she can find.

What’d I tell you?

My loving babies. <3

Fighter looks so grown up already! The quintessential balloon pose. 😀

Both of them yam seng-ed and proceeded to drink from the props hahahahahaha damn annoying.

The best things I’ve ever done. 🙂

Fighter was in an unusually good mood too and super easy to direct!  Penny was kinda all over the place but OWT still got some really gorgeous shots.

Like this one!  Dressed her up like a princess since it’s her birthday. 😀

Dress and crown headband both from Cotton On.

Monkeys up to no good wtf.  Fighter’s suspenders shirt from Bardot.

My favorite-est photo of all!

And my favorite person.

Anyway announcement!  One Way Tix is offering my readers a RM100 rebate off Portrait Photography!  So if you have a wedding or wanna take family photos, go with them! Their rates are also super reasonable. I love their work and attention to detail and cannot recommend them more.

Offer is applicable for the first five (5) customers only so please hurry!

Oh and did you think I forgot to vlog at our shoot? Hahahaha. Enjoy!