Loooooooong picture-ful post.
You are advised to view this when there is WiFi or the pictures would zap up your data.
Go get your drinks and popcorn while waiting for the images to load. You could even savour your main dish in front of your computer. Those viewing this on your smartphones and other hand held devices, I suggest you skip reading this post till you get home or you might risk jamming your device and cursing at my blog in public.
Despite making a few changes to the style of my blog post, some things remain the same-- my image-heavy disclaimer!
(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
The first blog post of 2019 is dedicated to my darling baby girl who is officially no longer a baby but a toddler now.
2 weeks 2 days back on 25 April, Ashleigh turned one. Happy 1st birthday to my darling baby Ash once again! Weren’t you in my tummy just a second ago? How did time whizz by so quickly? How did the pregnancy felt so much longer than the duration you came into our lives? You are officially a toddler but you’ll forever be our sweet little baby girl!
We didn’t hold a big birthday celebration as we felt that we had already done a major one for her 100 days celebration.
Aside: I know that if
On the eve of Ash’s birthday, we did a last minute staycation at The Quincy Hotel. We booked on that day itself to enjoy those great deals that came from last minute booking.
We dropped Ash off at school in the morning and informed her teachers that we would be picking her up earlier in the afternoon for her birthday staycation. After that, we ran some errands since we could never get anything done with the sticky little one around.
We were so surprised that upon picking her up, her teacher told us that Ash had been eagerly turning back to look at the windows and the door for us. She actually understood what was communicated to her! We and her teachers merely told her that Daddy and Mummy would be picking her up earlier and she understood! Makes me wonder how many other things she comprehends at her young age.
We took more videos than photos during the staycation which you could view from my Instastories @iamjolene or Ash's Instagram page at @ash1eigh_ng.
She was clearly ecstatic at the large bed with that funny looking bolster which reminds me of a maternity pillow. We ended up using it as a “fortress” to prevent her from falling off the bed.
Of course we only have videos of it so the picture below shows an active baby climbing all about, an irresponsible mum on her mobile phone and a tickled dad taking this picture.
Ash was also very thrilled by the emoji pillows in the hotel room. She really enjoyed playing with them and was cheekily throwing the little devil emoji out of the cot.
We booked Quincy Hotel thinking we might head to town for shopping and dining since Orchard Road is a stone’s throw away but we remained in the hotel all day long. Complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner is served here in buffet style. The hotel also serves all-day light refreshments. Everything in the mini bar is free too. It made things really convenient for us with a baby in toll which is a really unique selling point of Quincy.
Ash got to try many new foods during our stay since I was more chill once she passed the one-year mark.
She was the only baby guest during our stay and she attracted the attention of hotel staff and guests, most of whom were Ang Mos remarking how adorable she is and wishing her happy birthday when they asked how old she is.
"May I order from the menu too, Daddy?"
We ended our stay with a swim in the indoor pool just before checking out the next day. While being a water baby in Bali, this little girl suddenly didn't like to swim and kept crying. This was the only shot I took at the pool.
On her birthday itself, we held a little dinner celebration with my family at The Famous Kitchen.
Since we did not do anything major, I thought that we should at least get a beautiful Pinterest-worthy 3D cake to commemorate Ash’s big one. I chose this cute chickadee cake from Corine and Cake because the chickadee’s mouth reminds me of her cute little bird mouth.
I tried to put chickadee and Ash side by side for comparison, ended up taking 1001 shots and made them into collage and anigif so that spamming comes in a more palatable form.
The resemblance to chickadee's mouth is a clearer in real life.
I love how Corine and Cake customized the overall colours to a more pastel theme upon request. I really love the cake so much!
When it comes to my eldest sis being behind the camera (or the phone), I always wind up with a bursting photoroll full of similar photos whereby the adults all look somewhat the same and the difference lies in the baby. I can't bear to delete them because there would always be the few good captures of Ash.
Let's play Spot the Difference!
Easier to spot the difference as anigif.
I had been waiting for this day to dress Ash up in such a girly frock.
Beautiful frou-frou dresses during my time made me itch so much that I hated wearing them even if I looked pretty in them. I remember constantly scratching and lifting my skirt up which would warrant chiding from my mum for not being a girl.
Fortunately in this day and age, dressmakers figured out that they should use smoother materials for such dresses so that little girls don’t scratch and lift their skirts up while looking pretty.
I had thought that the active little Ash would hate to be dressed in such garish garb and was amazed that she conducted herself like a little lady most of the evening and only lifted her skirt up once… exactly during photo taking with the cake. Lol
Ash is deeply doted upon by her Gong Gong and Po Po as well as her Yi Yi-s.
Didn't want her ang pow. Just wanted her utensils.
Eating plain white rice from chopsticks like a baby bird.
Her favourite gong gong. I believe my dad is her 3rd favourite person or sometimes even triumphs over my hubz.
Now I know why going trigger happy is so important. I love the many expressions of Ash that my sis captured.
Ash sure looked like she knew how to pose (holding her skirt like a lady, saluting etc). In actual fact, she was lifting her skirt up high and she also wanted to pull off her headband... all these all when we were about to take picture. You could watch the behind-the-scenes video of this on her IG page here (swipe to Post 5).
Once again, Ash looked like she knew how to pose and was blowing kisses or doing an "Oops I did it again" look. In actual fact, she was doing the action we always do when we sing Ten Little Indian Boys/Girls to her. Behind-the-scenes video of this is also available on the same link here (swipe to Post 6).
Her first birthday cake which she didn't get to eat. We only gave her some crumbs to taste. It's chocolate and berries flavour so it's not suitable for babies. Corine and Cake has baby friendly flavour too but that one is used mainly for cake smash.
Ash Ash and her maternal family who love her to bits!
First cake cutting ever.
Ash:
"Nobody lets me hold the props and yet kept putting them near me. This is madness. I JUST WANNA HOLD THE DAMN PROPS!"
"Why are you all doing this to me?"
Chickadee sucking on a pacifier. Hehehe. The hubz bit off chickadee’s mouth for fun and my mum replaced it with the candle holder.
We ended the night by visiting my in laws. My MIL was not in town and so my FIL had Ash all to himself.
I’ve been blogging inconsistently the past 2 years. My 6-year-old laptop is lagging like crazy that I am constantly rejecting blog collaboration partly because of this.
I’m focusing on Instagram as everything could be done on my mobile phone during pockets of free time.
Even if Baby Ash is sticking to me like a baby Koala hugging her mum or the persistent lizard that refuses to budge from the wall or that annoying mollycoddled Robin Arryn who was still sucking from his mama’s boobs at 10 years old, I would still update my Instagram more consistently so catch me there too @iamjolene.
A few days back, I dropped my laptop onto the hard marble floor. It's still working fine; just a dent at the corner. I guess it is time for a new laptop.
And then I hope we would see more activity here too!
