Chloe's First Year

Chloe just turned 1 on 26 Oct 2007. Looking through all the photos I took of her for the past one year, I realized how much she has grown and how much she has changed. From the little baby who was swaddled up in a bundle when we brought her back, she is now capable of voicing her wants (yes, in her baby babbles) and is learning how to walk.

I tried to write her birth story wanting to remember every single detail but never got past the second paragraph. It seems you will never forget that day, how it seems like yesterday, I can still remember what I ate the whole day before I feel the first contraction around mid-night. On the way to the hospital, I tried to stay calm by focusing on the traffic, yelling at Simon every time the car goes over a bump or when he hits the brakes. When we got to the birthing suite, I think I'm ready to murder anyone on site.

When it really started to hurt like crazy, I imagined I'm walking along the trails in Nepal, driving up the icy roads in Tibet, running the marathon, telling myself the finishing line is just ahead. And of course, I have to walk, wobble and dragged myself around the room then turned and tossed on the bed, irritating the s*** out of the nurses.

After 6 hours, we did finished the 'marathon' and got our finisher medal, in the form of a wailing baby.

Chloe Grace Soh, half a day old. I was so reluctant to let the nurse take her away from my bedside, she was wrapped in a green towel with just her diaper on and slept with me still sticky with all the gooey stuff, though they did cleaned her up in the birthing suite. The over-whelming feeling of 'Wow! I'm a mum. I have a baby!' It just felt so different when she is inside my tummy and the moment she is out. Even though I'm really tired, I just could not take my eyes off her. I just want to lay there and hear her breathing, watch her sleeping. I don't want to miss a thing, right from the start.

Breast feeding was not a breeze for me, wrong latch, sore nipples, engorged breasts, plugged ducts. I had it all but we did not give up despite what everyone says. We did it!

A month old. Amazing, see how much she has changed. The first few months was really crazy, I wonder how I survived those days. The night feeds, lack of sleep, Chloe's crying and not knowing what is wrong. Well, first time mom, you just got to do the trial and error thing. Diaper, checked. Milk, check. What could be wrong? What is she trying to tell us. In the end, we just snuggled and slept together. She is also adapting to her new environment just like us.

Chloe at 4 months old. She did not know how to sit upright yet, we just propped her up against the cushion. This was taken on eve of Chinese New Year. I think it is around this time she started taking a liking to the mirror and the camera. Each time we held her up to the mirror, she would smile. And when you point the camera at the, she will flash you her sweetest smile.

51/2 to 6 months old, so many things started happening. Chloe started rolling, teething, discovering her baby babbles and started on her semi-solids.

It is always said that parents are responsible for teaching their children about life, the rights and wrongs. In my experience, I think it is the other way round at times. Chloe has made me more patient and to appreciate the simple things in life. Watching her splat cereal on her face and then reaching out to rub some on my face, dropping her biscuit for Sunny. These are the little things that brings joy and smiles.

7-8 months old. Learning to sit upright.

Begin pregnant - 10 months. Raising a child - lifetime. I think my approach to parenting is probably by instinct, baby first. We learn to read her body language and her cries and let develop her own routine though we do take over a little at times.

Chloe at 10 months old enjoying her ride at the playground. She loves giving food to Sunny, gets very excited when she sees cats and birds, loves reading, advertisements breaks, likes to eat fish, vegetable, enjoys her the bath, her rubber ducky, toying with my camera, my mobile phone, pulling wet wipes out, being difficult when I tried putting on her diaper and the playground.

11 months old.

Learning how to stand and taking steps with the help of whatever she can grab. This is her favorite part of her room - the balcony. She will stand there and wave at our neighbors' cars whenever they are back, the stray cats and the dogs going for walks.

Chloe, taken couple of days before she turns 1 year old.