The Big One

Brennan's official birthday party was a categorical, rip-roaring success. The food was delicious, the cake was amazing, and the guests were very many (about 30)! The guests included many of James's co-workers from SLP, both Korean and foreign teachers, our doula, Annette, and her children, Brennan's friends, Alex, Ezra, and Piper, and their parents... Brennan had a fantastic time enjoying new food (black beans, Mexican rice, and birthday cake and icing) and chasing around after Alex and Ezra (James was totally worn out after all that)!

Here are some of the highlights:

The masterpiece made by Suga B's at Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek.

The birthday girl and cake.

Partygoers.

More partygoers.

Brennan and Alex having a catchup.

Hey, y'all!

Daddy, are you looking?

Silly, silly girl.

Styling in a new hat on the way home.

What A Difference A Year Makes

Today is November 25, 2011. To most people, it is known as Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. To us, it is the first anniversary of the birth of Brennan Clarke Hudson. That's right. It's Brennan's first birthday. I have had such mixed emotions today - so sad that Brennan is growing up so quickly and so happy that she has turned out so well (despite the innumerable mistakes we have undoubtedly made over the past year!). Although the past year has provided us with some of the highest highs and lowest lows, I don't think we would have traded it for anything (except maybe a few days of uninterrupted sleep!). I am thrilled to say that we survived and she thrived! 


From her discovery of balloons to her hesitancy in smashing her cake to her buzzing around the kids cafe like a bumble bee on caffeine, the whole day was a trip! It was so cool that my mom was even able to join us via Skype to watch Brennan blow out her candle and smash her cake.

Discovering balloons.

The cake.

Brennan is not a huge fan of overly sweet things (must be all the veggies she eats daily!), so I decided to make her a cake with very little sugar added. Actually, the cake had no added sugar. The glaze I made only had powdered sugar in it. Here are the recipes:

Banana Cake

2/3 c. banana, mashed
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 lg. eggs
3/4 c. water
2 c. unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
Optional: 1 c. chopped walnuts OR 1/2 c. chopped walnuts & 1/2 c. raisinsGrease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan. Beat together mashed banana and soft butter until creamy. Beat in water. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until very foamy. Beat into mixture. Blend in flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Beat until smooth. Stir in walnuts or walnuts and raisins, if desired. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool. Serves 8-10.

Banana Glaze

1/2 med. banana
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. chopped nuts optional 
2 or more c. powdered sugar

Mash banana well add lemon juice and nuts. Gradually add powdered sugar until you obtain right spreading consistency. Ice cake after it is completely cool.

The decorations which kept falling down!

Blowing out her candle with help from Daddy.
It was very funny because Brennan would 'blow'' - just not at the candle!

Let the 'smashdown' commence!
Actually, Brennan was very hesitant about 'smashing' until Daddy tore off some and gave it to her!

The 'smash' cake face.

The 'smashed' leftovers.

Brennan and her stackload of love!

At the kids cafe in a new outfit from Tia Elly.

Brennan and Daddy at the kids cafe.

Waiting for traffic to ease up at the kids cafe.

In the building block room at the kids cafe.

Baby Knieval thought she was way too cool to hold on!

So engrossed in the other kids that she she stood like this for quite a while!

Brennan and Mommy.

The Last Days of Babyhood

Wow, that sounds so final. Most people think that by the time a child turns 1, that he or she is no longer a baby. Well, developmentally that may be true, but Brennan will always be my baby. Sometimes, it seems like she is getting so big, while other times it hits me how small she still is. I don't know how accurate that last statement is when she is well over 20 pounds these days and about 29 inches tall! I have mixed feeling regarding Brennan's birthday. I have been experiencing a lot of  "remember when" moments. Some make me laugh and others bring out the tears in a big way. I never want to forget how far Brennan has come in the short time she has been with us, so I decided to take a lot of photos over the last 10 days or so just to capture these last moments of her babyhood.

Figuring out her sippy cup. November 16, 2011.

Working on her story to explain the car accident (background).  November 21, 2011.

November 22, 2011.

Looking for a means to escape the new play yard. November 24, 2011.  

Just Being Cute (AKA A Day In the Life of Brennan)

Brennan is such a ham. She loves to 'help' me with me with household chores. Her main way of providing me with assistance is just being an adorable distraction that always makes me smile and laugh.

Here's the proof:

Giving Thanks

I don't usually write two posts in one day, but this one is special.

One of the main reasons that I love (and have loved) living abroad is the fact that I have met many people from all different parts of the world. Every person that I have ever met - no matter the length of time - has enriched my life and for that I will be forever thankful. 

There haven't been many moments in my life that have taken my breath away and brought me to tears at the same time. However, out of the blue, one of those moments occurred today. I had been getting phone calls off and on all day regarding a home delivery for 'James, Amy, and Brennan Hudson'. Honestly, I had no clue what it could be as I hadn't ordered anything and we had already received the birthday packages for Brennan we were expecting. So, when a flower delivery person showed up at the door, my curiosity was piqued to no end. I figured the flowers and teddy bear must be for Brennan since it is her birthday next week. But, I thought to myself, "Who in the world could these be from????"

Here's what the card read:

'Dear James, Amy & Brennan, 

Happy Birthday to our little Bea's very first friend! Your little B is such a special person and we wish her a happy, healthy and prosperous life.

With love from Ross, Rowena & Beatrice xxx'

A little back story here: I met Rowena just a few weeks before we were both due to give birth last year. We were both having acupuncture and moxibustion done (in adjacent cubicles) to help the labor process to commence. The nurse was talking to Rowena in the next cubicle about the moxibustion and how much it is supposed to smell like marijuana. I couldn't help myself from joining in by saying, "Does it really smell like marijuana?" Rowena and I had a coffee and a waffle after that and became fast friends. After the birth of our daughters, Brennan and Beatrice, we scheduled a 'playdate' when Brennan was two months old. Thus, the girls became each other's very first friends. 

Beatrice and Brennan. May 2011.

Later, Rowena and Beatrice joined our playgroup with the boys, Alex and Ezra. We had lots of fun times together - moms and babies. Unfortunately for us, Beatrice and her parents moved to Hong Kong in June of this year. We have never forgotten them and still keep in touch with the hopes that we will meet up again someday soon. We love you, Rowena and Bea!!!

Little Miss I Have To Touch Everything.

"Now, this is new. What IS it?"

Reading the card. November 18, 2011.

With Brennan's first birthday looming, I am touched beyond words at how much she is loved by people all over the world. After receiving the lovely flowers today, Brennan has received gifts from people living in three different countries (Hong Kong, USA, and New Zealand) other than the one of our current residence. I am speechless and my heart is bursting with joy. My cup definitely runneth over.

Playdate with Piper

Well, today (11/18) was Brennan's first at home play date. My friend, Amy, brought her baby girl, Piper, for a visit. What a lovely way to pass an otherwise blah day due to yucky, rainy, and generally overcast weather. 

Brennan took it upon herself to entertain little Piper who is only 3 months old. After a little reminder for her to be gentle with Piper, Brennan had a really great time giving her the lay of the land. I could just imagine what the translation of the baby talk would have been...

Here are some photos from the afternoon:

"Oh, this breadstick is so yummy!"

"Hey, Piper! You want some?"

"Thanks, Brennan, but I will stick with my delicious tasting hands!"

"Now, there's an idea. Maybe I will try mine, too!"

"And when you get older, you can take this and smack Daddy with it!"

"Step by Step, Ooh Baby..."

I realized that I haven't been as diligent with the photo taking of Brennan this month. I don't know why other than she keeps me so busy that I just don't have much time to say, "Stop. Wait. Stay here." Right. Brennan is on the move all of the time these days and, let's just say, she doesn't always listen to commands. After all, she isn't a trained puppy! LOL


Anyway, on one of Brennan's most recent relaxed (i.e. not tearing up the house TOO much) days, I grabbed the camera. Here's what I caught:

Step 1: "Mom, I am going to do this, OK?"

Step 2: "OK, PULL!"

Step 3: On the knees, getting ready for the final step.

Step 4: "TA DA!!! Look what I did all by myself!" November 14, 2011. 

A Little Catch Up...

I just realized that I got really behind in posting this week. It's been a crazy week with things to do, Brennan's activities, James's busy-ness (which thankfully is now lessened for the time being), birthday planning and shopping, clothing swaps/play dates, you name it. Even as a SAHM (stay at home mom), I am more incredibly busy than I ever thought I would be. I mean, there is always something that needs to be done. A good example are the dishes waiting for me in the sink. James has been so great today with cooking both lunch and dinner that doing the dishes is the least I could do to contribute to a peaceful domestic life. :-)

Let's see if I can do a quick catch up for the past week (off to find the calendar...).

This week has been yet another super active one for Little Miss Brennan. I tend to drag her all over creation during the week as it is mostly just us. We went to a great playdate/clothing swap in Seoul last Wednesday. Brennan had a great time socializing with other babies (some of the socializing included stealing plates from babies who were using them as toys...) and just being absolutely adorable. It was nice to meet up with my friend, Amy, and her daughter, Piper. Piper was super cute and even rolled over for the first time while we were there! Awwww..... Wasn't so long ago that was Brennan!

Anyway, Brennan ate some new foods this week too: crunchy rice cakes and Cheerios. We gave her Cheerios several months ago, but she wanted nothing to do with them. Now, they are like the nectar of the gods to her! LOL

Big physical developments this week: After all of the walking practice this week, Brennan went a little backwards (of course, I don't think development is strictly a linear process...). She began crawling in the traditional style on Friday. Surprised me to no end as I thought we were ending the crawling phase. Guess not. It has now just morphed. Brennan can also hold up her fingers for the number 'four'. We spent a lot of the weekend preparing for Brennan's upcoming birthday celebration which involved a lot of toy shopping. The family and I hit Toys R Us last night (Saturday) where the wee one decided she must try/touch as many toys as possible. It was quite overwhelming with all the choices, but I think we came up with some good ones. Then, I went to Costco solo today while James and Brennan had a morning nap. I came back with two huge bags full of mostly toys (and a pumpkin pie, yum!). James just shook his head every time I took something new out of a bag. I heard, "You are going to spoil her" a lot today! Well, my justification was that last year we didn't do the toy shopping because Bren was only a month old on Christmas, so there really was no point (and I was totally exhausted from having a newborn!). This year, Brennan will be one year old in less than two weeks with Christmas hot on the heels. To me, that says toy shopping extravaganza. :-) I think we are done (for the time being). I would just like to see what she gets at her birthday party. That was my "big" project for the week - getting the invitations sorted and sent out. I am really pleased with the way they look, too.

Just realized how much I digressed... Anyway, one of the 'gifts' James and I got Brennan was a new potty chair. It is one that has handles for her to hold on to so that she feels more secure. We gave her the opportunity to use it last night after her bath and she did! Yay, B! Also, she was showing a bit of interest in it today, so I thought, 'What the heck!' and put her on it again. Once again, she used it. What a trooper. James and I experimented a bit with elimination communication a while back with mild success. However, we got frustrated for a while when Brennan would just cry/scream when we would put her on the toilet. So, since we didn't want to give her adverse/negative feelings regarding toileting, we decided to back off. Recently, I noticed that Brennan was becoming more and more aware of her 'needs', so we decided to give ECing a shot again. So pleased so far!

She's Walkin', Yes Indeed

After a lovely day of sun, blue skies, and very mild weather for the first week of November yesterday, the Hudsons (us!) pretty much stuck very close to home today. With the exception of a very quick trip to Costco, James and I spent the day with Brennan. It was lots of fun being able to spend the whole day as a family. It was something that, I think, all of us needed. 

Brennan was full of energy and proceeded to keep us on our toes all day long. She was awake at just after 7am and didn't go down for any kind of nap until 2:30pm! Apparently, she had been planning her next big "thing". First off, Brennan stood up all by herself in her crib. It was the first time that she figured out how to get up on her own. What a surprise! Next up on Little B's agenda was a doozie! Brennan has a cute little car that she can either ride or push. Today, she put both hands on the push bar and walked across the room on her own. She walked back and forth between James and I several times without assistance. Amazing! I have to admit when she first did it that I cried. My little girl who has needed me so much is becoming more and  more independent every single day. 

Just in the past two weeks alone, the number of Brennan's developmental accomplishments has gone off the charts in every area: language, communication, cognitive, and motor skills. It has been nearly overwhelming for me to keep up with! However, I have begun writing her "new" things on the calendar just to have a better handle on what she did when!

I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

I totally love it when Brennan does something completely new in front of an audience of more than just me. I guess that's because sometimes I need to make sure I am not having auditory hallucinations. ;-) Anyway, Brennan and I were doing one of our regular chats with my mom on Skype this morning.  Brennan has gotten very vocal over the past month and quite enjoys putting her two cents in and being heard. Mom and I were just chatting away about nothing in particular when Little B pipes in by saying, 'Giggie'! My mom was dubbed 'Giggie' by my older niece, Erin, when she was little. I had to ask my mom if she heard it, too. My mom said, 'That really sounded like she said 'Giggie'!" I said, "That WAS what she said!". It was so great that Brennan decided to say the name of another family member other than 'Mom' or 'Dad'. It only makes sense that it was my mom as she is the person she sees and 'talks' to the most (other than James and I). Brennan's vocabulary is really starting to grow quickly - 'up', 'mom', 'mama', 'dad', 'dada', 'yes', 'hi', 'hey', and sometimes 'bah bah' for goodbye. I am suddenly picturing the time when I will wish she was quiet....

Encore

Well, the amazing one has done it again! Completely stunned me this morning as I was trying to eat my Special K. James was playing with her on her playmat. He was holding Brennan in a standing position by her hands. He thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if he could get her to let go. Instead of going ker-plop! on her rear, she stood there and balanced herself for about 10 seconds! Brennan did it a couple more times just to really underscore how awesome she is! 

Here's a photo:

Standing on her own. November 2, 2011.

Afterwards, she decided to relax with James and watch some TV. Of course, Brennan was in charge of the remote.

Relaxing with Daddy. November 2, 2011.