Leah's 1st Birthday Party!

I had been planning Leah's birthday party for 10 months now and did everything DIY. Even the decorations and cake! We were going to have it at Ben's mom's house, so I had planned out where everything was going to be. We were going to eat outside (since it was BBQ), a craft table on the kitchen dining table, the traditional Dol Jae Bi table inside in the family room(I even drew out a plan for how it was to be set up), the raffle game in the dining room and the candy buffet by the front door so that the kids could make up little candy bags to go. I even had planned out which decorations would go where.

Well like everything else in my life that I've planned, that got totally changed. A few days before Leah's party (4 days in fact) I got a phone call that there was a major family crisis and that the party could not be held at Ben's mom's home anymore. I was even thinking of cancelling the whole thing (because of the crisis) but Ben's mom insisted that the party still go on. So thankfully with just 3 days notice my Dad let me have the party at his house. Everything went well but 3/4 of the stuff I had planned and the decorations stayed in boxes. :( All was so discombobilated that I didn't even take pictures. Thank goodness for my sister in law and friends who had their cameras! All in all it went well and Leah had fun so that's really all that matters.

Okay, I just realized that I uploaded all these pictures backwards.

SO PLEASE, FROM THIS POINT ON, START FROM THE BOTTOM AND WORK YOUR WAY BACK TO THIS POINT OR THIS POST WILL BE VERY CONFUSING! sorry :)

We did a picnic at the park with Leah's friends from my sister's home daycare.

Leah's actual birthday. December 13th

My teenie tiny girl.

Happy Birthday Leah!

The after party! Bath time with cousins!

I wasn't surprised!

Leah's first time eating cake. She loved it!

Leah's cake topper. I tried to make this little figurine to look like Leah in her hanbok. I almost wasn't going to use it but my mom made me! The cow is there because that is her Asian zodiac symbol. I'm not into it but it's something Korean's do. I was just trying to be as traditional as I could.

Dol Towers- Traditional decoration for the 1st birthday

These ones are made out of oatmeal cans. Ben and I hot glued different beans and candies to cover them. The first one says "Leah" in Korean. The second one is a cow. The third says 1st Birthday.

I am very happy with her choices! I know it's just a game but if she is a smart mom in the future, I'll be very happy!

We didn't get a picture of her grabbing item #2 but she choose the pencil! Scholar!

My mom wasn't happy with her first choice so she insisted that Leah pick a 2nd item to see what else her future holds.

She didn't understand why everyone was cheering.

Leah choose the baby doll! Motherhood!

One of the traditional customs is to put the child in front of various items and to let the child choose 1 of the items. The item the child choose's is believed to predict the child's future. Each item represents something. (rice=an abundant life, scriptures=a Godly life, pencil=scholar, yarn=a long life, paint brush and pallet=artist, baby doll=motherhood, stethoscope =medical field, and money=wealth)

So Korean's make a huge deal of their child's 1st birthday because long ago it was a big deal if the child lived till their 1st birthday. The 1st birthday is called the "Chuk Dol". Chuk means 1st and Dol is birthday. This was the Dol Jae Bi table. Totally not how I had planned but it worked.

This is the traditional "hanbok" (Korean dress) that I choose for Leah.

Mommy's favorite gift!

My friend Jenolyn also makes these amazing petty skirts. To make them so fluffy she actually works with over 90 yards of fabric! Leah got one of her very own for her birthday! Black and red of course!

My friend Jenolyn is an amazing photographer. She did Leah's very 1st photo shoot and has actually started her own business shortly after. Here are my favorites!

Leah's Almost 1!

Okay so I know I haven't posted in a while. I've even been contemplating quiting my blog. It just seems that there is way too much going on lately...

But I just have to share this picture of Leah taken by my friend and professional photographer Jenolyn...

She did a few shots of Leah for her 1st birthday. I can't believe she's already going to be a year old! I just love this little face so much. I'm so excited to see more!

"Baby of the Month and 8 Month Photos"

Okay so ever since Leah was about 2 months old, I've been planning her 1st Birthday party. Yeah I know it's crazy but since we (like most Americans) are struggling financially, I have been picking up things here and there when they are on sale.

So I've always had this hope that I could do Leah's 1st Birthday Party the traditional Korean way. Koreans go all out and celebrate the first 100 days of a babies life and then the first year. The reason being is that they believe that the baby's life starts at conception so the 9 months in the womb + 100 days comes out to be about a year. So on the 100th day of the baby's life they have what's called a "Baek-il" or "100 Day Celebration". Then the next big celebration is the baby's 1st year out of the womb called the "Dol". Centuries ago many babies in Korea didn't make it to their 1st year so when they did they had these big celebrations with traditional foods, clothing, decorations and activities. Now a days they really go all out and have huge parties similar to weddings! They are usually at a prestigious venue, totally catered, with live entertainment and hired decorators. They usually run from $2000-$15000! Well I've been trying to look for websites for ideas and DIY help and I came across 2 websites called, "Korean 1st Birthday" & "Little Seouls". They're websites that sell Korean stuff and have lots of ideas!

Anyways....I have the tendency to make a short story long..."Little Seouls" has a "Baby of the Month" contest and Leah won!!! I'm so proud!

"Little Seouls, September Baby"

This was the photo I had entered. Not one of my favorites of her but somebody liked it!

So Leah is now almost 9 months old! I realized I didn't post any of her 8 month photos so her are a few of my favorites!

So some of Leah's milestones for her 8th month are: her 1st tooth and a week later, her 2nd tooth, her 2nd word "Dada", she got her 1st bruise, she can wave on cue, she can clap, she crawls like a champ and she can stand on her own for a few seconds!

I really can't believe how fast time has passed! We are having so much fun with her!

This Girl Loves to Eat

Leah's 1st Bite of Solid Foods

She kept lunging towards the spoon...I had to hold her back!

1st Taste of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes are by far her favorite! She also loves watermelon, oranges and blueberries.

Oh and smoothies...oopps!

So far Leah has eaten: Rice and Oatmeal Cereal, Acorn and Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Apples, Blueberries, Apricots, Nectarines, Peaches, Watermelon, Oranges, Smoothies. She loves everything! Whenever she sees someone eating anything she's always waiting with her mouth open. It's so funny. The only thing she didn't like was peas but it was because of the texture. It made her gag....so funny... but now she loves them! We even gave her chicken bone to suck on and she loved, loved, LOVED it! She cried when we had to take it away.