HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!

Hello to all my family and friends,

Guess what? Today I am 1! Can you believe it? The big O-N-E!

Mama and Dada say I am doing a lot of silly things now. I am walking now; not walking 100%, but I am walking and when I walk I have the cutest little waddle. Sometimes I like to not use my arms at all when I walk and pull them in tight infront of my tummy. And if I want to really scare Mama and Dada, I walk with my head in the air and my eyes closed!

Mama and Dada both say I am really busy and that I like to get into everything. I especially love to help Dada with the dishwasher and Mama with the laundry. And I try to be helpful by taking out all of the containers from my tupperware drawer in the kitchen.

My favorite toys right now are the new Winnie the Pooh car that Mama and Dada got me for my birthday and I also love the stacking cups that Nana and Gramps got me. I have become a lot more cuddly than I was a couple of months ago and I also love to give kisses. But I don't like it when anyone leaves my house. I love company and do silly things to make everyone laugh.

I'm still not a big eater though and no one understands that it's because I am just a small girl with a tiny stomach; plus I love my milk too much! But I do love potatoes, nectarines, corn flakes and popcorn twists!

Everyone is always saying I am such a smart little girl. I don't understand what the big deal is really because if you show me how to do something once, how hard is it for me to copy you? Mama taught me this week how to turn in a circle and everytime she says, "Turn Asha", I turn and I don't stop until I am so dizzy that I fall over.

I absolutely love bath time and would stay in the water all day if I could. For my birthday Mama and Dada took me swimming with Nana, Gramps, Grandma, Uncle Josh and Auntie Mel. I had lots of fun but wanted to stay by Mom the whole time. I have really become quite the Mama's girl.

And I am a good baby everyone keeps telling me. I don't like sleep but that's because I don't want to miss anything; but I am happy most of the time and love to laugh. My hair is finally starting to grow a little more and I still only have four teeth - two on the top and two on the bottom. Mama gets mad at me sometimes because I have started to bite things. She said that she used to bite babies when she was little and doesn't want me to do the same. But I will learn to change that behaviour in time.

Well that is what is new with me now. I am just so glad that I could celebrate my very 1st birthday at home in Canada with my family and friends.

Love, Asha Mikaela Nyah Parisien

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Asha, you are such a very special little girl and you have brought so much love and joy to our lives. We love you so much and are so happy to be your parents. Happy Birthday peanut!

MY NEW BATHING SUIT FROM UNCLE SHAWN, AUNTIE KAREN & EVAN...

ASHA'S BIRTHDAY/WELCOME HOME PARTY...

My Mom and Dad hosted a party for Asha and us to celebrate not only her 1st birthday which is Sunday, August 2nd, but to also celebrate us being home finally as a family. The party was on July 26th and although it was raining in the morning, it ended up being a beautiful sunny day in the afternoon. And Asha was such a good little girl who charmed the pants off of many people who had not seen her before.

It was a perfect day and wonderful to see many of our family and close friends who we had missed while being away. Thank you to everyone who came and made that day even more special and for blessing us and Asha with your love and support throughout this journey to creating our forever family.

WENT TO NANA'S AND AUNTIE MEL'S WORK...

This week has been really busy and let me tell you that I have been ooohhhed and ahhhhhed at all week long - well I'm not complaining because I love the attention. There were lots and lots of people waiting to meet me at Nana's and Auntie Mel's work and then after our visit, me and Nana went to play at the park for a while.

Here are some pictures that Mama took on that day:

NO FRIENDS...

So yesterday we decided to venture out a little and went to Once Upon a Child - a gently used clothing store for children. Being that Asha doesn't have a lot of hair (poor girl), we wanted to go and buy some hair clips that would work well in the little bit of hair that she does have.

Asha had been taking a few steps here and there but we were completely amazed in the store. It was like she all of a sudden figured out how to walk and to walk strong. And once she mastered the whole walking thing she was everywhere...in the books, playing with the toys, grabbing out shoes. So many people asked us how old she was because their children were 16 to 20 months and were just walking now - it made us feel so proud.

But the saddest thing of all, or I guess you could say funny thing, was that she went up to one little baby who was sitting in her stroller and she pulled out her soother. The little girl looked bothered and I put it back in her mouth for her but Asha then quickly snatched it out again and she started to bawl. After that baby left, Asha saw another little girl sitting in another stroller and she went up to see her but instead of waving or touching her, she poked her dead centre in the eye ball. And what happened? The little girl started screaming! That was two injuries in a span of three minutes and we left the store with Asha having absolutely NO FRIENDS!

I guess you could say I'm feeling a little sleepy because making enemies really tires ya out!

I LOVE MY GRANDMA PARISIEN...

Today we spent the afternoon over at Grandma's house. Asha and Grandma had lots of fun together. They shared an egg salad sandwich and then later a fudgesicle. Grandma said that Asha's skin color looks EXACTLY like the color of a licked fudgesicle. So cute!

We sat in the shade in the backyard and Asha played in the swimming pool that Grandma had bought for her. Later they went for a walk and Grandma put Asha to sleep. Out of the entire family Grandma is the first one so far who has been able to put our little bumble to sleep. Good job Grandma! After her snooze, Grandma set up an old sleeping bag on the back deck and put out all of the toys that she had purchased just for Asha. Grandma made us all dinner and then gave Asha a bath before we left for home. And falling to sleep was so easy...two minutes in the van and she was a goner.

HER FIRST HAIRCUT...

Guess who had her first haircut today? Miss Asha!!! And she was so good. The hair dresser said she was the best baby she has ever had to cut hair for. She just sat still in her booster seat like a little lady. Dada had to give her some popcorn twists to keep her occupied a little but other than that she was a perfect little girl.

AT NANA AND GRAMPS PLACE...

Today we took a drive out to my parents place in Martensville. It was technically the longest time that Asha has ever had to sit in a car seat because in St. Vincent there is no such thing as a car seat. You simply hold your baby in your arms and hope that you don't get into an accident - kinda scary but that's the way they do things.

Asha does not like to be told what to do and does not like to stay in one place for too long so the drive was difficult and she ended up crying most of the way there. But when we did get there, she was so happy to be outside and to see so many new things. Plus, she got more time with Nana, Gramps, Auntie Mel and Uncle Josh.

In the afternoon she took a soak in her new swimming pool and Nana even got in her bathing suit to join in on the fun. Their dog Chase was a little unsure of her but soon they were good friends and Chase was cleaning her face while Asha was sharing rocks off of the ground with him. It was sweet. Later we had a fire outside and friends of ours, Shawn, Karen and Evan, stopped by to meet Miss Asha. It was a great day!

FINALLY HOME...

Well it has certainly been a long journey. What we thought was going to be a month and half away in the Caribbean, turned into almost three! But thank God that we are finally back and that we can officially begin our lives together as a family of three.

We had our friends Dennis and Danita meet us at the airport, our good friend and Pastor Brendon, Uncle Darren, Auntie Kyla, cousins Erikk, Kassidy and Sydney, Grandpa Chico, Nana, Grandma, Uncle Josh and Auntie Mel. I couldn't help but cry when we came through the gates and saw all of those who are close to us, standing and awaiting our arrival. Asha was a little unsure - I think having so many people staring at her and ooing and aweing made her a little shy.

Here are some pictures from that first introduction to the family.