Halia did something amazing last night.
Our lovely friend Linda came over to babysit so that Michael and I could have a night out and I don’t know what kind of magic she worked, but Halia slept from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m.. That is eight solid hours, which she has never done in her entire life.
I, of course, woke up every couple of hours anyway. But maybe, just maybe, this is a faint light at the end of that tunnel. (She writes, just as she is interrupted by the cries of a waking baby.)
Interrupted nights (and blog posts) notwithstanding, Halia continually amazes me. It is so fun to watch her personality develop.
She is so physical and so curious. She gets into everything. She is a climber and she is fearless. It was frightening but not surprising to find her one day, perched atop the child-sized chair in front of the baby gate and shaking the top of it delightedly.
This week she got her mouth full of Orange Pekoe tea. Tea leaves, that is. Apparently, having all the boxes of tea at baby-reachable height is a bad idea.
We can never keep socks on her feet. I don’t know if the socks offend her or if she just enjoys the independence of pulling them off.
She can practically run now, never mind the walking.
She grew three teeth in the last month.
I have to decide whether to keep putting her hair up (which she always pulls out and which Michael thinks looks ridiculous) or give her her first haircut.
Mid-October, before the other three teeth came in. Can you tell she's going to make trouble?
The troublemaker in the toy bin
On the piano. She climbed up from my lap, grinned at me, then tried to climb even higher.
Rearranging the teas
Helping us prepare one of Jade's meals
In less than a week, she’ll be turning one. One! How can that be?! Someone pinch me. (On second thought, don’t. My arms are sore from getting flu shots. Also from constantly being scratched, poked, and gouged by Halia.)
Sharing a plastic picnic. The best part about having two kids is watching their relationship bloom.
She may not exactly be gentle. But when she runs over to me and buries her head into the crook of my neck for a cuddle… she sure is irresistable!
As mother as daughter, never see you crawl when you were baby. Fearless as well. Your one year old birthday was in Aunti Ming’s place. You were chasing Andy around and around the tree and Wendy the doll from Ming was taller than you. Time goes so fast.
Oh wow. Suddenly she almost looks like…a KID.
That year flew by! Love her slow desent to the floor
Does she keep a rash on her cheeks? I think you mentioned that once
Halia is too precious! That grin has so much fun and mischievousness packed into it! A heartbreaker in the making.
She’s going to keep you on your toes long past age one–which is a good thing as long as the 8+ hours of sleep keep coming at night. And it will. Eventually. 
What?! She’s ONE?! Are you sure? But she’s just a little baby girl!!!