A Portrait a Week: 46/52 - Ballerina

I already posted quite a few of these photos I took this week on facebook, but it was definitely my favourites of the week. Isabella loves her tutu and already knows where to find the mirror when I tell her to go look in the mirror. She hardly ever keeps any hair accessories in her hair for longer than two seconds, but this headband won her over after I pointed out the flower it has. She's loved flowers since spring when she watched Andre plant flowers in our garden and I showed her the sign for flower. It was probably one of her first signs she learnt. 'Tutu' is also one of the few words she actually uses.

Last week's portrait: 45/52 - Windsor

We had a lovely day out in Windsor last Sunday. We got there fairly early in the morning and it was quite cold. Isabella was so bundled up against the cold she didn't move. But it was a lovely sunny day which defrosted us all and Isabella was her busy self again soon.

We had lunch at an Asian restaurant and Isabella got her first meal ordered from the kiddies menu. I knew there wouldn't be much on our plates for her to eat with it being noodles or rice with often spicy sauces. And I didn't pack her a lunch. So we ordered her a lovely grilled chicken breast which was even cut up in perfect strips for her to hold and was so soft. It came with corn and shredded cucumber with a sauce on the side. Isabella ate the corn. Only the corn. It is still quite a struggle to get her to eat meat.

"Yes it looks lovely, but I'm telling you now I'm only eating the corn, daddy."

A Portrait a Week: 44/52 -Enjoying Autumn

It always takes me about a week to settle back into life at home after any family visit. Isabella and I tried to keep busy, but it often happens that our friends are busy or ill and can't visit when we return from a holiday. Even our Baby Sensory class had the week off due to half term. Luckily we had some lovely Autumn days, cool but sunny. This photo was taken on our way back from a visit to the Children's Centre. We stopped to look at different autumn leaves.

We do have a busy week planned this week. I have started work which I'm very excited about and Isabella had a great time with her new nanny and her little boy today. I'm so proud of her for being such a good girl without me. We made up with friends' visits today having three friends over for tea and a play with all the little ones. Baby Sensory is back on again this week -yay! We also have a play date with another little friend we haven't seen in a while. And we might go for another play at the Children's Centre again too. Isabella always enjoys playing there. So lots of exciting things happening this week.

A Portrait a Week: 43/52 -First Birthday!

Isabella celebrated her first birthday in Germany with one of her Ouma's and Opa. She had a lovely time,  got spoilt with lots of presents* and was treated with a visit to the zoo which she still 'talks' about! We have to look at the zoo pictures every day with her favourite being the lion. She also discovered she really likes cake (she had a few small tastes) and that she would like to either become a ballerina or a princess so she can prance around in a pink tutu every day.

*Isabella enjoyed birthday presents nearly every day for more than a week! Parcels arrived for her in the post from before her birthday until just after with more on her actual birthday too. She quickly got the hang of opening presents and learnt she needs to bring it to us to help her get started on opening it to see what's inside. This weekend we ordered a few bits off amazon which arrived today, nothing exciting for her, but she now gets very very excited each time a box arrives and will bring it to me to help her open it. 

A bonus portrait this week: Milk Moustache

After already posting this week's portrait, Andre took this cute photo of Isabella this afternoon. She didn't have a lunch time milk bottle so I just gave her a little sip of milk in a cup. It was also to see what she thinks about drinking cow's milk. She's still on formula but will be switching soon. She pulled a face at first, probably because she was expecting water as that's all she ever gets in her open cup. But then she smiled and had quite a few more sips. She is used to either cow's milk or soy with her cereal, and now recognises and signs for milk in any form -her bottle, the milk jug or sometimes we have it in a carton and will 'mmm' (moo) as there is a cow on the container. Disappointingly there is no cow on the soy milk carton... she checked.

She wasn't bothered to finish it though and toddled off to go and explore something. Probably to have another go at opening the kitchen bin before we tell her off again...

A Portrait a Week: 42/52

A windy Autumn day at the park yesterday. Look at all that hair!

Last week's portrait: 41/52 -first ponytail

For a while now Isabella would remove my headband from my head when I'm wearing one and wear it around her neck. Last week that wasn't enough and she asked to have my hair tie too. I gave it to her and she kept putting it on her head. She allowed me to put it in her hair and I only just managed to snap this quick picture before she pulled it out again.

A Portrait a Week: 40/52 -Autumn

I love Autumn over here, it's as though the Autumn colours are so much more noticeable. I've been showing Isabella the different coloured leaves when we're outside. This week she's also discovered that she can pull them apart. The weather has still been really nice, warm and sunny t-shirt weather just about every day. We had rain today for the first time in quite a while and it seems as though tonight will be getting a bit colder as it's already only 7C outside now at 9pm. I plan to fill a big tub with leaves for Isabella to play in soon.

Last week's portrait of the week: 39/52 -Bubba and her hats

I struggled to decide on a photo for last week which is part of the reason I never got around to posting it sooner. The other reason is that Isabella absolutely won't sleep in her cot in the daytime anymore. She also won't sleep anywhere else in the house so it means I've been out driving or walking her to sleep. Which means no me-time during the day.

So here she is last week, 11 months and 3 days old. It's now the countdown to her first birthday and our first full year as parents! I think we've done a pretty good job so far, besides not getting her to sleep during the day.

She's had a thing about hats for a while now. Until now it's just been her two sun hats which are always lying around the house ready to grab whenever we go outside. Recently she's started wearing Andre's hats too. She now knows where he keeps them hanging on a hook by the garage door and she will ask for them pointing to the hats and then touching her head. Also don't come near her wearing a hat if you're not going to let her try it on! There was a boy at the children's centre this week wearing a cap and she desperately wanted to get a hold of it. She gave up and instead took another baby's muslin cloth, another one of her favourites. She believes every single muslin in sight belongs to her and there's no convincing her to give it back. Twice this week I've had to ask the mummy of the muslin cloth if they minded that Isabella held onto their muslin for a while. Once she lets go I give it back and they hide it. At least we don't run the risk of loosing a favourite comforter! And if a musy isn't available as a comforter a hat will do as well.

A Portrait a Week: 38/52 -Sunday walk at Dinton Pastures

This past weeks' portrait: Loving life!

We went for a walk on Sunday. Andre wanted to go check out some bird hides for a possible photography morning. Isabella hadn't been in the back carrier for quite a while and she was very very excited to be so high on her daddy's back for a walk outside. She was laughing and shrieking at everyone and everything we passed! She excitedly pointed out dogs and observed the ducks, geese and swans seriously with a "quack quack" to also let us know what they are.

We stopped  at this jetty for some photos and Isabella headed straight to the water. She would have waded in knee deep if we let her!

A lovely afternoon out in the fresh air.

Inside the bird hide.

Enjoying the ride.

The photo right at the top reminds me - I keep forgetting to tell the grandparents - Isabella has another two teeth! Her top right is quite a clear little white bit of tooth and if you look carefully the top left is also on its way out. Probably neither of them visible on the photo though.

Portrait of the week: 37/52 - A Poorly Baby

This picture sums up our week.

Isabella had a high fever all day Tuesday and ended up with tonsillitis. It seems the high temperature led to her eczema getting much much worse than it's ever been and even worse than I ever thought eczema could get. Her arms and legs got covered in blisters which are now peeling leaving her with new red/pink skin underneath so doesn't look too good.  But at least it doesn't seem to bother her. She's on two antibiotics and a cream for her skin and is back to her usual happy self now with a few whinges when I'm not giving her all my attention of course. She sat on my lap in front of the tv all day tuesday sleeping on and off. I enjoyed the cuddles and quiet time!

Now it's Andre's turn it seems... He had a fever yesterday and today is still sleepy with a sore throat. Too many kisses from Isabella!

A Portrait a Week: 36/52 -Afternoon at the park

A little late with last week's portrait again but here it is now and I'll make up for it with some extra photos. (Most photos taken by Andre.)

Isabella has been a bit demanding lately, sleeping very little during the day and then wanting all my attention all the time when she's awake. If I only try to move slightly she scrambles to get on my lap in case I was trying to leave the room. When I do manage to escape she'll come whining after me so at the moment I'm not doing anything but playing with her for which I'm also grateful. I know how fortunate I am to be able to be at home with her.

But today I get some computer time! Poor Isabella is not feeling well at all. She's had a temperature all day and just wants to sit on my lap either sleeping or staring at the tv. She's not even interested in my cellphone or laptop. Not herself at all but I'm enjoying the cuddles.

These photos were taken on Saturday when we took her to the park behind our house.

Still loves swinging!

Love those little feet!

Daddy helped her down the slide.

Back up again!

Cute wobbly steps.

And after we tried out just about everything in the park we had a picnic on the field.

A Portrait a Week: 35/52 -Family day at the farm

My sister arrived last week and so Mom and Jürgen came for a visit this weekend too. We spent Saturday in London, Isabella's first time there! And today we all went to Bucklebury Farm Park. Isabella and I enjoyed it so much a couple of weeks ago that we decided to take the family there too and so her weekly portrait is from there again! You can read more about Bucklebury Farm Park here.

We were lucky to have a beautiful sunny day. We went on a tractor ride to see the deer, Isabella and Simone pet the goats and guinea pigs, we had lunch under the trees and just enjoyed wandering around looking at the other farm animals and enjoying some family time.

A Portrait a Week: 34/52 -Farm visit

We visited Bucklebury Farm Park with friends this week. It was my first time there and we enjoyed it so much. I think the highlight was a tractor ride to feed the deer. Isabella even got her hand licked by a deer! She also got to pet little goats, rabbits and guinea pigs and was so very brave to stroke all the animals. There was just about every farm animal you can think of, llamas, alpacas, pigs, cows with their calves as young as two weeks old and many more.

I won't be putting more photos up on here as they're all on fb already, but this was one of my favourites of Isabella this week looking very farm-girly!

A Portrait a Week: 33/52 -Accessorising

Isabella received these sunglasses from her Ouma Sarie who got them with a magazine she bought while we were on holiday in South Africa. Now all of a sudden over the last few days she has started asking for her sunglasses -she spots them even when they're out of her reach somewhere and points saying 'da'. She also has pink baby sunglasses and now she carries her two pairs of sunglasses and two sunhats along with a muslin cloth through the house. Some of it in her mouth or on her head while she crawls around. All she still needs are some beads around her neck and a handbag/ purse to complete the look!

A Portrait a Week: 32/52 -Holiday in South Africa

Thank you to my sister, Simóne, for keeping my blog up to date with Isabella's weekly portrait. And for always reminding me to post a photo every Sunday, even though I still often only get around to it on a Monday!

This week's portrait: one of our beautiful sunny winter mornings on the beach.

We've had an amazing holiday in Cape Town with our family. The weather was fantastic, so good that I managed to get a bit of a tan from walking on the beach, more than I get over here in the UK summer! Even when it's really hot here, the sun is just so much stronger in SA.

Isabella has gotten used to the beach and having her toes in the sand. We had some lovely mornings just playing on the beach after an early morning walk. She also had no problem sticking her hands in the rock pools to pick out shells. Of course sand, shells and rocks all had to be tasted.

We saw all our family and after the initiall shyness Isabella became a little social butterfly. Even though she still didn't like being picked up by anyone but mum, she did start to tolerate it a bit during the second week, but mostly enjoyed friends and family playing with her on the floor. Ouma Estelle's coffee table was a favourite play spot, pulling off the table cloth, books and TV remotes!

Mornings were often spent in Ouma Estelle's bed before breakfast. Isabella enjoyed a few meals out with us at restaurants and tried so many new foods including snoek (a type of fish), calamari, quiche, droeëwors, guavas, oats and tasty wheat for breakfasts, and flings at a birthday party, another first for her.

Snoek in Hout Bay at Mariner's Wharf.

Calamari at Quay Four in the Waterfront.

We enjoyed a picnic at Kirstenbosch and Isabella loved her first visit to the aquarium at the V&A Waterfront.

The 'Boomslang' tree canopy walkway at Kirstenbosch.

In awe of the fish at the aquarium.

She learnt to wave, even though it is a bit delayed sometimes! People have usually given up getting a good bye wave from her and started walking away before she manages a wave! She's also high-fiving everyone now and manages to stand for a few seconds without holding onto anything.

Isabella has always loved bathing but now would stay for half an hour if I allowed her. She pushes your hands away if you try to lift her out the bath and turns away from you. Looking forward to our next visit to the pool where she can stay for half an hour or longer!

Even though we had such an amazing time in South Africa we both missed her daddy. Isabella has been giving him the biggest goofiest grins all the time and follows him around the house constantly. So sweet!