Noah's 2nd Birthday: Celebration #1

Noah was a lucky boy: he got to celebrate his second birthday four times. He was really excited for his birthday after watching his friends celebrate theirs. For weeks prior to his birthday, he would wake up every morning and ask, "Happy birthday Noah? Happy birthday to Noah today?" in a hopeful voice.


His first birthday celebration was in Ferney-Voltaire, France at our friend Jacquie's house on July 10, 2011. Before the party even started, Noah already had his first birthday presents to open. He had a great time discovering his new games and toys with his tata NiCole and tonton Charles before they had to go back to the U.S.

That morning amid the sounds of thunder and torrential rain, we joked that Noah would probably need an ark to make it through his birthday. Even so, we started blowing up balloons and more balloons.

Noah's Papy and Mamie had already arrived to help set up and to celebrate with the birthday boy. 

That afternoon, the sun came out in the nick of time, just as the guests were beginning to arrive. There was Miriam, Marco, and Stella (our ex-neighbors from Nyon); there was Celine, Seb, and Romy; and there was Vincent, Klara with their twins Romeo and Zoe. Here are all the kids swinging on the swing.

Before the official birthday goûter, the kids played games out in the yard, running around, sponging water from bucket to bucket and drawing with chalk.

Then, they ate some food. Maman went a bit overboard with the healthy snacks, carrots, celery broccoli and various dips as well as fruit and coulis. Most of the kids were not too interested in the food... except for Noah who LOVES dips and fruit. Then came the birthday cakes. Two fruit tarts!

After a round of happy birthday and some yummy tarts, the kids ran around for a while and played. Noah then opened his gifts. Some great books and games and clothes and... a camera from Papy and Mamie. He was very very excited about the camera and is always asking to take pictures. He even tried to take a picture with the camera wrappings!

Before heading home, we gave each child a card with a color and drawing. The kids had to find the hidden bags and match the color and drawing to figure out whose it was. Within a short time period and to the excitement of the older children, the five bags were found and given to the right child. All in all, it was a great sunny party.

Blogging Noah

After two years of watching Noah tweet, we have been inspired to begin our own blog! As you can tell from the last couple of months, Noah has become too busy to tweet, but we will try to catch up. For those of you who followed Noah on twitter, he has already gone from an adorable little newborn with the hands of a conductor, the pout of his uncle and the growl of a famished wolf:

to an equally adorable walking, talking, counting, laughing, joking, singing two-year-old toddler:

It has been a whirlwind amazing adventure so far! To be continued...

Twitter: Noah Month 12 Part 2 (July 1-July 15 2010)

July 4: I made it to Singapore! The flight was pretty good. I slept most of the way in maman's and dada's arms.

Here I am at the Changi airport amidst the tropical vegetation.

(Photo July 1 - Tweet July 4) 

July 6: I've been so busy, I forgot to note that on June 26, I clearly said mama for the first time and before that I said both "cat" and "chat"!

July 6: My parents told me that we might have a new apartment soon... I hear it even has a kiddie pool. I am so excited.

July 6: I had Kaya toast yesterday for the first time. Mmmmmm so good. I think I can definitely get used to the food here.

July 8: I had my first Durian today and .... loved it to my parents' surprise.

July 8: I used toothpaste for the first time today. It tasted pretty good and I got to swallow it all since it was special baby toothpaste.

I have become very good at raiding the fridge in our temporary apartment. Unfortunately there is not much to eat in there. Maybe tomorrow exciting things will show up.

(Photo July  3 - Tweet July 9)

Although I have been very busy visiting apartments and checking out cupboards and doors, I have taken some time to try the food here (which is very yummy)...

(Photo July 4 - Tweet July 9)

and doing some sightseeing. Here I am with the bay and the new boat casino in the background.

(Photo July 7 - Tweet July 9) 

[The Marina B. Sands area still under construction.]

And here I am with the Singapore Merlion in the background. 

I really like it because it's a fish-cat and fish and cat are two of my favorite signs.

(Photo July 7 - Tweet July 9)

July 9: Only a few more moments of being 11 months old. This 1st year has gone by so fast. I can't believe a year ago I was still in maman's tummy.

July 9: Today I learned two new signs: flower and banana. I also am getting better at singing my dadadadas.

July 10: Good morning world, day 365! I am one years old today!

I have changed quite a bit in the last year don't you think?

 (Photo July 13 2009 - Tweet July 10 2010)

July 10: To celebrate my birthday, I went to Sentosa island.

I got to play in the water with my new ball. 

(Photo and tweet July 10)

I then went to the underwater world aquarium where I fed some fish.

(Photo and tweet July 10) 

And walked through a see-through tunnel with fish swimming all around.

 It was pretty exciting. One fish, two fish. 

[With maman in the tunnel looking at the fish.]

After the aquarium, we had lunch and then I went to play on the beach. 

One of my birthday presents this year was a pail, a shovel and a rake to dig in the sand. 

I had so much fun, I did not want to leave the beach when it was time to go home.

Look what I found waiting for me on the grass when I got back from the island.

I went over to investigate. 

It's a piece of strawberry shortcake for my first birthday! 

At first, I tentatively tested the waters. 

[That did not last long.]

I then dug in with gusto.

I can't believe they let me do this... mmmmmm. 

Almost done... oh look there are a few crumbs I missed lying in the grass. 

All done!

No more food here. Time to go clean up.

After covering myself in cake, I took a refreshing shower in the fountain.

After a change of clothes, I was as good as new and ready for my next adventures.

July 10: For dinner I got to try some sushi for the first time... mmmm.

When I made it home, I got some more presents... some books by Eric Carle. 

July 10 2010: That's it for my birthday. Good night world!

July 13: I have come a long way in my first year. Here are some things I can do now.

I can get up and stand without support. In fact, I can even bend down and pick things up. 

I can walk on my own back and forth, back and forth. 

And I can run to my mama when I am excited... 

[I can do many signs (see more below)]

[Me walking around.]

[I am pretty stable no?]

but often, I still drop down on my knees and crawl.

I can do 20 signs: fish, cat, dog, hat, again/more, milk, flower, bath, banana, 

ball, water, eat, kiss, pen, car, bird, plane, diaper, up, and mama. 

Here I am asking for MORE of that good Indian food.

[At one, I can do many things (Tweets July 13):]

• I can say and use in context five words: dada, cat, chat, mama, and dog. My parents think they heard me say lait but the jury is still out.

• I also understand increasing amounts of spoken language and respond to simple requests such as va chercher le ballon or donne moi un bisou.

• And I also understand a few additional signs: book, please, apple, enough/all done, mouse and baby.

• I can now chew adult food pretty well with my seven teeth.

• I can climb onto and off of a couch and I can climb up stairs on my own (down stairs is a little harder but I can do it slowly with help).

Here are some things I like doing at age one (Tweets July 13):

•  I still like food but now I eat mostly adult food. Mmmmm Thai, Indian, Japanese and Chinese food.

• I like playing peekaboo and hide-and-seek. I go hide behind the armchair and wait for mama to come get me and laugh and laugh when she does.

• I love people. On the subway, I smile at people, perform my tricks, try to hold their hand and play with them. I love when they smile back.

• What tricks? Miming, how big is Noah? Pointing at mam's nose. Playing peek-a-boo. Signing wildly.

• When I do my dog sign, you go woof woof and when you go meow, I do my cat sign.

• I also like telling jokes. I sign fish with a smile. There is no fish! I put a book on my head and sign hat. I point at mama and say dada.

• I like playing imaginary food. You feed me and I feed you and I feed myself. Yum Yum.

• I like pens, carrying them around and trying to scribble with them.

• I like raiding the fridge. You never know what you can find in there.

• I like opening and closing doors and figuring out how they work. All doors: fridge, cupboard and sliding doors and even toilet lids.

• I like being in my parents' arms and being carried around.

• But I also like roaming and romping freely discovering the world, making sure gravity works, testing Zeno's paradox (ie shredding paper).

• I love hugs and kisses. I make my kiss sign and after getting a kiss I sign more kisses, more kisses. I love giving kisses too.

• I like playing with my flashcards. You show me a card and I do the sign or I sign and you show me the right card

• I like computers, cell phones and all electronics and I love playing with balls and balloons big and small.

There are a few things I dislike (Tweets July 13):

• I don't like being put in my stroller and taken away from the action.

• I don't like being picked up when I am having fun. I don't like not being picked up when I am signing up, up, up (and often whining).

• I do not like napping in my bed.

• I do not like it when people do not respond to me, to my smiles and tricks. How can they not smile when I am "so big"?

• I don't like it when people are eating yummy food and don't give me any even if it's not my meal time. I hate it when the food is all gone.

July 13: Ok, so now you have a picture of what I am like these days... so come on over and play with me. I'll show you my tricks in person.

July 14 (photos and tweets): I will show you a few of my signs. 

Here I am making the more sign.

Here I am patting my knee making the dog sign. 

Hat, hat. See you pat your head to say hat (walking at the same time is optional).

Here I am stroking my cheek. Where is the cat? Do you see a cat?

It's bath time (or pool time)! 

I want that ball. Ball, ball, ball. One of my favorite signs these days.

Can I have some milk? Open fist... 

Close fist. 

How big is Noah? So big... 

I was getting very hot outside so we moved inside for some cooler air. 

How tall is Noah? This tall? 

That's a car. I know that one. 

I still find it hard to wrinkle my nose without blinking when I make my flower sign. 

And finally my fish sign - open mouth, 

then close mouth with a satisfying plop. 

Well, my first year was a pretty exciting adventure for me and my parents. 

Just in time to start my second year, I have moved into a new empty apartment in Singapore. 

Many more exciting adventures to follow, I am sure.