Saturday, December 18, 2010
First Plane Ride
Today Amelia and family will fly to Australia for a few weeks. Our destination is Sydney and we have lots to explore and do. We are going to divide our time between camping and various forms of lodging. Hopefully Amelia will be able to handle the great outdoors with ease. Packing is obviously a bit different with our new addition. We also celebrated our first round of Christmas yesterday. Hopefully Santa will find Amelia down under. Happy Holidays to you all and we will be in touch.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Merry Moments
Thankfully, Santa was able to find us here in Indonesia. He made a special trip to meet all of the girls and boys in our neighborhood last Saturday. He arrived in a horse drawn carriage - I guess it was just too hot for the reindeer. Santa was so thoughtful; he passed gifts to the babies first. Which was great because I know that many of us new parents would have stressed and wondered whether our happy little ones were going to make it until their turn. Amelia happily sat on Santa's lap, got her gift and then fell asleep in my arms...couldn't have asked for anything more perfect! Because we will be in Australia on Christmas day, we will have an early celebration this coming Saturday. We will then do something on the day and enjoy a present from grandma - thanks, Mary Ann!
Amelia meets Santa
Mom and Amelia
New Dads - Brian/Anthony, Jim/Amelia, Eric/Zia, Hugo/Zack
We love our festive little baby!
Amelia is such a great little girl...she didn't even mind her antlers!
Daddy and Amelia
Daddy and Amelia
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Who Doesn't Love a Wedding?
Blushing brides in elaborate gowns, halls filled with flowers, music and dancing...these are things we typically associate with a wedding. But, weddings in Indonesia are a whole different experience. We were fortunate enough to have a window into Javanese culture during a reception for our nanny's daughter last Sunday in her kampong (or village) here in Jakarta.
Maybe it was the loud music, the hot spicy air or just my general confusion as to what to do, but our arrival was quite interesting. An eager lady paced up to me with both hands out and a huge smile. I quickly put up my hand and motioned no; I was not ready to hand my daughter over to a stranger. Instead we made our way to a reception line of parents. As we moved along I noticed that everyone was shaking with both hands. It was then that I realized the woman had not been asking to hold Ameila, but instead wanted to welcome us! Luckily this was our only cultural mismatch!
After we met Sulasmi, our nanny, she ushered us to the food line. We wanted to wait, but then realized it would be rude so we both dished up bits of rice, chicken, and some spicy beans before taking a seat. I took a few bites and decided that the spices might be too much for Amelia and passed my bowl to Jim, who out of respect finished them both...what a good man! We sat and enjoyed the event. The music was quite nice and we liked watching people. It was funny to us that everyone arrived, shook hands, got food, sat in rows and then left. It was so different from what we know as a reception. But it was a nice time all the same.
The best part for me was seeing the wedding costumes. The bride had an elaborate head piece on and the mother of the bride wore flowers on her head scarf. Everyone really looked lovely. Even the fathers had batik sarongs with swords tucked in back. Apparently the wedding couple wears white for the ceremony, red for the day time reception, and gold for the night party. Below are some photos so you can enjoy the sights for yourself.
Afterwards, Sulasmi took us to see her house, which was very spacious for Indonesian standards. She showed us that her sister lived next door. We got to meet many of her relatives. She told me yesterday that everyone commented on how they thought we looked like movie stars - which is just too funny! Jim's height also made for a lot of conversations about the "bouleys."
Unfortunately, we tried to get a photo with the wedding party, but the man who took the photo didn't hold down the button. We did not want him to loose face, so instead we are hoping to get a copy from the photographer. He snapped lots of photos of us because we were the only non-Indonesians in attendance.
walkway in the kampong (or village)
Maybe it was the loud music, the hot spicy air or just my general confusion as to what to do, but our arrival was quite interesting. An eager lady paced up to me with both hands out and a huge smile. I quickly put up my hand and motioned no; I was not ready to hand my daughter over to a stranger. Instead we made our way to a reception line of parents. As we moved along I noticed that everyone was shaking with both hands. It was then that I realized the woman had not been asking to hold Ameila, but instead wanted to welcome us! Luckily this was our only cultural mismatch!
After we met Sulasmi, our nanny, she ushered us to the food line. We wanted to wait, but then realized it would be rude so we both dished up bits of rice, chicken, and some spicy beans before taking a seat. I took a few bites and decided that the spices might be too much for Amelia and passed my bowl to Jim, who out of respect finished them both...what a good man! We sat and enjoyed the event. The music was quite nice and we liked watching people. It was funny to us that everyone arrived, shook hands, got food, sat in rows and then left. It was so different from what we know as a reception. But it was a nice time all the same.
The best part for me was seeing the wedding costumes. The bride had an elaborate head piece on and the mother of the bride wore flowers on her head scarf. Everyone really looked lovely. Even the fathers had batik sarongs with swords tucked in back. Apparently the wedding couple wears white for the ceremony, red for the day time reception, and gold for the night party. Below are some photos so you can enjoy the sights for yourself.
Afterwards, Sulasmi took us to see her house, which was very spacious for Indonesian standards. She showed us that her sister lived next door. We got to meet many of her relatives. She told me yesterday that everyone commented on how they thought we looked like movie stars - which is just too funny! Jim's height also made for a lot of conversations about the "bouleys."
Unfortunately, we tried to get a photo with the wedding party, but the man who took the photo didn't hold down the button. We did not want him to loose face, so instead we are hoping to get a copy from the photographer. He snapped lots of photos of us because we were the only non-Indonesians in attendance.
The Wedding Party: parents of the bride, happy couple, parents of the groom
Sulasmi, or Mimi, our nanny and her husband
rows of well wishers
walkway in the kampong (or village)Tuesday, December 7, 2010
And the Fun Continues...
Time is passing at such a fast rate; each week feels like a blur. It is crazy to think that in about ten days we will start our Christmas holiday. We are so excited for our adventure down under! During the past week, Amelia has started to "talk" more. She likes to exercise her vocal cords and will often respond to your questions with noise. It has really made for a lot of laughs!
I have mentioned before that there was a baby boom this year - four in total and one more on the way! We got all of the Bintaro (the neighborhood we live in) babies together this past week for lunch and some play time. The MamaPaparazzi was in full force!
The Bintaro BabiesAmelia, Zack, Anthony and Zia
Daddy joined the fun once he got home from school.
Daddy joined the fun once he got home from school.Isn't this crazy? How's this for a cultural difference!
This play mat belongs to Amelia's friend Zia.
It was purchased at a local store here in Indonesia.
Tessa has gotten very good at "multi-tasking" since Zia's birth!
Tessa has gotten very good at "multi-tasking" since Zia's birth! Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Back Online
After nearly two weeks of no web access, we finally had enough of our free, but very unreliable, school provided home connection and got high speed service. This is a huge relief to me as I am trying to do course work during Amelia's nap times and it is not possible when I can't get online. As many of you know, the window of productivity is often short so you need to be able to make the most of it. So in the spirit of productivity, the blog is filled with new posts to make up for my time without access. Here are a few more photos from the last few weeks that were just too cute not to share:
Amelia in her footie pjs from the Lambs...Thank you Brian and Laura!
Looking cute in my new sun suit! (Thank you Jenn, Dave and Owie! We miss you!)
Getting ready for my bath. Daddy likes to make me "walk."
Tummy Time
Our Little FlowerI made this headband for Halloween,
but had to wait to get a photo because it was just too much for one day.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Belated Thanksgiving wishes to all of you! We took part in a wonderful potluck lunch with our neighborhood community here in Jakarta. It is always a treat to have delights of home - turkey, mash potatoes, and pumpkin pie...mmmm! We hope that all of you enjoyed good food and time with your families. We have a lot to be thankful for this year...as you already know. We are also thankful for all of our wonderful friends and family. We look forward to this summer when you can meet Amelia and we can enjoy your company again.
Christmas is right around the corner and this year we decided to put up the tree extra early so that we could actually enjoy it before we jet off for the holiday. Unfortunately the cats have mistaken it for a new playground and have been terrorizing Jim by unhooking branches and climbing up and perching near the top. I, of course, find it amusing, but Jim does not appreciate it one bit!
It's beginning to look a little like Christmas in the Haske home!
Our little Thanksgiving centerpiece
Louise, Marcey and Stu - three new teachers and wonderful neighbors!
Happy Thanksgiving!
The 7 week shot - growing, growing, growing!
Christmas is right around the corner and this year we decided to put up the tree extra early so that we could actually enjoy it before we jet off for the holiday. Unfortunately the cats have mistaken it for a new playground and have been terrorizing Jim by unhooking branches and climbing up and perching near the top. I, of course, find it amusing, but Jim does not appreciate it one bit!
It's beginning to look a little like Christmas in the Haske home!
Our little Thanksgiving centerpiece
Louise, Marcey and Stu - three new teachers and wonderful neighbors!
Happy Thanksgiving!
The 7 week shot - growing, growing, growing!Monkey See Monkey Do
Watch our little monkey make faces at mommy. You can't see me, but I am sticking out my tongue and Amelia is doing it back. She is quite pleased with herself:)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Smiles and Coos
Amelia now smiles and shares the sweetest little coos. She has a dimple on her left side and when she gets really excited she squishes up her smooshy little face. It is so wonderful to see her personality emerging. It is also nice for Jim to be greeted with a smile and happy little noises after a busy day at school. (I will try to capture the cuteness on video, but it seems that every time I turn on the flipcam, I put her off.)
Amelia has started to mimic our facial expressions, mainly sticking out her tongue. This is very entertaining, but has now made it more difficult to determine whether she is hungry or just playing with you. All the same, being with her has just become that much better.
Six weeks, really? Where does the time go? We thought we would throw in a photo to show you that even our sweet little Amelia cries. Here is take one.
Ahh...a much happier take two. 
Amelia loves this little rooster toy.
Amelia was feeling festive when we went to the JIS Holiday Bazaar this past weekend.
Six weeks, really? Where does the time go? We thought we would throw in a photo to show you that even our sweet little Amelia cries. Here is take one.
Ahh...a much happier take two. Don't you just love how she looks in her night gown...thank you aunt Jenny!
Amelia loves this little rooster toy. 
Amelia was feeling festive when we went to the JIS Holiday Bazaar this past weekend. Or more like, mommy couldn't resist these little antlers and put them on the unsuspecting baby. She slept through the whole shopping experience, which was a good thing because there were so many people we hadn't seen in a while it would have been a bit overwhelming.
So what is new with mom and dad? Well, Jim has rejoined his recreational basketball on Sundays and I went to a pamper party last week. I had the most enjoyable back/neck/shoulders massage. It was only my second time to venture out...crazy that I have only been away from Amelia for roughly two hours in six weeks. This week our nanny will come twice so that they can start getting to know each other. This is hard for me...sigh... But, we leave for Australia soon and once we return I have to go back to work...bigger sigh! Before we go, I need to venture out for more than an hour. I have no doubts that the nanny we are employing is fantastic and knows more about babies and childcare than I do, but it is just hard to break myself away from our sweet little baby. I am sure many of you can relate!
So what is new with mom and dad? Well, Jim has rejoined his recreational basketball on Sundays and I went to a pamper party last week. I had the most enjoyable back/neck/shoulders massage. It was only my second time to venture out...crazy that I have only been away from Amelia for roughly two hours in six weeks. This week our nanny will come twice so that they can start getting to know each other. This is hard for me...sigh... But, we leave for Australia soon and once we return I have to go back to work...bigger sigh! Before we go, I need to venture out for more than an hour. I have no doubts that the nanny we are employing is fantastic and knows more about babies and childcare than I do, but it is just hard to break myself away from our sweet little baby. I am sure many of you can relate!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
A Week Without the Web...
We have been without reliable web access at home this week, which has been really frustrating for me since it is my connection to the rest of the world and I have course work to complete. (Yes, I am still chipping away at my Master's degree in Literacy. My classes finish the 8th of December and then this Spring I will take my FINAL two courses and graduate!) Needless to say I did not get a blog post done. I will do extra after this weekend, especially since we are decorating the tree. It's early, yes, but we go on holiday in less than a month so we need time to enjoy it!
Amelia is now six weeks old, so this photo is a week late. It was Jim's idea to take a weekly picture so that we could track her growth. It is amazing to compare this week to her first! She has changed so much in such a short time. It is also funny to see which weeks she is just too tired to make it until the photo shoot, which is just before bath time.
More coming soon!
Amelia is now six weeks old, so this photo is a week late. It was Jim's idea to take a weekly picture so that we could track her growth. It is amazing to compare this week to her first! She has changed so much in such a short time. It is also funny to see which weeks she is just too tired to make it until the photo shoot, which is just before bath time.
More coming soon!Thursday, November 11, 2010
Amelia loves her mobile!
Ameila is changing quickly! She is so much more alert, on the verge of smiling, and often makes the cutest little coo noises. I bought her this mobile after watching her play mate, Zia, happily gaze at one the other day. Amelia loves it so much that if you try to take her away from it at the wrong moment, she cries.
A New Kind of Normal...
Yesterday I visited school for the first time since I started my maternity leave. The kids were so excited to meet Amelia. They even sang us a very clever song they wrote in music class. It was really very touching. Amelia happily slept through the whole event in her carrier, which is probably a good thing because it would have been a little overwhelming to see a crowd of energetic six year olds oohhhing and ahhhhing at her. She woke just in time to socialize in the staff room during lunch.
It was nice to see friends and familiar faces. Several people asked how it was going and my response was, "Becoming a mother is the best thing that has ever happened to me." It's true. I ahve always though my sister (sorry, Jenny) was crazy for having four kids...especially in this economy. But now that Amelia is in our lives, I can totally undersatnd where she was coming from. Becoming a mother makes you a better person and fills you with an indescribable love. This love is not just for your child, but also for your partner. I have seen Jim in a new way and it suits him! I cannot imagine our life without Amelia. I know it existed - this blog is proof of that! But, life is much sweeter now that she is here. So, we have a new sense of normal that is Amelia Renee.
We love the Peapod! We take it up to the pool so that Amelia has a place to nap that is protected from mosquitoes! (Thank you Barb and Kathy)
Daddy soothing Amelia after a bath. 
Amelia with her jungle friends
We can't believe it's already been a month!
It was nice to see friends and familiar faces. Several people asked how it was going and my response was, "Becoming a mother is the best thing that has ever happened to me." It's true. I ahve always though my sister (sorry, Jenny) was crazy for having four kids...especially in this economy. But now that Amelia is in our lives, I can totally undersatnd where she was coming from. Becoming a mother makes you a better person and fills you with an indescribable love. This love is not just for your child, but also for your partner. I have seen Jim in a new way and it suits him! I cannot imagine our life without Amelia. I know it existed - this blog is proof of that! But, life is much sweeter now that she is here. So, we have a new sense of normal that is Amelia Renee.
We love the Peapod! We take it up to the pool so that Amelia has a place to nap that is protected from mosquitoes! (Thank you Barb and Kathy)
Daddy soothing Amelia after a bath. Notice how she is holding on to his finger.
Amelia with her jungle friends
We can't believe it's already been a month! Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Lots of Firsts!
Amelia is four weeks old! During the past week she really started to wake up more and notice the world around her. She attended her first birthday party, although she happily slept through the whole thing in a friend's arms. Of course, I couldn't go more than five steps away...typical new mother!
She also celebrated her first Halloween, but this was a bit of a bust because we got home from the party and she was pretty much ready for bed. We did manage to go to two houses before we called it a night. She dressed as a flower. She wore a floral print onesie and a headband of petals that I sewed from the fabric of an old cushion cover. (Eco-Baby in the making!) I still need to get a proper photo of her wearing it, but it just wasn't possible on the night because fussiness set in - rightly so after such a busy day! We also carved a pumpkin while she sat in her bouncer. It was the first time we did this since our first year of dating!
Amelia's passport was processed. Yes, our little jet setter needs a passport. She has to have one to be in the country and will need it for her life of world travel. Her first big trip will be this December to Australia. She will spend the holiday "down under" with koalas, kangaroos, hiking and a bit of camping. We are going to test the waters with that one! She will also be Bali Bound this February.
She also celebrated her first Halloween, but this was a bit of a bust because we got home from the party and she was pretty much ready for bed. We did manage to go to two houses before we called it a night. She dressed as a flower. She wore a floral print onesie and a headband of petals that I sewed from the fabric of an old cushion cover. (Eco-Baby in the making!) I still need to get a proper photo of her wearing it, but it just wasn't possible on the night because fussiness set in - rightly so after such a busy day! We also carved a pumpkin while she sat in her bouncer. It was the first time we did this since our first year of dating!
Amelia's passport was processed. Yes, our little jet setter needs a passport. She has to have one to be in the country and will need it for her life of world travel. Her first big trip will be this December to Australia. She will spend the holiday "down under" with koalas, kangaroos, hiking and a bit of camping. We are going to test the waters with that one! She will also be Bali Bound this February.
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