Why do you have that nervous look on your face Mom?

Hong Kong recently had a big art fair here that drew in galleries from several major art centers around the world. Reviews said it was primarily focused on Asian-themed art, and our friends told us the cheaper of the items were probably going for a couple grand a pop.

We've seen some baby pop-art on other blogs, so we decided it was time to try our hand at it. Yes the styles are knockoffs inspired by some rather well-known artists, but I figure if these had been ready in time for the HK fair they surely could have sold for at least a gum ball or a red paper clip something.

a la Andy Warhol:






a la David Hockney:






If you want to have a go at your own masterpiece check out fd's Flickr Toys at Big Huge Labs.

11 months old!

One month more to go and then we get to throw a little party for baby Mia. Mom has already started the preparations. She even found a piñata this week at the store. I was shocked they carried these in Hong Kong, especially since none of our colleagues seem to know what one is or if it even has a Chinese name.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, here's some photos of our no-longer-a-10-month old.

More sweetness...

Filed under the "how many words can you make out of one syllable" category...

Mia's vocabulary is rapidly improving. She actually understands quite a few words now (can point to her shoes, bouncy ball, Mom's eyes, nose, and mouth), just has a bit of trouble repeating them.

Truth is, her Spanish is now more intelligible than mine.

Just a little motivational thought for Mom...

We still don't know what it was or what was in it, but it was given to us by the Chinese lady who works at the flower shop and it tasted pretty good. And made a pretty good mess as well.

Wow, this is officially my first post! I thought Mother’s Day would be appropriate and a good intro to blogging more regularly. Although, I am charged with content generation, it has mostly been thousands of snapshots and videos I take of Mia. You won’t be surprised to see posts in Spanish. And if my brain allows after spending a day with unstoppable Mia, you might even see some Chinese. It has been just over five months since we met Mia. Time has gone so quickly, Mia has grown so much, and I am so in love with her, that I am already dreading when I can’t pick her up to dance, play with her during bathtime, and make her belly-laugh when I tickle her. I know Mia will bring me joy in so many other ways as she grows, but these first months have been some of the happiest of my life. Mia is such a sweet baby with basically no fear. Keeping up with her is hard work (physically and mentally), but I do have just a bit of a motherly instinct… and the school of my mom and Brian’s mom, who are two of the most devoted women I know. My desire is to teach Mia to be just as sweet and confident a young woman as she is a baby.

I am thrilled to be raising Mia in Hong Kong. HK is not a lonely place ; ) and we like to be on the go. We are typically climbing equipment at playgrounds around our residential complex or out and about in the heart of the city. We have had a handful of family visits (in fact, Mia's abuelita just left this morning), during which Mia has played tour guide and made sure the main attractions were covered. We have a wonderful group of friends and colleagues- many without children – but all have been great at doing baby-friendly activities so I can keep tabs with them and they can get a cuddle from Mia. We are also meeting great families who have adopted children from Asia. HK is a great place. We are so happy to be here. And I am so thankful to the HK adoption program for their efficiency, hard-work, and for a perfect match.

Mia, your timing to take your first steps was impeccable! Thank you for my first Mother’s Day present. You are an amazing little girl. I love you dearly.

Today was a big day for Mia. To start it off, she finally got her playroom back. (It had been converted into a guest bedroom while all of our company had been here over the last 2 months.) And after a brief session in the playroom, Mom and Dad decided it would be best to go ahead and make the move into her own bedroom. So the crib was deconstructed, hauled into the bedroom, and reassembled (it didn't fit through the doorways without this.) Mia was quite intrigued by all of this, as were the fish.

The two of them seem to be enjoying each other's company. We peeked into her room during her first nap time and saw her standing up in the edge of the crib speaking to the fish.

Below is a short vid with Mia displaying all of her excitement by making raspberry sounds and spitting all over the floor... one of her newer tricks that will hopefully be very short-lived.

Video is password protected. Please use to access.

Today was the big day for the Olympics torch relay here in Hong Kong. It was a sea of red with lots of supporters- the few dissenters were carted off in paddy-wagons "for their own safety". ;)

There is a brief map of the route here, and even more goodies on the official site of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in Hong Kong.

Our favorite part of all these preparations are the giant Fuwa they have put up throughout the city. Mia already has the requisite plush Fuwa doll, and she would have really enjoyed these supersize versions had she not been asleep at the time. Oh well, at least she now has a set of Fuwa window stickers to commemorate the day...

Caro's cousin is just wrapping up her visit to see baby Mia. Laura overlapped with Abuelita's return trip for about 10 days here in HK. It was her first trip to Asia and she even braved the snake soup! Since Mom speaks to Mia primarily in Spanish during the week, Mia felt right at home with Laura and took a major liking to her during her stay.