Princess Soraya-Mina is ONE!!!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY SORAYA-MINA!

We made it! One whole year has passed since that sunny January morning in Pleasanton when you were born! One year; of which you were sick only 24hrs (back in June when we all had that stomach bug) - which is 364 days of perfect health! One year ; of which we were sleep deprived for only 4 months - which is 8 months of perfect rest! One year; of which you only cried......well, a few hours, it seems - which is mostly just perfect happiness and smiles! One year of nothing but love, gratitude and bliss!!!

After getting the perfect dog with Uki, we never thought it possible to also end up with the most perfect baby - YOU! You are nothing but a joy! Life just tickles you and you only see the sun's rays and butterflies; because that's all there is when you're around!

We took two road trips and two trips by plane. You learned to roll over, sit up, scoot, crawl and cruise! You say simple things like: mama and dada - although we're still working on the proper meaning of the two ;-) You understand what we mean - most of the time - even though mommy and daddy speak different languages. You dance to music, drink out of your sippy cup and feed yourself. You love bath time and brushing your teeth ; something we just started not too long ago. (On December 7th the corner of your 4th tooth came through; bottom right). We got you a little toothpaste where the animals on it have two teeth, just like you did when we bought it ;-)

Celebrating the holidays in style, we dropped Uki off at Camp Bow Wow in Elk Grove (being that we didn't think of making reservations, the Livermore site was completely booked out!), packed a bunch of suitcases and took a plane to Switzerland!

April drove the three of us to the San Francisco airport where we got on a Swiss flight to Zuerich! We were told by many people traveling with us, that you were the most well behaved baby on the plane! We got you your own seat in between us, where we made you a nice princess bed with your travel fur, blankies, teddies and such. You actually slept for about 6hrs!! You didn't cry once! Not even taking off or landing! You just love people and places and things to do! Always happy enjoying yourself!

Opa picked us up at the airport in Zuerich. We made it home just in time for dinner and then you went right down to sleep and snored all the way through until the morning. You had skipped both your naps while traveling and only had a half night worth of sleep on the plane; so you were ready to hit the hay! You did well, kept right on schedule with sleep and naps - until about one week into it when you got jet lagged or something and started to be up from around midnight to 3am or 4am for about 4 nights!

We took many pictures while there, so you'll just have to look at those - it's just too much to write it all down. But for the most part we just went on winter walks - all bundled up - and played inside. We had many visitors, went to see some people and celebrated your first Christmas, New Years, Birthday and Three Kings Day!

For Christmas your uncles came over for dinner and we had a close family gathering. For New Years the three of us spent the night at Gotti and Uncle Beni's house, where we had dinner with three more friends and celebrated into the night; while you slept through fireworks and the noise of "sing star" in the living room.

For your birthday Gotti took the day off and we went on a nice, long winter walk around lake Au. It was freezing out but absolutely clear and sunny! You loved seeing all the sheep that were out. We had not one but two birthday cakes (one of the neighbors brought us one and Grossi made you a special one!). You liked your cake! It took you several days to open all your Christmas and Birthday presents; we just left them under the tree and you worked on them whenever you felt like it.

The day after your first birthday, you decided that you were all grown up and you took your first steps!!! Three in a row! Gotti and I were right there on the floor with you and Daddy, Grossi and Opa were on the other side of the living room; they saw you standing there but we saw you take the steps! After that you didn't really want to try anymore; but it was enough for Grossi to make us all walk to Waedi to go buy you your first pair of shoes! We got them about 2 sizes too big thinking it would still take you a while to really start walking.

...it is actually way past the 3rd of January by now and I've come to the conclusion that if I'm going to keep this monthly letter writing up, they will probably be shorter some month than others; we'll see how it works out. We've been so busy and time just flies.

On January 8th, after a 2 1/2 week vacation, we flew back home. You got a couple of teeth more and grew out of half the clothes we brought with us to Switzerland ;-) This time around you didn't nap or sleep at all!! All the way until we were back home and you went down for the night! You were just delirious, and it seemed like someone slipped you a red bull into one of your bottles! You just stood on your seat, squealing, singing, laughing and going crazy for pretty much all of the 12 hrs. it took to fly back!!! We only had 30 min. to go - when you just had it and your battery power closed in on zero, you started crying and just not having a good time anymore. But as soon as we landed and got off the plane you were ok. You fell asleep in the car on the ride back from the airport, got up just long enough to eat some dinner and then went to bed.

It was a very, very nice vacation and we are so glad we made that trip!

Looking forward to what we'll be doing next year.....but let's not rush thing; we're enjoying every minute of it!!!

Happy 1st birthday princess Soraya-Mina!!!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Happy last "month" birthday!

A euses suesse Baby;

Alles Gueti zum 11 monatige Geburi chline Engel!!! De letscht bevor du en richtige doerfsch fiire! Unglaublich! Mir sind voll beschaeftigt mit dir s Lebe z'gnuesse und d Ziit vergaht jede Tag schneller! Du lernsch jedi Minute neui Sache, wachsich vor eusne Auge und es isch schwierig zum mit all de neue Sache i dim Lebe mithebe und alles moege ufzschriebe dass mirs nie meh vergessed.

Die paar Highlights de Monet sind gsi: mir hend dir Truube geh, wo du mega fein gfunde hesch; aber sind nued so sicher gsi ob du die au vertreit hesch. Da Du in letschter Ziit zimmli konstant am Zahne bisch, isch es chli schwierig zum sege ob'd jetzt es neus Esse nued vertreisch oder ob'd eifach en Usschlag hesch vom Zahne. Mir hend dir jedefalls Melone (die grueni) geh und das isch den ueberhaupt kei gueti Idee gsi!!! Du hesch de schlimsti Usschlag uebercho i de Gschicht vo eusere chline Familie - Du hesch sogar es paar chline Narbe devotreit und mir hoffed die goend mit de Ziit no weg. Isch also schrecklich gsi!

Du hesch erlickt wie mer Esse umeschmeisst - und Du findsch das selbstverstaendlich ganz toll; vorallem wenn de Uki a z springe chunnt und au en Bisse wet. Du hesch die richtig vernarrt i dini violetti und wiisi Decki mit de Schmetterling druffe wo dir d Nona gmacht het vor villne Monet. Du erkennsch sie und liebsch es demit s kuschle. Du kuchlisch s Gsicht drinine und findsch es s Besti ueberhaupt! Richtig Wohl bisch demit!

Mir sind uf L.A. abegfahre zum de Grandpa, d Zorka und dini Urgrossmuetter Nana z bsueche ueber Thanksgiving. Mir sind uebers Wucheend bliibe und hend zeme gfiired. Mir hend eigentlich no vor gha zum dini Urgrossmuetter Gigi go bsueche und sie zum Brunch usfuehre; aber es het en Notfall geh und sie haett in Spital muesse und det au muesse es paar Tag bliibe. Da mir dich nued hend welle in es Spital mitneh und riskiere dass Du no chrank wirsch oder oepis, isch de Papi den allei no det abegfahre zum ihre Hallo sege, ihre es paar Foeteli vo Dir geh und ihre alles Gueti wuensche. Es gaht ihre vill besser mittlerwiile und sie isch au wieder dieheime so dass mir fescht vor hend sie naechst Jahr so schnell wie moeglich go bsueche z gah.
Am 29. November hesch den endlich no din 3. Zah une lings uebercho - obe immer no keine!

D Ziit fluegt, d Erinnerige hoered nueme uf!

Alles Gueti zum Geburtstag chline Sunneschii!

Mir hend Dich gern bis zu de Sterne und zrugg!

s Mami und de Papi

To our sweet baby;

Happy 11-months birthday little angel!!! The last one before you get a real birthday! Unbelievable! We have been busy enjoying life with you and it is going by faster every day! You are learning things by the minute, growing in front of our very eyes and it's hard to keep up with all the new things in your life and write them all down so we'll never forget.

The main happenings this month were: we fed you grapes, which you loved; not sure if you tolerated them though. Since you are pretty much constantly teething lately, it's hard to tell sometimes if you are sensitive to a certain new food or if you just got a rash from teething. We did try to feed you some cantaloupe which turned out to be the worst idea ever!!! You broke out in the worst diaper rash in history of our little family - you got a few little scares from it which we hope will go away in time. It was just awful!

You figured out how to throw your food - and of course it's hysterical to you; especially when Uki is nearby and comes running for a treat. You really fell in love with that purple and white butterfly blankie that Nona made for you many months ago. You recognize it and love to cuddle up with it now. You grab it and burry your little face in it, just thinking it's the best thing every!

We went down to L.A. to see Grandpa, Zorka and your Great-Grandmother Nana for Thanksgiving. We stayed there for the weekend and celebrated with each other. We had planned on visiting your Great-Grandmother Gigi as well and take her out to brunch, but there was an emergency and she had to go to the hospital and stay there for a few days. Since we didn't want to bring you into a hospital and risk you getting sick or something, Daddy just drove down there by himself to pay her a visit, bring her a few pictures of you and wish her well. She's much better now and is back home so we are planning on going back to see her sometime in the new year.

On November 29th you finally got your 3rd tooth at the bottom left - still none on top!

Time's flying, the memories don't stop!

Happy Birthday little sunshine!

We love you to the stars and back!

Mommy and Daddy

Princess Mina is 10 months old!!!

Dear Princess Soraya,

Happy 10 month birthday!!

Wow, what a big girl you are! I just cannot believe that we are this close to your actual first birthday! We just took you home from the hospital last week....or so it seems. But now you are crawling faster than we can look, you're standing around all day long, holding on to things, shuffling your little feet along tables and the likes.

This month just flew by and I'm trying to remember all the things we did. We didn't go on any trips for once and just stayed home, enjoying the weather changing and with it the leaves . It was your first Halloween! And you even wore your first costume! Man, you were cute! We went for dinner over at uncle Dylan and aunt Daisy's house and you scooted around their hardwood floors with your cape and had a blast. You went to bed over there and at around 11pm we woke you up, strapped you in your car seat and drove home. You were really good about being woken up out of a deep slumber - something that has never happened before - and at home you just went right back down without a fuss!

Mainly you just got a lot better at all the things you already knew how to do: sitting, crawling, standing, laughing, making silly noises and so on. You say "Mamama" a lot but I think you somehow associate it with eating. You started to do animal sounds as well; or shall I say animal gestures? You do the bunny mostly, which consists of you wrinkling your little nose, squinting your eyes and making sniffle noises by breathing in and out of your nose real fast. You sometimes do the fishy, just opening and closing your mouth with no sound, and you try to bark - every time Uki barks or you see him you make this funny noise that like your saying "He!" but making it sound like a bark. It's really adorable!

We took pictures of you and applied for your very first passport - which we received in the mail shortly thereafter. We got another little visit from Grandpa and Zorka and the three girls went shopping and you got a bunch of cozy winter outfits. We're ready for the cold now!

We're enjoying you so much!

Love you like crazy!!!

Mommy and Daddy












Happy Halloween!



Soraya as "Nibbler"!




Passport Picture!



Liebi Prinzessin Soraya,

Alles Gueti zum 10-monatige Geburi!!

Wow, was fuer es grosses Meitli Du scho bisch! Ich chans kum glaube, dass mir scho so noech a dim erste richtige Geburtstag sind! Mir hend dich erst grad letscht Wuche vom Spital heibracht....oder zumindest fuehlts sich so ah. Aber jetzt chruechsch schneller als mir moeged luege, Du stahsch de ganz Tag ume, hebsch di a Sache, ruetschisch mit dini chline Fuessli a Tisch und sustigem nah.

De Monet isch wie de Wind vergange und ich versueche mich dra z erinnere was mir so alles gmacht hend. Mir sind emal uf kei Reise gange und sind eifach di Heime bliibe und hends gnosse wie s Wetter und demit d Blaettli a de Baeum gwechslet hend. Es isch din erste "Halloween" gsi! Und hesch sogar es Kostum gha! Laeck hesch Du suess usgseh! Mir sind zum Onkel Dylan und de Tante Daisy go z Nacht esse und bisch uf em Parkettbode umeduesed mit dim Umhang und hesch es uh Chaeferfest gha. Du bisch den det is Bettli und um die 23.00 hemmer dich den gweckt, hend di in Autositz ipackt und sind hei gfahre. Du bisch richtig brav gsi obwohl mir dich hend muesse us de tuefschte Traeumli hohle - oepis wo no nie vorcho isch - und di Hei acho bisch ohni Muule grad wieder is Bett go wiiter pfuse!

Du bisch hauptsaechlisch eifach besser worde i allem wo'd scho hesch choene: sitze, chrueche, stah, lache, lustigi Gruesch mache und so wiiter. Du seisch vill "Mamama" aber ich han s Gfuehl du verbindisch es irgendwie mit Esse. Du hesch agfange Tierli nahmache. Du machsch vorallem s Haesli, indem Du dis Naesli ruempfisch, d Auegli zemekneifsch und denn schnueffle Grueschli machsch indem ganz schnell dur d Nase i- und usschnufsch. Maengmal machsch s Fischli, eifach s Muul uf und zue tue ohni Gruesch, und Du versuechsch z belle - jedesmal wenn de Uki belled oder Du ihn gsesch machsch so es lustigs Gruesch wie wenn sege wuersch "Aeh!" aber es toent wie belle. Isch mega herzig!

Mir hend vo dir Foeteli gmacht und hend di fuer en Pass agmeldet - wo denn au churz drufabe mit de Post cho isch. De Grandpa und d Zorka sind wieder emal uf en churze Bsuech cho und mir druee girls sind go shoppe gange und Du hesch ganz villi kuscheligi winter sache uebercho. Jetzt simmer parat fuer s chalte Wetter!

Mir hend mega Freud a Dir!

Mir hend Dich wie verruckt gern!!!

s Mami und de Papi

9 Months!!

Dear Soraya,

Happy 9 month birthday, Baby!!!

This month we went on our very first road trip! All the way out to Colorado to visit Nona! We left right around Labor Day and drove all day; stopping to eat and play with Uki for a bit. We had a nice stop over at the Tehachapi dog park where we had lunch. You did very well in the car! It was an extremely long drive! Then we stayed the night at the Best Western in Kingman, Arizona and drove again all day the next day until we arrived at Nona's by dinner time. We had a blast at her house!! You tried and tired really hard to perfect crawling but it was still only an incredibly fast scoot. You played with all her musical instruments and the swing she had installed for you out in the forest! We went on hikes every day and enjoyed nature with you. After a good week of play time it was time to say good bye again and head back home. This time you were a little bit less happy about spending so much time in your car seat! I think you knew what awaited you. But your most favorite game to play during the long days of driving was clicking your tongue! You discovered how to make that new noise and did it all the time - and that was the only time we ever heard you do it. During our tip - on Sept. 10th - the corner of your second tooth poked through!!

By the end of the month you learned how to pull yourself up, standing, holding on to tables, chairs and whatever else you can find. On the 23rd you let go for the first time; completely unaware of it; and you stood there; no hands; for a couple of seconds! WOW! Getting closer to walking - we just got done learning how to roll over!

We had our 9month check up with Dr. Shah and you are of course healthy as can be. You measured 29.3 inches and weighed 19lbs 6oz!!! He's very happy with your development and the only problem we got going on is your very dry skin! You have little dry patches all over that sometimes turn red - especially at high altitude in Colorado! But he says some good lotion should take care of that. You got another shot and this time didn't cry at all!!! Acted like no one even poked you! We were all very surprised! He gave the OK for you to start eating yogurt, cottage cheese and other soft cheeses. You already love chicken and tofu and all sorts of vegetables and fruits - even bananas are awesome now! ;-)

On Sept. 26th - you turned exactly 38 weeks old - and it was your "Inside Outside Day". You have been an outside baby exactly as long as you have been an inside baby now! Wow; the world is becoming more familiar.

Of course there are a thousand more things you did this month than just the ones I'm writing about; but I'd rather spend the time with you than sitting here and typing for hours on end. I'm sure we'll remember all of our good times either way ;-)

We love you to the moon and back!!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Liebi Soraya,

Alles Gueti zum 9 monatige Geburi, Muesli!!!

De Monet simmer s erst Mal i d Ferie mit em Auto! Ganz wiit weg bis uf Colorado zum d Nona go bsueche! Mir sind grad um de "Labor Day" ume abgfahre und sind de ganz Tag unterwegs gsi; und hend nume aghalte zum esse und chli mit em Uki spiele. Mir hend en schoene Zmittaghalt gmacht in Tehachapi wos en Hunde Park gha het. Du bisch ganz e bravi gsi im Auto! Es isch e schrecklich langi Fahrt gsi! Den hemmer in Kingman, Arizona im Best Western Hotel uebernachtet und sind den am naechste Tag wieder de ganzi langi Tag unterwegs gsi, bis mir am Abig zum Znacht bi de Nona dihei acho sind. Mir hends mega laessig gha bi ihre dihei!! Du hesch dir so fescht Mueh geh zum dis Chrueche z perfektioniere aber es isch immer no nume es ganz tiefigs Robbe gsi. Du hesch mit allne Ihrne Instrument gspielt und gritseilet im Wald usse uf de Schaukli wo sie dir installiert het! Mir sind jede Tag go wandere und verusse und hend mit dir d Natur gnosse. Nach enere guete Wuche isch es den au scho wieder Ziit gsi zum Tschuess sege und eus uf de Heiweg mache. Das Mal hesch nueme ganz so Freud gha, dass hesch muesse so vill Ziit im Autositz verbringe! Ich glaub du hesch gwuesst was uf dich zu chunnt. Aber dis Lieblingsspiel uf de lange Fahrte isch gsi mit de Zunge schnalze! Du hesch das neue Gruesch erlickt und hesch es die ganz Ziit gmacht - und sit det hemmers nie meh ghoert. Waehrend eusne Ferie - am 10. September - isch de Egge vo dim zweite Zah fuehre cho!!

Bis am Endi vom Monet hesch glernt dich selber ufzieh, stah, dich a Tisch und Stuehl und allem sustige festhebe. Am 23. hesch s erst Mal losglah; voellig unbewusst; und bisch fuer es paar Sekunde ganz allei det gstande; ohni hebe! WOW! Mir noechered eus am Laufe - und mir hend doch erst grad glernt wie mer sich am Bode umtreiet!

Mir hend euse 9 monatig Check-up gah bim Dr. Shah und di bisch natuerlich cherngsund wie immer. Du hesch 74.4 cm gmesse und 8.8kg gwoge!!! Er isch sehr z friede mit dinere Entwicklig und s einzige Problem wo mer hend isch dini troche Huut! Du hesch chlini trochni Flecke ueberall wo mengisch rot werded - vorallem i de Hoechi obe in Colorado! Aber er het gmeint das soetti mit enere guete Creme besser werde. Du hesch nomal e Impfig uebercho und das mal hesch ueberhaupt gar nued bruelet!!! Ueberhaupt nued reagiert; wie wenn nued passiert waer! Mir sind alli ganz ueberrascht gsi. Er het gseit es segi in Ornig fuer dich zum afange Joghurt, Huette Chaes und sustige weiche Chaes esse. Du liebsch Poulet und Tofu und allerlei Gmues und Fruecht - sogar Banane sind jetzt voellig cool! ;-)

Am 26. September - du bisch haargenau 38 Wuche alt gsi - isch din Inne-Usse-Tag gsi. Du bisch es "inne" Baby gsi genau glich lang wie'd jetzt es "usse" Baby bisch! Wow; d Welt wird der immer meh bekannt.

Natuerlich gits no tuusig meh Sache wo du de Monet gmacht hesch ; als nume die wo ich drueber schriebe; aber ich tuen die Ziit lieber mit dir verbringe als da hocke und alles notiere, Stunde am Stuck. Ich bin sicher, dass mir all die schoene Ziite au so werded in Erinnerig bhalte ;-)

Mir hend dich gern bis zum Mond und zrugg!!

Kuessli,
s Mami und de Papi