Gela: 1st birthday party

Ok. first of all, was it just me or did anybody else have to go through that 6-hour power outage? Yes, 6 hours! I watched the news this morning and they said there was going to be "1-hour rotational brownout" (or whatever they call it) from 10am to 4pm today. So, I planned my day around that. At exactly 9am, however, just as I was going through my emails and uploading photos for this blog, the power went off! 1 hour ahead of schedule!

Anyway, I expected the blackout to last about an hour so I went about the other stuff that were in my schedule. 1 hour later, the power didn't come back. 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours went by. I had already organized my office, tidied up the house...Hay. Finally, after 6 hours and 15 minutes, power finally came back. So now, I guess I have to work really late tonight to make up for the 6 hours that I lost. And perhaps I have to skip sleeping altogether because I still have those 3 hours that I have to make up for from yesterday, remember? So fun!:)

Anyway, here is the entry that I was writing this morning before I was rudely interupted.

January 30, 2010
Riverfront Residences Clubhouse
Party theme: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

It's amazing how much a baby grows in a year! I first photographed Gela when she was only a couple of months old about a year ago. Her baptism was one my events last year that never made it to this blog, so before I go into her birthday party, I want to post just a few shots that I took from her baptism. Because these shots are just too precious not to share.  For those who have seen my website, a couple of these photos would be familiar.

The first thing that you notice when you see Gela are her beautiful eyes.  You could stare at them for hours.  It was also when I shot these photos of her that I realized babies actually tend to trust me when they sense that their parents trust me as well. Gela was just a couple of months old here.  She was fussy and she was crying when we arrived at the hotel. But when I asked Mommy Len if I could take solo pictures of her on the couch, Mommy Len put Gela there, and they pretty much left us alone. So, it was just me and Gela while everyone else was busy preparing.  And she quieted down, and looked at me with those adorable eyes. And we got some fantastic shots!





She wasn't too happy when they bothered her again to put on her dress though.

I just can't get enough of those eyes!


She was getting a bit sleepy here.



Almost a year later, I met Gela again for her first birthday. And she has turned into such a lovely little toddler!  Below are some of the shots from the party.


Jacque with her Party Boosters team dressed up the place. Love the colors!








Some details.


Yes, Gela was made in Singapore and grown. :)

We went down to take a few shots while the party was already in full swing. With Mommy and Daddy.


She still has those lovely eyes.

I forget if this baby is a cousin or just a friend. They're both so cute though!





Back to the party.


Gela looked like she was having fun. And I love her smile!


I guess she had too much fun and had to take a short nap in the middle of the party.


Host-magician Butch entertaining the guests.





The lovely yummy cake.

Minnie Mouse came to the party!