Heinz Baby of the Year: Mikaela Kawaley-Lathan, along with her parents, Richie Lathan and Kathy Kawaley, are presented with the coveted Baby of the Year Cup by BGA Group of Companies marketing manager MJ Huxley.

Isn't she lovely: Mikaela Kawaley-Lathan is proud to show off her Baby of the Year Cup.

WHEN Kathy Kawaley entered her 23 months old daughter in the Mid-Ocean News Baby Pageant for the second year she really did not expect her to win.

"We entered Mikaela in the pageant last year and she got a highly commended,'' Ms. Kawaley said.

"Her grandparents said that she could be entered again, so we did. Really it's thanks to her grandparents that she won this year.'' The proud parents did not find out that their darling daughter was the winner of the coveted Baby of the Year Cup until the night of the award ceremony.

"I was both shocked and surprised,'' said Ms. Kawaley.

Mikaela is the fourth child to grace the Kawaley-Lathan family. She has a 17-year-old brother, Adrian, a 15-year-old sister, Katrina, and three-year- old brother, Zackary.

Their father is former television personality Richie Lathan.

Mom said that although all her children were happy babies, Turn to Page 4 Singing, dancing is all in the family Continued from page 3 Mikaela seems to be the happiest so far.

"Her middle name is Joy and I would say she is happy 99 percent of the time,'' she said.

"She's very easy going and will go along with what everybody is doing. She kind of has to because we are a very busy family.'' Ms. Kawaley added that Mikaela's brothers and sister are all involved with different theatre and dance companies and that Mikaela, too, has gotten an early start.

"She loves to sing and dance, so I guess she's getting an early start like her brothers and sister,'' she said.

Mom had a hard time remembering exactly what Mikaela's first words were but she thinks that they were something like `dada'.

"I think her first word was something like dada. Isn't it horrible that I can't really remember what they were?'' she said.

She added that even though Mikaela is just learning to talk, she is already a really good mimic.

"She says things like `thank you' and `you're welcome' and she can say all her brothers' and sister's names,'' Ms. Kawaley said. "But it's mostly manner things.'' Peaches and meat are two of Mikaela's favourite foods.

"She loves to eat meat of all kind,'' Mommy said.

"The other thing she loves to eat is peaches.

"When I was pregnant I would eat peaches, peaches, peaches. So I guess she likes peaches above anything else because of that.''