EV is trying out nursery

and I'm twiddling my thumbs.... nervously!

EV is affraid of balloons

Mostly when they are being blown up and looks as though they are some grotesque, brightly coloured cyst growing out of someones face (kind of understandable). But also when they inexplicably bounce off things, carried by a draft of air, and chase her.

Let's hope she never watched It: "They all float down here!"

EV is staging a sit in

As EV's skills grow, so does her independence. Her recently found ability get herself into a sitting position from any starting point is great news when she's playing. She is more mobile and needs my assistance far less.

However, this new found talent seems less to celebrate when I am trying to put her down for a nap, put her to bed at night or lie her down to change a dirty nappy. Playing in her cot, refusing to sleep until she is too tired to remember how to lie herself back down and struggling against me, rolling over to pull herself up on the side of a (by this stage quite messy) changing mat are just a couple of the ways she has found to assert her free will.

EV is on her feet

EV pulled herself to standing using the furniture for the first time! She has been using my hands to help her pull herself up for a while and she could do it in the bath a few days ago (I guess there's less weight to lift?) The buttons and lights on the CD player were enough to inspire her today - probably as she knew I'd never willingly help her up to reach them!

EV is helping me fit the stair gate

No, not helping, that's not quite what I meant. Erm...

Hindering. That's the word I was looking for: EV is hindering my attempt to fit a stair gate.

I'm sure a stair gate must me much easier to fit if you do not, in fact, have a toddler!


p.s. I will go back and fill in some July blanks sometime soon, I have them all scribbled on bits of paper.

EV is w-a-i-t-i-n-g (patiently)

Determined to prove that we could still do those things we used to do before EV, we went on an impromptu trip down to Bristol with EV, yesterday and today. Traffic was awful travelling down, but EV was so patient in the traffic jams for 5 hours. Stayed in a nice hotel and took EV to the restaurant in the hotel with us (since we couldn't go out anywhere without her). Despite it being almost 9pm when we sat down to eat, EV charmed the waitress and was on good form eating the fruit salad we ordered for her and sharing our bread whilst we ate.

After dinner we retired to our room, and EV retired to her cot in our (thankfully spacious) en-suite! Hey, it's dark, it's adjoining and the door makes the glow and noise from the TV much less distracting for her. Luckily she slept really well, despite my late night creep to use the loo - very quietly.

In fact, EV slept so well, that our plan to get straight up and out when she awoke in order to beat the queue for the Banksy exhibition was foiled. We didn't manage to check out until after 8am and by the time we joined the queue it was already well past the 3hr mark (and the museum wasn't even open yet!).

Never mind. EV was well entertained in the queue, as were we, by watching all the other people, children and babies (there were quite a number - many much tinier than EV, we even saw a couple of queue-locked nappy changes). She managed a brief mid-morning nap and we managed a couple of pick-me-up-and carry-me spells. A street musician playing a weird plastic mouth keyboard thing (looked a bit like a kids toy, any ideas?) provided timely distraction as we bounced and danced along. EV even felt roused to a quick round of applause.

Finally, 3 1/2 hours in, we had our hands stamped to cross into the final section of queue. Just time to give EV her dinner before the food was quickly stashed away and we entered the gallery. Hurrah! And not a tantrum in sight. Just the car journey home again now then...

EV is filthy!

Took EV to one of her friends' 1st birthday parties today. It was a lovely family BBQ, yummy food and a chance for Dads to meet all the mums and babies we all go on about!

The other babies have been crawling for a while now and the novelty has worn off, but EV is still in the can move: must explore stage. In spite of all the toys and other children to entertain her, EV was only interested in shuffling over to investigate between the cracks of the flagstones. This would have been fine, had it not been for the fact that it is obligitary for it to rain at any British Summer BBQ. Which would have been fine, had EV not been wearing a cream embroidered party dress. In spite of my early vigilance, I eventually gave her up to the elements and returned home with EV stripped to her nappy and a very soggy black dress.

EV has teeth!

Hurraah! they are through, two tiny teeth in the middle at the bottom. And we had 2 days of only accepting finger foods to contend with but all is better now... until next time.

EV is passing it behind her head

Very strange this one. EV has spent the day practicing a new skill. It's one I haven't conciously taught her and I don't think she has even seen anyone else doing it. I've never heard of babies doing this before.

She is very spacially aware, first she studies the object she wants to pass behind her turning it over in her hands. Then, taking it in one hand, she holds it behind her head and twists her wrist, feeling with the other hand for the best way to get hold of it. Then "Ta-Daa!" It appears out the other side. Magic.

EV is passing, thankyou

EV has mastered the art of passing objects. Aiming for her recipients hand and letting go at the right moment. She is very proud of this skill, rightly so, and practices it incessantly. The only problem is, no sooner has she given something away, she wants it back again! The passing back and forth of EV's toys is not a major part of my day.

Being the very polite kind of mummy that I am, I always remember to say "Thank You" when EV gives me something and even say thank you for her when I give it back, as a little kind of prompt. It is obviously working as I sometimes get a little "an-oo" back.

We met up with some friends yesterday, a little girl the same age as EV. They both have similar temperaments and this little girl is really getting going with talking. They played so nicely together, passing toys between them and babbling to one another, they were so much fun to watch together.

EV is buzzing

Bee-bug circled high in the sky above the bed. He swooped tantalizingly close before soaring back up, swirling back and forth in dizzying figures of eight. And all the time, with a taunting, incessant buzzing. Finally, he honed in on his target, "Zzzzwoosh!" and landed...

"Beep!" on EV's nose.

All in all, a scenario so thrilling and dramatic that it had to be repeated again and again and when I had had quite enough of playing the part of the half-ladybird-half-giant-cuddly-bee-mutant that is Bee-bug. EV took him off me and lay on her back, swinging him from side to side and humming "Nnnnrrrr..." She doen't have the teeth required to zzzzz.

EV is drawing

When the H.V. came around Yesterday, he left two "Bookstart" packs for EV. One for her first birthday and also the one for her second birthday (as 2yr development chacks and home visits aren't done any more). The Bookstart packs typically contain one or two free books for the child, book vouchers, leaflets for parents about reading with your child and language development and about library membership. The age two pack also contained crayons and paper.

I thought, since EV is so good with her hands she might like to try the crayons now (I read that most children cna hold a crayon and make marks from around 12months).

We had a lovely time playing together, EV watching me use the crayons, feeling and holding them herself (and a quick suck of them too, just to be sure). Beginning with a few light pressure dots (bangs) and lines (swipes), she has scribbled a beautiful first picture, which is now hanging proudly on the fridge.

In fact, EV was obviously so enthralled with the idea, she had a little go at emulating the experience with a carrot stick, with rather disappointing results, later on.

EV is meeting with the Health Visitor

EV has had her 10 to 12 month check up today. And everything is going along fine. She is still "very petite" (and still hasn't quite made the 16lb mark!).

She performed all the tricks required: picking up toys, passing them from on hand to the other, babbling, smiling at her visitors, looking around, reaching (she even managed to move a little way).

The health visitor asked whether she can support some of her weight on her feet, pick tiny things up with finger and thumb, what food she eats; I should have pointed him to this blog! He also asked me whether she was talkinng yet, "She won't have said any words yet, will she? Mama? Daddy?"

"Erm..." I thought for a moment, "She says quack quack. And relates it to going like this." I sheepishly demonstrated the hand gesture, opening and closing my hand like a beak and then smiled proudly at EV.

"I'll put no then." Said the H.V.

Oh. Okay. I'm proud of her vocabulary anyway - I'm quite sure Quack is a word!

EV is going to a garden party

Sitting out on the grass, eating a scone, enjoying the sunshine in her best summer dress. Oh, and meeting a couple of donkeys too! What a lovely afternoon for a very civilized young lady.

EV is having fun with daddy

I think fatherhood is starting to come into its own now. Althought EV is still definitely a mummy's girl when it comes to cuddles/crying/fedding/bedtime/comfort etc. she is starting to realise that dad's are just more fun!

Dad is the one who pushes the stroller just a little too fast downhill. Dad is the one who throws her up in the air (just a little higher than mum really thinks he should). Dad is the one who pulls scary faces and makes trumpy noises when playing peekaboo (This has EV is stitches!) and Dad is the one who sometimes forgets that he was the one who said "No Ice-Cream for EV."!

EV is dancing to the theme tune to Bewitched

She goes absolutely crazy for it! Stops whatever she is doing when she hears it and dances, waving her hands as though she is conducting!

Combined with the frequent nose scrunching I wonder if I should be getting worried?

EV is having venison

I'm sure I've mentioned before about EV being a bit of a baby gourmet. Can babies even eat venison? EV obviously can.

EV is going blonde

EV's hair is getting fairer by the day, in front of my very eyes. She isn't quite blonde yet but a fair, golden shade of brown (as compared to the dark brown hair she was born with). I'm not sure how it is getting lighter as it hasn't noticably fallen out.

EV is partying in her pyjamas

EV's swimming class had a sponsored "Splashathon" today to raise money for Tommy's baby charity. Babies and mums(!) had to go in their pyjamas. It was also suppose dto be good experience for life saving (knowing what it feels like to be in the water fully clothed, I guess) Fun but heavy; EV and mum are both exhausted now!

EV is easily distracted by shiny objects

EV has been playing with kitchen foil today. She loved it. She scrunched it with her fists, felt along the tiny creases with her fingers, mashed it with her gums, she even had a go at moulding it over her feet. So much fun to be had with such a simple object. And it makes a great noise too. EV passed it from hand to hand, rotating it all the way round and watching the light on it. It's quite crumpled now but it still has quite a way to go before it becomes a shiny little ball. So I've put it in EV's Treasure Basket for now so she can rediscover it another day.