Guess what just happened?

Can you guess? Bet you can't. My Great Aunty Jean, and Great Uncle Bob, who I have never seen before came to by birthday party. They drove a long way, just to see me, which I thought was very nice of them.

Anyway, they wanted a picture of us all. So Mummy plonked herself down on Daddy's lap, and I hopped up on Mummy's. And then Uncle Bob tried to make me look at Daddy's camera, but I'd seen it (several times) before. So he waved around even more enthusiastically - and then came the sound of tinkling glass. He'd knocked the light shade above his head into the ceiling!

Mummy and Daddy didn't mind. Now they can get a light shade that is younger than them. 

My Birthday

Can you believe it: it's my Birthday tomorrow (that is, the day when I celebrate my birth, rather than the day I am going to be birthed). It only seems like yesterday that I spent all my time lying on my back watching Daddy take pictures of me (Oh, wait - that was yesterday!). I'm sure time goes faster as you get older.

We had my birthday party today. Loads and loads (car-loads that is, rather than coach-loads) of people came. I sat on the floor (I couldn't really do anything else - there was no space), whilst everybody watched me eat. They seemed to find it quite interesting.

Then Daddy brought my cake in. They didn't seem to notice, but it was on fire, so I pointed at it. Just when I thought things might be getting dangerous, Aunty Anna and Mummy came and put the fire out with water from their mouths. So that was OK. The cake tasted rather nice actually.

Stepping out by Myself

I took three steps by myself today. Just thought I'd let you all know.

It was at a garden centre, if you really want to know.

Chocolate!

I don't know whether I've told you before, but when I was younger, I had a milk allergy. That meant that I could only have Mummy's milk, and Soya milk, but not Cows milk. In fact I couldn't eat anything made from or by Cows, including beef!

It also meant that Mummy couldn't eat Cow things, because then the Cow things would get into the milk she makes for me. Did you know that chocolate has bits of cow in it? So that meant that for seven months, Mummy hasn't been able to eat chocolate. Imagine that!

But two weeks ago, a doctor said that he thought I might have grown out of the milk allegy, and so I was allowed to try milk again. It seems to like me now, and I certainly like it better than soya milk.

And Mummy is allowed to eat chocolate again. She had a whole tin of Celebrations to Celebrate. I thought I better help her out. It was difficult to choose though!

Look how I've changed, Part II

About 6 months ago, I showed you how I'm growing up. Here's another example. On the left, there's the old me, in October. On the right, me now. 

Choosing my next pair of Shoes

Apparently I'm going to have a have a new pair of shoes every few months. I thought I better start looking now. Do you think these would suit me? 

Life isn't all smiles

Even at my tender year, I've learnt that life isn't all smiles. 

Taking a Stroll

My shoes are getting quite used to walking now - I give them a lot of practice. They really liked the stroll along Poole Quay. 

Waltzing

On holiday, I even found time for a Waltz with my newly discovered twin sister. Who looks prettier: me or her? 

Me having Breakfast on Holiday

Whilst Mummy, Daddy, and Granny enjoyed a full-works breakfast, I had to make do with porridge. They offered me HP sauce to liven it up, but I said no! 

We went on a holiday

We went on a holiday this week. On Tuesday, Mummy and Daddy put me and Granny in the car and we went somewhere, then by Wednesday evening we were back home again. We actually went down to Dorchester. You see, Mummy's cousin wanted to have a baby just like me, and she thought it would have arrived by now. But when we got there, there was no baby. I think the postman must have been late. Anyway, we had a nice little holiday. We stayed at a very nice house called Tolpuddle Hall (sounds grand doesn't it?). I went in my capacity as official handle and knob inspector. I tested all the handles on the drawers, and unscrewed any that were loose to show Mummy and Daddy. When I get time, I’ll update this post with some pictures.

The baby arrived on Thursday evening, by the way. Name of Emily.

Hot Cross Buns

We're coming up to easter, so I thought I'd tell you about me and Hot Cross Buns.

I like them. A lot.

I have them for breakfast sometimes,as often as I can persuade Mummy than I'm not going to eat my porridge. And today I decided that I'd have one in the afternoon. I'd just eaten a yoghurt, but I didn't let that stop me. Mummy and Daddy thought I might be poorly on Sunday, because I'd been a little bit sick in the morning. I felt fine - I tried to show them that by playing happily all day but that didn't stop them from practically starving me. So today I thought I better stock up.

When I heard Mummy leaving the bags of shopping in the hallway, I saw my opportunity, and took it. As soon as her back was turned, I crawled out of the lounge and toward the bags. I unpacked them as fast as I could, throwing aside a packet of those funny sticks that Mummy and Daddy poke in their mouths morning and evening, and other things that didn't look eatable.

Then I found what I was looking for. A packet of Hot Cross Buns. I don't know why they call them that. They don't look anything like angry raisins, and they don't feel even the tinyest bit warm. Perhpas I'll have to ask Daddy - he has known everything since he was only seven years old.

Anyway, I had a problem. Usually my Hot Cross Bun comes to me on a plate, spread with butter. These ones were covered in plastic. But I didn't let that stop me. Mummy and Daddy may think that I have been practicing my pincer grip in order to turn the pages of my books. Now they know how versatile it is! Because I tore open the packet, before you could say Heath Robinson (or should that be Jack Robinson?).

By the time Mummy came back, I'd eaten enough to make sure she wouldn't take it off me!

Cruising for a Bruising

This is me doing some kitcheneering: its like mountaineering but at a safer altitude and without all the ropes and funny shoes. You still have to be sure to chalk your fingers and maintain three points of contact at all times.

Sometimes though, I slip (that's were the second part of todays title comes in). Don't worry though: when this happens, I simply activate my distress signal (i.e. I bawl my head off). The kitchen rescue team (aka Mummy and Daddy) arrives within seconds (I think they must be watching me or something) and pick me up and give me a hug. Then I set off again.

You wouldn't believe how far I can go these days, using this technique. Right from one corner of the lounge to the other. But I still have to use my Zimmer Frame if I want to visit the wild interior!

Mid-morning nap

I don't usually sleep much during the day. 20 minutes in the morning, 20 minutes in the afternoon. I just have so much to do that I can't afford to waste time.

But last week I was a bit poorly (ear infection - I'm better now, thank you for asking), so I allowed myself 2 hours. This allowed Mummy and Daddy to fit in one and a half episodes of 24! 

Aunty Tara's wedding plans

Aunty Tara came to visit me today. She fed me doughnuts. Then she and Mummy discussed boring things like wedding plans, so I played with Daddy instead. 

My Activity Table

This is me with my birthday present. Sshh! Don't tell Granny, but it isn't my birthday for another month.

This table is very special, because it can sing, and flash lights at me, and teach me my alphabet (whatever that is). 

Out of Clear Blue Eyes

I think my eye is a lot prettier than the Lord of the Ring's. 

Granny's Friend Jill

My Granny's Friend Jill came down to see me at the weekend. She stayed at Granny's house, so I guess she saw Granny as well. I hope she likes her picture. 

Expressing myself

Nine for the price of one today! 

Busy Daddy

There now! Hasn't Daddy been busy today. I think he might have read what I said about not taking enough Photos. He's given me some more as well, but I think I'll save those until later in the week.

What a big mouth I've got

Another silly photo of me. I think I was trying to swallow the camera (not that I'm in need of an endoscopy you understand). 

My Great Grandpa's Birthday

My Great Grandpa (Daddy's Daddy's Dad) is having a birthday this week.

I wonder how old he is?

Whilst we are on the subject of shoes...

One last picture of my shoes (I can only have one first pair of shoes you know - I've learnt that much about counting).

And if anybody from Clarks Shoes would like to use this picture in their advertising ... you can leave a comment! 

I am still beautiful

You might have been wondering why I have been posting word pictures rather than photo pictures. Rest assured that it is not because my beauty is failing with old age. It's just that my regular photographer, Daddy, has not been as dilligent as he ought to be.

This is one he took tonight. 

My First Shoes

I went with Mummy to Merry Hill today. We bought my first pair of shoes.

Mummy's and Daddy's shoes shown for scale. 

44 Peas and counting

I love Sunday Dinners, and this Sunday, I discovered a new favourite: Peas!

Mummy says I've eaten peas before, but they've always been mixed in with the other goop that she feeds me, so I can't tell. This time she put the real things on my plate, for me to pick up with my fingers. And did I pick them up!

43 of them I ate, non-stop, making sure that any other intruding vegetables got dropped over the side of my seat (gives one a great medieval feeling doing that!). Then I had pudding (peach crumble and custard since you ask). And as Mummy was taking me out of my high-chair, another one rolled out from a crevice somewhere, so I grabbed that too. 44 in total.

(It was Mummy doing the counting, by the way: I can't, and Daddy had better things to do.)

Horsey-riding, Horsey-riding

Granny bought herself a rocking horse a little while back ("It was half price and I couldn't resist!"). I think it might be a bit too small for her, but I didn't say anything. Anyway, since the horse has been stabled in our lounge while she prepares her cats for a new companion, I thought I'd have a go.

Fits me quite nicely. 

Will I have to go to Jail?

Today I took on a bigger, and weightier challange: shoplifting. You might wonder how one so small as I could pick up a shop and raise it into the air? Well apparently (according to Mummy anyway - and she's always right) you don't have to do that to be a shoplifter.

We were in the supermarket today, and Mummy was picking things up and putting them in our trolley, so I thought I'd have a go. I saw a packet of angry raisins on the shelf (Mummy called them Cranberries) and thought they might calm down a bit if I gave them a cuddle. So I held on to them all the way through the checkout (the bit where Mummy gets everything out of trolley and puts in in bags: why doesn't she put it in bags straightway, seems a bit silly to me) until we got outside.

The raisins hadn't got any less red in the face then, so at this point I showed them to Mummy to see if she could help. Then for some reason, she rushed back into the shop, to the checkout again, and showed then the angry raisins. That was when she said I was a shoplifter. I still don't really understand.

Did I do something wrong?

Progress Report

I said at Christmas that I'd let you know how I was getting on with my Zimmer Frame. I've now got something to report.

But first, a word (perhaps even a sentence or three) about my crawling.

About a week ago I was lying on the floor (crumb-hunting possibly - I don't remember) at one end of the lounge, and Mummy put something interesting down on the floor at the other end. It didn't take me long (20 milliseconds maybe) to realise that it was raisins - black squidy sweet things, not to be confused with the other black squidgy things which definitely aren't sweet. Why she put them on the other side of the room, when I was this side, I don't know. Mummy does things like that sometimes, poor dear. Perhaps I had my eyes closed at that moment so she couldn't see where I was.

Anyway, when I saw that it was something more substantial than crumbs, I flipped onto my front (an old trick, but a useful one), and then got up onto my hands and knees. At this point, I usually try rocking backwards and forwards to see if the object in question will move towards me. Now from experience, I've learnt that things can be quite stubborn in staying put (particularly the floor when I'm falling towards it - doesn't it know that it would be polite to move out of the way). So this time I tried something new.

I lifted a hand, and placed it a little way in front of me. Then the same with the other hand. Feeling a little stretched, I realised that my legs were getting left behind, so told them to catch up. The raisins seemed a little closer. Then I did it again. Mummy looked pleased, but this was tiring work. Could I keep it up?

It was the thought of the sugar buzz that spurred me on. Centimeter by centimeter, I got closer and closer, until finally I was there. The look on Mummy's face was almost better than the raisins.

But I'm not sure Mummy is so pleased now. That first crawl has shrunk the lounge to a cot. I can get anywhere in a moments notice. Over to the fireguard, that Daddy still hasn't fixed to the wall. Then to the videorecorder with the funny little flap on the front (I haven't found out what's inside - yet!). And not forgetting the behinds, and the underneaths of the chairs with the geological layers of forgotten toys.

I bet Mummy wishes she never started that game!

But back to by Zimmer frame. Walking with it is easy. So next up is running. My theory is that if I run fast enough, and then launch myself from it, my speed will keep me up all by myself. If only the floor would stop getting in the way.

My First One-Liner

Amongst other things, my sense of comic timing is developing nicely.

Take today for example. Mummy and I (I've been learning grammer also) were sitting in the lounge, when we heard the Ice Cream van drive tunefully past.

"Who'd buy Ice Creams at this time of the year?", said Mummy.

"Dada!", said I.

If that hat doesn't fit?

Mummy got a new outfit to go with a pretty dress that Lynn bought her. That hat was the most interesting part: I think my brains need to grow a bit before she'll hand it on to me. I wonder when her head will grow out of the hat? 

Mmmm... smell those thistles.

Daddy bought Mummy some flowers the other day (nice of him wasn't it?). Strange though: if flowers are all different colours, why are the sponge cakes that Granny makes me all the same colour. They have flours in don't they? 

In the hot (pink) seat!

Mummy bought me a Totseat. This is me trying it out the other night. It means I can be a big girl and sit in a big girls chair. You can buy one too if you want from http://www.totseat.com/ (no harm in a bit of product placement!).