Wednesday 16th April 2008

Well, I think this is the longest I've gone without updating my diary. It's been hectic as usual, and I had finally stopped waking up in the night with my coughing, until last night, when I fancied some milk at about 1am. The reason I was hungry in the night is that I have become very awkward at mealtimes over the last few days. I have decided that I don't want to be fed, I want to feed myself. There is one small problem with this, however, which is that I can't actually use a spoon yet, so feeding myself proper meals is a bit difficult. So mummy has had to resort to giving me finger food. Today I have had some bits of chicken, some bits of avocado, some cherry tomatoes, some cucumber, hard boiled egg, broccoli, carrots, peas and sweetcorn! I showed mummy how cross I was about her trying to feed me by pushing all my liver casserole onto the floor. Nia's mum Lisa had made it for me, and I really like it (I ate it all the last time I had it), but I wanted to eat it by myself, so I tried to put my mouth into the bowl, which didn't work, and I just ended up tipping it all over myself and the floor. Oops. Anyway, lets hope I start to coordinate better soon, otherwise I'll start wasting away...and mummy won't get a good night's sleep! Everything is just so frustrating at the moment - I'm a 10 month old, stuck in the body of an 8 month old, and I want to get out! I'm getting really good at rolling around, and as I've now decided that I don't like having my nappy changed , I can roll away from mummy and daddy when they try to do it. I've been throwing some massive tantrums on my change mat, which I don't think they are very impressed by. I'm also making a bit of a mess of my nappy and my clothes, as I'm wriggling around so much, but I want to do what I want to do, not what mummy and daddy want me to do - start as I mean to go on and all that! I've also started to clap my hands which is great fun, I can even clap 2 of my wooden toys together to make a loud noise. And today I even waved at one of mummy's bellringing friends when we were in Sainsburys. Mummy was very surprised as I've never waved before, but I learned it from my friend Imogen who I saw yesterday and who can wave and say 'bye'. My vocabulary is still limited to 'da da', but I'm working on it! My cousins Georgie and Joseph are just getting over chicken pox, so hopefully they'll be well enough for me to visit them tomorrow. I seem to have avoided it so far, so fingers crossed for no spots. I'm going on holdiay to Austria in a few weeks, and I want to be on top form. Mummy and I are flying with British Airways out of Terminal 5 though, so we may not get there at all! I'm excited about Friday as I'm having my first Sleepover party! Nia and Amelia are coming to stay and Daddy is going to chaperone us all whilst our mummies go out for dinner with the rest of the NCT mummies. How exciting - we'd better all behave ourselves for him.....

Tuesday 8th April 2008

It's unseasonably cold for this time of year, don't you think? But it hasn't stopped me from being a busy bee. At the weekend I spent a lot of time with mummy and daddy, and on Sunday we went for a family outing to a local National Trust House called Buscot Park near Faringdon (where my friend Nia lives). It was very nice there, but I whinged a lot in my buggy, so that daddy had to carry me.

He wasn't very impressed, but he still cuddled and played with me later. Yesterday after mummy and I had gone for a walk with my friend Amelia and her mummy Claire, Granny Jude came down to see me, and we went shopping for curtains and bed linen for her spare room. We had a very successful trip, and I'm looking forward to going to stay with her in the pretty new guest room. Today I had more visitors- this time Granny and Grandpa Meikle. Mummy, Grandpa and I went to have a bacon buttie at a greasy spoon cafe whilst Granny had acupuncture with lovely Monika the Natural Health Practitioner. I wasn't allowed any buttie though :-(. I had some lentil and carrot puree instead - I was not impressed! We all played a lot this afternoon, which I enjoyed a lot. I've got a new trick of scrunching my nose up, so I practised doing that with Granny and Grandpa, and showed them how I can say da da too. I didn't see my friend Isobel today like I normally do, as her mummy Jayne is ill with Shingles. GET WELL SOON JAYNE. Tomorrow mummy and I are going up to Birmingham to stay with my mates Poppy and Ruby. Our mummies are going to see Godmother Jenny perform in a show in Birmingham. GOOD LUCK JENNY! Poppy and Ruby's daddy Mike is going to babysit all of us, so I'd better be on my best behaviour for him! I have a weight update on my cousins. They are growing fast just like I did. Georgie now weighs 7lb 151/2oz and Joseph weighs 7lb 15oz. Cousin Daniel has now recovered from his bout of chicken pox, but mummy is still not letting me go round to Auntie Emma's house on Thursday, just incase the Pox is still lurking around! Oh well, keep your fingers crossed I don't get it, and I'll catch up with my cousins next week instead.

Sunday 6th April 2008

I've seen my first real snow today. When mummy and I got up she took me into the kitchen and we looked through the doors and this is what we saw. Lots of white stuff- and I don't mean milk! Snow looks very intriguing I think. I'm not sure if I'll be allowed to go out and play in it later, we'll have to see. If I do I'll have to wrap up very warm I think. I visited godmother Becky in Birmingham on Wednesday and met her mummy and daddy too. They were very pleased to meet me at last, and called me a 'lovely little bit' - which I think is a Black Country expression. I was very pleased to receive such a compliment! I went shopping in Swindon with some of my NCT pals on Thursday. I would normally have gone over to Cheltenham to see my cousins, but poor cousin Daniel has chicken pox. That's right, the dreaded pox. Mummy tells me that I may have caught it from Daniel when I saw him last, as he would just have started to be infectious at that time. I hope I don't get it, I don't want to be all spotty. But I think there's every chance I will get it, as one of the children at my nursery has it too, as there was a big sign on the nursery door when mummy dropped me off on Friday. Mummy had her first day back to work on Friday, which she survived - well done mummy! I dressed up in a new pink cap that Cousin Richard and his girlfirend Virginia gave me to go to nursery, and everyone said how nice it looked. Yesterday mummy and I went on a 'buggyfit circuit' while Daddy went out on a long bike ride. He cycled for 60 miles!!! He is training for the Etape Caledonia in May, and he'll be doing it to raise money for research into why babies like me are born premature, so watch out for a sponsor form soon. Granny Judy is coming to see me tomorrow, so we can choose some paint for her spare room, which is where I will sleep when I go to visit her - I can't wait!

Look who's talking

I forgot to say in my entry from earlier today that I've started to talk! Obviously I've been talking to my baby friends for ages, but now I can say some grown up words. Unfortunately everytime I try and say something it comes out as da da, so mummy isn't very impressed, but I'm trying hard, and I'm sure I'll say ma ma before long! I hear my mummy is rather good at talking, so I'm sure I'll follow in her footsteps. Poor daddy! I've also got a second tooth coming through next to my first one. How exciting.

Tuesday 1st April 2008

I've got another cold. Can you believe it? I've had one cold after another since I started going to nursery, but I saw the doctor today, and he said it was only to be expected, and that I was fine really. Mummy and daddy are not impressed with this coughing business though. I've been waking up in the night every night, and keeping them awake, so I'm not very popular. I am enjoying nursery though. I've met lots of new friends, and eaten lots of new foods, plus it's spurring me on to move around more. I'm getting better and better with my movement and coordination. I can now hold my water cup in both hands and drink from it without mummy's help, and I can bounce a lot better in my door bouncer now that my legs have grown a bit longer! I'm even sitting up in the bath by myself now. I had my 8 month check with Kay the health visitor today. I'm actually nearly 10 months old, but Kay wanted to wait until I was closer to 8 months corrected age to do my check. Anyway I'm 7 and a bit months corrected age now, so it was a good time to do it. I'm doing fine by all accounts, and Kay gave me a big thumbs up for my development. I was weighed again and I'm now a smidgen off 22lb. I'm 21lb 14oz, but I think my weight gain will slow down now that I'm sitting, rolling and bouncing so much. I'm off to see my NCT pals this afternoon and then tomorrow mummy and I are going up to Birmingham to see godmother Becky. I haven't seen her since Christmas, so I'm very excited.

Monday 24th March 2008

Since my last diary entry I've been travelling like mad. I went to London on Thursday to see mummy's friend Nina and her two sons Oliver and Sam. Sam and I should have been born at the same time, but as you all know, I came out a bit earlier than planned. So I'm actually a couple of months older than him, but we're at about the same stage with our development. So it was fun to meet him. We did lunch, and chatted and talked about country versus city life. Oliver tried to give me a kiss when Sam and I were posing for photos - don't tell Oscar, he might get jealous! Then mummy and I had a bit of a nightmare journey back from London. The motorway was shut, and the traffic was really bad, so we left London at 3pm and didn't get home until 8.30pm. Mummy had to stop and feed me in MacDonalds, but don't worry, she didn't give me a pureed Big Mac and fries, luckily she had some yummy organic baby food with her. The nice lady in MacDonalds gave me a pink balloon though, which I liked a lot, and played with whilst mummy fed me. I don't think mummy and daddy will be letting me go there any time soon though! On Good Friday it was back in the car to go up to Durham to see mummy's extended family. We caught up with so many people. It was great, and I got lots of attention as usual. We stayed with Great Aunty Rosie, and I saw Great Gran again, which was lovely. I showed her how good I am at sitting up and rolling around, which are 2 things I've got a lot better at recently. I also let her feel my new tooth. Only one so far, but I'm sure I'll get some more soon. My boyfriend Oscar has just got his first tooth too, by the way, which is exciting. On Saturday it was very cold and snowy, and as my cough still hasn't gone away, I had to stay indoors in the warm. Mummy went over to tidy the graves of my other great-grandparents, and put some flowers on them. I will get to visit their graves and help mummy with the flowers when I'm a bit bigger. Mummy and great gran also decorated the Easter Garden in church on Saturday. I'm looking forward to being big enough to help them with that. Anyway, whilst I was up in Durham I went to church and was blessed. I haven't been baptised yet, but mummy and daddy thought it would be nice for my Great Gran to see me blessed in her church, so we did that on Easter Sunday. I was welcomed into the Church of England by the vicar, and all the congregation renewed their baptismal vows, and then I had a cross put on my forehead with holy water, and so did Great Gran and mummy and daddy. It was a very special occasion. Aunty Cath and Great Aunties Rosie and Liz were there too, which was very nice. After church we went for lunch at one of my other Great Aunty Rosie's houses. I got to meet my second cousins Hope and Harry, and we went on an Easter Egg hunt. This was very exciting and I found lots of chocolate eggs, however they have been confiscated by mummy, as I'm not big enough to have chocolate yet. Oh well, maybe next year.....We said goodbye to everyone this morning, and headed south away from the snow (my first snow!), and down to Birmingham to see daddy's family. We caught up with my other Great Granny, plus we saw Granny Jude, Great Aunty Caroline and cousin Daniel (I have 2 cousin Daniels, this is my first cousin once removed). What a busy time we've had. I'm quite glad to be home now, so I can catch up on my sleep, back in my own cot, and play in my playroom. I'll be seeing Granny and Grandpa Meikle tomorrow, and my mate Isobel, so I'd better make sure I'm on top form.

Saturday 15th March 2008

I've been ill again this week. I'd had a cough for ages, which was just on the mend, when I seemed to catch something else. It's been very nasty with a cough, a cold and a nasty eye infection. My friend Isobel who came to play on Tuesday also has an eye infection, and I think she caught it from me - sorry Boo. Mummy and daddy have been wrestling me to the ground 4 times a day to put antibiotic drops in my eyes, which I don't like very much at all, I can tell you. I make a right song and dance when they try to do it. I know that the drops will help to stop my eyes being all sticky and itchy, but I really do object to them being put in :-(. Mummy has also been boiling the kettle in my room to create steam to stop me coughing - it's a bit like a sauna - I think mummy secretly likes it, it must remind her of being at a Spa! I was well enough to go to nursery yesterday though, and I had a great time again. I really didn't want to come home at all at the end of the day! An exciting bit of news is that I've cut my first tooth! Yes finally it's here. At the bottom on the right hand side. You can't really see it, but I can feel it with my tongue, and I even let mummy feel it with her finger if I'm in a good mood. Having a new tooth means I can knaw a lot better on rice cakes and other finger food. Talking of food, being ill certainly hasn't put me off my food, although I did manage to decorate mummy and daddy's cream carpet with a pungent cocktail of tomatoes, carrots and blueberries, when I had a coughing fit upstairs and made myself sick from coughing - whoops! I don't think they were very impressed, expecially not mummy, who got it all over her clothes as well! Oh well, at least none of it went on me - I was rather proud of myself for that! Mummy has been making lots of new yummy food for me over the last couple of days. She's even made me a chicken curry. Yum, yum - I'm looking forward to trying it. I hear the twins are getting on well, and gaining weight well now, which is good news. There's a picture of them on the left, and then on the right there's cousin Daniel feeding his little brother. Isn't he clever? The twins will be big enough for me to play with in no time. I'll be at nursery on Wednesday next week, as we're off to Durham on Friday for Easter to see Great Gran. I can't wait.

Saturday 8th March 2008

Mummy and I have been out for a solo buggyfit this morning. This is because mummy will be doing the Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research on July 6th and she needs to get a bit fitter, so that she can run round rather than walk like she did last time she did it! You can sponsor her by clicking on the link to her fundraising page on the left. Mummy is doing the race in memory of her granny who died when mummy was only as old as I am now, and also specially for her friend Melanie's daddy, who is sick in hospital at the moment. GET WELL SOON Mr EVANS! Anyway, we did so well this morning that we deserved a full English breakfast in the cafe in Ardington after our exercise. I chewed on a piece of toast whilst mummy put all those lost calories back into her body! As I was sitting in the high chair at the cafe, I discovered something rather exciting. I was busy reading about the history of Ardington and the Lockinge Estate near Wantage, and about Colonel Sir Robert James Loyd-Lindsay, who was Baron Wantage of Lockinge(1832-1901). It turns out that his wife, Lady Wantage, was Harriet Sarah Loyd, the only child and heiress of Lord Overstone, one of the richest men in the country, who endowed the couple with a considerable fortune and the Lockinge estate near Wantage. How funny that she should be called Harriet too, and that her middle name is Sarah, like mummy. I wasn't named after her, but I think it is a good story to tell everyone that I was named after Lady Harriet Wantage! Here's a picture of her, I think she's rather pretty, don't you?

Friday 7th March 2008

Well, I told you that the photos that mummy's friend Lisa took of me were fab, so here are just a few of them to show you. I'm very pleased with them, and so are mummy and daddy. I think I'm very photogenic, don't you? I think Lisa is a very good photographer. Thank you Lisa.


I've seen my cousins this week. My new cousins Georgie and Joseph are very small, but still not as small as I was, or my mates Gene, Oscar and Isobel. I've told them that a lot of sleep and a lot of milk will mean they grow quickly, and soon they'll be big and strong just like me. Anyway, mummy and I went over to see them all on Thursday. We took some of mummy's milk with us to help Auntie Emma to feed the twins, and we also took some of my little clothes for Georgie. I was very pleased that I could help by donating some of my milk and clothes to them.

Today I've had my first full day at nursery. Can you believe it? Mummy dropped me off at 8.15am, and then was a lady of leisure for the day. She had coffee with Alex and his mummy who live near my nursery, and then she spent the afternoon with Oscar, Gene and their mummies before picking me up again at 5.15pm, when I could tell her all about my day. I had a lovely time playing with lots of new friends, but I was still pleased to see mummy, and daddy of course when he got home this evening to give me my bath. I ate lots of yummy new food at nursery - chicken stir fry for lunch and macaroni cheese for tea. I'll be back there next Friday to try it all again for size! It means that I'll be taking it all in my stride by the time I go there full time in June, when mummy goes back to work. I've got an exciting day tomorrow, as mummy and daddy are taking me swimming. I haven't been for ages, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Saturday 1st March 2008

Today has been an exciting day, as my new cousins arrived early this morning. Auntie Emma was induced yesterday, but luckily theydidn't arrive on 29th February, but on 1st March. Ladies first as they say, and so it was this morning with the twins. First out was Georgiana Katherine, born at 3:37am weighing 5 lbs ½ oz. T hen her brother Joseph David arrived at 4:18am weighing 5 lbs 10½ oz - more than twice what I weighed when I was born! Anyway. I won't meet them for a while, as I'm not allowed in the hospital, but mummy is going to meet them tomorrow, and I'm hoping that I'll see them soon. Welcome to the world Abbey twins, and well done Auntie Emma. I hope you recover quickly and feel better soon.By the way mummy and daddy went to a wedding in London today and Granny Judy babysat for me. It was very exciting and I had a lovely time with her. Thank you granny Judy. xx