First Steps

(image from Cruising Baby)

With bated breath we waited the day when you would start taking your first steps unaided. But first we knew you had to find balance on those little legs of yours and with being slightly top heavy we didn’t think you would go from standing unaided to taking your first steps.

However in one quick movement you had stood from a sitting position and then with joy all over your face you quickly stepped into my arms. Yeah William

By the end of the week I’m sure you will have mastered both and will soon no longer need your little lion walker to chase me around the house.

Birthday Celebrations

We all know that the 1^st birthday celebrations are more for the parents than the child that is actually turning 1. And while this was defiantly the case you sure did love the extra attention and the space/freedom of the venue where we held the party.

With everything being based around your love of making Native American noises (patting hand over the mouth) the party took on a Wild West/Cowboy and Indian feel. Your invites were based on a wanted poster, I made you a tepee and everyone Native American headdresses (as party hats). I sourced props for the tables and cake along with decorations for the café/grounds.

We borrowed some toys from the toy library and along with some of your toys you and your friends had such a good time. You especially loved pushing your little lion around and around the courtyard. I played a few games with the older children while the adults chatted and looked on at all the fun everyone was having.

And while it gave us a chance to spend some time our family and friends and thank them for sharing and supporting us over the last year. The highlight was simply watching you have a wow of a time. Oh how I wish you would be able to remember the day.

12mths - Not a baby anymore

Dear William

This month has been a little more full/busier than normal what with preparation of your birthday party and me going back to work in an office on a casual basis one day a week and paper work for Ezy Kids Parties and the odd party/function. But a lot of the busyness was the preparation for your BIG 1st birthday party; more about that latter.

This month’s first milestone was you drinking and tipping your sippy cup without assistance. While it may seem like an odd milestone to mention it’s been great as you indicate when you’re thirsty by pointing at it or if it’s in reach you’ve been helping yourself. While you have mastered the sippy style drink cups/bottles you’re a little confused by the straw style ones as to why you don’t get anything out of them when you tip and suck.

While it’s not a favourite game of yours you have started to enjoy the odd game of peek-a-boo. One particular night I threw the towel over your head while I was dressing you and you quickly pulled it down and when I said BOO, you pulled it up again and we contained this until the game became boring. It was rather cute especially when your eye lashes were still wet and you were looking all cute and clean.

As I mentioned before I went back to work in an office this month! While we have been noticing your reaction to separation it was defiantly noticed this month. First day of leaving you at home for a full day, you must have known something was up as I said good bye to you and your Dad (while you were eating breakfast) your face started to turn from a satisfied look to a look of sheer terror followed closely by many tears. Apparently the crying and tears didn’t last long as you were distracted by food. But on my return oh boy was I showered with hugs. A week and a half later (the 3rd time I left you all day) at 9:30 I received a call from your Dad reporting in that you had for the first time said MUM MUM MUM. Oh how my heart quickly sank, but I didn’t let it worry me as I knew I would soon be hearing it for myself. Sure enough not long after I arrived home that night I opened the fridge door to start preparing dinner for you; only to hear MUM MUM MUM, such music to my ears. While I’ve only worked 3 whole days so far we have found that what will be 1-2 days a week will work really well and be good for all concerned. Most times I will work Friday and either your Dad you’re his parents will look after you. Not a lot will be accomplished this day but my mind is at ease knowing that you will be well looked after and you will form special bonds with all.

The week that we decided to join you up with a talent agent (model/TV/movie roles) I took you to have your first hair cut. While your hair is slowly getting longer and thicker it was starting it look a little dishevelled especially in the mornings. So before we went into see the agent I took you for a quick little trim around the ears just to give you a cleaner look. While it wasn’t a fantastic cut (you kept moving to look at what the hairdresser was doing) it defiantly gave way to your facial features taking centre stage.

Ever since you started with the Native American noises I decided to make you a tepee that I’ve wanted to make ever since I first saw one at our friends place many years ago. This quickly turned into the idea to make it for your birthday which was fast approaching! So for one-two months I have been Googling patterns and pictures, sourcing/buying fabric, measuring, cutting and sewing. Ahhh but more about the tepee and your birthday celebrations, in the next post.

Practising doing a Native American noise

By the end of the month you have lost your appetite for almost everything other than Vita Brixs, toast/bread and fresh/dried fruit. Originally I thought it had to do with the gastro bug you picked up but as the week/month closed and 2-3 weeks latter your still not eating much of anything else I suspect it has to do more with the teeth that seem to be troubling you. With your 5th tooth cutting trough as the month rolled by and others close behind I suspect that this appetite you have will continue for a few more weeks yet.

Eatting fruit - who me? I'm not eatting anything

As much as I’ve been looking forward to taking you to the aquarium for your birthday the day came upon me with a little apprehension. We started the day off with milk in bed as you arose a little earlier than normal and somewhat grumpy (teeth I suspect). When you had finished milk and a quick little nap (1-1.5hrs latter) you sat up and then laid on top of me and gave me a hug and kiss. You may or may not have meant any of it BUT it made my morning and defiantly made me feel special and it felt like you thanked me for the past year. Once you had breakfast we joined some of our friends for coffee/breakfast (Jess, Priya, Mel, Sarah, Theresa, Eli, Andrea and Griffin) before moving onto the aquarium with Mel and Sarah. The penguins were defiantly the highlight of the visit with the big fish (sharks/stingrays), big bright fish and jelly fish a close second. The day finished with your Dad and me singing happy birthday to you at 6:11pm with tears in my eyes.

Reaction to seeing the penguins

Below are some things we got up to this month.
• 49 weeks – Drinking from a sippy cup by yourself and play peek-a-boo.
• 49.5 weeks – Cut 3rd Tooth
• 50.5 weeks – Family trip to the footy
• 51 weeks – Cut 4th Tooth , 1st hair cut and signed up to a model/film etc agent.
1st time I left you for a whole day
• 12mths – Started saying Mum and cut 5th tooth.
We made it my sweet little boy! Your now one and not a baby any more, oh but don’t worry you will always be my baby boy no matter how old you are. Love you more today than yesterday and I promise to love you more and more each and every day.

Last photos as a 11mth old

Last photos as a 11mth old - chasing me while I'm trying to take photos

Last photos as a 11mth old

As you are now past the ‘baby’ months this will be my last monthly post. Posts will now move onto something less or more frequent as we enjoy special moments or I have something that I would like to share with you (that I hope one day you will read).

Happy Birthday William may the year ahead be filled much more joy and happiness than you have already given me.

11mths - Walking and Falling

Dear William

When you were younger nearly every week you accomplished something new, while your still accomplishing new and wonderful things they are further apart and it’s more personality traits that we are seeing on a weekly basis (come to think of it maybe it’s almost daily). I’ve never been one for keeping a journal so when I decided that I really wanted to keep one for you to look back on, I’ve been making more of effort, however including LP’s Journey it’s been over a 1½ now and considering past journals (in my teens) only ever lasted about a month I have to say I’m doing well. But saying this I’ve noticed more and more I’m just enjoying the moments and forgetting to document them. But just so you know, it’s not a reflection on how much I love you. In fact, if it’s possible I love you more as I’m not documenting everything and just living in the moment and enjoying it with you.

This month I was busy with 3 weeks of freelance work so it made the month fly by. While you slept I worked and when you were up you helped me do house work followed by having lots of fun playing. For a few months now you have loved to play with the vacuum cords and pipes. Now that your more mobile you love to follow the vacuum around and when I’ve put the vacuum down you take over and start pushing it around; it makes me smile every time. And it was the sweetest thing when out of no were you just started handing me the washing from the basket. You don’t really wait for me to take the 1st item before grabbing the next but it’s very sweet of you to help and it makes me chuckle as you hold your hand up say ta and do it all over again. While at the start of the month you didn’t want to let me out of your site, by the end of the month your happier to play by yourself for ½ hour or so before you want to be by my side helping or just watching what I’m doing.

For some time now when you were crying/whinging or making loud noises at inappropriate times or for no reason I would pat your mouth so you would make an Indian noise or should I say Native American noise. I would then do it to myself so you would see it as a game. At the start of this month you started to copy me, even moving my hand from your mouth to mine so we would take it in turns. You love this game and we often play Indian’s or we will catch you playing by yourself.

You have developed a rather cute and quite an amusing habit where you shake your little head from side to side, a little like your saying no but it’s more amorous and you have an open mouth with very cheeky eyes. The first time you did it was at playgroup and you had all of us in stitches. You have continued to do it throughout the month at different times throughout the day, quite often at meal time when your being cheeky but also when you’re having fun playing or showing off. Speaking about showing off; from day one you have been able to turn heads with your smile and bright shining blue eyes. These days you might grab people’s attention with your smile or eyes but it’s your happy personally that pulls them in and then your performance that makes them laugh. Not only have you mastered flirting you have also been caught kissing girls. You normally just kiss one (Bella-Rose) but you have also given Sarah-Iris a few as well. I would like to worn you know, while your young it’s cute but when you’re older I won’t allow it.

Giving Bella-Rose a BIG kiss

Your very good at pulling yourself up now on to almost everything, and everything that is in arms reach becomes a item to practise your throwing, which is becoming better by the day. One day you sent your Dad absolutely mad; unknowingly you picked up his wallet and threw it into your ball pit. When your Dad went to get it so he could go out, you sent him mad looking for it. Never the less when I now say things like you need put things where they belong or don’t leave things out just so they are convenient he doesn’t retort anymore.

Once you started pulling yourself up I started helping you learn how to walk with your lion (walk and ride toy). It didn’t take you long to take your first steps followed by you being able to pull yourself up onto it. I often see you cheat by just walking on your knees, which is amusing to watch. I often see you pushing things along on your knees with a great big smile on your face or you chatting to yourself. It’s such a joy to see you so happy. Within a week or so of using the lion to walk you started to furniture walk and with all the standing and walking you soon started having some tumbles and falls. Most have been nothing more than a bruise but we have had a scratch to the corner of your eye (so close and so lucky) and a bitten/grazed (with blood) inner lip. And as your still learning and experiencing the joys of your legs I’m sure there will be plenty more tumbles and falls (now and for the next 15 years or so). And just before the month is out you stood by yourself momentarily, so I’m now getting ready for the walking to begin (which I’m looking forward to, as much as people are saying enjoy the time while you’re not walking).

Walking at the Grandparents with a walk and ride

While you may not be saying Mum yet (or Dad, directed at Dad), we can defiantly say your language is developing. You love to talk on the phone; and when you’re being a bit of a grump I know that calling Dad will change your mood and you will bubble away at the phone, most of the times it’s very loud and it’s hard to get a word in edge wise. We are quite sure that you understand a number of words as you seem to indicate or say them at the correct time.
• Woof (when you see or hear a dog)
• Bird (you point or look towards the bird)
• Duck and maybe also quack (pointing to or me holding the bath ducks)
• Eddie and Tat (both directed at our cat)
• Bye with a wave (not every time we are saying goodbye but you’re getting better)

Your appetite increased this month. Early in the month you began to want morning and afternoon snacks which was closely followed by wanting more an breakfast. Also once I upped your Vita Brits from 2 to 3 you seemed to be a lot happier and less needy in the morning. Afternoons are still a little trying at times and even after a bowl full of grapes you still appear to be unsatisfied. Sometimes it’s just a matter of distraction while other times an early dinner is called for.

Afternoon tea with friends (favourite snack - grapes)

The front top teeth have been getting closer and closer but we are still waiting. And while you’re still wanting breast milk I’m happy for them to stay at bay for a little longer. Just wish your little bottom would stop blistering every other day. The list of new foods is getting shorter by the month, Really must try you with peanuts but as you don’t really like to eat bread that much I haven’t bothered. New foods included;
• Dew Melon
• Hot Cross Bun
• Unsweated Easter Chocolate

Yes this was the chocolate

Below are some things we got up to this month.
• 45 weeks – Walking with the Lion.
• 46 weeks – Furniture Walking.
• 46.5 weeks – Saying Woof and Eddie
• 47 weeks – Due to you enjoying music we began Mini Maestros.

• 48 weeks – Saying bye and waving
• 48.5 weeks – Saying duck/quack.

Nandaly Streaker

Playing ball with Eddie

Having fun at Bella-Rose's dress-up birthday party

Happy 11mth Birthday Little Curser
Oh my ...... your almost 1.
Everyone says it; but where did the time go and were you really that small.