On The Move!

I'm so sorry that there are 2 "footnotes" back to back! Quite what that says about mine and Andy's differing time management skills I'm not sure;-/ 

SO! The Baby is Mobile! Life will never be the same again.....

He has been trying to crawl for a good few weeks now but would just give up after a few minutes but then one day last week, apropos of nothing in particular, he just figured it out. One knee in front of the other and he was OFF! I was so intrigued by his new skills that I moved his toys from one end of our living from rug to the other far more times than I care to admit just to watch him go after them. It was the best game of "fetch" I've ever played!

Of course, there is nothing more amazing than watching your baby develop new skills but it comes with a whole new set of rules doesn't it? Hunter is obsessed with our fire and it has been brass monkeys weather recently so I had a choice: either I could take him with me whenever I went about my business room to from in the Lily Pad, or I could get a playpen. Old Skool. Since he's a bit of a dead weight these days and I didn't fancy sharing my private ablutions with a 10 month old, the playpen won out. And it's fab! It's a Lindam one which is actually quite cosy and den-like when the padded floor is in there too. I can't wait til H is a bit older and we can put rugs and blankets over it and make it like a proper den/cave. (err, who is the grown up here?!).

I thought he might not like it but he loves it and I can get my jobs done knowing he is safe and sound and happily occupied with various noisy toys. I don't leave him in there for hours of course, but when I have ironing or other hazardous housewifely jobs to do, it is fantastic piece of mind.

So far, he hasn't shown much interest in the 6 stairs we have in our flat but when he does, I will get the old Lindam baby gate up too.

Andy and I really need to have a think about all the other potential hazards in our home. I see them EVERYWHERE I look but I can't wrap both the baby and the furniture in cotton wool so in the main, I make sure there is nothing within baby reach that he could choke on or that he shouldn't ingest and all glass ornaments are now out of small person grasp too.

As one of my NCT girls friends said last week about her little boy being on the move: "Sarah, it is a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL". And indeed it is.....

I have put up a couple of videos of the mobile Bear with this post: they were shot a week apart. What a difference a week makes, eh?  BEFORE

 AFTER

So in some ways, he is developing in leaps and bounds but in others, we are having very much a 2 steps forward, 1 step back parenting experience....as I write this, I can hear him shouting at me from his cot where he really should be napping:-/.

We've had a period of ill health for the first time in his life, poor thing:. Starting with a bit of norovirus that he kindly shared with Andy, his Grandma AND me. So generous, thank you Hunter;(. He seemed absolutely FINE after 6 hours though and didn't have any diarrhoea at all. Andy, my mum and I fared less better....(do babies bounce back quicker than us Olds?)

He was then off his food for a good few days and now has a big old tooth bothering him in tandem with a very snotty cold and a bit of a cough and then this morning we had an exploding nappy too. Deep, deep joy. Consequently, he is not settling very well for any of his naps. I think it is a combination of being so excited to continue to practise his new skills coupled with feeling really rather rubbish. Poor Bear. He has NO IDEA! He's going to feel pretty shit for pretty much the next 3 years. Poor Bugger.

So that's where we are now! MOBILE. CHATTY. SMILEY. And ILL;(.

Can you believe he will be 1 next month? Blimey! And I am 40... Tick tock, tick, tock....

About time we started thinking about number 2 isn't it Andy? I will leave him the right to reply to THAT little nugget....


Ciao my Beauties!

Happy boy at the Soft Play Area

Safe and Sound in his Lindam Play Pen.

You Looking At Me Auntie Fearne?!