W-w-w- .. almost one!

Crikey. There were times I never thought we'd make it this far.  But tomorrow, the Monkey turns a whole one, and his parents will celebrate their one-year anniversary of parenthood with copious amounts of champagne and cake .  AFTER he's in bed, of course!

I have been keeping notes on Monkey development, but somehow never found time to publish.  Part of this was due to the fact that I wanted to draw daft MS-paint pics for the blog entries, but the all-new-baby-safe computer position means no mouse any more (PLUS I have to stand to use the computer!).  YOU try drawing recognisable pictures with a computer nipple - go on, I dare ya!

So to recap most of May:

We all came down with the hideous stomach virus. Some of us lost 4kg (fortunately not the Monkey!).   If you're looking for a sure-fire way to shed the last of your pregnancy kilos, I can't recommend a more brutally effective solution.

As to milestones of various kinds:

Physical:  the Monkey is still very much a crawler and a cruiser, but in the last couple of weeks, he has started his first fumbling steps.  We're members of a toy library here, so I checked out a walker, to see if he'd be into it.  Turns out he is!  He can get to his feet using the walker, and then push off in a straight line until he runs up against an obstacle.  Unfortunately, he still hasn't reached the level of sophistication you get in those toy cars which can reverse and power off in another direction.  He just keeps shoving forward until he face-plants into both the walker and the obstruction.  I'm assuming there's a learning process at work here.

Verbal: No real recognisable first words as yet.  Plenty of "da-da-de-di" type noises, which Hubs is certain means "Daddy".  Fine.  But then they also mean "Mummy", and "Cat", and "Ceiling", and "Light switch".  What he DOES do, is make his attempt at a "miaow" noise when he sees either of the cats, or when he recognises a cat in a book.  He also roars for anything vaguely resembling a lion. And I *do* mean vague.  Apparently he roared at a plate with a doily on it the other day.  You can see his point. Kinda.   He also seems to use "ma-ma-maa" to mean "I want".  If there's something he desperately yearns for that he can't get, it's all "mamamamaaaaa" in a suitably waily tone.  If he's just being chatty and conversing, or labelling random things in a good-natured way, then we hear "de-di-da-da", plus untranscribable nasal snufflings, snortings, and wet splurtings.

Cognitive:  Books are no longer just for eating!!  Yay!  Not that there's any pressure on him or anything ....
Anyway, now it's hard to tear him away from them, and our dressing routing in the evening goes: "Nappy first .. no darling - nappy before book. Yes, just hold still, and THEN we can read it ..  Ok .. (insert book 1 here).  Pyjama bottoms now.  Look, don't flip about like that, it makes it all go much slower .. just sit STILL please .. (insert book 2 here) .. Ok, yes, we can have another book, but your top first, ok? BOTH arms in, thank you.  No, we have to button it first - yes, ALL the buttons ... etc etc .. "  Yes, I could be much harder, but hey.  I kinda like reading to him.

Anyway, there's plenty more in my notes, but those are all the essentials.  With any luck I'll get back on track with posts. Hmmm.