Eleven Months

I left your baby book in Zurich, little Bean, so I haven't filled in your eleven months page yet. I thought I'd do it here now so that I don't forget everything (though I'm a bit late!) and can pop it all in your book when we get home.

What Can You Do? (I kind of covered this in the last post, which I actually wrote a day before your eleven-month-old day. You have acheived so much more in the past twelve days, it is unbelievable! So I need to forget about those things at the moment... )
You started waving and banging, which is just so cute to see! You started playing hide and seek with other people, instead of waiting for them to do it with you - you hide behind curtains, chairs or your stroller and giggle your little heart out playing with whoever will watch. You have discovered how doors work now and will spend so long just opening and closing, getting stuck behind or infront, or opening the fly-screen door and standing there precariously at the top of the step, one hand on the doorframe and one on the sliding door, just waiting to tumble out. And as far as walking goes, you've prioritised talking for the moment and are going great guns with that. You are walking well (and running!) just holding onto one finger for security... I think you'll walk for the first time without realising it! We just have to figure out how to trick you into doing it.

Your Personality (I love writing about this every month and discovering how you change!)
You are a very careful and cautious little thinker. You always consider everything before jumping in - whether it be holding a new person's hand, trying some kiwi fruit, or stepping onto gravel for the first time. You're also not so keen on surprises (just like your mama!) and sure let everyone know about it if you are made to jump! Saying all this, you are very gentle and empathetic, never hurting anyone and always seeming to be worried if anyone around you seems sad. You can also be very silly, which simply must be my absolute favourite thing about you. You make me laugh like nobody else on this earth!

Your Favourite Things
You love going to visit the chooks at your Nanny and Pop's house, as well as being pushed around in their wheelbarrow. I still call you my little Swarovski boy because of your love of all things sparkly, particularly your little Digby book. You still love playing with bouncing balls, just chasing them around a room and watching how they react to different surfaces... I can see the gears of your brain ticking as you learn! Your favourite thing must be dancing, though, and your laughter while we swing you around is unparalleled in its cuteness!

Growing up and going out

Hello my little sleeping bubbaloo!

I am so impressed with you, little one. As usual, because I haven't written to you for two weeks, there are a thousand things to update you on... at least a dozen things you have achieved in that amount of time that I deem real milestones.

BUT. The biggest one for me? You seem to be really growing up. I realise that's pretty vague... but it's true. I don't have to worry about you so much anymore. You are becoming more and more capable and independent (please don't get TOO independent before you are one year old!) and our lives are changing because of it. We have been out to dinner together and you were a total superstar! You eat well, you eat what we eat a lot of the time, you are such a little social butterfly and you are just happy hanging out and watching the world around you while your Daddy and I finish our dinner too. This was huge for us. No crying, no fussing, nothing. Just a very happy little boy. It happened again yesterday, when we took you to the pub for 'breakfast beers' and lunch in remembrance of our friend Ben. You were surrounded by almost totally new faces and yet you were so happy just looking around, standing, having your own lunch on my lap (and throwing your peas across the floor... oops) and being passed around to all our doting friends. To top it off, we then went to visit more friends in the evening and their little 14 month old girl, and you were such a gorgeous little giggle pot, which is not surprising, as little girls always seem to make you giggle :) We stayed there for dinner, bathtime and bedtime, then transferred you back into the car (cry cry cry... but temporarily!) then into your bed, and huzzah! No drama! It's like we can really take you everywhere with us now and we are not stuck at home after 5pm. You are becoming such a big boy...

I swear you were both happier than this in real life...

I love you, more than I can ever explain. And I am so so so flipping proud of you for being such an amazing boy.

Love Mummy.

Things Daddy hasn't seen

Hi little Bean!

Your Daddy has been away for a week now, which really makes me realise how much you achieve in such a short space of time. You're just plain amazing!

He hasn't seen you wave yet, he hasn't seen you doing your hilarious bobbing dance to your play-school songs before bed, he hasn't seen you play hide-and-seek behind the curtains, he hasn't seen you stand up to open the fly screen door and crawl down the step so you can play outside. He hasn't seen your new hissy fits that you throw when you don't get what you want! He han't seen you clap my hand, or your hysterical giggles when other people clap their hands. He hasn't seen you talk to the magpies when they come and visit in the evening. He hasn't seen you pick up the ping-pong ball, pop it down the chute and then crouch down to find it in the maze underneath. He hasn't watched you play that funny game with your Nanny where you both put spoons in your mouth and bop them up and down. He hasn't watched your total joy as you clap your hands down on your thighs as I clap on the steering wheel to some catchy tune on the radio.

You're amazing, little boy.

I love you!

Love, Mummy.

Close to walking

Hello Possum!

Not a great photo of Nanna, but you look so smug :) haha

You met some important people in my life today - my Nanna and my two wonderful friends Dave and Marita. I love showing you off! I am so proud to have you as my boy. You are such a gentle, observant thinker, but still such a giggler and an explorer. Such beautiful traits.

 You must be so close to walking now, muffin. It seems like you barely hold onto my one hand anymore, and it's more of a security thing. I try to get you to stand alone, and it's become a funny game to you to stand on one foot when you know I'm about to let you go. You're such a funny thing! You've also started to bob up and down in mini-squats like you're dancing, which simply must be the cutest thing. You've been having lots of fun on the grass, getting to know and chatting with the magpies. Yesterday we played in the rain together, splashing in puddles and putting our heads under overflowing gutters. You give me such joy!

Freedom is naked
crawling in the rain! 

You waved for the first time a few days ago! To be totally honest, I'm not 100% sure if that's what is going on, or if it is just you practicing your banging in mid-air... but you do it in response to someone else waving to you! Very exciting. Now we just need some clapping, and I will be a super happy mama. :)

I'm missing your Daddy, bubbaloo. He's been in Sydney eight days now, six more to go. We Skyped with him this morning and it warms my heart watching your broad smile the entire time he speaks to you. I know you miss him too! He sure misses you.

I love you.

Love, Mummy.

My little talker!

Hello little muffin!

Yikes, it's tough to write to you every day while we are here in Oz. Instead of spending your nap time writing this letter, I spend it out on the verandah drinking tea and chatting with your Nanny. How luxurious for me! I'm not going to write about every single amazing thing that you have done or experienced over the last week... there are too many, and I'm sure that I've forgotten most of them by now anyway (which is largely why I try to write to you so often!). Instead, I'm going to focus on how you have changed since we have been here. 
The biggest change that I have seen is that you have suddenly become a real talker! Instead of behaving like the magpies and only using your vocal cords between 5 and 6pm each day, there is now a constant barrage of babble. I wonder if it is because you are surrounded by conversation all day every day... I remember when your Nanny visited us when you were four months old, your babbling went bananas too! When it is just you and I all day in Horgen, I really focus on speaking to you about everything I am doing, asking you questions, ensuring that all of your 'words' are responded to. But there must be something different about listening to real conversation all day long. You now say a very specific 'Mama!' when you want me. You say 'ung ung ung' when you are hungry. You say 'Dada' and 'Nanny' and 'nini' and a whole host of other things that I am too clueless to decipher yet. But you are really working it! You are a joy to listen to. And when somebody imitates your sounds, you always have a little giggle. You are the sweetest little thing! Your walking hasn't really come on much more than it was a few weeks ago, but people tell me that you crazy babies either work on your talking or your walking. But I know you'll bang out those first steps before we head back to Zurich, for sure. 


You have finally settled here. You are back to your beautiful self - still sensitive and gentle, but also confident and fun-loving. Your Pop barely touched you, let alone held you, for the first week and a half of our visit, stating that you were obviously a very fragile little boy who had so many people throwing themselves at you, and that you would come to him when you were ready and comfortable. And of course, while I was popping up to the shops for some more formula and nappies for you, that happened. I missed it! But since then, you seem less scared of him (though always very coy! You funny little thing!) and he less scared of you. 




You're not remotely scared of your Nanny though! Gosh she loves you SO MUCH! It is the most beautiful thing to watch you both together. The other morning I was having a little sleep in and your Daddy was looking after you, but Nanny came and took over for a while. When I woke up at 8.30am, you were in your Nanny and Pop's bed, fast asleep. Nanny said that she was just cuddling you and you drifted off. AMAZING! Does she have some magic power that I didn't inherit? Haha.  I understand. She makes me feel like that too. She came home from work yesterday while you were gorging on watermelon (you love the stuff!) and you turned, grinned a watermelony grin, and proudly pronounced 'Nanny!', clear as a bell. You make her so happy, my bubbaloo. 

Your Aunty Jessy popped down for a very speedy visit on the weekend, and I'm sure that you remembered her from when she visited us in December. You were comfortable with her so quickly! Perhaps it is because she spent most of her time with you playing races... :) 

My friend Cadi visited us the other day with her two kiddies, Jethro and Jemima, and you played with them so well. I was so proud of you!Afterwards, she wrote the sweetest message: "R is adorable and clever. Such a sweet, thoughtful little boy." Isn't that the truth! 

I love you so much, my boy. So so so so much. 

Love, Mummy. 

P.S. This simply must be the most beautiful photo I have ever seen.