Discovering the Summertime

Hello my little one!

I'm having so much fun with you lately, watching you discover summer. Every day lately I've been making sure we go down to the lake for some time on the grass to explore the general outside world, to learn how a dry stick floats in water, that you can pull the heads off little daisies, that grass is not as tasty as the leaves from our mint plant, and that dogs do poos too. You totally thrive in such a big area, free to roam and waddle after little ducks,  to stoop down to inspect an ant, or to topple over backwards when your head is tilted so far back watching a bird fly overhead.

I've had to buy you some shoes, would you believe, so that we can take very slow walks to the Migros or the post office, stopping to pick up a pebble here or there, to play with the soil in the flower boxes, or just to crouch down for a moment to check out the world from a new perspective. Your walking tends to draw a lot of attention  and a lot of cooing about how super adorable you are waddling around in only semi-control.

You're asleep right now, it's nearly midnight, and seeing as you have a second sense about sunrise and the fact that it is happening around 5am lately, I should go to  sleep.

Oh how I love your little cute everything.
Love Mummy. X

Walking!

Ah my little bubbaloo. 

You are a walker!!!!  A real toddler! You really MUST be the cutest little walker that ever graced this earth. You plod plod plod around (you were never a stealthy crawler either, bubba) with your arms up and waggling for balance, occasionally stopping to correct yourself as if on a tightrope. So so so cute! And you are obviously so proud of yourself, always checking that we are watching.

I'm so proud of you, little Bean. You've been walking just a few steps here and there over the last few days, but you really got into it today! I'm very excited to take you to krabbelgruppe tomorrow to show you off.

Love you, cutie.
Love Mummy.

One year ago...

Your first morning, about 14 hours old

 One year ago, you were one day old. Last night your daddy and I watched a video of you as a one day old baby and tried to remember. I wish I had filmed you for an hour, watching your little face make tiny movements, your little tongue peek out to say hello and tell me that you are getting hungry, your little mittened hands swiping away at your perfect squishy face. I remember the feeling of being so far out of my depth, of having no idea what I had gotten myself into, of being suddenly conscious of the fact that my number one role in life from now on was to make sure that you kept breathing. I remember being amazed that I had not eaten or slept for three days (and I was not going to sleep for another three) and yet I felt like I could swim to Rottnest Island, run around it ten times, and perhaps lift a few trucks over my head for good measure.

This is happiness!

The next video we watched was of the first time we took you outside. You were in the baby-wrap, held tightly to your daddy's chest, peacefully snoozing away. I think this is the most precious video that I have ever seen (in fact I'm getting teary just thinking about it), just seeing your dad so incredibly overwhelmed with joy at being able to hold you. I'm sure you know this video, by the time you read this. I'm sure I'll make you watch it a hundred times.

I might NOT make you watch the video of me giving birth to you... Yikes. We watched it for the first time last night... and I don't want to talk about it any more than that. Yes, I love you, and yes, you were worth it!

One year old. You are such a little boy now. I know I'm technically not meant to call you a baby anymore, but you'll always be my baby. It has been such a joy to watch you overcome all the obstacles of your first year, to survive them with you, with your amazing dad at my side. To watch you grow into a real person with your own very distinct personality, with your gentle and thoughtful nature, with your cautious and careful way of dealing with new situations, with your incredible giggle!

I love you, bubbaloo. And I can't wait to watch you continue to discover this beautiful world around you, to push you out into it and watch you thrive. Though don't forget to keep giving me cuddles.

Big big big smooshy hug,
Love your mummy.

My beautiful boy, one year on.

One year later... I forget what it was like to have a boy who will be still for a moment!

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.