Sitting On A Sunny Afternoon

Today was hard at work.  I physically ached all day long.  I still feel sad and a bit

But I had my little Joel to cheer me up at the end of the day.

I collected him early from nursery and he was a happy little chappy!  I was told that he'd eaten all his lunch and tea today, he's been sleeping from 11-2 and missing lunch time, but as he's eating on his own later, he seems to be less distracted.

We then nipped to Argos and got a paddling pool which I promptly blew up for him and filled with his play balls.  We then spent an hour or so in the garden once I'd mowed the lawn playing with the balls which he loved, then he found the peg basket which provided more entertainment.

After a fun bath time (which was over when he decided to stand up and try to climb out) he got very tired very quickly and after some milk went happily to bed in just his vest as it's a very hot night again.

He really is so very clever.  He takes his shoes and tries to get them on his feet.  He uses the brush and tries to brush his hair and thinks it's so funny when he tries to brush my hair.  He loves brushing his teeth with me.  We both stand over the sink and grin at each other whilst cleaning our toothy pegs.

He's still not quite walking.  He doesn't have the confidence to step out on his own yet, but he loves toddling around with his walker and pushing his ride on toy thing.  He gets round the furniture very fast and loves exploring.  His one aim in life at home is to get to new places, be it the dining room, up the stairs or the bathroom.  The stairs are too steep and he can't quite manage them, but he loves trying as long as one of us are there behind him.

Playing is all he really has time for at the moment.  Cuddles are for the morning and sometimes at night time but when he's ready for bed he lets us know!  In fact, for someone who doesn't speak, you always know what he means, what he wants and what he's trying to say!  Mummummummumum is for when he's upset, wants me, wants me to do something (like when I'm hurridly making him a sandwich because he's hungry!!).

He likes to try and take my glasses from my face and I tell him 'no' and if he does it again, I say 'no' again more firmly, and he normally goes for a third try, so I put on the floor and then he'll cry until I pick him and we make friends again.  (Not that we were ever not friends of course, it's hard to try to teach him the right thing when I'm giggling inside at him!).  He does try to be good though.  He is just very playful and curious.  He'd developing quite a character.

He loves his blankie, and it's his comfort, but he's noticed that a lot of other babies have dummies and he got scratched at nursery for trying to take one from another baby, so I gave him one the other day and he thought it was brilliant.  He didn't suck it, but he held it, looked at it, and chewed on it before dropping it over the side of his buggy so I've bought him another just so he doesn't feel left out!

There's so much he's learning every day and he's so much fun to be around.  I just hope my working part time dreams come true some time soon.  I know I'm so very lucky to have him in my life.