Wednesday 25 August 2010

18 months

Eighteen months ago today I was exhausted but elated and full of wonder, looking at my new little daughter. Now she's a little girl, a toddler, really no longer a baby.

A few days ago she said her first sentence, "I like seagulls", and tonight in the bath she did a lot of drill impressions and then said "drill!" and beamed at me cheekily. It's a word she learnt this afternoon after pointing to a man with a drill on her jigsaw puzzle. When she heard Adriano open the front door she said clearly "Daddy's home" and gave a little squeal of excitement.

I tried to write down the words she said today. I got as far as : puzzle, balloon, fairy, off, cup, bowl, book, ball, 'Mummy read it', dinosaur, dolly, teddy, bird, cow, pig, elephant, dog, cat, 'I like stories', toys, children, ...and then I gave up as it's a never ending task now.

She can count to 12!

I'm so ridiculously proud of her every move. Can you tell?

The truth is, I'm quite sure if she wasn't doing all these things yet, I would love her every bit as much. I feel so connected to her. She gives the most gorgeous hugs these days, really wrapping herself around me, or cuddling my legs if I'm standing. Every morning when she wakes up (hideously early) I feel like I can't bear to be dragged from sleep, but within a few minutes she has usually won me over with her chatter.

I'm so lucky to have her, and this love in my life.






Wednesday 18 August 2010

Why do I look so ghostly?

Adriano and I celebrated 2 years of marriage a few weeks ago. I think we're doing great! We stayed at my parents' house so we could leave G there while we went out in the evening - the first time we've done that since she was born.

August update

Feeling a bit low today. Isolated, bored, emotional, uninspired, inadequate, frustrated.
Somewhere in there I'm also happy and grateful too.

Little G is going to be 18 months old in a week's time. I am biased of course, but her vocabulary astounds me every day. She has started to put 2 or 3 words together, e.g. 'mummy's tea' or 'flags up there'. It's very exciting to see her develop at all, let alone so fast. Sometimes we go to the corner shop, walking together without the pushchair. She holds my hand and walks purposefully up the road with me, pointing at things she sees - 'red car', 'wi(n)dow', 'flower', 'bin', 'door', 'cat'. Occasionally she'll stop and examine something more closely. When we get to the shop, the owner always says hello very enthusiastically, and when prompted she replies 'he-yo', and waves and maybe smiles.

I take her to a rather rowdy local playgroup (I suppose they all are). She holds her own with the shouters and roarers and pushers, all of whom are older and taller than her. I am so proud. She struts off confidently to explore the table of plastic dinosaurs, the table of puzzles, the table of trains, the toy kitchen, the book corner. Every now and then she'll look round for me and maybe bring me something to look at - a plastic tomato, or a baby doll, or a picture book.

I'm in love.

About Me

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* proud new mother * last child * youngest daughter * tallest sister * favourite auntie * honest lover * furtive photographer * diary writer * compulsive dancer * tree hugger * mooncup promoter * chocolate taster * house plant murderer *