Saturday 31 July 2010

It truly must be love

Dear P,

My name's Mummy, and I'm a chocoholic.

There should be groups to go to for help with this. It's an addiction, and it has hold of me very tightly. It's the reason I'm not thin...or fit. One day I might work on both of those.

However, you're a pukey wee thing at 15 weeks old, and it was suggested by a friend that you may have a dairy intolerance. Dairy? I thought....I don't eat that much dairy. Hmmmm I didn't think about the chocolate issue.

But I am trying. Daddy bought me a load of dark chocolate, I discovered soya milk hot chocolate, and I'm doing my best. I even scoured the dairy free menu for TGI Friday's for lunch today. I won't say I don't miss it, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't give it all up for anyone else, but it'll be interesting. I can't decide whether or not it's working. I haven't had that warm wet feeling of regurgitated milk running down my cleavage for a few days...but then I'm more careful where I sit you these days.

Maybe it'll work. Less puking would be good....but I'm not sure how long I want to be without decent chocolate!! Still, it shows you how much I love you.

Much love,
Mummy x

Questions and answers

Dear E,

Sometimes Mummy just doesn't know why.

That's all.

Love,
Mummy x

Out of the mouths of babes...

Dear E,

You make me laugh. A lot. You're always rabbiting on and often it's hilarious. Occasionally it's embarrassing though...and I suspect that won't end any time soon.

Recently, you've been going through a phase of telling people what animal they are. Daddy is a monkey (obviously!) - always has been and always will be. I'm a lion, and I quite like that. You were doing it at nursery the other day, and Sarah was (as she has taught you!) "cool". She likes that. You're scrumptious, she's cool. Fair enough. I don't think she got an animal - cool is enough for anyone.

Anyway, she asked what Charlotte was (you love Charlotte....as do I, she did some of her nursery nurse training in my Year 1 class when I was pregnant with you and she was fab!). Charlotte was a lion- quite a compliment. So, on to Tracy. Your reply came without needing much thinking about....."Tracy's a cow," you said, with a smile.

It's a good job she knew how to take that!

Love you cheeky bear,
Mummy x

Friday 2 July 2010

Little Miss Chatterbox......in duplicate!

Dear P,

Speech development is an amazing thing. From the gurgles that you give us now (aged less than 3 months) to adult speech and comprehension is a long journey. Both Grandma and Nanna often ask you, "What are you telling me?", as though you really are telling a story. Your little round face does get very animated as you smile and gurgle. I wonder if you do know something you're trying to tell us.

Only today you were crying when we had picked E up from nursery. E was most concerned, but I told her it was because you were hungry. I knew that you were due a feed as I had woken you to go collect your big sister. I told her that you were trying to tell us that you wanted your tea, but you didn't have the words. I wonder if that was what you were thinking. Have you worked out what that rumbly feeling in your tumbly really means? Are you telling me off, chatting with me, or genuinely hurting? I wish I knew.

I can't wait for the Dadada, bababa and eventually Mama sounds to come from you. Will you get a word in edgeways (or even sideways or anyways, as Roger Hargreaves would say!) with your big sister around? Who knows. I'm looking forward to finding out though!
Love Mummy x


Dear E,

You're a chatterbox. There's no two ways about it...you just never shut up. I guess I should be grateful you don't talk in your sleep really! I don't know where you get it from, but you do like to talk! An old advert for BT used to say, "It's good to talk" and you have discovered this early.

I remember writing a list of your words - the Baby Centre monthly email was telling me you should have 50 odd words, but your list was in the hundreds. And it just keeps growing.

Your pronunciation is pretty clear, and most people can understand most things you say. I remember a few months ago Daddy was showing off to Grandpa with things you could say. The conversation went a bit like this :
Daddy : E, can you say 'discombobulate'?
E : (Perfectly) Discombobulate.
Daddy : Can you say 'dehumidifier'?
E : (Perfectly) Dehumidifier.
Grandad : (Cheekily) Can you say 'supercalifragilisticexpealidocious'?
E : (With perfect timing and teenage disdain!) No!

It really was very funny! A little while later, Auntie Claire taught you to say supercalifragilisticexpealidocious. It was in two stages and split into syllables, but it was impressive. Then on holiday with Grandpa, I got you to say it to him. He was very impressed and told you that you were so clever you could have a sweetie! That made your day, so you chewed carefully, swallowed the sweet and then promptly said it again........"Can I have another sweetie, Grandpa?" came the request! He tried so hard not to laugh as he told you that it didn't just work like that! Two weeks on, and if it gets mentioned, you still try saying it in case you get another treat!

There aren't many things you say wrong. Elephant is said as ephelant but you're even growing out of that now at 33 months. The only one that really confuses you is fear. "That dog's scared of me, Mummy" you tell me often. Bless you for being scared, and bless you more for getting it back to front. Very endearing!!

I love chatting to you now, even though "What are you doing, Mummy?" repeated ad infinitum is irritating!!! Half an hour in the car on the way back from Grandma and Grandpa's, or nursery, is enough to just about finish me off, but you're entertaining. Always make me smile.

Love you little one,
Mummy x