Age = 11 months 11 days

We had friends over today, and there were still two raspberry buns left after we’d all politely had one each. Then when we turned away for a second, Linus decided it was time for him to have his one. Or to have the icing off his one, anyway.

Because he’s pretty much a year old (plus because he’s capable of grabbing almost anything he wants anyway!) I’ve relaxed a lot about what food he can have, so this didn’t phase me. Everyone else in his life seems to take great pleasure from giving him salty and sugary and fatty things, so I think I’m fighting a losing battle (and setting myself up as the bad guy) if I try too hard to control it.

Age = 11 months 8 days

About a week ago I got Bug his first toothbrush (along with some kiddy toothpaste). I’m trying to make brushing his teeth part of his bedtime routine. There are two problems with this plan:

1. I keep forgetting to do it, so in just over a week I think we’ve only done it three times; and
2. We can’t really brush his teeth. We can stick the toothbrush in his mouth and move it around a bit. He can grab it off us and chew on it. But there’s no real “brushing”action.

Ah well. It’s one of those things that’s more about creating habits than about doing it exactly right.

And of course about having a toothbrush with three cute little ducks on it!

Age = 11 months exactly

I’ve been hiding this shameful secret for the past month or so, but I have to tell someone – Daddy and I are absolutely besotted with Bug!

Sure, we kinda loved him a few months ago, and even liked him some of the time. But now he’s just heavenly!! He has the occasional bad moment, and he’s not the easiest boy to get solids into, but 95% of the time he’s being happy or funny or cute or cheeky or (just lately) cuddly or some combination of the above.

He amuses himself with his toys for long stretches of time, often without even having one of us in the room with him. He giggles when we tickle him or look at him the right way. He babbles away in the car seat. He’s starting to interact with babies his own age, and is delightful when he plays with his 4-year-old friend RR. He gives us big sloppy kisses. He’s occasionally almost gentle with the cats (probably by accident while he’s trying to get a good grip! )

Possibly the whole sleep thing is having a huge effect on our smittenness. Bug goes to sleep extremely easily at bedtimes now. We give him a song and a quick cuddle, put him in his cot, and at least half the time he goes straight to sleep. When he doesn’t, he’ll often be quickly soothed by a few pats on the back or gentle rocking. This has even worked a few times in the portacot out at Granny and Pop-pop’s, which has allowed us to go out for whole evenings.

He also tends to sleep all evening now, often giving a grizzle but resettling himself with no interference from us. His current habit (after going to sleep at 7pm) is to wake for a feed at around 11pm when I’m about to go to bed. He then sometimes wakes again during the night (then a quick feed is all he needs), then he wakes for the new day between 6am and 7am. He’s our alarm clock.

When Daddy and I are both home and Bug wakes up from a sleep, we go into his room together to get him up. We enjoy his sleeps because we can get some things done that we can’t when he’s awake, but it’s also very exciting to see him again so we can get more cuddles and smiles.

WE LOVE YOU BUG!!!

Age = 10 months 28 days

Bug was happily playing with his cardboard toybox in the dining room today while I did something motherly in the lounge. Suddenly I heard a clatter and a cry, so I raced casually through to find Bug’s legs kicking in the air over his head and shoulders, which were in the toybox! I guess he over-reached for a particularly desirable toy.

I’m cursing myself now that I rescued him immediately instead of first finding a camera and recording the moment for posterity!

Age = 10 months 28 days

After months of various people trying to teach Linus to wave, he seems to have worked it out at long last. His first real wave was delivered to his delighted Gaga, who definitely deserved it: he has determinedly waved bye-bye to Linus every week for months now, and now he has finally had something in return!

Linus isn’t always waving at exactly the right time and place, but he’ll work it out, and he loves the excited response he gets from people when he waves at them.

Today Linus also seems to have suddenly mastered clapping. We haven’t worked on this a lot with him, but now he’s got this highly valuable skill, we’ll have to start singing some clapping songs with him.