A Wish for my Children - Evangeline Paterson

On this doorstep I stand

year after year

to watch you going

and think: May you not

skin your knees. May you

not catch your fingers

in car doors. May

your hearts not break.

May tide and weather

wait for your coming

and may you grow strong

to break

all webs of my weaving.

Is that all??

You have had a great day today, my darling!! Very quiet morning and afternoon together - just the 2 of us - and you had a lovely long nap this afternoon. That is the first time in ages you have slept for more than an hour in the afternoon, and it was lovely because you wakened up refreshed and raring to go!

You had great fun emptying all the toys out of the toy bucket, and then putting your head right into the bucket to shout! I am not sure whether you just like the noise and vibration, or whether you are letting me know that you aren't impressed that there aren't more toys in the bucket! Fortunately you have just as much fun putting all the toys back into the bucket and then starting all over again. Your new game is building your blocks - you are starting to understand how to balance them, but we seldom get a tower of more than 5 built because you get too excited about it and knock them all over again!

This evening J next door had invited us in for dinner since Daddy is away. She had made the most delicious lasagne, salad and bread - and you had great fun playing with R&N. Little N can't say your name properly and calls you 'Amby' which sounds so sweet. She also thinks it is very exciting that when she holds her hand out to you and says 'Ta..' you will give her whatever you are holding. At 2 she feels quite the big girl beside Baby Amby!!

You are fast asleep now, after a bath and your bottle, and I will be following you very soon! Tomorrow night will be great - Daddy will be home and we will all be together again! Can't wait!

11 months!

Darling Baby Kay, today you are 11 months old!! I write that because so many of the lovely ladies who comment on your blog have mentioned over the last few days how you seem to have grown up overnight, and suddenly look older. Perhaps because I see you every day I don't notice these things so much - but looking back over the photos I have posted here for you I can see that you are really blossoming into a beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed darling girl - and every day my little baby girl is less and less of a baby.

It will seem strange to you, but every new thing you learn, every new thing you do fills me with excitement at your development, and makes me so happy that you are growing into such a inquisitive, good-natured and sociable little person. But it is also tinged with sadness - because it is the passing of something I have loved and treasured so much - being a Mummy to an amazing little baby. I am trying not to dwell on it, but it was like the last time I nursed you, or when you move up a nappy size, or when I realise that some little item of clothing that I love so very much on you is really too small to keep squeezing you into. I realised you had moved on and had a little cry to myself about it, before realising that this is the way of the world, and that one day (DV...) you will be doing what I am doing. In the meantime I am determined to cherish every moment we have together and enjoy them until they are replaced with new, different challenges and joys!

Tonight while we are warm and cosy here, Daddy is freezing away in Poland. Well, he is probably out for dinner in a nice, warm restaurant but it will be cold when he comes out! He was warned to bring his hat, gloves and boots as they have had a lot of snow, and more is forecast - but hopefully he won't see too much of it. He doesn't share the fascination with snow that we do, little one!!

Tomorrow will be a busy day - we are taking Nanny and Granda to the airport. They are off to Bristol to see your little cousin for a few days! That will be great fun for them all! And then tomorrow evening J is coming down after work for dinner - I actually should have planned that a bit better since we will be late back from the airport, but J is a trooper - and is happy with pizza, potato salad and garlic bread so we'll probably be just fine!!

Sweet dreams Baby Girl - thank you for 11 incredible months, my love x

How happy am I!!!

How happy am I that my Daddy is home!! We had a great day! We went into town together so Daddy could go to the opticians to pick a new pair of glasses - and after that the 3 of us went to the Yellow Door cafe for lunch! I was ok in the high chair for a little while, but preferred to stand up on Daddy's knee to look around!!Then we came home so Daddy could watch the football - but not before he pulled me around the floor in the box that Mummy's Amazon order arrived in.......And not before we pretended to hide in the Amazon box. He doesn't realise that he's too big for the box - only I fit in the box!!

And then we had a close up shot for Mummy's camera before we went to the park to play on the swings!!

Having my Daddy home is just the best!!! Mummy thinks so too!!

Friday and Family

Well, we are together again as a wee family under one roof tonight, darling Baby Kay. We have had a lovely wee day getting excited about Daddy coming home, and you have been a joy and a priviledge to be with. You have to most heartbursting laugh when you are surprised by something and it makes my eyes sting and my chest ache when I think of how much I love you.

We have a lovely weekend ahead together - with no plans. Nothing at all except the 3 of us being together and catching up. And maybe some sewing!

I didn't get organised enough today to take a picture of you my darling, so I am going to use one that I took the day after you were born - to remind me of the evenings this time last year when I was sitting with Daddy, rubbing my bump, feeling you poke me when I rubbed your feet, and wondering what you would look like when I finally saw your face.

My beautiful, darling baby girl x

Dear Daddy,

Dear Daddy, hello from a cold and grey County Armagh this afternoon!! I wanted to drop you a line and let you know how me and Mummy are getting on while you are in Barcelona. We had a great night sleep (both of us) and have been into town this morning for some bits and bobs. I ate all my lunch and fruit, and have had a great time posting paper into a cardboard box. When Mummy wasn't looking I also chewed the corners off some of the paper, but I am pretty sure she didn't notice. I haven't needed any Calpol today and am taking my naps and feeling in wonderful mood!

I have even had a go in my walker again today after J left it in yesterday. Mummy is drawing up a list of things she needs to do now that I am on the move for real - lovely Heidi warned her about this, and so did her friend Lisa - but secretly Mummy thought they were exaggerating and that it would take me a while to work out how to get to places I'm not supposed to. How did these ladies know I was smarter than Mummy thought I was??

Did you know, Daddy -

1. The lovely plant that sits on the floor by the French Doors needs to go onto a table or a work-top;

2. It only took me 5 minutes to head straight for the cooker and open the grill drawer - Mummy needs to find somewhere that stocks a lock for that;

3. Crashing into ankles is so much fun I wish I had known it earlier;

4. It is easy to cruise and read at the same time - I am a great multi-tasker at 11 months!

5. All the drawers and cupboards need locks - I can reverse and go sideways too so even the ones in the corner are easy to get to now.

6. Drying the tea towels on the radiator is a thing of the past - unless you would like me to wipe the tiles with them for you instead?

7. I am a MUCH happier bunny now that I can see everything Mummy is up to, and Mummy doesn't even have to sing all the time now! Lucky for everyone that!!

Only one more sleep Daddy - I can't wait to see you to show you all the new things I can do - and Mummy can't wait either! We love you x x

Tired, but happier!

Tired, but happier today my darling, that is you! Thankfully even though it took you an age to finally get over last night, and though you were up a few times during the night, once you had your dummy you were right back over. No more tears - and you have no idea how glad I was.

You were very tired today too - you just wanted to sit on my knee and suck your dummy at Jo Jingles (which is a first, you are not usually happy to be handled and prefer to be off doing your own thing on the mat with a cymbal or a drum!) but you had your naps today, and ate really well too, so I think whatever had you bothered is passing on. We just did lots of sitting on the sofa and in your case reading your books (and licking some of the pages - a new thing you have started!) You are not pleased at all at being left on your own, even if I need to pop to the loo, which is another strange development for you, before you were quite happy to entertain yourself.

J next door is going to lend me a baby-walker so that I can bring you into the kitchen with me to scoot about the tiled floor and we can keep each other company. It is tricky making the dinner when you have to pop back to the mat every 30 seconds to wave hello to you!! And if I stop singing at any point that I am out of sight I can be guaranteed you will shout!! I don't think I have ever sung so much in my life as I have over the last 10 days - and you would think that you might be fed up of the countless variations of Wheels on the Bus - but no, once more is never enough for you my darling!

The only way to travel....

One of your favourite things in all the world, darling Baby Kay - riding in the trolley when we do the shopping! This is fairly new for you, you were too small for the seat for ages, and wouldn't sit in the 'baby-recliner' style ones without lots of protest! I had resorted to pushing your pram with one hand and carrying what I could manage in a basket in the other (with lots of crashing into the shelves....) But you are now big enough to fit the seat, with a wee blanket tucked under and behind to make it more comfortable. The trollies at Sainsbury's are good too as they have a safety buckle, so even when you wriggle about and try to reach over to see what you can grab as we are going past things you are in no danger of sliding out.

You are very cross this evening and very unsettled little one - and have been for most of the afternoon despite your happy face in the trolley. I think it is the remains of the cold you had, but also I think I can see your other big front tooth starting to show through your gum and I think it may be bothering you. You have slept precious little today, and this evening you have only slept for about 45 minutes before waking again. We have tried Bonjela and Calpol, and cuddles and just about everything we know, but nothing is making you happy. I hope you get some sleep tonight, my darling and that the tears are just because you are tired and cross. It is so unlike you - I hope you are feeling more like your old self tomorrow.

Say hello, wave goodbye!

Darling Baby Kay, another week has passed and you are growing bigger and brighter and taller! It seems like every day you learn something new that fills us with happiness, and gives you no end of fun as you practice.

Recently it has been 'giving kisses' - you used to just lean your head over when people leaned in towards you to give you a kiss. Now instead you meet them face on with your mouth (and sometimes make a Mmmm noise at the same time!) You have also gotten the hang of waving to people over the last 2 or 3 days - waving hello, waving goodbye, waving at whoever is feeding you at your high chair, waving just for the fun of it. You are so delighted with yourself when you find something new like this!

This week ahead will be a quiet one (DV...) Daddy is off to Barcelona this week, so for some of it we will just be girls together. We have some things to sort this week - some birthday cards for Nanny, some fruit to puree for the freezer to go in your porridge in the mornings, and fit in some cleaning and housework somewhere too!!

I have finally got the first little SunBonnet Sue template cut and hand-appliqued - the first of a long line of flowery, sweet little girls for your quilt, so that (along with blogging!) will keep me focused in the evenings when you are in bed.

Another week older, more beautiful, and more precious to our hearts little darling. Sweet dreams x

Sport Saturday!

Evening little sweetie pie!! Today has been sport, sport and more sport!! FA cup football (Swansea v Fulham), 6 nations rugby (Scotland v France, and also England v Wales.) You are in bed but Daddy is watching still more sport while I update your blog and catch up on some emails.

We had some time out this morning - to Sprucefield for some shopping (and to buy a new iron as the old one has finally given up the ghost.) It was a good time to be out as the shops weren't too busy and we were able to get everything with minimum hassle! This afternoon was nice and relaxed - I got lots of quilting fabric unpicked and ironed ready for cutting, and am just taking my time and enjoying the process. I think that knowing I have no deadline, means I don't feel under any pressure to rush it, and I can really concentrate on putting love into every stitch for you.

Today is Valentine's Day too. And you sent your first Valentine card, although you are too wee to sign it - but I did it for you! It was to the first man in your life, the first man who loved you, who held you in his hands before even your Mummy did, and the man who I hope you grow up to marry someone just like. Your Daddy. I think he liked it :)

Thursday again!

Darling Baby Kay, today has been a busy day on so many fronts. We were all up early this morning so Daddy could look after you while I was at my osteopath appointment. We take you over with us and you play happily on the floor with the toys while the osteopath works his magic. Daddy was there last week and this week it was my turn. I have had some stiffness in between my shoulders (a combination of bad posture, lifting a wriggly baby and not sitting in a good position when sewing, reading or typing!) but that is now all sorted. My back is achy this evening, but it is just the muscles adjusting and tomorrow I will be better than I have been for ages. It is like a 6 monthly MOT!!

When we got back we had L&I over for lunch. We haven't seen them since Baby N's birthday party, and in those 2 weeks Baby I has grown 3 new teeth! It is so strange to see her wee smile with the teeth showing through. They stayed for a few hours and only headed when it was time for you both to have your afternoon naps. It is so funny to see the 2 of you playing together - it is clear you recognise each other, but once the initial pulling of jumpers and squealing stops then you both get on with playing by yourselves and trying to take toys off one another when you realise the other has something you had forgotten was on the floor.

You have also spent a lot of today standing up against the settee - you are trying a few wee tentative steps, but they are almost accidental rather than because you realise it will help you move along the seats. Every day I prop you up and let you tiddle about for a bit, until you get tired or decide you want to do something else. I have to stay close by as you are apt to just let go and keel over backwards like a tree - you don't bend your knees, or drop to your bottom - you just push back from your arms and lie back!! I was able to get a picture of you though before you decided you were finished with your standing about for the day!

I have also sorted out the fabric I want to use for your quilt - so this is the first picture of it - before a bonnet is cut or a needle has been threaded! I am going to do SunBonnet Sue designs in pink and blue florals - with a lemon gingham back. I have sorted through lots of little bundles that I have had in my scrap bag for little dresses and hats, and only tiredness this evening is stopping me getting the scissors out. I have done that before, and started something in haste and excitment, and regretted it over the next few days as I realise I was making mistakes because I couldn't be a little more patient!

I am really looking forward to using the last of the bunnies fabric too.

This will be the 3rd quilt it has gone into - and all for wonderful little girls! I will start tomorrow with my template cutting and begin the long process of putting this quilt together for you my darling x

Tagged!!

Darling Baby Kay - I have been tagged by lovely Heidi and Lisa for 2 different things - so I am going to copy Lisa's idea and cover both them in one and hope that both ladies are good with that!!

I have to come up with 7 secrets (!!!) and 7 things I love - and let's just say the second 7 are likely to be much easier than the first!!

1. I have a tattoo and had my navel pierced (although I no longer have the ring in.) I was young and foolish once and now have permanent proof of it.

2. The only job I ever had that I really loved was working in a bookstore one Christmas when I was 20. I would do it again at the drop of a hat.

3. I would rather be 2 stone lighter than £20,000 richer - although neither are realistic options to be honest.

4. I always thought that being a SAHM would be just an 'opt out' for women who didn't want to work any longer. Then I tried it and realised I love it, and it is work - we just don't get paid for it.

5. The first time I went to university I dropped out after 6 days - desperately homesick and scared. I re-enrolled at one closer to home the following year.

6. I can wiggle my ears!

7. I always thought I was sure about religion, and my Faith, and my spirituality, but now I have so many questions I regularly feel I am not sure about any of them anymore.

8. I love meeting friends for coffee and scones - and chatting about nothing in particular!

9. I love books - on anything, about anything, and since Baby Kay was born - with or without pictures!

10. I love chocolate. Far too much. Enough said. But if I was only allowed to have one type of food again for the rest of my life it would be pizza. Anything without pineapple or sweetcorn - both of which I like, but not on a pizza!

11. I love needlecraft of any description - but especially quilting and cross-stitching.

12. I love that I can come on here in the evenings and read the thoughts of so many amazing women - who all appear to live in the USA - and who I discover I care about after only having had e-contact with them for a few weeks. How does that work??

13. I love being at the sea-shore, especially on a cold day. We still have that wonderful pleasure ahead with Baby Kay for the first time and I am looking forward to it so much.

14. I love my darling husband - and my beloved daughter - so much that it takes my breath away when I think about it.

I really don't know that many people to tag for this - or as Lisa so eloquently put it - who wouldn't want to smack me for it - so I am leaving it open to anyone who would like to play along. I'd love to read your answers!

Darling Baby Kay - today it was too wet to go anywhere so we just stayed around the house together. I got the ironing done while you were happily entertaining yourself on the floor with your toys - and you had your bath and went down to sleep in great form.

This evening I have pulled out all my quilting fabrics to start and pick the ones I want to use for a quilt for you, little darling. Some of the little fat quarters have been in my stash for a very long time and come from all over the world, waiting on a special project to use them on. I have some beautiful ones from New Orleans, some from London, some from New Zealand, and even some Nanny brought me back from holiday from Nashville! I have been keeping them all together for such a long time, and now that you are here I think that this special fabric can go into a quilt for a very special little girl.

It is probably going to take me a year to finish, since I am not a very fast quilter, but you wouldn't be getting it til you were a bit bigger and going into a 'big-girl' bed anyway, so I can take my time and enjoy working on it over the evenings. I love this part of any needlework project - just before you start and gather together all the parts, and work out what blocks to use. It holds so much potential - that will really only become apparent over the coming weeks and months as I start to cut and stitch. I am itching to get started!

Family Day

Darling Baby Kay - today we have had the most lovely, quiet family day together! We actually started with a lie-in bed, you weren't awake until 7.30 this morning for some reason so we didn't get our usual 6.00am wake up call - or song! I like to think you are singing to us to summon us to come and get you when really you are just chatting away to yourself and Moo!

It had snowed again through the night, and we took you out in your pram all wrapped up. We went out for a walk around town, to the children's play-park, up and over the hill, and it snowed gently the whole time we were out. You just sat happily in your pram looking around, occasionally shouting (and taking your gloves off!) When we got back we were all red faced, bright eyed and the house seemed wonderfully warm even though the heat wasn't on! You had some hot milk and some stew to warm you up, and then we played together and read your books while Daddy was off at church. It snowed lightly the rest of the afternoon, but as evening started so too did the rain, and now we have no snow left to speak of! I am very glad I got this lovely picture of you and Daddy when we were out together while we had the chance!

You are a little bit unsettled this evening. You went down to sleep but wakened up after about an hour; quite upset and disorientated and cross about something. This is so very unlike you darling. You usually go straight over happy and settled, and that is you unless you waken in the middle of the night and need help finding your dummy. I hope you haven't had a bad dream. I am not sure what that would be for a baby, but it would break my heart to think you were afraid or upset about something. I am hoping it was just a noise that has startled you and you get a good night's sleep my love. Sweet dreams, my precious Baby x

Show & Tell Friday

This week for Show and Tell Friday I am posting something that actually belongs to Baby Kay again! It is her wall planner - that hangs over her changing mat in her nursery. It is a lovely quilted, embroidered chart, which is very colourful and bright as you can see - and which can keep a very wriggling 10 month old captivated for the 90 seconds it takes to change her nappy - unless she has decided to pull it off the wall now that she can reach the bottom of it to grab!!
It has little felt boxes that are attached with velcro at the back so that you can change the day and date every morning for her. There is a little pointer to turn to the right season, one for the weather and a little table to show whether it is hot, warm, mild or cold outside! Baby Kay loves hearing what the position is every morning, and watches intently while we explain what day it is and what the weather is doing! Little wonder she is a weather forecast addict!!

It is just a very sweet way of starting her daily routine - and we look forward to the day when she is a little bigger that she will be able to tell us what the day is, or decide what she wants the weather pointer to point at!

The planner is also special for another reason - we had this planner a long time before we had our darling daughter, or were finally decorating a nursery for her. My husband took me to Stratford-upon-Avon a few years ago, and we saw it in a shop. He had taken me over for the weekend to see the RSC production of Coriolanus, and before we flew back to Belfast we had been browsing in the gift shops. When I saw this I loved it, but I felt that it wasn't right to buy it when our baby plans hadn't materialised as we had hoped. My darling husband didn't agree. He bought it for me and said at the time that we would put it away, and when the time was right we would have our baby, and then we wouldn't regret not having got the little planner we liked. His faith that it would happen, and his love for me and his baby - who we didn't have yet, and wouldn't have for some time to come - has been something that has sustained our family through many tough times.

One of the happiest days of my life was getting it out of it's packing this time last year and pressing it to hang - with my big pregnant bump getting in the way of the ironing board, and not quite believing it had really happened! Just exactly the same way I feel when I look at our daughter asleep each night before I go to bed and can't quite believe she's ours.

Hope everyone has a great Friday and a lovely weekend!

Snow and Icing!!

Darling Baby Kay, the snow came!! Not a huge amount, but enough to make everything look lovely and wintery for the day! This was the view from our bedroom window out over the fields at the back of the house, about 8.00am after the sun came up!

Just as expected you were delighted to see this new phenomenon! You stood up on the settee in the living room and watched out the window as it continued to fall. Just like with the rain, and bubbles, you were totally entranced by it - it was so sweet to watch you watching the weather! I was going to get you wrapped up and take you out in it, but you have had a runny nose all day and I think you are getting yet another sniffle. This must be what it's like with wee ones - I know people have told me in the past that it is one bug after another, but I feel so sorry for you when you are off colour. I hope this doesn't amount to anything too much for you darling.

We had a wee play-date today with R&E who we haven't seen since our last ante-natal class reunion. E is 4 weeks older than you, and you both had a lovely time wriggling around on the floor. You kept watching her in fascination as she took off crawling across the mat and into the dining room, and even when she was pulling herself up to walk along the edge of the settee, but you weren't tempted to join her. R and I had a really great chat, talking about those first early weeks that went past in a blur, when we felt like we would never get then hang of being a Mother, and which now seem like they can't have been that tough - can they? Mother Nature has a wonderful way of gently pushing those those things out of our heads to leave space for all the amazing things that come along to take their place!

And, after Daddy declared last night that one of the cooled shortbread cookies was pretty good, I went the extra step and lemon iced them! I have added a wee picture of them here on a gorgeous plate I forgot we had! The girls in Poland gave Daddy and I this serving dish and 6 little dessert plates to go with it when we got married, and I have been doing what I always say I am going to stop doing - which is keeping things for 'good'. I haven't been bowled over by them myself (when you love biscuits and cakes as much as me, you are setting the bar quite high before you even start to make your own!) but they will do for now. Maybe they might benefit from a little ketchup though! You never know!

Trying something new!!

Well Darling Baby Kay, I have tried something new today!!! When I first started this wee blog for you I spent a few evenings looking around at other blogs to get some ideas of the sorts of things that were out there. I found the most amazing recipe site called Mennonite Girls Can Cook that has the most wonderful recipes for just about anything you would want to make.

Now, as you and I both know little darling, Mummy can do some basic cooking things. But Mummy can't bake, and has never ever tried!! It always looked so daunting and involved, with so much capacity for a disaster. Well, I saw the loveliest recipe for shortbread cookies a few weeks ago on this blog, and it only had a few ingredients and very straightforward instructions. So I thought - since my New Year resolution is to learn to bake, and since I haven't done a thing about it yet, that I better get started!

Nanny gave me the loan of her old mixer - which I had to stop using mid-way through as it was smoking and filling the kitchen with a very worrying smell - and that was before I'd even started baking!! But we have got there eventually and some cookies are cooling on the rack which I bought today! Once they are cooled I will try one to see if they are edible, and if they are I might attempt icing and decorating them tomorrow!

But I learned some new things this evening that most of the ladies who live in blog-land would already know, but I am only discovering now!

1. A cup is actually a precise measurement in America!! It does not mean use a random cup from the cupboard and take a chance.
2. Mixers that have been in storage for 15 years shouldn't be put straight into action.
3. You need to grease your tray before you put your cookies on it, otherwise they stick!
4. What I think is 1/4 inch thick is actually closer to 3/4 inch thick - we had a few very fat cookies ready to go before I realised they needed to be thinner, and more of them!

I am sure there is at least one person reading this who is thinking 'How on earth did she not know these things!' If they turn out ok I might hazard a photo of them on here my Darling, so you can see for all posterity your Mummy's first attempt at baking!

Ready for bed, but fighting it!

Lying up against the arm of Nanny's settee, tired and ready for bed, but preferring to 'ride the range' instead!

Let it snow!!

Darling Baby Kay - most of the east coast of the UK is covered with snow this evening. They have had about 10cms and the whole island has ground to a halt! Here in County Armagh we have none - we have had a few wee skiffs during the day but nothing to lie on the ground and make everything picture perfect! It didn't stop it being bitterly cold though!

Daddy had taken my car to work this morning as it needed to be dropped at the garage to have the fanbelt replaced - so it was just you, me and the pram for the grocery shopping! We got you all wrapped up with your hat (which you loved) and your gloves (which you most certainly did not!) and a lovely warm jacket, and then off to get the groceries. I think the best way to describe our wee walk together was 'bracing'!! We got back all red cheeked and out of puff, and had a cup of tea for me, and you had your lunchtime milk early to give you something warm in your tummy. I can't wait to take you out to see it snowing - you love it when we blow soap bubbles in the air for you, and you also love it when we stand at the upstairs arched window and watch the rain outside - so I reckon you'd love the snow!

The forecast is for snow overnight, followed by rain tomorrow morning - but who knows, we might see snow on our way to Jo Jingles! We can hope, wee love!

Saturday Swimming!

Darling Baby Kay - it is hard to believe it is Sunday again already! Where is the time going to!

Yesterday I didn't get a chance to post on your blog - but we had a very busy day from the get-go. We were swimming up at Campbell in the morning - you haven't been in the water since before Christmas, and yesterday wasn't the best day to be starting back. It was bitterly cold, but you weren't there last week because of your cold and we want you to keep in the way of it so it isn't all foreign to you when we go back. You are even in a new swimsuit as your baby-togs are too small for you now - you are getting so long and lean! You were a bit cross at the start, but Daddy thinks it was because the air around the pool was cold rather than the water. Once you were in the water you had a great time.

I always feel a bit apprehensive when they do the parts where the babies go under the water for a wee swim, but you never even bat an eyelid. That's why Daddy is better in the water with you than Mummy is!! You just come popping up all smiles looking for your ball, or wee duck that you were playing with! Your absolute favorite part is at the end of the half hour - when the little boats and tugs come out! The babies all go into a wee float (you were in a little New York yellow taxi cab!) and their Mummy or Daddy pulls them about the pool! You get so excited and spent the whole time shrieking and laughing your head off!!

We had a tasty lunch at M&S on the way home together and then you slept the whole way up the road in the car. Such a great day together even if it was cold and wet!

Today has been a lazy lovely sort of Sunday - I have made butternut squash and apple soup, Daddy is reading the Sunday papers and watching the football on the TV, and you are tootling around on the floor with your toys and having fun. I am looking for nice cupcake recipes that are fairly easy for a baking novice to do so I can start and practice before your birthday in March! Something tells me Daddy will be eating his way through quite a few trial cakes between now and then!!

Daddy is home all week which is wonderful, and we have a few things planned that we will be out and about for - weather permitting! The forecast says that there is snow on the way!! Winter is truly here!