FeeBeeKay - Baby Kay

22 weeks

2010-03-16T21:16:00.003Z

Special Kay at their scan today - lots of wriggling, poking, and finally a little face appeared. But maybe only Mummy can see it!

Snowdrops and Spring!

2010-03-02T20:40:00.004Z

Darling little girl, we have already had 2 very busy days this week, and it is only Tuesday! Yesterday we went to the Argory with T&L, F&C and L&C to do the Snowdrop Walk. It was absolutely beautiful, even if I did spend a lot of time sprinting after you as you decided to make your way off in the direction of the stream, or the steps, or the kitten in the tree, or the big bush. Everything is a new challenge, and you are growing into a worryingly fearless little person. When you were smaller if I was having difficulty getting you to move, or leave something alone in a shop, if I announced 'OK, Mummy is leaving now...' and pretended to turn for home you would very quickly have a rethink and hurry alongside me again. Now, you don't even look over your shoulder to see whether I meant it - beware the Mummy who Cries Wolf too many times and the little person who calls her bluff at 23 months!!

Today we had Jo Jingles and a trip up to Carrick to see Nanna and Granda - they are coming to mind you tomorrow while we go to the hospital for our 20 week scan, to see your little brother or sister. We will bring you back a little photo for you. When asked where your baby is, you will tell people 'In Mamma's tummy' and then you add 'keep baby warm.' I can't believe that this time 2 years ago I was 5 days from my due date with you (and 21 days away from you actually arriving!)

And then I blinked and you were suddenly my big girl out for a walk in spring with the snowdrops!

Long time no post Mama!!

2010-02-25T20:13:00.006Z

It has been a very long time since I last posted. I confess that this post is driven out of embaressment, having visited the blog of a friend and realised that I have let things on my blog slide shamefully!

So much has happened since my last post that I am not sure where on earth to fill in, so I will make this short and sweet and limit myself to 5 things to get me going again and break me in gently.

1. My little girl has been poorly over the last few days, and is now starting to come around today and be a wee bit more like herself - it has taken a lot of milk, cuddles, and watching cartoons on the sitting room floor in her new 'holiday bed.'2. I have finally started to write properly after all my procrastinating and dithering. Whether what comes out in the wash is any good or not is bye-the-bye, I have at least started.

3. I have had a really wonderful end to 2009 and start to 2010 - life feels good, friends feel close (even those who are so very far away - Sara, Lisa, Lois, Becky, Elena....) and worries have been thankfully absent or manageable. We have had very little sickness this winter, and even the snowy weather we had came and went relatively quickly - just lasting long enough for Toots to get out into the garden in her wellies!

4. We will soon have to change the name of this blog to 'Toddler Kay and her new little Baby Kay.' Due to join us at the end of July is another Special K (DV...)
5. It is nice to be back x

See you soon x

2009-11-24T20:37:00.001Z

We are going to miss you for the next two weeks Daddy. Be safe and never forget how much we love you, and how glad we will be to have have you home with us again.

Keeping busy

2009-11-23T20:15:00.003Z

Darling Kay - this has been a fairly hectic few weeks. It seems that winter has arrived in earnest and the rest of 2009 is slipping away faster than I can fill our days. You are getting taller by the day, and your vocabulary is developing at a scary rate. You can count from 1-6, you can complete your Melissa and Doug alphabet jigsaw that Nanna and Granda brought you back from holiday, and you now repeat almost everything that is said to you. Your words are getting clearer too - so it is not just Mummy who understands you while other people think she is mad!!

You brush your own teeth now, drink your milk from a 'big girl cup' (sometimes, other times you tip it over the side of your high chair!), and as we have discovered you can also open the front door yourself and go for a wee walk up the street. We have had to start turning the lock in the door now, but I would think it won't be long until you work out how to unlock it too!

We have our Jo Jingles on Tuesdays and toddler group on Wednesday - both of which you love. We still try to see L&I at least once a week, and you are getting much more confident about being around people you don't know and mixing with other children. You even made your first craft at toddler group - a 'No-mah' (snowman) from cardboard and cottonpuffs!

We have had Nanna and Granda back from Texas for a few weeks now which is lovely. We are going to go up there this week to stay with them for a few days while Daddy is over in DesMoines. Nanna is going to look after you so that I can slip up to Belfast and do some Christmas shopping. When you come along everything takes much longer because you are determined to touch every single thing we walk past. You don't pull them, or try to lift things you aren't supposed to, you just want to touch them to see what they feel like - which is lovely if we aren't pushed for time, but you get royally ticked off if you are hurried along to someone else's agenda!

This weekend you helped me with the crossword in The Times - you were going for the freehand approach and not bothering too much with the clues or getting the letters in the boxes but it made for an interesting afternoon!

Things you love to do!

2009-10-22T19:15:00.004+01:00

Darling Kay - Daddy is in the air as I type this, on his way home from London. You are in bed, fast asleep after a busy day of playing, walking and generally expanding your little world and mind! I am sitting here with my feet up, with a cup of tea waiting on Daddy and looking forward to our weekend ahead together. This is his last trip for a few weeks so we will be thoroughly spoiled having him here!!

Your latest favourite thing to do, wee love, is play with my make-up bag. I don't have much in the way of make-up, and don't use it every day (although I am endeavouring to make more of an effort with it and stop looking like a slummy Mummy!!) but you are fascinated by the little pots and brushes and will happily unpack them, put them in the bag, take them out again, roll them around and generally make sure that you have researched every possibility of mischief with them!! Who would have thought such little make-up would stretch so far!!
There are so many other simple things that give you so much pleasure:-

Dropping little stones that you find outside down the gratings;
Cheese on toast for lunch, with little cherry tomatoes and cucumber sticks;
Doing the actions for 'jelly-on-a-plate' while I sing it when you are having your dinner;
Putting on Mummy's handcream - you are costing me a small fortune in Molton Brown, but you have the most moisturised hands in the land!
Going round pointing at things and saying 'Am-mah's.....', like 'Am-mah's hat' or 'Am-mah's shoes' when you see something that is yours. In fact it doesn't even have to belong to you, if you like it then it becomes 'Am-mah's!'

The list is endless, and changes everyday, but you are a joy to be with because you fill our lives with love and happiness by giving us the chance to share your wonder and love of life x x

A hint.....

2009-10-19T20:20:00.002+01:00

......that Mummy isn't sweeping up as often as someone else thinks she should be!!

Beach, and hats, and stones and coffee!!

2009-10-12T20:19:00.006+01:00

Darling Kay, we have had the most lovely weekend together with Daddy! We had lots of rushing about to do on Saturday - we had to pick up the tickets for Daddy's trip to DeMoines in November, and then off to M&S for some lunch and some grocery shopping. The weather was great all weekend - very bright and fresh and dry (for a change!) and you loved being out and about, walking around, getting carried by Daddy, going in the trolley, and just generally taking in the world about you!

On Sunday morning we got up and ready and headed off to Newcastle for the morning. It was another gorgeous, bright day, and we had you all wrapped up in your lovely red coat and warm, fleecy hat! The last day we went to Newcastle was on your first birthday, 6 months ago. That day you were in your pram and quite happy to sit and soak it all in - now you needed to be up and about and moving under your own steam!! We walked along the front, and you picked a wee daisy which you carried about with you, until you discovered some pretty stones on the beach which you decided you would rather have! We have brought 2 home with us for your keepsake box so you can see them when you are bigger and we can remind you of this wonderful day.

Eventually it was too breezy for walking, so we slipped into a wee cafe for some coffee and buns to warm us all up. You were absolutely pooped from all the fresh air and walking, and you were asleep within 10 minutes of getting back into the car. Daddy took some great photos of you this weekend, and it takes my breath away how grown up you are getting! Next time we head to the beach I am pretty sure we will have to bring a change of clothes, because you were showing plenty of interest in the pools and puddles, and very soon you'll be dipping a toe in whether we'd like you to or not I suspect!!

Welcome Home, Daddy!!

2009-10-08T19:12:00.003+01:00

Darling Kay, tonight Daddy came home from Poland and you were so happy to see him! While I finished making the dinner you and he managed a quick stroll around to the park to play on the swings and pick up some stones and leaves along the way! You have had such a tiring day today - lots of playing at home, and walking to and from the Post Office, so it's no surprise that you were asleep within 2 minutes of Daddy feeding you and settling you in your cot with Moo. Now it's only one more day until the weekend, and we will all be spending the whole time together - bliss!

All growed up....

2009-10-06T21:28:00.004+01:00

Darling Kay, every day it gets harder to get a photo of you which captures who you are right now and what you are doing. As soon as the camera appears you drop whatever it is you are involved in and make a breakneck speed dash to get the camera. As far as you are concerned it looks like the World's Best Toy, even better than Mummy's phone (which you used yesterday to call my dear old colleague Adrienne in Lincoln, Nebraska!) or the remote control (the real one, not the old one we took the batteries out of and which failed to amuse you!)

But every so often something catches your attention and I can get a snap of you which sums up what you are like around the house (apart from the all action shots when you are dashing towards the camera and which come out in a fuzzy blur!)

Today I had to call Nanny and Granda in Tennesse, where they have gone for a few days to celebrate Granda's 65th birthday (at the Grand Old Opry no less!) and while I was doing that you managed to grab the landline phone. I am not sure whether you were trying to work out if it was a remote control, or a mobile, or something in between (since you seldom see us use it!) but it captured your attention for long enough for me to get this wee picture of you. This is how you stand up against the sofa when something on the TV catched your eye, or when you sidle up to someone and look up longingly and say 'Up-pah!', or when you lean against my leg when we are out and someone kneels down to talk to you, and you are trying to decide whether you are going to smile at them or not!!

For those wonderful people who leave such lovely comments about you, this is the little girl that you will see when you make the trip over the pond to Northern Ireland to see us! And for those of you who keep us in your prayers - you know who you are, and you know why - my humble and most sincere thanks and appreciation to you all.

New additions....

2009-10-05T20:01:00.002+01:00

Darling Kay, over the last few days there have been several new additions in the house - namely the stair gates at the bottom and top of the stairs, and a new bright pink potty! The stair gates have baffled you - but they do the job! The potty has been a big hit! We are getting you used to seeing it and sitting on it before the real work begins - even though you seem a little bewildered about the fuss! We leave it in the downstairs loo, but you have taken to going and getting it and carrying it about - Daddy took this photo of you sitting in front of the TV on it - a very serious business as you can see!!

En vacanes!

2009-10-01T20:16:00.004+01:00

Darling Kay - last night Nanny and Granda looked after you so that Mummy and Daddy could go to Belfast for the evening. Daddy had been given an invitation to the preview evening of the RUAS exhibition, and when we were offered a baby-sitting service for the evening we decided to go for it! It was a lovely evening, and you were a darling for Nanny - you took all your bedtime milk and went down to sleep just as easily as if it had been me or Daddy tucking you in for the evening. You were very excited this morning when you got up and they were still here, especially since it meant you could spend most of the morning out in the garden with Granda!

While Nanny was here she dropped off some photos that were taken last month when we were all away for the weekend in Abersoch. There are some amazing ones of the family, but this one is my favourite - you, Nanny and Baby M - all cosied up in an armchair together ready to head off to PortMerrion for the day! This photo really makes me smile, because it is exactly the wee natural smile you do when you are NOT posing for photos, instead of your photo-cheesy grin face!
Baby M will be 1 year old next month, which seems so hard to believe! I remember when Auntie C came to see you after you were born and told me she was expecting - it only seems like a blink ago! We can't wait til Christmas when they are coming back to spend it here this year at Nanny's house - so hopefully we will get lots more pictures of us all together!

New Best Friend....

2009-09-28T20:28:00.006+01:00

Darling Kay, every day I look at you you seem to be a little older, a little bigger, and a little more independent. You are chattering away, toddling about and trying to climb the stairs. You can open the doors now and regularly disappear up the hall towards the front door, which you just can't quite reach... yet! You totter off to the laundry room, where you will load up the washing machine or the tumble drier with the dirty clothes from the basket, and happily push buttons and turn knobs until you are spotted and carried away. Usually protesting!

We have also bought you your own little pair of sunglasses which make you look very sweet but a little too grown up for my liking, as you have re-discovered your fascination with people's glasses (including Mummy and Daddy's!) and in an attempt to de-mystify them we got you a pair for yourself. You were interested in grabbing glasses when you were very tiny, but seemed to grow out of it. When you got your Mr Potato Head (with his own removable glasses!) it rekindled your interest, and you started carrying them about and offering them to people to try on themselves. And then getting very agitated when people weren't as generous at letting you try their glasses on yourself, or Mr Potato Head for that matter!!

Every day you learn more words and ideas. You can say 'shoes' and 'arrow' as plainly as a grown up, and regularly have little conversations with yourself and whoever you are with. You know what noises all your little farm animals make, and even recognise some of your letters - A for Ah-mah, M for Mama, Sssss for S, and you make a loud smacking noise with your mouth for kiss when you see the letter X. You new word is Cap-pah-pah - which is what you call your new best friend. Nanna saw him when we were out for lunch on Friday, and when she showed you what she had found your face lit up and you showered him with hugs and kisses in the shop.

You couldn't quite believe that your favourite friend from your books was right there in the shop. There was no question of not bringing him home with us, so now you have your very own Hungry Caterpillar, or Cap-pah-pah - who you carry around cuddled up to you face and pet him and pat him like he was a real little animal. Hopefully he will do you for a very long time before you decide you want a real little pet!! When we read the story now you wave him about frantically every time we read 'but he was still hungry!' and then go back to tucking him under your chin for a cuddle. Just as well Moo is not the jealous type or He might be having his nose pushed out of joint at the moment!

Tomorrow after Jo Jingles we are heading up to Carrick to see Nanna and Granda - and leave Granda's birthday present for him - some US dollars and a guide book for Texas! This time next week they will both be in Nashville at the Grand Old Opry for his 65th birthday, and then on to Texas for a 4 week road trip! It will be funny for you to not see them for such a long time, but at least you have your cap-pah-pah to take your mind of it!

For Lisa x

2009-09-27T21:51:00.001+01:00

A little photo of Baby Kay taken last week, modelling the lovely bolero cardigan her Auntie C knitted for her. Just to confirm that I am still alive and will get back to blogging properly this week!

Here comes the weekend!!!

2009-08-28T20:47:00.007+01:00

My darling daughter, today we have had a busy day out and about. We went up to say goodbye to T&G and their gorgeous boys. It was sad to see them off for the last time, but they made me promise that we will come to Baltimore soon to see them. G wants to take Daddy to play golf at Rendition - and Mummy just wants to spend some time with T and her babies!! We had some of G's birthday cake from yesterday, and you were able to play with S&L and also Benjy the dog! Mummy also had to spend a lot of time reminding you that ornaments were not for babies!!! While they were here both S&L got their first tooth - and as if you were out in sympathy we spotted tooth #16 this morning too!! It definitely explains why Mummy had to get up 3 times the night before last and twice last night, because you were not a happy bunny!

To cheer ourselves up after saying goodbye we went to meet Nanny and Granda at M&S for lunch. We had some lovely tapas together, and then when Nanny saw you eyeing up a little set of farm animals she decided that you had to have them, together with a little red barn to keep them in. She assures me that it is a Nanny's prerogative to spoil her grand-daughter!! You are delighted with the little set, especially since the little chicken inside the barn makes a 'cock-a-doodle doo' noise, just like Granda Billy's cockrel!!

And Mummy was spoiled today too - by lovely T - who gave me a going away present - a gorgeous bag which just about sums me up. I am so touched and pleased with it, and will definitely be using it. It is so thoughtful when someone you know and love manages to show you that they know you even better than you know yourself! I just can't decide which is my favourite side!!

Friends from afar!

2009-08-27T19:38:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, this week we have been lucky to be able to spend some time with our wonderful friends T&G - who have come home from Baltimore for a few days to show off their gorgeous little twin boys - S&L. They are just the most adorable little boys going - they are non-identical twins, and very different, in looks and personality! Little S got his first tooth this week here in Northern Ireland - and they have coped very well with all the different faces and voices.

Daddy and G played golf on Sunday, and T and I had a great afternoon with the 3 of you. You were very taken with the babies and were doing a lot of patting and 'kind hands' on their heads and faces (this is what we tell you to remind you to not be rough when you are touching people's faces and getting over-enthusiastic!!) Yesterday we met G and the boys for a coffee at M&S while T did some shopping, and tomorrow we are heading up to see them before they head back to the US. It has been fabulous having them so close by - it reminds me how much I miss them and how great it would be if we lived closer.

You are still walking very happily and gaining confidence every day - you spend almost every waking moment toddling about, fetching things back and forward, moving things around, and then moving them right back again! You have been a bit unsettled the last few nights in bed, and we think that maybe you have another tooth on the way. You are also becoming more attached to your 'babies' - 2 or 3 little dolls that you have - over your other toys. You make them walk along, and clap hands, and kiss one another, and occasionally cuddle them in to yourself and kiss them. It is the sweetest thing I have ever seen you do my darling. Every day you grow a little bigger and a little more like a wee girl - and we love you more and more x

Who needs Kerry Katona.... Auntie Linda's gone to Iceland!!!

2009-08-21T20:24:00.002+01:00

Darling Baby Kay - you got mail this week!! Mail from the most wonderful lady who I hope you get to meet before you get too much bigger. The mail was a gorgeous pastel, fleecy hat, with 'Iceland' and a little row of snowflakes embroidered in beautiful silver writing on the front. It was bought for you by an amazing lady - who has been in my life for a very, very long time, and now she is a part of your life too.

My 'Auntie Linda' was actually the girlfriend of one of your Nanna's brothers - at least 30 years ago! I was only about 7 or 8, but she made me and your Uncle Ricky feel so special. She used to babysit for us, and do treasure hunts around the house; she sent us a set of the Royal Stamps issued for the marriage of Lady Diana and Prince Charles; she even brought me a Spanish Barbie doll back from her holidays. And Baby Kay, I still have the stamps and the Barbie which will be coming to you when you are bigger.

Auntie Linda moved away, married a gorgeous man and had the most wonderful babies. One of her babies is just about to go to university after getting fantastic A level grades! We managed to find each other a few years ago via the Internet and it was like nothing had ever changed! She is the most lovely lady, so beautiful and kind, with the most amazing heart and soul - and I can't wait for her to see you, so she can be your Auntie Linda too. When they were away on their holiday to Iceland a few weeks ago these fabulous people were thinking of you all those miles away - and then the little hat arrived for you.

Auntie Linda - thank you for everything - we are blessed to have you in our lives x

Birdy, birdy.....

2009-08-19T21:06:00.003+01:00

Now I am big enough to feed Granda Billy's hens myself!!

Would I be a little rascal??

2009-08-07T21:49:00.003+01:00

I have 2 more teeth coming through.....

I think that 5.00am is a perfect time to waken up in the morning......

I think it is just fine to only want to eat salmon and broccoli pasta (pah-tah) for every meal.....

I reckon that the only kind of fun is the kind that involves Mummy walking around holding my hand....

I can't wait to have my Daddy home tomorrow! Me and Mummy have missed him so much x x

Buttercup!

2009-08-05T20:03:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay - we have had a busy day today, with shopping to do, and parcels to wrap for Daddy while he is away! You are going to bed these evenings absolutely exhausted, which means that you are asleep almost before I get back downstairs, but because we are still getting lovely bright summer mornings you are wide awake very early! Thankfully you will sing and play with the dollies in your cot until you drop back over and we don't have to get up until after 6.30.

We have been out in the garden for much of this afternoon because it is dry. You spend your time trying to spot dried leaves to stomp on, to hear the cracking - and also spotting buttercups (because we haven't cut the lawn for 10 days!!) which have to be picked for you and you carry them about all squashed up in your hand in case you lose them! Everything is so interesting, especially things that I would walk right past and not notice, but they don't escape your eagle eye!

Sweet dreams little darling - only 3 more sleeps til Daddy gets home x

Ducks and more

2009-08-04T20:53:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, it has been a very busy few weeks here in County Armagh. Daddy has been away almost continually with work, and is now away in Galway until Saturday. Mummy has gotten herself a little behind in almost every aspect of life this last month, and your blog is one of those things. I will try to summarise for you what we have been doing over the last few weeks so that I can get back into the swing of your regular updates.

1) You are now officially walking - you are also doing a lot of falling over, and a lot of dramatic crying and shouting until you are picked up, but you can now walk, turn corners and turn around by yourself.
2) You are now up to 13 teeth, with #14 sitting there like a little pearl waiting to appear too.
3) You are adding to your words every day - you can say apple (ah-paw), and ganna (grandad) among other things.
4) We spent this weekend up in Carrick with Nanny and Grandad which meant you got lots of practice walking around the garden, and up and down the furniture.
5) We went to Hillsborough Forest on Sunday to feed the ducks which really tickled you! I think Grandad had a good time too!

I have now bought an annual ticket to Gosford which is just over the road from us, so that we can do that at least once a week together. I just have to work out how to stop you eating the stale bread that is meant for the birds!!

Bid for freedom....

2009-07-14T21:30:00.004+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, rain does not put you off, nor does having no shoes on, nor a jumper! If you get the slightest chance you are still making a break for the french doors and pointing up at the key to anyone in the room you think might let you out!

You have had a wonderful few days showing off your new confidence in walking and shuffling around the room with Nanny, Granda, Uncle R and Auntie C - and of course the adorable 8 month old Baby M. It was lovely to get you both together finally after all this time. Nanny and Granda were in their element having you both their to hug and cuddle and spoil!! You are getting much more creative with your speech too - now we get 'Go! Go! Go!' which doesn't actually mean go - it means Dog - when you see little Ben at the farm. And we now get 'Am-ha' which you say when we ask you what your name is! You understand vast amounts of what we are saying ('Where are your shoes? Lift your feet up, please? What do the birdies do?) and I reckon once the real words start we should be in for some real fun!

Daddy is in Poland this week my darling, so we will be looking after each other til he gets back, and when he comes on here to see how you are doing he will be pleased to see your gorgeous little smiling face looking right back at him! All my love darling baby girl x x

Shape-sorting!

2009-07-07T21:07:00.002+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, you had a lovely morning with Nanny today - helping her work out where all the shapes go in the shape-sorter, and testing each one with your teeth just to make sure they passed muster!! Nanny was very excited to see you practising your toddling, which is a little more like staggering than toddling to be honest, but you have finally started, as of yesterday, to branch out on your own - letting go of hands, lunging towards furniture to scramble along, and sometimes just plain launching out on your own into the middle of nowhere!

You had your last set of immunisations today too, the last until you are 4 thankfully. It doesn't get any easier as you get bigger, and those gorgeous blue eyes fill up with tears at what Mummy has allowed the Dr to do. Once you were home and had your dinner Daddy took you up to the farm to see Granda and wee Ben the Puppy, and you returned much more like your old self. Tomorrow we are going to meet L&I for coffee and I plan to spend the day just playing with you and spoiling you rotten, like lovely Lisa keeps telling me I should be, and this afternoon will be gone in a flash!

Much love to you my darling x x

Busy busy busy!!

2009-07-02T20:01:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, it has been another hectic week and I have no idea how we managed to get to Thursday already. There were no babies this week, but lots of other things happening. On Sunday we went up to the farm for lunch - we passed on church after the last 2 Sunday experiences, where you lasted about 3 minutes the first, and then about 20 seconds the second. People say they don't mind the histrionics, and I am convinced that you would settle in a few minutes (I think it is just the crowd that unsettles you) but there are unfortunately a few less than charitable people who do a wonderful line in shooting over a dead-eye stare, which shames me into whisking you out! Instead we put you in your pink shortie doogeroos and headed off to see the hens and the cattle!

We met up on Monday with C and S at Sprucefield - C tells me that S is going through the terrible 3's, and she is certainly lively and determined to do her own thing. You were just completely fascinated watching her flitting about, and every time C shouted at S you looked at me as if to say 'What are those 2 playing at??' I know that I have all that ahead at some point down the line - your waggling finger and shaking head when I tell you 'No, that's only for Mummy's, not for babies' will probably be replaced with some feet stamping of your own!

Today we were up seeing Nanny, which was a little tricky as I was out with Auntie J last night for dinner and a film, and was in bed late. So I was tired and have an upset tummy (from all the veggies in my diet at the moment as I try to lose weight!) and you were just tired, because you are resolutely refusing to sleep in the car when we are out now. I used to rely on it for you doze over on the 90 minute drive to Nanny's, but now there is too much to see and do when we are out - so I might have to rethink the logistics of our out and about-ings!

Needless to say you took your bedtime milk in one go, and were asleep before I crossed the landing! And I will not be too far behind you little darling! Sweet dreams x x

Sunshine senorita!!

2009-06-26T21:18:00.002+01:00

Nothing quite like sitting in the back garden with Mummy, my laptop, my xylophone, my gorgeous sunhat from Lindsey and Jaime, and having fun!!

Darling Baby Kay, we have had a busy few days whizzing about seeing our lovely friends and their new babies. We have fitted in shopping for some new trousers, and met Nanny and Granda for coffee this afternoon. Nanny has bought you some shorties PJ's because we are so ill-equipped for this amazing weather! You have lots of toes-in pairs to keep you warm, and usually I am putting you to bed and checking you are warm enough, but we are the other end of the scale - leaving your nursery window open, pulling the blinds to keep you cool. The shortie PJ's are very sweet, but suddenly you are a little girl and not a little baby anymore. It is strange the way sometimes I look at you and see my Baba, and other times you look at me and I realise you are 15 months old already, and well on your way to being a big girl!

Either way, sweet dreams my darling x x

Sunny day!

2009-06-23T19:17:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, we have had the most glorious weather today. You had your last Jo Jingles of this term - and your last session in the 'Babies' group. In September you move up to 'Toddling to Two' where you will go from being one of the biggest to one of the smallest again! You had a great time at today's class, and everyone came home with a big balloon to play with. You are very suspicious of yours - anything new, or different has to have the required period of close surveillance, without actually touching, before you eventually warm to it. We got you a light plastic football to play with in the garden and you were not sure about that at all at first! Now you are quite happy to push it about and squeak your fingers over the plastic surface!

You have also managed to put the backside clean out of 2 little pairs of trousers this week, from all your bum-shuffling around the floor and the back garden. I am looking forward to you getting onto your feet, if for no other reason than to save the rest of your wardrobe going the same way! You get very excited about being out the back with Daddy, and love having your bare feet in the grass, or pick up little sticks and stones. Now when Daddy gets home from work in the evenings, no matter what the weather you point to the french doors and will not rest until he has taken you out the back for a walk about.

Tomorrow we head up to Belfast to see K and Baby N, who is almost 4 weeks old, and then on Thursday it is off to Carrick to see K and Baby J. It is all go at the moment on the baby front, and this is lovely weather to be bringing them into - lots of lovely days to go out in the pram. Nanny and Granda are back from Bristol from seeing Baby M, and we will try to see them on Thursday too, to see any new photos and hear how their trip went! A busy few days ahead for a little princess!!

Sweet dreams my darling x x

Hello to Daddy!!

2009-06-18T20:05:00.003+01:00

Dear Daddy, tonight you are in Barcelona and I am writing my own blog entry this evening for Mummy! We have had a lovely day together - my favourite parts were when Mummy lost the shampoo bottle down the back of the bath and had to go crawling around the floor looking for it, and my yoghurt that I had after my dinner! I have been in bed for about 40 minutes and am sleeping soundly while Mummy catches up on visiting her blog-friends and keeps an eye on the sweet potato and beef casserole that she is making for me for dinner tomorrow! We are both really looking forward to having you home again and starting our weekend together,

Love Baby Kay

PS I didn't get myself locked in the car today or anything else daft like that!!

Crazy sort of week....

2009-06-16T21:29:00.004+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, it has been a crazy few days for us here. Everything is relative of course, and my crazy is nowhere near as chaotic and stressful as some of the tough things other people have been going through, but it has been crazy by our standards!

Today, for example - you managed to lock yourself in the car, with my handbag and housekeys (my fault entirely for letting you hold the car keys while I walked round the car to open the other door and get the shopping out.) After a few minutes of blind panic (me) and smiling and waving out of the car (you), and then going to introduce myself to one of our neighbours I have never met before, the wonderful J who lives 2 doors up, the situation was sorted. He offered to drive the 50 miles round trip to get Daddy's keys (which was not going to work as he was golfing and we couldn't get him on his phone), he called the police to find out what we should do, he called his friend to get him to get us a locksmith - who came and rescued you just about the time your patience was up and you had decided it really wasn't very funny any more. He was such a gentleman - and Daddy went over this evening to thank him for rescuing his girls today.

I have posted this picture of you which respresents the other side of how things have been going this week, and one of the wonderful, totally unexpected results we had earlier today, before the car episode. We have managed to switch you onto another dummy! This may not seem like rocket science, but you have been using the same brand and type since you were only weeks old, and though we had about a half dozen to begin with gradually they got ratty and ended up in the bin - but we had managed to hold onto 3 that were doing a great job up until 2 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago serious teething kicked in, and you have managed to puncture 2 of the 3. They went into the bin, and so there was 1.....

We have tried you on other ones which look and feel exactly the same but YOU KNOW that they are not your dummy!! After discovering the ones we were using are discontinued I had no idea how we were going to resolve it. Today when I went to give you the new brand of dummy (the 3rd new one we had given a chance....) you just smiled, took it, and cuddled up to your Moo, as if to say 'OK, I give up Mummy - this one will do.' You have gone to bed tonight with it very happily, and I will be going back to Boots tomorrow to buy 5 more exactly the same. For the rest of the teeth.

Bibs!!

2009-06-10T21:25:00.003+01:00

How on earth did I end up with so many bibs?

Darling Baby Kay - today we went to meet Daddy for lunch at the coffee shop near his work. It was great to have that unexpected time together in the middle of the day, and you were so excited when we pulled into the car park and you spotted Daddy waiting for us!! You had great fun afterwards with Mummy's water bottle as we went to do our grocery shopping, leaning out over the side of the trolley and dropping the plastic bottle over. It is quite funny (although I really shouldn't encourage you and try not to smile!) because in the second before you let go you brace yourself - you lift your little shoulders, screw up your eyes and open your mouth! - in anticipation of the splut when it hits the floor!!

And your latest word, little darling - 'Bick-bick' - which is your way of saying biscuit! You were practising this today while I was giving you your orange oat-cake for pudding, lots of pointing and 'Mama, bick-bick!' Unpacking all your bibs is still one of your favourite things to do when you are keeping me company in the kitchen when I am cooking!

Lunch with K!

2009-06-09T19:10:00.004+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, we had a wonderful time this morning at Jo Jingles - you are really starting to get so much more out of it now that you can shuffle about and get yourself some instruments and toys when you want. O was very impressed at you doing the actions to Fancy Dance too - you had great fun!

We then headed over to pick up K from her mum's house in the Moy. She is over from England for the week and it is lovely to have her just up the road. I don't miss very many people from my years living overseas, but K is one of those people I miss very much. She was at our wedding, comes over regularly to see her family, and never misses a chance to call and see us or meet somewhere. She loves to see you, and you were not at all strange with her. You were even happy to sit with her and let her give you some of your lunch when we were eating out! Hopefully if the weather is nice we will be able to meet up again on Thursday and make the most of having her here for a while.

This evening you are fast asleep, and Daddy has headed up to the farm to give Granda B some bread for the hens, but I suspect it is more because he wants to see Uncle J's new electric golf trolley!!! Sweet dreams my love x x

Fancy Dance princess!

2009-06-05T20:18:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay - the rain has returned!! The good weather wasn't meant to last - this is Northern Ireland after all - but at least there is the promise of more on the horizon. It just means we have to play indoors rather than out in the garden - which you are not overly impressed with!! Every time you shuffle over to the french doors you bash on the glass (and then give it a little lick if you think there is no-one looking) and then point up to the handle. Getting wet is no reason not to be out there on the grass in your book!!

This weekend we will be taking things easy - Daddy is playing golf tomorrow morning, and after that we are just going to head out and see where we end up. You are so close to walking now, and love being out and about, so it is a perfect opportunity to get some fresh air with our wellies on and our brollies up! You are also all chatty at the moment - if we ask you to sing us a song you are happy to oblige with a wee made-up one from all the different sounds you know how to make.

You have also perfected all the actions to 'Fancy Dance' which we sing at Jo Jingles, and at home lots of times every day, and I sometimes find you doing the actions, in the right order on your own when you have just been sitting playing by yourself. Every day it is something new and exciting and wonderful little love! Sweet dreams x x

Mine!!!

2009-06-03T19:36:00.001+01:00

They're my beads and my teeth, so I can chew on this instead of my teether if I want!!!

Sunny weather!

2009-06-02T19:52:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, we have had the most amazing weather for the last 3 days - absolutely glorious sunshine, and not a cloud in the sky. You have had such fun in the garden, pushing your block truck outside, picking up the sticks on the grass, eating the grass and leaves (despite best efforts to stop you!) and sitting on a blanket reading with Mummy. You are sleeping so well too, partly I think from the fresh air, but also from the heat. At the minute the outside temperature is about 23 degrees during the day, but indoors it is closer to 27 degrees - which makes keeping your nursery cool for sleeping a little tricky. You are going to sleep in your baby-gro vests without any Jammies over the top - it is the only way to keep you cool enough I think.

It is wonderful to be able to get the washing out on the line to dry, and throw all the windows open and keep the air in the house fresh, but every time you see the french doors open you back a break for the garden - bum-shuffling across the floor and throwing your legs over the door-jam. You can't quite work out how to get over it yet, but it is only a question of time! Sweet dreams this evening little darling x

For Alice x

2009-05-31T21:28:00.006+01:00

Some little photos of Baby Kay taken on her first birthday by someone who knows how to take photos, rather than our happy-snaps!! We don't have Walgreen in Northern Ireland, but it was a local photographer who works from a studio in our town.

Specially requested by lovely Alice!!

Who knew!!!

2009-05-31T19:08:00.005+01:00

I saw this today Baby Kay and did a double take!! The spelling is not quite right, but it made me stop and stare long enough to block up the aisle while I was taking a photo on my camera!

Who knew that PG was also an entrepreneur making and selling her own salad creams!!! I thought only Paul Newman did that!!

Special delivery....

2009-05-29T20:05:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay - you are getting better and better with each passing day. It is such a relief that you are sleeping more soundly and not coughing so much - a collection of time passing, going gently, some medicine and some great advice from lots of lovely ladies in Blogland who have passed along their wonderful pearls of wisdom.

We went today to pick up the pictures from the photographer that were taken on your 1st birthday in March, and we are so delighted with them. The framed one is up in the sitting room, and we have some extra copies for Nanny and Granda, Granda Billy and B&F. I am so glad we decided to have the pictures done, even if there was a little bit of shouting before you decided to settle down and play along!

The sun has been shining all day, and looks set to continue for the weekend so I hope it lasts and we can get out and enjoy it. I especially hope that it is being shared on the other side of the world, for tomorrow in particular. One of the singlemost incredible, funny, beautiful and gracious women I have ever had the good fortune to meet is celebrating her birthday this weekend - I think she is 21 all over again! :) And I hope the sun shines on her all day long!!

What do you mean you can't post me to Washington for the party???

Shoe Girl!!

2009-05-27T19:30:00.005+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, you are still coughing away and sniffling like crazy, but you are also perking up a little bit too, which is a relief, so I hope this marks a turning point and you are on the mend.

We headed up to Newry today to pick up your car seat, and it is great to have you back in your own wee chair. You sit much higher up in it than in the one the girls had so kindly lent us, so you are back to watching the world whizz past your window!

You are also exploring much more than before - so this weekend we are off to buy stair gates, as you are making a break for the stairs and the front door at every opportunity. When Daddy came home from work tonight he left the kitchen door open and by the time we realised you weren't in the sitting room you were already re-arranging the shoes under the stairs. Who needs toys!!

Stormy weather!

2009-05-26T20:41:00.005+01:00

We have had some clouds today, my precious darling.

The weather has been very changeable - we have blue sky at the moment, but earlier today it was raining heavily and the sky was like a winter's day instead of the end of spring. Technically this time next week we will be into summer - it seems hard to believe when we are still getting hail stones and storms. It was raining so heavily last night too that I didn't get out for bowls practice - it is hard enough to go out and bowl when you have a match and it is raining, but to head out and get soaked and frozen when it's not a competition (no matter how badly Mummy needs the practice!) is just too much to ask at the minute.

And for you, my darling little one, there are clouds too. You are still not well; you have a rotten cough which is keeping you awake. You are tired and cross, and trying so hard not to be. You will play a little bit and then fuss for a little bit, and all the time you are just desperate to get some sleep. The pharmacist told me today that you are not supposed to give any child under 6 an 'over-the-counter' medicine for a cough - so you are getting a little apple/glycerol mix in the hope that it makes your chest feel a bit less sore. You were up quite a lot during the night - consequently so were Mummy and Daddy - and it is so tough to listen to you coughing and there being nothing we can do to help you. Hoping you feel better soon my love x x

Golf Baby!!

2009-05-25T19:34:00.002+01:00

What do you mean these aren't for me??

Darling Baby Kay, this is you helping Daddy clean his golf clubs and teething on the loose golf balls that are rattling around the kitchen floor! The golf balls definitely worked - tooth #11 is through this morning. You have a cough at the moment, and are dribbling like crazy again, and running a temperature - so I am wondering if there are any more on the way that are still bothering you. And, for the record, taking off the cot bumper has worked! You have gone to sleep and have been napping today tear-free! The bumper was just cramping your style!

Weekend Fun!

2009-05-24T19:29:00.006+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, we are back to just the 2 of us this evening - Daddy is away to Dublin overnight, and is back tomorrow, so we have just puttered around together. You have been pushing around your block truck and shuffling around very happily all day.

On Saturday Daddy took you to Newry for an hour or two - you had a great time in your pram going round the shops while Daddy picked up his bits and pieces. I forget sometimes how much fun it is being out with you, and how excited you get about seeing other babies, or bicycles, or dogs, or seeing lorries and buses. But Daddy doesn't get to see this window of your life very often so these times are very precious to him. It lets him see how we spend our day, and how you love to get out and about to see the world around you.

And also it gives him a chance to spoil his princess - your very first ice cream cone!! Daddy tells me you didn't eat it all, and wouldn't entertain eating it directly from the cone, he had to get you a little spoon for you to use!

While you were out I had a chance to clean your nursery and drop your cot base down. You are starting to get a bit too agile for the base to be as high as it was, so for safety I wanted to drop it before you realised you could pull yourself up on the bars on the side. You have slept in it now for 2 nights, and had your naps in it, but each time I have put you down you have been uncharacteristically upset, and cried for a little bit, which you seldom do when it is time to sleep. You are normally so pooped you just wriggle around a bit and then doze off. I have been wracking my brain to work out what it is, and I think I have it - your cot bumper is now too high and you can't see out! Before it was easy for you to reach up and pull it down to give you a wee window out the side into the nursery, but now you can't reach, and I think it has frightened you, or at the very least made you very brassed off about it!

Tomorrow morning when you waken I am going to take the bumper off and see how you fare without it for a day or two. I am not sure you need it anymore anyway - although you wriggle about a lot I am not sure if the bumper was really stopping you bashing off the top of the cot.

Will give this a try tomorrow and hope for the best!! Sweet dreams of Daddy coming home to you my darling x x

Car seat fun!

2009-05-22T19:40:00.004+01:00

Darling Baby Kay we have been out and about today in our new temporary car seat, loaned to us courtesy of the lovely ladies at the baby shop where we bought your real one - the one that you threw up in about a month ago!

The car seat survived the incident, but not without some serious washing and drying of the covers - but when I tried to adjust the straps last week the locking mechanism seized, and I couldn't get them loosened again! Everyone has had a go at loosening them for me, but to no avail. When Daddy got home from golf last Saturday the car seat was sitting in the middle of the dining table, I was wrestling with it, and you were shuffling around the table totally fascinated by the competition. The car-seat won...

After a call to the ladies in the shop, they told us to bring it in and they would sort it out - so Daddy took it up to Newry and returned with a temporary replacement. The car-seat had beaten them too. They had never seen one seized up like that and it has now gone back to the manufacturers for them to have a wrestle with it.

You don't seem to mind the change of seat - in fact it reclines more easily that your original one so you have actually had more sleep when we've been out and about. I just need to make sure to remember to clean the chocolate marks of the side where you were wiping your fingers on it today before we return it!!

Hands up!

2009-05-20T20:47:00.005+01:00

Baby Kay today you finally made friends with your hedgehog puppet after a few weeks of suspicious looks, ignoring, pushing him to the bottom of the toy bucket and shaking her head at Mummy when she tries to bring him out!!

You finally relented and let Mummy put him on your foot, which made you smile and then you handed him back to me to put back on my hand for tickling you! Then, at last, you let me put him on your hand, and instead of looking at him you pulled him over to your wee face and kissed him! Then you tucked him under your chin and started to give him a cuddle with your other hand. He has the softest fun-fur feeling to him, and I think you loved the sensation on your face.

I think you and he are going to be friends. We have called him Spike, despite having none!

Catch up...

2009-05-19T19:42:00.006+01:00

My darling Baby Kay, it has been non-stop for the last week, and truly this is the first evening I have had the chance to sit down and update your journal for you. It has been lots of family, lots of sorting and organising, and lots of busy-ing about, but this evening I am sitting here with the rain thundering outside, my cup of tea, and a chance to sit and share a little with you.You have been a busy wee soul this last week. You are now completely confident pushing along your little block truck without help, and you think the whole thing is hysterically funny! You are also bum-shuffling at top speed - something that up until last Thursday you hadn't ever even tried. I went into the laundry room to empty the washing machine having left you in the middle of the sitting room floor with your books. When I came back into the kitchen you were sitting there - square in the middle of the kitchen floor, beaming up at me. You are not content at all to sit still anywhere - and consequently are totally exhausted at bedtime from all the toddling about and shuffling around!

I am pretty sure too that you have more teeth coming through. You are chewing away like mad on anything you can find (in the supermarket today you had managed to gnaw your way through the top of the carton of Ready Brek porridge before I realised what you were doing...) and grinding the teeth that you already have together. It makes the most dreadful noise but it must be giving you some comfort or relief because you are at it all the time. Usually when your teeth are imminent you go off your food and milk, but you are still keeping up with those. Today you had butternut risotto for lunch which you helped to feed yourself - but it is slow going as you insist on setting the spoon down and giving yourself a big round of applause every time you get something in your mouth. That'll teach us for making such a fuss at the start when you were just getting the hang of it!

Today you had your latest immunisation - Daddy took some time off this afternoon to take you to the doctor for it; Mummy is pretty useless at those sorts of things, because when you cry I am always afraid that I will join you. Thankfully they don't happen very often! Daddy is off to Barcelona tomorrow for the rest of the week, so it will just be the 2 of us til the weekend, but it's only for a few days and then we'll be back together for Saturday.

I will try to get back to posting more regularly again little darling now that things are a little calmer - in the meantime, sweet dreams x x

Beautiful day!!

2009-05-12T19:26:00.006+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, after a busy weekend we have had a busy start to the week.

We have been Jo Jingling today, tomorrow we are off up to Carrickfergus to visit Nanny, on Thursday Mummy is bowling in her first match for 2 years (!!) and then on Friday we are meeting L&I if the weather is nice to head off round the Lakes and the little children's pet farm over at Tannaghmore. On Saturday Nanny and Grandad are coming down to sit with you for the evening as Daddy and I are heading out with the rest of the Kay family group - 10 of us in total - to celebrate G&P being home and spend some time together. We will be home late, but I would guess we will be sneaking in for a kiss before we go to bed regardless!! I don't remember the last time I had something in the diary for every day.

You have started some new fun and games this week - namely cot gymnastics! Two mornings this week I have had to go and rescue you during your morning nap, as you shouted hard and loud. You had rolled yourself onto your tummy, turned side on, and stuck your legs out through the cot bars - so you were stuck face down and couldn't get out!

This morning when Daddy went to lift you you had managed to turn a full 180 degrees in your grow-bag - so you were totally upside down in your cot. I am not sure what it is all about, but it coincides with your growing confidence on your feet, and your new trick of shuffling round in a little circle on the floor when you are playing. The strange thing is that having totally pooh-poohed any notion of crawling now for nearly 14 months suddenly you are also rolling onto your tummy and pulling your knees in as if you realise that you can get going that way too.

Today I ordered safety catches and locks for the kitchen cupboards as the window for childproofing is getting smaller by the day!!!

What are you up to???

2009-05-08T20:44:00.005+01:00

This is the face you make, little darling, when you have done something you really know you shouldn't be doing. Like scooting over to your high chair to try to pull all the bibs out of the bag underneath, or not actually eating all the pieces of mandarin orange in the little dish and putting them over the side of the chair. Or when you have been pulling the little pop-up butterflies out of the back of your caterpillars pop-up book! The list is endless and I reckon that it's a face I am going to get pretty good at spotting!

We have had a great day despite the horrible weather. We went up to the farm tonight with Daddy to see Uncle G and Auntie P who are home from Canada for a fortnight - well, Toronto is really their home now, but we consider them home when they come back to see us! You were a little strange with them at first, but once you had seen Uncle J's new little cocker spaniel puppy, Ben, and had your dinner, then you were dead on. You even did a little bit of walking up and down in the conservatory with Auntie P.

We are all set for a busy weekend - Daddy has golf tomorrow (and we are hoping for a dry night and morning!), and tomorrow afternoon I am going to have a pedicure, something that is long overdue bearing in mind I am digging out my toe-posts and hoping for some sunshine! Hopefully we will get to see lots more of Uncle G and Auntie P too!

Sun, rain and hail!

2009-05-07T19:06:00.005+01:00

It has been a mixed day on the weather front, little one. It was sunny all day and then clouded up at tea-time. As I look out this evening the hail is bouncing off the ground outside and it looks more like November than May!

We have had an easy sort of day - just some grocery shopping and cleaning, and lots of playing on the floor. It is becoming very apparent that you understand a lot more than you can communicate in words and it is such a joy to learn new little things about you. Your latest trick is to 'hide' something (usually whatever you are playing with or whatever you have in your hand.) This involves putting it behind your back and holding your 2 hands out in front of you as if to say 'Where did that go?' When I look all surprised and ask you where it went you whip it back out again totally delighted with yourself, especially if I do a very dramatic shout or jump as if you have given me a fright.

You have played this all day, which has been lovely - and you are practising your new sounds 'Boo' for book (usually said in conjunction with pointing at one that you want) and 'Baw' when you want your shape-sorter ball. You can point to your nappies and your tutu, your books and your Ark, and when you are in your nursery if we ask you 'Where's Noah?' you wave at the Noah in your cross-stitch. You are also giving kisses and cuddles on request - although I am not sure how long this will last, so I am cashing in on it while you are still keen!! You will even kiss your baby (your rag-doll, Lois) when we tell you that your baby needs a kiss. Sometimes it's more a bite on her nose, or the velcro on her tunic, but the thought was there!

Every day it is something new and exciting - and such a joy and blessing to be part of.

Strawberry Sweetheart!

2009-05-06T21:19:00.004+01:00

First, take one little bowl of strawberries.

Second, count them all out to make sure Mummy didn't pinch any while she was washing them.

Third, eat some for good measure.

Fourth, put little yellow duck in the bowl once the strawberries are all gone.

Fifth, put little bowl on your head!

Sixth, Mummy falls in love with you all over again x x

Watching the birdies!

2009-05-05T19:38:00.006+01:00

Baby Kay at her happiest - eating her toast at the french doors, watching the birdies in the trees at the back of the house!

Darling Baby Kay, we had a lovely day today; it is Jo Jingles day, so off we went now that you are over being ill. We had a great surprise when we got there, as Daddy had slipped out of work and popped over to see us both, so he was able to sit in with us for the first 20 minutes of singing and dancing. It was wonderful for him to be able to see you enjoying it after all these months of me talking about it. You were even able to go and get your instruments yourself with me holding your hands for balance - so every day you get a little more confident and steady on your feet.

This evening I am going to catch up on my overdue emails, do a little reading, and no doubt have a few cups of tea, while Daddy watches the Champions League match (Arsenal v Man U!) Hope you are having sweet dreams little darling x

Long weekend....

2009-05-04T20:45:00.004+01:00

....in more ways than one my Darling it has been a long weekend. Daddy was off today for May Day which was lovely, but it has been very busy and he is looking forward to going back to work tomorrow for the rest!

We really haven't stopped since Friday morning - Mrs S's death on Thursday night meant that from Friday was spent over at the farm preparing for the wake; same on Saturday, and then the funeral on Sunday. Your Nanny came down to look after you to free Daddy and I up to go and help Uncle J and especially Auntie D, so it was all change for you too. Even though we have known for some time that this was coming it did not make it any easier for Auntie D - although the funeral service was truly one of remembrance and thanksgiving for an incredible lady who is no longer suffering.

Hopefully this week will be the start of a calmer few days - Daddy is at home all week, and it seems like a good time to gather ourselves all together again and put family first - inside and outside our home. G&P arrive next weekend from Toronto for a few weeks and Daddy is so excited about seeing his big brother again, so there are nice things ahead, even for Auntie D.

Sweet dreams little darling x

What mess??

2009-04-29T20:29:00.002+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, you are getting better every day, which is such a relief and blessing. You are not impressed at all that you need your nose wiped - so that is a fairly good indicator that you are almost back to normal!! And you also want ALL your toys out on the floor when you are playing, regardless of whether you already have something to play with or not.

One unexpected thing about your recent illness is that you are suddenly quite happy to sit on my knee for long periods without needing to get down onto the floor to play, or take my glasses off, or wrestle the TV remote or mobile phone, or any of your other diversion tactics designed to make us give up trying to cuddle you and pop you down with your toys again. I am making the most of this, because the more you improve the more I can see these afternoon cuddles getting fewer and further between again. Especially when the toddling and cruising turns into full blown walking about!

Sweet dreams my darling baby girl. Only one more sleep til Daddy is home x x

On the mend...

2009-04-28T20:14:00.007+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, you are on the mend thankfully. Eating a little more, drinking plenty of fluid and no temperature to speak of, so I think that you're feeling much more like your old sweet self again. Still looking a little pale and peaky, but trying hard to get into all your toys and chatting away.

Today you are working on Bo Peep from our Each Peach Pear Plum book - and getting very excited and clapping your hands when you shout 'Bo-Pay.' It makes my heart glad to see you feeling better and interested in your toys and books again. We didn't chance going out to Jo Jingles - no harm in going gently for a day or two more, and I am sure the other Mummies will be glad that I decided not to bring you in case you smit their little ones.

Tomorrow if the weather is nice we will venture out in the pram - the car seat is finally clean and back in the car, but a bit of fresh air for the both of us would be just the ticket to lift the spirits while Daddy is away.

Sweet dreams precious darling x

Half-full...

2009-04-27T14:21:00.006+01:00

Darling Baby Kay - you are not well at all at the minute little darling. We had a busy Friday and Saturday, where we took you into town while we looked for new shoes for Daddy, and had lunch at Pizza Express. You had Pasta Pommodoro - and had a great time sitting up at the table with the little cup of colouring pencils and book the wonderful waiter brought.

Unfortunately that was the best of the weekend. The worst was still ahead. Daddy was playing in a golf competition on Sunday, and though you were a little pale I took you out in the car for a ride to pick up a few things for home. You had eaten all your lunch and seemed in pretty good spirits, but the minute I parked the car up at the shops you threw up your lunch, all over yourself, and the car seat, and the car. The worst part was you were so upset about it. I had to strip you down in the car park and clean you up as best as I could with baby wipes. I had no change of clothes for you, because I stopped carrying spares - so I had to wrap you in a blanket and my jacket and put you back in the yucky seat for the 3o minute drive home.

I was able to get you cleaned down and into bed when we got back. Then I got the car cleaned and took the car seat apart to clean. Parts of it are drying all over the laundry room, because it is one of those clever things that are made for children which are hand-wash only, and don't tumble dry. And in Nothern Ireland you get about 25 minutes of outside drying a month, and we already had April's. Everything is pretty much sorted now, except for you little darling. You are pale and tired, and a little warm, but you are taking milk and water and keeping it all down, and a little bit of food, though you aren't so fussed on that.

I could still cry about this if I stopped to think about it. God is having a big old laugh at me this week.

The Good, the Pink and the Cheeky!

2009-04-24T20:37:00.004+01:00

Baby Kay - proving once and for all that Daddy is wrong!

Clint Eastwood is NOT the only person who can look cool in a poncho!!

Numbers 9 and 10....

2009-04-23T19:11:00.004+01:00

Darling Baby Kay - today we have had a return to wet weather!! Didn't stop us heading out together at lunchtime to meet J in town - you were very well behaved the whole time we were eating, and had great fun squishing your watermelon pieces between your gums and dropping things over the side of the high-chair. That was more fun for you than it was for J and I it has to be said. You now have 9 teeth - the one I thought was coming through will have to be number 10, because you have a bright white one on the top at the right back, directly above where the bottom back one came through last week. I think you are working on one side at a time!! The one I thought was coming through is still there in the gum looking red and ready to go, so we are watching and waiting.....

I had the yummiest Brie and guacamole sandwich at the YD (tasted much, much better than it sounds!!) and you even had some share of the bread dipped in the guacamole. It was hard to tell if you approved or not, but you did keep opening your mouth when more was offered, so I'm assuming it was a hit! It must have been nice and chewy on your gums!

We ordered dessert to take home, and came back here to relax and enjoy it, so that you could play and wriggle about the floor and then go down for your nap when you were tired. It is always so nice to see J - she loves you to pieces and stops saying that she never thought she'd see the day she'd bounce your Daddy's baby on her knee. Daddy was one of the Seniors when J and I were trainees at work, and he ended up working a lot with J as they were in the same office. J is credited with introducing Daddy and I - but you will already know this by the time you are old enough to read this blog, because I am sure J will tell you at every opportunity!

Daddy is home tonight, which is great. You were so pleased to see him when he arrived in, and so excited that he was able to give you your dinner, and do your bath. I have to say I am pretty pleased he's home too! Only one more day til the weekend lands, precious darling x x

Chat!

2009-04-22T20:44:00.007+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, today I realised something that I hadn't before! You are usually very chatty during the day - you have a little range of sounds that we all know and recognise - your Dada, Mama, Eeeeh (with your hands outspread, which means both 'Everyone' and 'All done'), Nana, and a few others. But what I hadn't realised is that when I say things to you, you use those same sounds back to me, but you mimic the cadence of my voice and syllables of the words I have used.

At the end of your bath tonight I said 'Both hands, please' - which is your cue to reach your hands up so I can lift you out of the bath - and you said 'Ma-Ma, Ma' - going up at the end the way we do to get your attention when we say 'please', with a big smile on your face. And when I was zipping up your little Gro-bag, I said 'All tucked in!' and you said 'Na-na-na' with a big smile.

I know people will read this and think I have lost my marbles, but I am sure that you think you are saying back to me what I have said to you! Nothing will convince me otherwise :)

This evening I am just curled up on the settee - once I have finished this post to you I am going to make a cup of tea, and head to bed for an early night with my book. Tomorrow J is coming down to see us both - she is off work for the rest of this week and it will be great to catch up with her in town - so an early night will do no harm at all! Sweet dreams precious darling x x

Hello Daddy!

2009-04-21T19:39:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, today I am posting a lovely photo I took of you and Daddy in the back garden of the house at the weekend. Daddy is in Poland at the minute, so this is for him to log on and get a nice surpise this evening when he reads your blog.

He already knows that you had a great day at Jo Jingles, and have been in wonderfully cheerful and happy form - we have had a really relaxed together and the sun is still shining outside here at 19.45pm in the evening. Daddy, we love and miss you and can't wait to have you home x x

Ha Ha!!

2009-04-21T19:25:00.003+01:00

It seems an explanation is in order!!

A 'ha ha' - at least in Northern Irish parlance - is a ditch! The gentry used to look out of their lovely homes and see the rolling countryside all around them, and enjoy the sheep and cattle grazing from afar. What they didn't like was same said sheep and cattle trampling their plants and digging up their lawns - so they dug a 'ha ha' which was a long trench along the boundary of their gardens. From their stately homes you couldn't see the ditch, you just continued to have your lovely uninterupted via over the countryside - but the sheep and cattle on the other side of the ha ha then couldn't get into your garden to wreak havoc with your topiary!!

Hope this helps!! I have linked to Florence Court on Wikipedia - where there is a particularly fine example of a ha ha, which sparked my original comment yesterday!

Ready to catch!

2009-04-20T19:15:00.008+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, we have been blessed this weekend and today with such amazing weather, and have been making the most of it. We had a long walk this morning together and while you are fast asleep upstairs Mummy is sitting on the settee wondering how she can have so many sore bits of her body that she didn't even know were there this time yesterday! We saw the sheep out in the fields, and you were tickled pink to hear the lambs bleating - much better than Daddy and Mummy's attempts when you are pointing out the pictures in your wee books!

Nanny and Grandad have gone to Enniskillen for a few days break, and they are getting the most incredible weather for the Lakes. I hope they get a chance to go to Florence Court when they are down in Fermanagh. Daddy and I went there a long time ago to celebrate our birthdays, before you were born, and when you are bigger we will take you there to see the beautiful house, and you can learn for yourself what a Ha-Ha is!!

This photo was taken last week when we were up at Nanny's for lunch. You like the feel of her leather settee (ours is just plain fabric!!) and it is a great height for you to stand up and play against - I kept telling Nanny that she didn't have to stand behind you, and that you were getting so much better at not pretending to be a great redwood tree collapsing in the forest - but she wasn't convinced. I think that is a Nanny's job - to always be there to catch you, even if you don't fall!!

At the park!

2009-04-18T21:07:00.002+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, today we have had wall to wall sunshine. The clothes line is covered with all your washing, which I have been able to dry outdoors in the wonderful sun and breeze, rather than tumble it indoors! That is such a rare thing here - especially in April. Dear Becky had told me she would pray for some sunshine for us here, and looks like it worked! I love the smell of your little clothes after they have been washed and dried outdoors - there is something so very special about that.

While I sorted out some things around the house Daddy took you for a walk in your pram over to the park. You had your little sun-hat on to keep your eyes and face shaded, because although you were only out a wee while you are so fair skinned I think it would take very little for you to get burnt. Daddy says you had fun on the swings, and he took this wee photo of you, hanging on and looking rather sceptical of the whole thing!! I imagine before long you will be asking to go to the swings yourself!!

And when you got home and we asked you 'Where's your hat?', you pat yourself on the head as if to say 'Well, it was there earlier!!!' Thank you little angel for a wonderful, happy day x x

Friday at last!

2009-04-17T19:19:00.009+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, it is lovely to be at Friday again, with the weekend ahead of us!! I have nothing to complain about since we had Daddy at home on Monday and Tuesday, but it still seems like we missed him more than usual during the day at home once he went back to work. The weather for the weekend is set to be nicer than it has been lately too, so we might manage to take that long walk over to Gosford Forest we have been meaning to do for so long! I sometimes think that by the time we get around to doing that you will be riding your little bicycle alongside us instead of being pushed in your pram!

Today we went up to Carrickfergus to drop our 'baby names' book up to K - who is 35 weeks pregnant with baby boy #3! She reckons that they used the names they liked for baby boy #1, and managed to get to a consensus on the names for baby boy #2 - so when they discovered that baby #3 was also going to be a boy they were into tough terrain!! I had tried to throw in a few names that we had picked out provisionally before we knew that you were a pink baby and not a blue baby - but they have a big, tricky surname like us, and it can be hard to get names to sit together with it. We'll have to wait and see what they come up with!!

We even managed to pop into see Nanny and Grandad for lunch which was great for everyone. You haven't slept a huge amount today - but you did stay in very cheerful form right up until you went to sleep - so I think you had a happy wee day - I know that I did! All my love x x

Just checking!

2009-04-16T20:04:00.007+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, today it was just you and me tootling about. A little bit of grocery shopping, a little bit of cooking and ironing, and a lot of playing on the floor and reading your books together.

There was even a little bit of you reading my books!! I was given a copy a book called 'Buddism for Mothers' - a self-help book designed to give new mothers a perspective on how to be calmer, happier mother and raise calm, happy babies and children. Suffice to say that since you were born I haven't actually had much of a chance to read anything at all - much less this little book! It has all sorts of useful chapters like 'Finding Calm' and 'Finding Happiness and Losing our self-image' - all of which I imagine would be very enlightening if I had gotten myself together to read it!

I wonder were you reading it to check whether I was sticking to the rules?? Or to get a preview of forthcoming attractions!!

The one very pleasing thing I noticed though is that you seem to 'know' that you don't tear the pages of books. Magazines, junk mail, anything else is fair-game - but 'proper' books you just flick and fan without tearing. Such a clever little girl!!

We also had tooth number 8 appear on the bottom, to the left of your front 2, and number 9 is making it's way through at the back on the other side. Explains all the teeth grinding!!

By popular request....

2009-04-16T19:37:00.003+01:00

.....well, requested by Lisa, who is pretty popular - so that's the same thing in my book.

The hedgehog that Baby Kay is non-plussed with! Now, what's so weird about this poking out of the end of your sleeve!!

Rain, rain, rain....

2009-04-15T19:47:00.004+01:00

It has rained all day sweet darling - from first light to as I write. So much for spring having arrived!! We didn't let it cramp our style though - Grandad is still off work for Easter week so we headed out this afternoon to Ballydougan Pottery for some lunch together and to have a look at the gorgeous pottery they make there. Nanny even got a birthday present for a friend, and we bought you a little hedgehog puppet! He is the softest fabric and has little sewn-in eyes rather than buttons, so there is no danger of you nibbling them off! You seemed quite taken with him at first but by the time we'd got back to the house you had decided there was something strange about a hedgehog poking off the end of Mummy's arm, and you kept whipping him off and dropping him to the ground! Well see if he gets a second chance tomorrow!!

You are also spending much more time on your feet lately. If anyone tries to get you to sit still for a minute you stiffen your body and wriggle madly towards the floor to get down. You also don't seem to realise that you can't actually walk by yourself yet, because when we are toddling about holding your hands you are squirming them around in our hands as if you want us to let go - the sum result being you over-balance immediately. We are letting you play lots up against the settee, and walking you up and down with your toddle truck to help you - you love to head over to the French doors and look out over the little back garden - as the little hand marks all over the windows attest!!

You have gone to bed tonight once again totally pooped and ready for sleep! Sweet dreams my darling x x

Back again!

2009-04-14T19:32:00.006+01:00

Well, darling Baby Kay, we have had a very busy Easter weekend, and this is the first chance I have had to post to your blog since last Thursday. I can't believe it has been nearly a week; the time just whizzes past and all of a sudden we are halfway through another month.

We have had a lovely extended weekend - Daddy was off work on Monday and Tuesday, and having the 3 of us together all day was just perfect. On Good Friday we just had a quiet day together, and dropped in some chocolate Easter bunnies to R&N next door. Saturday was bright and sunny in the morning, so while Daddy played golf you and I went over to Moygashel to meet Nanny and Grandad for lunch. They had great fun pushing you round the lovely Linen Green stores, and feeding you your strawberries and bananas at lunchtime. You even tried the lasagne with some success - I prefer that you have what we are having rather than carrying the little jars with me, because so many places are funny about heating up your own food if you ask them! You're wonderful about trying most food anyway so it isn't a problem!

On Sunday we went to church, and this week you managed the entire service without having to be slipped quietly (or more usually very noisily!) out the back door! You were just starting to get a bit pipped at the last, but a lot of loud singing in the last hymn covered it up! On Monday we had a quiet family day together again, just puttering around the house - we called over to the bowling green for the opening barbeque and to watch the little competition they were having. Daddy isn't planning to bowl this year, but I am hoping to get out for a few games on a Thursday if I can squeeze my way back onto the Mid-Ulster league team - will have to get some practice in though, I haven't thrown a bowl since I was 12 weeks pregnant with you!!

Today we headed up to Newry to the shops, which were busy and loud and packed with people up from the South keen to take advantage of the great exchange rate! We didn't last long, and came home having just got you a few little pairs of summery leggings for the (hopefully!) summery weather that should be coming down the line.

You are fast asleep now, and I am just going to make me and Daddy a cup of tea and enjoy the last of our weekend with Daddy before he goes back to work tomorrow. Sweet dreams my little princess x x

Waiting for lunch!

2009-04-09T20:12:00.002+01:00

What do you mean 'upside down'???

Shouting, part II....

2009-04-07T19:25:00.009+01:00

Well, darling girl, we still have lots of shouting today, but I think that under the cover of the singing at Jo Jingles this morning you managed to get most of it out of your system. You were pretty well contained until about 4.30pm and then were a little bit wired until bed-time - but you are bathed, fed and fast asleep as I type so all is quiet for the meantime.

I have had some really good advice from Jaime and Sara, and thanks to an inspired birthday present from Prairiegirl teaching you more signs is the way to go. I tried 'please' with you, and while you just looked at me and didn't give it a try yourself it seemed to surprise you enough to stop the shrieking! I suspect you thought I was trying to tickle you out of it!

And strangely, as we are starting to learn signs, and you are finding your voice, you also said your first clear 'non-baby' word! I think you said it by accident, and I am fairly certain you don't realise that it means what you think it means - but you can now say 'Duck' quite clearly, and have said it several times to prove the point. And, true to form my darling, you are also refusing point blank to perform on cue - so I am the only one who heard it, and I think that Daddy thinks I imagined it!! Oh well, there's always plenty of time tomorrow to practice for him getting home from work!! Love always, precious darling x

Smiling and shouting, lots of shouting....

2009-04-06T20:21:00.005+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, today has been quite mixed here - you have had lots of smiling and laughing and toddling along behind your little block truck and walker (with Mummy holding you from behind!) There has also been lots of shouting. And I mean LOTS of shouting!

This is a recent development - you were doing it a little bit on and off over the weekend and I wasn't sure what it was all about. You make this high-pitched, shrieking noise and stiffen your arms, with your brows down and waggling your hands about with your fingers pointed - just as if you are having a meltdown about something someone has said or done. If you are pointing at something you want to play with and I don't guess right and bring you something else we get the shriek and the point. If you are on the floor and it is time to be standing up, we get the shriek. If you are finished with your lunch instead of just refusing your spoon which is your usual form, we get the shriek.

I am trying to breathe deeply and ignore the fact that the noise goes straight for the fillings in my back teeth. I am trying to tell myself that you are frustrated, and that once the babbling starts to form words, and once you are on your feet yourself that the shrieks will subside. Having said all that, those little roaring red cheeks today make me suspect that another tooth is on it's way! I am hoping that when you get up tomorrow morning you'll have forgotten how to make that noise!!

Sweet dreams little darling x

Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T21:21:00.012+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, today we headed off to church together for Palm Sunday. You were pretty good for the first half hour, but we had to slip out during the prayers because you had decided that you'd rather go to Children's Church instead! You are by far the teeniest person there - all the rest are at least school age - but there are so few families with small babies that it doesn't warrant a creche - so we just joined in with the children who didn't seem to mind to much!

After church we went back to the farm with the rest of the family. You had great fun pulling Jack's tail (Auntie D's cat!) and instead of high-tailing it out of the house he just kept snaking back and forward through your legs for more. You were thrilled!

After your nap we headed out shopping - Debenhams had a 70% sale on some of their children's clothing, so we used it as a chance to pick up some wee things for you for the summer. Once again the highlight was being in the trolley, and posting pieces of paper through the bars at the front to see if we would pick them up for you! You have gone to bed tonight tired and happy and hopefully all set for the coming week!

So many people left comments about your little wooden teether that I decided to post a picture of you with it. You are having plenty of fun with it for sure - her name is Mary-Lou (according to the packaging!) and as well as a bit of chewing the beads at her hands and feet your favourite things are to suck the string that comes out of her head, or make her jump up and down like a marionnette and swing her around you head..... I am hoping that you don't hit yourself with it, but I think it is inevitable. She seems fairly robust and up for the challenge!

Looking forward to this, Holy Week, and all that it brings us, as I remember not only all it stands for, but also labouring away on Good Friday, and Saturday - before you were born on Easter Sunday. This will be a real week of thankfulness and appreciation.

Show and Tell Friday!

2009-04-03T19:29:00.005+01:00

It seems like such a long time since I did Show-and-Tell Friday - a really wonderful feature that Kelli presents each week. So I decided that I would use our little shopping trip today to join in.

My show and tell are this little pair of beautiful pink shoes that I bought today for my darling Baby Kay - her very first pair of shoes. She has some wee soft slippers that she tootles about the house in, and a gorgeous little pair of soft leather slip-on ones for keeping her warm when we are out and about, but now that she is whizzing about in her walker, and start to tentatively wobble up and down a few steps along the edge of the sofa, it was time to get her the real deal.

The girl in the shop was very helpful, and even though Baby Kay was far more excited about the tissue paper coming out of the box she was very patient about being measured and having several different ones tried and tested. The shop even take a commemorative Polaroid picture for you and put it in a little card as a keepsake of getting your first shoes!! I have no idea how long Baby Kay will wear these - all my friends tell me that shoes are the most expensive things they seem to have to get for little ones, and to expect to have to replace them with alarming regularity - but these special ones will be going in her keepsake box for her once she outgrows them!

Who knows, I might have started a life-long love of shoe-shopping in my little girl already!

Happy Friday to everyone!!

Number 7 and counting...

2009-04-02T19:57:00.004+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, well the dribbling for the last few days was not in vain. We have another tooth - a back one on the bottom that you can't seem to keep your fingers away from. And coincidentally you got another belated birthday present in the post - a wooden teether from our friends in New Zealand!

I have never seen a wooden teether before, and I have to admit I had my reservations about it, but the details on the box explained it was a Kiwi institution and totally safe. Just as well really, because you love it! And given that your preferred teething toy before it arrived was any one of your wooden blocks that you could get your hands on, perhaps it's fate that your new wooden teether was on it's way to us when you need it most!

Play date!

2009-03-31T20:30:00.003+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, today we had another busy day in store. As well as Jo Jingles this morning we had an afternoon playdate over in Loughall with R&E - R goes back to work tomorrow now that her maternity leave is up, and it was the last chance of catching up for a while.

After Jo Jingles we came home for lunch, and I had hoped you would doze in the car on the way over to R's - but you stayed wide awake, singing away to yourself until we pulled into their driveway, at which point you promptly went to sleep!

What to do?? Well, usually you REFUSE to sleep anywhere other than your own cot - you won't even cuddle up in bed beside me (and believe me I have tried to convince you it would be a lovely way to spend a few hours!) But you were so tired that you did sleep when we tucked you into E's cot - for the entire playdate! E played away quite happily and didn't seem to miss the fact that her date had arrived but hadn't shown up! And it gave R and I a great chance to catch up with only 1 little girl twisting around the floor!

It was very sweet when I went to get you to bring you home - you have started to take your tights off when you are wearing a dress - why?? Because you have suddenly realised that you can I think! When I put you down for nap you wriggle and wrestle them off quite merrily and then go to sleep with them in one hand and Moo in the other. The problem with this afternoon was that I didn't take your little slippers off when I put you down to sleep, so there you were, fast asleep with Moo and your tights firmly round your ankles where you couldn't get them off any further! I wish I'd had my camera, but when you are old enough to read this for yourself my darling I am very sure you'll be glad I didn't! Sweet dreams little love x

Busy busy busy!

2009-03-30T19:27:00.005+01:00

Darling Baby Kay, it has been a busy few days here for us while we have been unplugged!

Saturday saw Daddy and I off to the Culloden to stay for the night, and dinner in Aldens in town. Daddy had booked it some time ago to celebrate our wedding anniversary (which was mid-week when he was away in Spain) and Nanny and Granda had come down to baby-sit for you. I was a bit nervous about us both being away from you overnight, but you had great fun. When we got back on Sunday you were busy reading with Nanny and hardly gave us a second look! I am not even sure you realised we were gone!

Dinner on Saturday was lovely, and we even resisted the temptation to talk about you all the time we were away! It was strange, especially going to bed without stealing my last kiss of the day like I usually do when you are fast asleep, but I have to confess that the lie in on Sunday morning, and leisurely breakfast at the hotel before heading up the road was a rare and very pleasant treat!

On Sunday Daddy took you to B&Q when we got home from our overnight stay. As usual the highlight of any trip out now is the obligatory trolley ride - you get very peeved when you are strapped into your pram if you can see trolleys about! While you were out I finally finished off the last of your birthday 'thank-you' cards, so that I can start the week without too many things carried forward from last week's 'to-do' list!

All in all it was lovely to be away, and Nanny and Granda had so much fun they have said they will happily volunteer to do it again for us. We might just take them up on that!!

Unplugged!

2009-03-27T18:55:00.000Z

See you on Monday!

Post from the Prairie!!

2009-03-26T20:07:00.032Z

Darling Baby Kay - tonight we have a very big thank you to send across the Atlantic to 2 very, very special people. Lovely Lisa and Prairiegirl have sent you the most wonderful box for your birthday, full of lovely things!

We had to go and pick the parcel up from the post office this afternoon, as we were out this morning when the postie tried to deliver it. As with all post to the house, you had to have a good inspection of it before anyone was allowed near it to start opening it. When it's being opened you do this strange arm flapping - up and down like you are trying to lift off. I think it's excitement, but it could also be your way of telling me to stop taking photos and hurry up and open the parcel!!

Inside was a gorgeous birthday card with Winnie the Pooh on the front. It has twinkle and glitter on it too, and you have had great fun scrunching your nails on the twinkle to hear the noise. When I was bathing you tonight you still had little bits of twinkle in your hair! It seems so strange to think that only a few days ago Prairegirl was writing your card and now it has made it's way halfway round the world!

And also the most beautiful top - your first Disney shirt!!! All the way from their holiday in Florida. Unfortunately I couldn't get you to hold the top up, or even let me set it on your knee - because once you saw that there was a big Disney label on it, you were just past yourself with excitement and kept grabbing the label and waving it about triumphantly, or trying to put it in your mouth!

There was a brilliant book on signing for babies - with colourful pictures and flash cards, so that when Prairegirl comes to visit us you and she will be able to chat away! You really loved the flashcards, and the book was a fantastic diversion while I was making your dinner and you were waiting in your high chair!!

Your favourite sign is teddy bear - I am having to learn them fast, because you keep pointing to the pictures in the book and then looking at me, as much as to say 'What's that one then!'

And there was also a more grown-up book on signing, for when you are a little bigger. This didn't stop you insisting on being allowed to look at it for yourself now - and make sure that I wasn't going to sneak it away for myself!

And there was even something in there for Mummy. You know when you have met someone who is very special, with a kind and thoughtful heart, when they send you a gift you never realised you needed (indeed never knew existed) because they DID know that you needed it, having remembered something you said a long time ago. Lisa, you are a complete sweetheart.

Lisa even snuck some great magazines into the box that you can't get here in Northern Ireland - so I will be enjoying a flick through those this evening in bed while Daddy is away.

What a wonderful parcel - and thank you again so very much to the very special people who sent it to us - your kindness is so much appreciated, and will not be forgotten.

Multi-tasking.....

2009-03-25T20:25:00.004Z

Dearest Baby Kay - tonight Daddy is in Barcelona and it is just us girls. You have gone down tonight in top form after a lovely bath and a busy day visiting Grandma. She is always so pleased to see you, and is very excited about baby-sitting this coming Saturday night.

When we got home and I was sorting out the washing you were tearing about the kitchen in your walker with your sippy cup. I am trying to move you away from your baby-bottles for milk so that we can eventually drop them altogether, but at the minute since you are still doing a lot of spilling and dribbling we are sticking to practising with water! I have warned you about drinking and driving, but to no avail - you just pull up, throw your head back and glug your water! It is very funny to watch and you get all excitable when it comes out too fast and splashes up your nose! At times like these I am glad for tiled floors and a quick mop!!

Goodnight my darling, sweet dreams of Daddy to you until he gets home x

One year, and one day!

2009-03-24T20:05:00.004Z

My darling Baby Kay, today we are almost back to normal service! We had great fun at our Jo Jingles morning. You do a lot of bopping along to the music, and recognise many of the regular tunes. We only have a few weeks of term left, but we are already registered for next term. Taking you along to Jo Jingles was one of the best things we ever decided to do, you have so much fun with the other babies, and love the music and songs.

You spent most of your day at home playing with your new birthday presents. Yesterday I packed away a few of the things you got at Christmas into a box in your nursery, so that in a few weeks time I can swap them over again and you can have 'new' toys you forgot you had. We decided to do this because you seemed so overwhelmed by how many things you had to play with here in the sitting room. You just kept pointing at things in slight bewilderment, and when they were fetched for you (as you are still resolutely determined not to shuffle or crawl towards them yourself!) you just looked at them, and then pointed to something else. I think that if we have fewer things for you to play with at a time you will get more chance to play with them and enjoy them - at least that's what we hope!! You don't seem to mind though - in fact I am not sure you have even noticed they have gone!

Happy birthday to me!!

2009-03-23T19:54:00.008Z

Darling Baby Kay, this time last year, 19.54pm - you were 5 hours old. We were in the hospital in Craigavon, and you had met your Grandads and Grandma, your Uncle J and Aunt D - and your shell-shocked and euphoric Mummy and Daddy had finally held their baby girl in their arms after more than 42 weeks of pregnancy, and more years than I would like to think of hoping and praying for you to come along.

And you did. And this year - this last 12 months - have been the most amazing, tiring, incredible, exhilarating, terrifying, exhausting, humbling of my life. I have never known such tiredness and fear - how was I ever going to look after this tiny little person who needed me for everything. But I have also never known such overwhelming love and happiness.

Today, my darling daughter, we we took you to the beach in Newcastle where Daddy and I walked when we had only just starting dating. It was freezing - the kind of day that they say would 'skin you alive' here in Northern Ireland. But the sun shone brightly as we walked along the shore and we talked about everything we have been through together. You just watched the world go by from your little viewpoint in the pram, and I am sure that you had no idea just how much we love you, and how much we both feel that our lives are so blessed for having you with us. There is not a day goes by when I am not reminded of how lucky I am to have you - or the joy you have brought us both, even today when the wind took our breaths away and made your little red nose run!

Happy 1st birthday, darling Amelie. May you know yourself the love you have brought, and the changes you have blessed us with. This last year has been an incredible one for you, and for us - and may this amazing journey continue to be blessed with love, happiness and joy - for the 3 of us, and for those who know us and care for us.

And may you not catch cold because of irresponsible, but romantic parents who took you to the beach on a freezing March day!

Party Girl!

2009-03-22T20:49:00.014Z

Darling Baby Kay, the house has been full of visitors for the last 3 days - all here to see you and share your 1st birthday party! Your birthday is actually the 23rd - tomorrow - but it made more sense because of the people who were flying in to see you to have the party on the weekend - and what a wonderful day you had!

Auntie F and Uncle B came over, Uncle J & Auntie D, Granny, both Grandad's, S & P, J and R from next door - the house was full of people who were all here to celebrate your special landmark. You were bemused by all the fuss and the houseful of faces - it is usually just the 2 or 3 of us, but not this weekend!

You had gorgeous balloons, which you thought were great fun, and are still enjoying head-bopping with Daddy. We kept them well out of the reach of tiny fingers who might burst them and get a fright! We are going to share them with the girls next door now, but we are keeping the lovely Tinkerbell one for you for your baby box.

You had so many gorgeous presents and kind wishes - from all over the world too thanks to your blog - and are still getting used to all the new things in the sitting room. You love your xylophone and are very excited about how easy it is to make so much noise! People have been immensely generous with their presents, their cards and their kind and loving wishes for you.

Your caterpillar pillar from R, C and baby M.

Your bead board from Granny and Grandad McC.

The Gruffalo book set.

You looked gorgeous in your tutu - which you tolerated for much longer than I expected - you kept scrunching the fabric between your fingers and trying to get little bits up to your mouth when you thought no-one was looking!

Eventually though we ditched the skirt and you wriggled around the rest of the time in your tights instead! I think you were much happier that way. You were so patient with all the hugging and kissing, and being passed around for photographs, which is something you are not used to, but you coped so well with it all. We were so proud of you, and by the end of the day although your were tired, you were still singing and very happy to sit on knees and read books with your guests.

You even had some of your birthday cake (no smashing in sight Lisa!!) which Mummy didn't make, but maybe next year!!

And Daddy and I are really lucky, because Daddy has taken tomorrow off work so we can take you out for your real birthday - just the 3 of us. We are going to have your photo taken properly, to mark the occasion, at a photographers in town - and then if the weather is good we will take you for your first trip to the seaside! It will be cold for sure, but it's never too early for a girl to catch her first sight of the shore!!

Love to you always my darling - with my heartfelt prayer that you are always blessed as much as you have blessed our lives in the short time we have had you to share x

Something beginning with F....

2009-03-18T19:49:00.004Z

This evenings post is a lazy steal - sorry Baby Kay! I am pooped this evening and when I spotted this on lovely Heidi's blog I thought I'd have a go here!

1. What is your name: Fiona

2. A 4 letter word: Fish

3. A boys name: Fintan

4. A girls name: Faith

5. An occupation: Florist

6 . A color: Fawn

7. Something you wear: Flip-flops

8. A beverage: Frothy decaff coffee :)

9. A food: Fudge

10. Something found in the bathroom: Floss

11. A place: Fermanagh

12. A reason for being late: Forgot to set the alarm!

13. Something you shout: Follow that car.....

And just for the benefit of Lisa - who thinks that I have a hotline into baby clothes - Baby Kay today is modelling yesterday's outfit again - which she miraculously kept 'food-free'. But you are right - if I had the money to use it as an excuse to avoid the laundry I'd be right there! Having said that, you'd be amazed at how little ironing you can get away with if you fold things straight off the line or out of the dryer!!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T14:36:00.016Z

To the dear people who read Baby Kay's blog, and leave such wonderful, thoughtful comments - a very Happy St Patrick's Day to you all.

May God give you:-

For every storm, a rainbow

For every tear, a smile,

For every care, a promise,

And a blessing in each trial.

For every problem life sends,

A faithful friend to share,

For every sigh, a sweet song,

And an answer for each prayer.

Things are seldom what they seem....

2009-03-16T21:32:00.004Z

It may look like I'm brushing my teeth with the wrong end of my toothbrush, and driving around the dining table with an empty bottle in my hand, but you have actually just caught me on a musical interlude..... I am really practising my drumming in case anyone buys me a drum kit for my birthday.....

There is a rumour circulating that my cousin S might be buying me a xylophone, so I am getting in all the practice I can in the meantime.

For the record for any other babies who are reading, if you don't actually have any drums to bang just try the radiators, the TV screen, any empty household appliance boxes - they work just as well, but you might have to move quickly if your Mummy catches you. She's apt to move you along quick-smart especially if the radiators are on!!

Anyhow, if you are completely stuck then you can just sing!!

Calm before the storm!

2009-03-15T19:24:00.004Z

Darling Baby Kay, this week is going to be a very busy one. I am sitting here on Sunday evening, looking at the planner for the week ahead, and my diary, and the list of things that I still need to do for your birthday tea next Saturday, and the things I still need to make, and buy - and I feel like I should go and make a cup of tea instead!

Fortunately this week Daddy is home all week, and we have Tuesday off for St Patrick's Day, so I have lots of help (and someone to keep those cups of tea coming thick and fast!)

Today we went to Rushmere together while Daddy went to church - our kettle blew a fuse last night and to try to manage without one would be very tricky! I managed to boil water on the hob this morning for your bottle and a cup of tea - but a replacement kettle needed to be bought! Perhaps I need to review the number of times it is used each day to try to get more than 12 months out of this one!

We also got a loaf tin for me to make the sticky lemon cake I wanted to have a crack at before the weekend. Your birthday cake is ordered, but I want to have some other things for people to have in case Victoria Sponge is not their thing! Everyone should have something sweet and sticky with a cuppa!!

I can't help it..... I'm teething....

2009-03-13T20:09:00.005Z

And so the teeth continue to grow!

Darling Baby Kay we had a lovely morning over at Oxford Island with L & Baby I, but while she is tortured with an unexplained outbreak of hives, you are just trying to lay your hands on anything you can chew. Everything is soggy at the minute - your skittles, your Moo, my watch, the end of your bib, the TV remote, the facecloth in the bath, the zips on your jackets, the coasters - nothing is safe from getting a good chew or hum!

Now when someone calls on Daddy's mobile you can't hear them talking because you have sucked and chewed the end of it and somehow frizzled the workings!

I handed you a mini-gingerbread man this afternoon while you were tootling about in your walker and where you used to hold his head and suck his little legs and arms til they were all gundgy and mushy, today you just grabbed him in the middle and bit his head clean off in one go. While I had a deep breath moment wondering whether I should whip you out of the walker and turn you upside down to get it, you just shuffled his head around in your mouth, chomping away and dribbling all down your chin.

Bless you though precious darling, because you are not being the slightest bit grumpy about it. In fact, if I pick you up and have my sleeves rolled up, or have my arms bare, you are quite happy to lean over and give me a little lick for good measure. I love you to the moon and back my darling x

I got mail!!!

2009-03-12T19:19:00.007Z

Look at this Mummy, mail for me!!! All the way from America!!

While you recover from the horror of the postage cost Mummy, I will have a go at getting into it myself......

A BUBBLE MACHINE!! AND BUBBLES!!! AND EXTRA BUBBLES!!! HOW DID LINDSEY KNOW THAT IS MY FAVOURITE THING EVER EVER EVER!!!!
And what gorgeous clothes!! Lindsey has such AMAZING taste in lovely things!! How lucky am I! Yes, Mummy, I promise I will be more tidy when I have my own wardrobe, but right now I want to play with them all on the settee...

What do you think Mummy?? Does this one go with my jumper??

I don't care if we are indoors Mummy, I am keeping this one on!

What do you mean I'm driving too fast?? Better get used to it Bunny - we do things at top speed in our walker!!

To dearest Jaime, and darling Lindsey - a thousand thank you's from Northern Ireland - you have made one little girl and her Mummy very happy today. Your kindness and generosity will never be forgotten!

My new doll!

2009-03-11T19:35:00.005Z

Darling Baby Kay - here is a little picture I took of you squeezing your new best friend! Her name is Lois - after the little girl of the friend who bought her for you. She told me as she gave it to me this weekend, beautifully gift-wrapped in Christmas paper, that she hadn't had a chance to drop it down before now, and that she had resisted the urge to re-wrap it in birthday paper and give it as an early birthday one instead!! Regardless of the paper - you love her! She is wearing gorgeous satin clothes that all close with Velcro - your favourite fastener! And you have great fun when we shake her lovely, long hair on your head and onto your face! At the minute she is almost as big as you are, so it will be interesting to see what you pair look like in future photographs as you grow and she watches!!

All my love, precious darling x

Busy, busy, busy!!

2009-03-10T21:10:00.008Z

Dearest darling - it seems like our feet haven't touched the ground over the last 2 days.

We spent most of yesterday trying to organise ourselves for your upcoming birthday - I have been trying to source your present - you are getting a little wooden trolley/truck full of wooden blocks for stacking and playing with, but 'Shhhhh.. It's a secret!' And then we went and booked for us to take you along on the day itself to have a proper portrait photograph taken of you. There is a lovely place in town which does modern, funky ones that are bright and vibrant, and I think will capture your personality better than the more traditional sort.

Today, before Jo Jingles we went and ordered your birthday cake, and I bought all the tulle and ribbon to make your tutu!! I have spent this evening working on it, and Daddy even modelled it for me so that I could make sure all the little layers are evenly spread around, but again, 'Shhhh... That's a secret Daddy would like us to keep!!' I am going to let you play with it a little over the next few days so that you aren't completely freaked out by it on the afternoon of your birthday tea - you sometimes react rather unexpectedly to 'surprises' we spring on you, so it's better you get accustomed to it in your own time!

You finally have all 4 top front teeth at one stage or another - all there, and all clearly visible. You have been chewing on absolutely everything you can lay your hands on lately - from the strap of your car-seat to my watch strap. Despite the new teeth this has not abated, you are just moving things round to the side of your mouth to hum and haw at them - so I am wondering if this is where the next teeth appear. You are even (finally!) using the cooler teething ring I bought for you when you were 4 months old and cut your first 2 teeth. You have never used it - and when I used to try to put it in your mouth for you to give you the general idea of what to do with it you just used to hold it in there, looking at me, and eventually let it drop out! I am glad it proved useful in the end, albeit another 8 months down the line!

Sweet dreams, and love always my darling x

Would I??

2009-03-08T19:10:00.005Z

Darling Baby Kay - we have had a lovely, quiet weekend together, but poor Daddy ended up looking after for the both of us. I headed up to Belfast to meet J&K for lunch on Saturday, so that I could see K before baby #3 makes an appearance. We were having a yummy lunch in the Bay Tree when suddenly I realised I was getting a migraine - yuk! I was able to get myself home fine thanks to my tablets, but was fit for pretty much nothing but lying up on the settee when I arrived. Daddy had to feed you, bath you, look after you and sort dinner. And to top it all off you did something you have never ever done before, and were sick after you had you bedtime bottle. We had to strip you down again, clean you up, get Daddy cleaned up and clean up your nursery rug the best we could til this morning.

Thankfully everyone is great - no problems at all today, but I am sure Daddy could do with a rest!

This afternoon your cousin J called round to see you - she is 18, and one of many older cousins you have courtesy of Daddy being the baby of his family with much older brothers. She hasn't seen you since before Christmas and can't believe how much you have grown, or how much like Daddy you look! She thought you were great whizzing around in your walker too.

You scoot up to the curtains, or the cupboard doors, or the drawers, or the radiator, and then, because you already know I am going to say 'Ah, no - that's not for babies' you look back over your shoulder at me to see me say it, before you blythely go right on ahead and do whatever it was you planned. You have the cheekiest grin when you are doing it - as if you are saying ' Go on Mum, try me!!' We have actually had to bull-dog clip the blinds together and hang them over the back of a chair when you are in your wheels as you have managed to break most of the clips off the bottom in the short time you have been mobile. Everyone has told me that this in nothing compared to what is coming when you are off and running on 2 feet!

This week we are into full birthday planning mode - so we are going to be busy girl!! Sleep well princess, you'll need all your energy!

Ready for the weekend!

2009-03-06T19:36:00.006Z

Today has been a great day - even the weather was bright and sunny, which you can never take for granted in Northern Ireland. The joke is that the weather is bad 9 months of the year and for the other 3 months it just rains! That didn't stop us heading out today to the post office together and to get some goodies in for J and the girls popping in for afternoon coffee. I have unfortunately discovered a new brand of biscuits (cookies to my American friends!) called Banana Snickerdoodles. I so wish I had never seen them or heard of them - they are too delicious for words. Suffice to say that J agreed and there is one lonely biscuit left in the packet this evening. But not for much longer. The kettle is boiling!

Darling Baby Kay, tonight all I want to say to you is that I hope through your life you are blessed with the kind of friends that I have had, and continue to meet as I get older. I have a friend who I have known since I was 10 years old who I still see every few weeks, and others who I have only just started getting to know. And it is these new friendships that are making my life feel so very blessed recently, for a number of reasons. Some of these people show remarkable kindness and generosity of spirit - ('Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise'.) Others are completely unique, honest, interested, supportive and funny in the face of everyday life. Others offer a safe place to land - a very safe place. I hope my darling that you grow up to be friends with R&N next door, and baby I, with S&E and the others who you come to grow up with. And above all I hope that they bless your life as much as you are blessing ours.

Looking forward so much to a '3-of-us' weekend, my little sweetheart!

Handbags....

2009-03-04T19:57:00.002Z

I'm sure this is where Mummy keeps her phone and money..... Now if I can only find the sweeties!!!

5 things.....

2009-03-03T19:20:00.005Z

Darling Baby Kay - this evening I am going to just pop down on your blog another 5 things for you to read when you are older. The list this evening is the new little things that you are doing.

You hold each one of your little animal skittles up to me in turn when you are unpacking them from the bag, so that I can make their noises for you. Sometimes when they are all scattered around the floor about you, you will suddenly spot one again and hold it up in the air and look at me - as if to say 'What does this one do, Mummy?' You think my 'hee-haw' for your little blue donkey is the funniest thing!
When you are reading your Peter Rabbit shapes book you trace the outline of the shapes on the page with your finger like I used to do when I was showing you the picture and saying the word. If I try to do the shape for you now you push my hand away!
For some reason you have taken a new shine to my glasses! You used to try to make a grab for them when you were very little, but you stopped when you were about 6 months. Suddenly, recently, you seem to have noticed them again. You lull me into a false sense of security by pretending you are doing something else and then when I get close you strike! They are covered with tiny fingerprints at the end of the day.
When you are having your bath at night you now splash like crazy!! You have always been quite active and wriggly in the bath, but recently you have started throwing your little plastic ducks around and holding them up to whoever is bathing you so they can drop them into the bath and splash you. You are still bright as a button and laughing at 6.30 in the evening when you have been up like a June bee since 7.00am!
When you are getting your nappy changed if I say to you 'Two feet please' you stop whatever you are doing and lift your two feet up to me so I can kiss the bottom of them for you! You think that is very funny, and it is proving very handy when you are distracted by something and not very keen on being bothered to have to be changed!

Every day is another little something new, my darling. It is wonderful to be a part of your days with you.

Who says junk mail is no fun?

2009-03-02T19:54:00.005Z

Who says that junk mail is no fun? Here I am proving that junk mail is one of the greatest things ever invented - it is practically my favourite thing at the moment!!

Turning it into a great game requires a little bit of forward planning by Mummy. First she needs to wait until I have torn up all the pages of the magazines, leaflets, flyers, and other general toot that comes through the door (being careful to remove all cellophane covers which fascinate me and which I am determined to get my hands on..... Mummy is having to be VERY vigilant on this one!) We have even had a promotional DVD for a holiday firm that Mummy and Daddy are now never going to find out all about!!

Then she waits til I am sleeping, or playing with proper toys that people have bought for me, and she spends a few minutes folding the paper up into little parcels, and triangles, and oblongs; tucking and creasing the paper over and over into little shapes. She pops them all into a little cardboard box we have, and then it's my turn!!

I get the box and take all the paper out, one at a time - unfolding the pages, looking at the pictures, kissing the babies in them, eating the corners when Mummy isn't looking, putting some of it down the back of the sofa, but mainly scattering it all over the place. Putting it back into the box is just as much fun for now!!

I wonder will it be so much fun putting things back when I'm a big girl and Mummy wants me to tidy up my toys??

Me and my Girl

2009-03-01T21:31:00.004Z

Darling Baby Kay - it has been a very busy and manic weekend here at home, but lovely at the same time. We have had CC over staying from England, and spent the last couple of days entertaining - although she really is the most wonderful easy company, and is so happy to muck in, eat what we eat, go where we go, and just relax together and catch up. By rights we should be tired this evening, and though I will be glad to get to bed tonight I am feeling upbeat and happy having had such a great time with her. The last time she saw you was at your Baptism last June, when you were 12 weeks old, and she couldn't believe how you had changed.

We went over to the Outlet on Saturday so CC could look at the shops, and we all had lunch over there too. It was your first real lunch out where I didn't bring a little home-made meal, and took the chance that we would be able to order something off the menu that would suit you too. We ended up with a side order of mashed potato - which we added some of Daddy's fish and mushy peas to - and you had a wonderful time. You sat very happily in the restaurant for the whole 75 minutes we were there - which after a morning trailing round the shops in your pram was no mean feat for one so small. You are such a joy to take out with us; you are so happy to go anywhere, sit and look around and wave at people and you rarely make a scene or get cross. I even managed to get you some 'big girl' spoons now that you are taking an active interest in inspecting what you are being fed, and are determined to grab the spoon!

And today I am posting a photograph that CC took today of the 2 of us before she left. Lovely Jaime mentioned in one of her comments that she was waiting on a picture of Mummy and me - and it made me realise that in all the pictures I have posted on here I have not posted a single one of the 2 of us together - usually because it is me behind the camera and when anyone offers to take one of us my hair is doing the wild-thing or I look like I have had even less sleep than usual! Ignoring the circles under the eyes, I think this is a good one of the 2 of us - and you look just as beautiful as ever my darling little lady. Sweet dreams my angel x x

A Wish for my Children - Evangeline Paterson

2009-02-26T21:23:00.003Z

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??

2009-02-25T19:42:00.002Z

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!

2009-02-23T20:35:00.007Z

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!!!

2009-02-21T20:21:00.012Z

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

2009-02-20T20:22:00.009Z

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,

2009-02-19T14:55:00.003Z

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!

2009-02-17T21:22:00.003Z

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....

2009-02-16T20:14:00.002Z

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.