Month 10 - September 2010 - On The Move at Last!

Dear Lexington,

Hello, little girl, here we are at the end of Month 10 - not long until your birthday now!

The Need for Speed

Over a ten day period towards the end of September you seemed to fast forward somehow - you went from crawling backwards (angrily) to crawling forwards, to pulling yourself up, to cruising around, pointing and waving! That's five milestones in about five minutes (compared to how things have gone thus far!)

Don't get me wrong, Lex, you can go your own speed as far as I'm concerned - whether quickly or slowly or the same speed as everyone else. I don't mind if you don't. But I have to admit there is something really exciting about watching you speed through a few phases, effortlessly owning these skills after weeks of watching you labour, flail and fail at crawling, which most other babies your age mastered weeks agol. It was almost as if you thought -

"Bugger, I'm behind my schedule, better get a move on!"

And a move-on is exactly what you got. There's no keeping up with you now.

For some reason you are particularly quick when you spot the potty, whether unattended in the corner of the room or (even better, it seems), complete with your big sister, astride and mid-toilet, who growls and groans (and occasionally attempts a side-swipe at your head,) at your enthusiastic, gummy approach. I have had to start giving it a thorough clean all over every time Georgie uses it because it has to live either on the cooker or the work surface - not exactly convenient, but needs must at the moment, as the building work continues....

You also love my phone (but it is pretty, so who could blame you x) and every remote control going.

Mama (as opposed to MMaaaaamAAAAAH!)

You have stopped moaning my name and now appear to have set yourself the task of pronouncing it with as many different emphases and intonations as possible. It's always lovely to hear.

Ta!

I am trying to teach you to say thank you, and so have resorted to the word Ta. So far you haven't really said it much but you do like to play a game called Ta - it seems to mean "Let's exchange toys when Mummy says ta". And you're happy to do that. You know that if someone says Ta to you, you're about to gain or lose something, and you accept both outcomes with charming equanimity.

Hide and Seek

Another phrase that you definitely understand (up to a point), is:

"Where's the baby?!"

It started as a peek-a-boo game underneath a towel. That was cute.

Now if I can't see you (which happens a lot more these days, now that you're mobile and all,) all I have to do to find you is enquire of the room:

"Where's the baby?!"

and then wait. I hear you before I see you, as a rule. I hear the quickening breath, the giggling, the drag of your knees on the floor and the slip-slap of pudgy palms on the floor. Occasionally, if you know I still can't see you, you raise yourself up like a meer cat, trying to catch my eye, as if to say:

"Look! I'm crawling! Simples!"

When you get to me, you don't waste any time - if I'm standing, you grab onto me and pull yourself up, grinning madly the whole time and swaying on my trouser-legs. Too cute! If a baby can be too cute, you are x

Swimming

We went swimming at the beginning of the month, and you loved it! So much fun! I would have taken pictures except of course you're not allowed to take pictures of your own children at a swimming pool (grr).

Head Banger

I've had to put your V-pillow into your cot, because you keep banging your head in your sleep, which results in a lot of screaming, bruising and general nocturnal trauma. Ouch!

New Car Seat

You and Georgie managed to become to be for your respective car seats at almost exactly the same time (thanks for that!) And so now you are in the back, in Georgie's old seat and she is in the front, on a booster seat. You both seem pretty happy with this arrangement. I keep forgetting who goes where but I'll get into the swing of it soon enough.

I'm writing this up a little late - it's October (Month 11) and I'm getting ready to go to New York. And I'm getting ready to miss you :( Not to intrude into Month 11 too much but I just wanted to say now, in case I'm blown up by terrorist en route, during the holiday or on the way back, that I love you so much, I'm sorry I'm leaving you when you're teething, when you have a cold and just in general but at the same time, I really really need a holiday, I haven't had one for ages and I have been dying to go to New York for like...ever!

So be good for Daddy, and be good to Georgie (and be quick, or she'll get you!), and I'll try to get there and back in one piece.

Love, love and then more love from your Mummy xxx

And if you're at all curious about what Georgie was like at 10 months, have a click here.