Bamberino

2011-08-10T11:35:00.001+01:00

Eden is completely nappy free!!!

Busy Days of Nothing

2011-07-27T12:52:00.002+01:00

Life has been manic lately. My parents visiting. Matt visiting. The Wedding. And here we are, in the lull following the storm. I didn't get Eden dressed until 10am this morning because he really didn't want to, and I couldn't see why he had to. Instead, while Caleb slept we read, played, coloured and painted. It's been a long while since we've had time to do that together.

Caleb still isn't crawling per se, but he definitely isn't staying still. he is never where I leave him. He rolls, scrambles, pulls himself along...

And finally eats!

2011-06-22T17:03:00.001+01:00

Caleb is all about movement. He gets on his hands and knees and rocks like he's going to take off. He bounces twice as long as Eden ever did, and does acrobatics when you hold him.

YouTube Video

And Eden just got a flute...like grandad!

YouTube Video

2011-05-29T12:54:00.001+01:00

I know, I know - it's been ages! Life has been a little on the crazy side around these parts. Caleb doesn't like to sleep and has had some pretty bad digestive problems...I've introduced food this weekend in hopes to help him out.

Eden, who desperately needs a haircut I know!, is dry and in underwear all day. Nightime we will tackle soon but not yet.

This is Caleb right now:

YouTube Video

2011-05-04T16:58:00.001+01:00

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This is what everyone does after a nap on a pj day, right?!

2011-04-21T13:33:00.002+01:00

Well we are in the throes of potty training. It's not going as quickly as I hoped. I *think* we've cracked it at home, but this morning we were out with a bunch of friends/kids and he had 2 accidents, despite my constant "do you need a wee?"... he simply does not want to stop what he's doing until the last possible second, when it's too late. But I don't think this is a big shock!

Caleb is getting smilier and funnier all the time. He is such a sociable child. He does not like to sleep, or to be alone... but if he's along with everyone he grins and giggles.

2011-04-09T12:25:00.001+01:00

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Give a little bounce!

2011-04-06T13:39:00.001+01:00

Caleb and his bouncer are going to be friends!

YouTube Video

2011-04-03T13:48:00.001+01:00

I'm sorry for the lack of posting. I can't make up for it today but here are some photos I took an hour ago & a short video!

YouTube Video

2011-02-20T15:38:00.001Z

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A new boat

2011-02-17T08:55:00.001Z

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Days go by

2011-02-14T09:57:00.001Z

We are stuck in today, waiting for Eden's new car seat to be delivered. Caleb is sitting in his chair, talking to his toy... Eden is watching Fireman Sam. He's already made his grandad's birthday card and a valentine card for his daddy.

Eden is far more interested in Caleb than before, which is good and bad. It means poor Caleb is subjected to a lot more!

But the exciting news is eden is finally willing to sit on his potty!!!! After last night's success, he sat determinedly on the potty for 10 minutes- he was desperate to have another sticker for his potty!

Anyway, crying baby beckons.

Family Day

2011-01-31T14:47:00.002Z

Yesterday was a brilliant day - for once all of us were in good moods, and the weather was cold but lovely. So out we went.

The day started with feeding the ducks. Then to Booths Cafe to warm up. Home for a nap and then out to the park.

I think Eden had a good day, do you?

Twinkle twinkle

2011-01-25T18:24:00.001Z

Eden is cracking us up these days. This video is terrible picture quality but hilarious!

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New.

2011-01-24T16:08:00.003Z

Eden has a new jacket and a new hat. Now, for ordinary children this would be ranging from mundane to slightly exciting. For Eden, it's scary. (apparently). So we had to be creative in our attempts to even get these things on.

For the jacket, the fact that it has a small car on the front and cars on the liner helped... but he still said he was scared. So, Phil suggests that Trunky wore one jacket and eden the other. Eden let trunky wear the old jacket, so phil helped eden into the new one (with some protest) by putting his arm in too! the hat, however was not going to happen yesterday.

This morning, I got him into the hat by convincing him to put it on PLUS his Bob hat. The things we have to do!

(and obviously he fell in a mud puddle the first time he wore it)

A little bit of C

2011-01-20T18:58:00.001Z

I thought I'd post a little Caleb video! Sadly this isn't our activity mat -I have activity mat envy! Eden liked that one too- but it was the first time he's been on anything like that and he liked it! (I think)

YouTube Video

A little habit

2011-01-16T12:59:00.001Z

You can often find the four of us in Booths Cafe on a rainy morning when phil is off. It's a good escape- brews, a scone to share, couches and space to play.

This was from this morning. I forget now how great eden's speech is, because I'm used to it. All the way there he was talking about the wind turbine and on the way back he learned to say "bonjour"!

YouTube Video

2011-01-12T13:22:00.001Z

When he's asleep, I see a resemblance to Eden as a baby, but at no other time.
He's 9lb7 now - sticking to the 50th percentile line (whilst Eden never strayed below the 98th percentile line!!!)

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Eden is starting to pay attention to Caleb- wanting to put his dummy back in, rock him, etc. He also tells me to put Caleb down and not to pick him up!

We are surviving though, at home alone. The key is leaving the house in the morning!

2011-01-01T10:44:00.001Z

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Introducing Caleb Peter

2010-12-12T07:32:00.001Z

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2010-12-05T14:08:00.001Z

The only thing better than dancing wildly to grandad's whistle is watching videos and doing it along with yourself!!!

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A sprinkling of snow!

2010-11-30T12:48:00.001Z

Eden was quite excited to go play on the snow... But as soon as we got outside started saying "mummy help" and clung to me for dear life... It didn't last long and soon he was "crunch crunching" the snow and running around like a crazy person!

YouTube Video

2010-11-25T18:00:00.001Z

No matter what we set out to paint, this is what occurs

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The flurry of days

2010-11-21T12:15:00.001Z

Well it's getting difficult to get photos and videos of Eden these days, as he knows the sound they make when being used and that he can see them immediately. So I'll start videoing something cute and he'll stop to come sit on my knee and watch! I don't think there is anything better for him than watching videos of himself!

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This one was taken yesterday- it's the tunnel we gave him for his birthday but the first time he got to use it.

I think he knows things are changing... He's a but clingy and cries easier than we're used to. He often wakes up crying and then talks about preschool. And yet he still says he loves it. We'll keep trying but I'll not leave for as long this next time. If it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world... I just think it's a good opportunity for him. But not if he hates it and feels abandoned.

And this not so tiny one inside me is getting bigger and more wriggly. Phil and I are getting impatient to know what it is and meet it!

River again

2010-10-30T11:36:00.001+01:00

YouTube Video

2010-10-25T13:17:00.001+01:00

Sometimes any number of things happen between my putting him down for a nap and him sleeping. Today I was called back because his hat had come off, which he obviously needed on to sleep.

This is how I found him, half an hour later, with his play cd on!

Face painting and sandwich spreading

2010-10-13T20:35:00.001+01:00

Well today we went to a new group that we attend 'healthy heroes' which is fabulous! It was their final session of this set (another starts in a fortnight) so it was a bit more like a party.

The kids were given lunch boxes, which they could put stickers on, offered oranges, bananas, strawberries, and apples (Eden thought it was punishment to put these in his bag instead of eating them immediately!) and then a space was set up to make sandwiches... And yoghurt and milk were also provided! And all I paid was a £0.50 door fee!

There was also face painting, which I didn't expect him to be into... But he sat still, even as she held his head still!!! All to have a bee on his cheek! He wasn't so sure about the older boys who had tiger faces and ran around roaring though...

'yiding'

2010-10-12T21:47:00.001+01:00

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My dear little monkey...he loves climbing on top and under this chair. I think the days of fort building are nearly upon us!!!

Another day, another tractor

2010-10-10T19:33:00.001+01:00

This is my first iPod blog! Hope it works.
Eden really likes this 'tractor' which is really a mower. And seeing as the hughes are very good to him, he gets to

sit on it whenever we go over!

our days

2010-10-05T15:57:00.002+01:00

(he's playing with dried butterbeans whilst i sorted some stuff to put in the slow cooker)

Our days are a mixture of repetition and 'newness', active and quiet play.

I find repetition seems to be what builds his confidence. We go to the deer farm often (and I really mean OFTEN) but every trip is different. Today he pointed out buttercups and acorns. And of course had to step on all the stones.

His counting is getting better. He can get to 4 but is most confident with 2. He is constantly pointing out '2 bears, 2 cars, 2....etc).

I wish we had a house big enough for some sort of climbing frame as eden is constantly climbing and jumping...

anyway groceries are being delivered, gotta run.

A perfect morning

2010-08-30T12:19:00.003+01:00

This morning we went to Brock Bottoms, as the weather was finally reminiscent of summer (although I still maintain it reminded me more of autumn than summer). Eden spent a good long while running up and down the hill by the carpark until we could finally convince him to walk further down the path.

And then he discovered the river, and the joy of throwing stones into the river. He slowly got further and further in, and by the time we left he required a full change of clothes! But he loved it. The whole way back to the car 'River! More! Again! River!' and so we promised we'd return soon. Possibly with wellies next time, although his crocs did just fine.

Pictures Pictures Pictures!

2010-08-14T12:58:00.002+01:00

I know. I'm entirely unreliable. Here are a bunch of photos that should hopefully make up for it a bit. They're from the past few weeks, all taken on phil's Iphone i think so the quality isn't the greatest, but they were photos that needed to be taken!

this is eden in his great uncle stuart's AA van... a yellow van is about the most exciting thing in eden's life these days. Obviously he had to wear his bob hat. That hat gets worn a lot.
Eden and I went for a walk with Pauline and it was rainy...so he borrowed Laura's jacket (who is 18)... it was so funny seeing him run around in this MASSIVE jacket with his bob hat on.
this is the bigger of eden's 2 new slides. This one lives at grandma and grandad's as I don't like the idea of him landing on the tarmac if he flies off it.

and here is eden's side of a game of boo. He pushes his hands so far into his face I sometimes wonder if it'll hurt!

adventures on the dino-slide

2010-07-17T09:35:00.002+01:00

For Tegan

2010-07-13T16:05:00.003+01:00

(well prompted by Tegan)

Some new Eden-isms are:

Druck: which is cup... I think it's a mix between drink & cup?

Dract-dee: Tractor

Man: Man, Van

Burbul: purple

Yellow is definitely his favourite colour, and nothing beats seeing a yellow van!

There'll be more videos but there were several technical difficulties!!

Back Again

2010-06-25T09:32:00.002+01:00

I do apologize for our absence. I don't really have any recent photos of Eden, and that always delays me. The above photos are his recent masterpieces.

The introduction of the following have captured his attention: a 'stool' to sit at the coffee table, paper covering the coffee table all the time, a paintbrush...

He loved painting the mug & bowl for phil and I'm not sure i've ever seen him sit so still as he did whilst decorating the moon and star. I plan on displaying them somewhere - we did them because he's always pointing out moons, stars and suns in books.

It has highlighted that we really need some more supplies. The crayons we have don't mark very easily on paper, but he loves pencils... so I'm leaning towards getting some pencil crayons/coloured pencils (depending on your nationality, you'll know what I'm on about).. also we need a child friendly paintbrush, and a glue spreader... among other things that are always on my wishlist for eden.

He is speaking more every day. In fact there's generally a new word every day. The latest are: yellow (!), grass, door, bowl, van, man (although van & man sound the same). And pretty much everything is about daddy these days. I'm no longer called anything - just a piece of furniture!!!

2010-04-26T18:47:00.001+01:00

the artist at work

2010-04-06T12:13:00.002+01:00

Well, we finally put together the little table we bought for eden. It's in front of his window in his room. And oh my gosh was the reaction positive! For the first time, he is showing interest in drawing.. and i think it's because he can get up and down by himself (shocking that we produced an independent child, I know).

These photos were taken post-bath last night. We try to give him some naked time before bed.

He can now point out where his belly button is. If he has a vest on, he'll pull his top up and look down wildly for it.. it's kind of funny.

oh and...

2010-03-25T14:03:00.002Z

here's a video i took earlier in the week:

his room

2010-03-25T12:24:00.003Z

So it's dawned on me that I've never posted photos of eden's room... and no one really goes in there (besides us, obviously). So here are some. The first one is pretty dark, but you get the picture!

I've always felt really strongly that order is important for little ones. Sadly, when we went through the patch of him being a sobbing wreck by 6pm, we stopped being so strict with tidying up at the end of the day. Things were thrown into general tubs and shoved to the side. So today eden went to grandma's, and I cleaned it all. His reaction on his return was very positive...Before his nap we sat and played with a puzzle that's pieces had been hidden under the futon for a month or so. It is important. Let's hope we can do a better job at keeping it organised (and start on the rest of the house!)

Eden is getting more mobile, more vocal and more responsive every day, it seems. He needs so much more exercise and all day is dragging me to the door to go outside and play. He loves the decking that's behind the chapel because the steps are perfect sitting height for him and they're manageable (with a little effort) to climb up and down after his balls that he's constantly throwing up there & immediately kicking off.

I do have to 'enforce' quiet time sometimes, because now that he's down to one nap, he can get quite strung out when he's not quite ready to sleep. That either is him in his cot with toys or sat in his highchair in front of veggie tales (on the laptop). Sometimes we'll sit together on the couch and watch something...but usually i find he needs to be on his own.

Hope everyone is well.

look familiar?

2010-03-10T12:26:00.003Z

Eden is wearing a sweater that was made for me when i was a bit older than he is. I was convinced it wouldn't fit but it was the closest to me when i needed to give him another layer. I love it on him and am SO glad that the weather is turning the way it is, as it's perfect for this time of year.

Eden loves going to his great-grandparents farm and walking with the hens. Just because it's cute, i'll put the link here too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RHaEy9KwTA&feature=autofb

happy spring!

brmmm brmmmmh

2010-03-04T20:38:00.004Z

it's very handy to have farm owning great-grandparents when you're obsessed with tractors & animals...

as soon as we drove in, you could hear a tractor at work (although faintly) and eden was saying 'brmm brmm' over and over and over again. he wasn't happy till we went over to see the tractors... and then kept trying to go back. Fortunately the person (some relation of some sort) whose tractors they were invited eden to get in one.

Then there were hens to see.. he even makes a hen noise now!

And a football to kick about - his first proper word is ball! (unless you count 'mamamamamamama' 'daddiddiddii' and 'yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh').

spring has sprung!!!!!

2010-03-02T12:57:00.002Z

Finally! Spring is here! If we were outside right now (which we aren't, merely because eden is sleeping) we wouldn't even be in coats - just thick hoodies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness. The days are longer, the temperatures are rising and the sun is out (at least for now).

Although eden still loves to play outside with his ball, he has realised that it's more fun if we play too (before he just wanted to chase his ball around). Because the back area is sloped, the ball can get a bit of speed to it, so if I run after it, he giggles and follows along... and giggles as we 'kick' the ball back and forth ... His kicks are often him simply running into the ball, but it still counts.

Today we were at a playgroup we don't often make it too (it's in longridge)... but he spent the ENTIRE time on ride on tractors. There were some that he could easily get on and off, but he preferred the ones he was too small for. Obviously. So I spent most of my time pushing him around. He loved it. That playgroup is a toy library, so you can borrow the toys...so I may borrow a tractor in a few weeks.

the little mr.

2010-02-16T11:18:00.005Z

I finally can access the photo I took of his first painting. He did it on canvas board, because I figured the first was definitely one to keep. It's currently sitting on our mantle in the dining room, but will eventually find its way into a frame.

He is getting more clever and more cheeky with every passing day. Since staying at his grandparents on the weekend he has decided to give up on naps. Everytime he is about to do something he shouldn't, he turns to make sure we're watching, grins and does it. Like bashing our mirror (particularly with toys... i wouldn't mind, but it might break!) or the paper lamp, or opening our fridge....those kinds of things. His grin just gets cheekier. And cuter.

He is also starting to understand more - I can ask him to pass me something, and if he thinks that's acceptable, he will. And I told him that we had to bring his ball in...which he ignored, till he realised that I had his other toys and we were really going to leave the ball, so he went and brought it to me. And he moos with the best of them (although his moo often has a b instead of an m).

He also wants to spend ALL of his time outside. On nice days I'm fully supportive of this, but on wet, rainy cold days like today...having to get him into his rain suit, plus everything else... and then stand out in the cold whilst he chases a ball around... well that's for a limited time only I'm afraid. I can't wait for the summer (if we get one!) so I can take a camping chair out, and a book and let him play to his heart's content. Today I got out the old baby bath and we would put the ball in, then get in himself...then throw the ball out, get out and chase the ball...and do it all over again!

Anyway. I think he's FINALLY gone to sleep. So I better get tidying.

2010-02-12T11:59:00.002Z

The weather this week has been AMAZING. Eden & I can't get enough of outside. Yesterday involved a 6 mile round trip to the farm for lunch. All our days are involving as much fresh air and sunshine as possible. This was his first time in that adorable wool hoodie. It's not generally warm enough yet, but that day was. And on his hands are actually slippers, but his mittens were in the car at phil's work!!!

His 3rd molar has appeared much quicker than the last two, but is still effecting him greatly. Stupid teeth!!!

He is requiring a lot more interaction in his play now. For ages he wanted you in the room, but not involved. Now he prefers me to sit in the middle of the room and be involved and left at his choosing. This morning we spent a long time playing with a box one of his toys came in - cardboard with one clear film side... He got so excited that he could put things in, including his hand, AND STILL SEE IT!!!

He is getting bored quite quickly as well. He thrives when we're out and about and doing new things. This is slightly difficult on a tiny budget and no car when you live in a small village, but I'm working on it!

Carrying on

2010-02-09T10:00:00.004Z

Eden's favourite thing in the world is to be set free outside. He chatters and makes funny noises and giggles whilst walking around poking, and licking and falling over. In fact, i think he begrudges how much time we spend inside. (despite going outside once or twice a day for varying amounts of time).

This morning in an attempt to making life inside less boring, i introduced eden to finger painting. It didn't quite go as a i expected. I thought he'd immediately start trying to eat the paint, and that it would occupy him for awhile...

it didn't. it lasted 3 minutes. I took a photo of the finished piece but it's not letting me post it. i think the bib was the problem, he was NOT impressed when i put him in it....it'll be easier when the house is warmer and he can just be naked.

I've currently got him in his cot, hoping he'll go to sleep...as we have a playdate this afternoon and he NEEDS naps... but he's chattering away so I may be fighting a losing battle. I wish napping wasn't so important, because I'd like to be more relaxed about it...but days when he doesn't get enough sleep, he's a nightmare! and i don't think it's fair to him, either.

so i'll leave you with a funny photo of him and a molehill. this happens a lot.

formby point

2010-02-01T12:17:00.002Z

we went to the beach

and it was good.

another day

2010-01-30T10:21:00.005Z

I know you'll notice that in some of these photos eden is wearing his santa suit - and yet, I took them yesterday! It's nice and warm and our fleece sleeping bag doesn't like to zip up anymore... so we use that. he doesn't know it is seasonally inappropriate!!!

He's becoming obsessed with megablocks as well as with his toy trains that have blocks that you have to get onto sticks (there are holes in the blocks). These things keep him occupied for a long time.

Eden's still struggling with teeth or his mmr or something. His behaviour is unpredictable and quite unlike him. We're hoping it'll pass soon, for our sake as well as his!

His newest favourite toy is definitely daddy's guitar... it's hard to keep him away!!!

oh & he was in his high chair in the pictures from the last post...

how our days pass

2010-01-21T12:39:00.004Z

There is a lot of this: (different locations, but same theme!)

And some of this happened yesterday:

If you add snacks, meals and naps, that's most of our day!!! Eden loves nothing more than being able to walk. He'll happily walk back and forth between our lounge & our kitchen, just because he can. I think he thinks closed doors are his enemy!!!

He's got another molar, which explains our string of bad nights. I don't know what caused last night, but today has been a bit of a battle. Normally you can set your watch to him - by 10:20am he's ready for his nap ... but today he was knackered at 9, so I tried to put him down... which resulted in a dirty nappy & screaming... so i tried again at 11 and the same thing. So maybe it's his belly? Anyway. It's 12:44 and he's finally asleep. I keep trying to be nonchalant about it, but when he doesn't get his naps, he's a nightmare from 3:30 until he goes to bed...and by the time we put his pjs on, he's sobbing and trying to lie down. So nap time it is!

2010-01-15T11:39:00.004Z

Well we've been having a weird mix of really good days and nights and really bad days and nights. Yesterday was brilliant. Last night was awful. His digestive system seems to be pretty weak, so sometimes we have 'poo' nights...which are nights when his tummy seems to bother him all night long and then with a dirty nappy in the morning, all is well. Except a sleep deprived mummy.

The snow is going now... yesterday was eden's last chance to play in it. Phil was keeping him entertained outside whilst i made lunch. Eden, as seen above, decided it was high time to try eating -or at least licking - the snow.

He just loves being able to walk. Let him loose outside and he'll just do circles around the carpark, happily talking to himself. In his room he'll do laps with certain toys - yesterday it was his little toy piano. He'd bring it to me, play a few notes, then take it to other side of the room to play a few notes...and bring it back to me!

He's carrying on with his 'oh, ooooh, uh-oh' noises. They're very cute. He also has discovered how to moo (sort of) and does it all the time. Anytime he sees a black and white animal, not necessarily only cows!

anyway. have a lovely friday... 'oooh'

Winter continues

2010-01-07T11:49:00.004Z

Well the UK seems to have come to a standstill because of the weather... everywhere is running out of salt & grit (even stores are running out of table salt - i saw one woman sprinkling it before she took a step on the way to her car!).

Unfortunately, my dear child has taken after me - he loses mittens. Despite having clips on them! So Kathy & I 'whipped up' some fleece mittens (recognise the material?!) and i've tied string through his entire coat. This better work! We've kept the pattern, just in case.

We've developed a new part of our routine... when eden wakes up from a nap, he's generally very fragile. In fact, when i pick him up, he usually closes his eyes and rests on me for awhile. So now after his naps we cuddle and sing songs...as he wakes up he claps at every pause....and then when he's properly awake, we move onto more lively songs. (ie. ladies go nim - a firm favourite).

bamberino christmas

2010-01-02T19:13:00.003Z

Here are a few photos...all from Christmas Day. I'll upload more onto facebook...

Eden definitely wasn't into opening presents, but loved what was inside. I think his favourite 2 presents were: a wooden train that comes into block pieces (from a mummy friend) and his ride on fire engine (from grandparents bamber).

He definitely, however, knew that 'something' was going on. And it was the first christmas I've ever taken a nap before lunch!!! but we had an awful night, so when he went down for his usual nap, we did too!

Snow Snow Snow!!!

2009-12-22T14:18:00.003Z

(eden isn't so happy to be handed over to mummy for a photoshoot)

Well for the first time since I've lived here, there is snow worth speaking about! I think it's about 5 inches now? Tres exciting if you ask me. Although suddenly I am painfully aware of our very large driveway and lack of a snow shovel!!!

Fun and games though. Eden helped phil make a snow man... sort of.

a few clips

2009-12-16T10:19:00.002Z

once again they're just off my mobile...there'll be better quality ones at some point, but we're having technical difficulties with the video camera right now.

(the first two are from the same time, i can only take 19 sec videos... sometime last week)

He's walking enough that we're going to break out the lady bug harness backpack he got for his birthday...we took him to sainsburys yesterday and the only way he'd stop whingeing was if he was allowed to walk (and crab crawl)... which was fine until he wanted to go a different way than us!!!

All this walking is making him sleep more as well... that i can't complain about!

And he walks!

2009-12-09T09:34:00.003Z

(this is eden's truly happy/proud face!)
He's still a bit shaky, but attempts to walk everywhere! If you hold his hand, he can walk next to you pretty far. I love it. It's a totally different experience holding his hand. He seems so big!

Well, saying that, he is big. Massive. 5-10 lbs heavier than most kids his age! Quickly growing out of all his 12-18 month clothing.

These are photos from a photoshoot phil did with him a few weeks ago. Obviously phil didn't take the one of the two of them - i did. There are more. Lots more.

Today Eden has another appointment with the specialist about lactose intolerance. We were so close to being in the clear but he seemed to react quite badly to the introduction of milk, about a week into it. We've pulled him off it and are waiting to see what the specialist advises. He is on other dairy products.

Eden is trying his hardest to learn how to use cutlery these days. He loves it when i give him the container of fromage frais (doesn't drip out like yoghurt!) and a spoon. He doesn't quite get it right, but he knows the necessary actions! Sometimes he won't eat unless we give him cutlery, which then requires our assistance as he struggles to get anything on his spoon or fork.

And the teeth that have been bothering him have finally broken through! He's up at 8 teeth now, even though everyone only ever sees the bottom 2. Soon the new 2 will be visible and his two tooth grin will be a memory.

2009-12-05T10:28:00.002Z

Sorry about the quality of these shots, I just took them with my phone.

Eden's favourite way to play right now, is sitting in one of his toy buckets:

Things are going well. We've cut back on milk as we've had a terrible week of pain and we think it's lactose? I haven't had more than a few hours sleep at a time for over a week (which now is awful...before a few hours was good!). He's going to his grandparents' tonight, as phil and i are off to a fancy dress party - i hope they get some sleep!!! Sorry!

He's getting closer and closer to officially being a walker. He is walking little bits all the time, just not everywhere.

Anyway. I don't have much to say. This video was on his birthday. Also my phone, sorry.

2009-11-25T11:05:00.002Z

Unfortunately I can't find where Phil's saved all our recent photos. Everytime I sit down to blog, I look for them...but it's inevitably when he's at work and eden's in bed...so i still haven't found them. Videos I can find. I'm not sure what this one is exactly but it's labeled 'keyboard' so i imagine it's something to do with him playing on his keyboard!

I've suspected it for awhile, but today eden most definitely said 'mmnana' in response to my offering him banana!!!

And he's also started trying to build his block tower himself...except his motor skills aren't quite that good yet, so the blocks mostly end up next to each other. He gets so excited with himself though, and picks them up again and claps them wildly together before trying again!

Mainly what we do, however, is i sit on his futon and he brings books, climbs onto my lap...flicks through the pages, gets off and finds another book! (or brings back the same one). Over and over. Generally to find one page in the book before going on to the next one. In Sly Fox and Red Hen he loves the last page, where the fox gets splashed with hot water. He flicks the pages with great concentration till he gets to it!

Anyway. The house is a tip. I have jewelry to make and some design stuff for foxton to do.

And he turned 1. . .

2009-11-08T19:27:00.003Z

Eden is 1! How on earth did that happen???? For his birthday we took him to a local pub which has a massive free play area until 3pm everyday...he had his first Tikka Masala! And then yesterday we threw a party for him. He dealt really well with all of the people, and really enjoyed everyone singing happy birthday. He clapped when they all finished. His grandma made him a hedgehog birthday cake which was scrumptious. Next year maybe he can even have a piece!

We've started experimenting with the lactose issue. He's regularly having margarine and yoghurt or fromage frais. I've not worked my way up to much actual milk but there haven't been any reactions. The only possible one is that his eczema is flaring up, but i'm under the impression that eczema flares in winter...

He's taking steps! It's like something suddenly clicked and he's decided to walk. So he is constantly walking around the furniture or with our hands... and taking steps here and there. last night it was 5! There were 2 tentative steps and then he carried on for 3 more as if he'd always been walking.

Anyway. I'll leave you with one of his very first photos....is this the same child???

the climber

2009-10-27T09:11:00.002Z

(this was at the Safe Play Centre where Eden and his friends had a joint birthday party)

Well. Eden has discovered the joy of climbing. Climbing on and climbing over. He can now climb the stairs (which means a gate MUST go up cause our stairs are way too steep). He can climb on the futon with ease and now tries to climb up everything else.

His crawling has gotten much faster and he will sometimes now walk if you hold his hands.

He seems to have gotten noticeably taller all of the sudden so i think he's 'slimming' down a bit. his belly isn't quite as noticeable! The dungarees he's wearing today are for 2 year olds.

Eden saw Bernard playing his flutes and obviously wanted a go... he kept putting his mouth to the right place but couldn't make a noise. So Bernard went and got him a mini one to play with. It was very cute.

But i better go. He's playing with the fireguard that we haven't attached yet....disaster may strike at any moment!

2009-10-24T22:34:00.002+01:00

he was grinning up at me pushing the pram...

Today eden's been like he was months ago. Woke up happy, played in his cot alone for awhile... ate happily... and when i tried to put him down for a nap, i gave him a cuddle first, and he leaned towards his cot to get in it!!!

who switched my child???

it's been great.

Adventures continue!

2009-10-19T15:14:00.002+01:00

(eden meets helium balloons at Seth's Christening!!!!)

Hello hello. I have plenty of videos to upload but no idea where the video camera is. Fortunately phil did rescue it after losing it in a 2 foot deep ball pool on saturday (of all places!!!)... but since then I haven't seen it...and I need to use nap time wisely!

Eden is doing fabulously, mostly. He is really cheerful and funny. My gosh it's a fun age. His absolute favourite activity is to stand in the middle of the room and clap... going 'ha! ha! ha!'... He always claps if i say 'yay!' and then claps again if you clap in response... he also seems to think peekaboo is the funniest thing in the world. Now that we have him forward facing in the car (we couldn't afford to go down the rear-facing route in the end) we just have to turn our heads to see him and he giggles.

He has had a terrible tummy bug...and been extraordinarily clingy... but this morning I took him to the doctor to see about his cough, to find out that he has a double ear infection and that it looks extremely painful!!! This is probably why i get so little sleep! So we're under orders to keep him on baby painkillers (Calpol for those who know the lingo) and see how it goes. I have a prescription for antibiotics if it doesn't seem to get better by tomorrow. I'd prefer not to use them, but obviously if he needs them we'll go for it. It just seems that we over anti-biotic the world these days!!

I still don't know what we're getting him for his birthday. He recently acquired an old keyboard from his great, great-grandmother's estate... it is a lot like one our family had when i was younger. He is absolutely obsessed and if he sees it under the futon, i have no peace until it has been set up.

We've lost his 'baby shoes' but he's not ready for real shoes...so we're not entirely sure what to do. As it gets wetter and colder, he needs something! probably an entire water-proof suit as well! But i keep delaying these purchases till i feel more decisive.

anyway, here's a picture of eden on a swing!

Eden & His Super Suit

2009-10-06T10:49:00.003+01:00

Well this photo is Eden wearing what we like to call his 'super suit' (think Mr Incredible & his old super suit which didn't quit fit....)

life is a bit crazy over here. Eden had a cold. I had what is suspected to have been swine flu. i'm looking after seth some days, but not for long (although a week longer than expected!). Phil's getting little bits of work...

Eden stands up unaided in the middle of the room constantly now. The longest time he'll stand is upwards of 30 seconds. Still not interested in walking. I put him in front of a walker at playgroup and he sat down and crawled away! He does like to climb - onto the futon in his room and over me... and still crawls with his bum in the air - not using his knees at all! Silly boy.

We've started playing our first proper game together. I build a tower out of blocks and he knocks it over with glee! It's really fun to have him intentionally interacting.

He is, unfortunately, also coming into a phase where I cannot be out of his sight. Well a certain list of people will replace me, but he cannot be alone. I read somewhere never to sneak out of the room, so I always tell him what I'm going to do and that i'll be back in a minute...and before i leave the room he is crying. By the time I reach the bathroom he is hysterical. It's not much fun. I'm trying to learn to bring him with me everywhere but that requires having everywhere clean enough....and also he often wants to be held if he's gotten upset by my leaving...oh well. this too shall pass!

He now has a keyboard... phil's great-grandmother left 2 behind, which meant they were both going to be sold or given away. It lives under his futon and comes out under supervision...but requires very little! last time he didn't look away from the keyboard for 20 minutes! and then kept bringing toys back to it so they could have a turn!!! he definitely loves all things musical!

Anyway, i've got both boys today...and they're currently asleep in prams. I better get a few things done or i'll regret it!

2009-09-20T20:13:00.002+01:00

(eden in a shopping trolley)

It's Sunday night again. Eden's in bed. Phil and I are slowing down - i'm preparing myself for another day filled with eden & seth. They seem to be getting on a bit better, although the bashing may never end... they bash their toys and their parents, why wouldn't they bash each other?

Eden's mobility is increasing rapidly. He mostly likes to crawl on his hands and feet - with his bum high in the air...kind of like a crab really. He's slowly beginning to cruise around furniture but finds it easier to land on his bum and crawl where he wants to go.

His latest noise is a bit hard to describe. It involves his tongue. "blerberbler" doesn't really do it justice. He is VERY proud of himself for making it though.

He's lots of fun these days. A bit clingy (and cries when he sees certain people, such as uncle andrew!) and starting the occasional sulk/cry. I'm not sure what to do about that. He just will plop on the floor and cry really hard. If you distract him then he gets over it pretty quickly...well instantly really. Silly boy. There is so much he's not allowed to touch and do and can't do.. it must be frustrating.

here's a photo of a rare occurence - eden asleep in someone's arms!

2009-09-11T19:09:00.003+01:00

x
Poor Eden! He is struggling having Seth around all the time. It results in a whingey, clingy, and very strung-out little boy. He just looks put out, jealous and uncertain all the time! I feel so bad for him. I know it's good for him in the long run, but it is definitely taking its toll on him!

While he's doing better sleeping at night, he's much worse during the day! Every nap is a fight - ESPECIALLY if seth is around.

Today, a seth day, he was whingey from lack of naps so phil took him for a walk before tea. He fell asleep (as predicted really)...but when phil picked him up, he stayed asleep... for those of you who have hung out with the PD should know this is unheard of. He stayed asleep for over half an hour after being put in his cot. And then when we woke, we realised there was no way he would be awake for anything, so he got a bottle and went back to bed. Poor kid.

I'll give him some treats tomorrow... maybe a bit of jam on his toast!!! we'll see.

the quickest of quickup

2009-09-10T08:12:00.003+01:00

Eden is already whingeing so this is going to be quick!

We're slowly adjusting to having seth around. Some days are great. Some are long! I am desperately trying to get a double buggy as they're both still at the age when they just need to be pushed around sometimes.

Eden will stand up while not holding onto anything, but still hasn't any idea what to do with his feet when it comes to walking. He crawls quickly though and loves to chase balls around. We've just picked up our old basketball and he LOVES it. Phil's taken some great shots of him chasing it.

Eden has 4 teeth (2 top, 2 bottom) and two more at the top look like they'll come any day. And he's sleeping better! We seem to be cutting out our 5am feed (thankfully!!!)...but we still have dummy calls. One step at a time... so he is waking around 7:30 and we just give him breakfast, with a bottle mid-morning to ensure he gets all the formula he needs.

Anyway. I better scramble...

eden making friends...

2009-08-31T20:31:00.004+01:00

fortunately the pony and the donkey didn't seem to mind having their faces bashed.

The Adventures Of Monkey Boy

2009-08-29T12:25:00.005+01:00

Well. I've not written. We haven't done much but eden has definitely been developing at an intense rate! His crawling technique/speed has increased! He can get anywhere he wants, and if he feels like it, he'll follow me through various rooms when called. If he feels like it. Otherwise he may get distracted by little things...such as bashing the stairs... licking the metal that keeps the carpet down between rooms, that sort of thing!

As soon as you put him in the ball pool at phil's parents, eden escapes and scrambles to the piano, where he pulls himself up and starts bashing the keys above his head.

Yesterday we took him to the Sea Life Centre (an indoor water animal thing with sharks, and stuff). He really seemed to like it. He wasn't impressed about staying in his stroller - he kept trying to pull himself out to get closer to the fish, so we took turns carrying him.

We've started buying something that is cow's milk, but with the lactose taken out... because I want him to get used to the flavour. He now gets a cup of it mid-afternoon and seems to love it. This is all with the hope that he really does develop an immunity to lactose! It's definitely more expensive than regular milk, but soya milk isn't much cheaper.

I start looking after the other little boy, Seth, on Tuesday. I think it'll be really good for eden, but I'm going to have to keep an eye on them! Eden really likes to bash people in the face (trying to make motor sounds with their lips) and I don't want to send seth home with bruises and scratches!

(this was pre-crawling days, when eden got around on his back...he was tired at time of filming though...and ready for a bottle...so not the best filming time!)

jet-lag + teething + displacement . . .

2009-08-18T22:03:00.003+01:00

Well we've landed back home. I wish we hadn't changed eden's room around just before we left as it definitely seems completely unfamiliar to him. He traveled so well, and now that we're home he seems to have lost the plot a bit. Sleep is non-existent. He won't be left alone. He has 2 teeth coming in at once. And he cries at everything.

The poor kid, though. It's a lot to take in. Flying. Time changes. Entirely new surroundings again. Different people. Less attention. I keep trying to remind myself to be really patient with him. It's hard when you aren't getting any sleep though.

today we returned to Baby Bounce & Rhyme, but he slept until the last song! tomorrow we'll take him swimming, as it's something that he loves. i've also noticed that he seems happiest in the evening, as that is full of routine...I may try to add some more regular habits to our lives so that he feels more secure. What, i haven't thought of yet!

it's almost time to fly..

2009-08-13T02:40:00.003+01:00

Oh my. A night-time flight with eden. I can't imagine how he'll fit in the cot ... he's definitely heavier, taller and generally more large. oh well. we gotta try!

eden is crawling more, and standing up constantly - without holding onto anything!!! what a child. he's so proud of himself. fortunately, he doesn't seem to be too active when in new environments so he's a little bit off being a complete nightmare at other people's houses.

yet...

he's so happy with himself now...

2009-08-09T12:57:00.004+01:00

well. eden's crawling is becoming much more proficient. he manages to get himself to my parents' stack of dvds every time! so far he just holds them...so i've been reading up on childproofing and someone has given me a brill idea of when he has something i don't want him to have, to say in a really excited voice 'Is that for mummy?/daddy/grandma?!! (whoever) and praise him for giving it over... so that's my experiment for the next little while.

i'm still not sure exactly what needs to happen with childproofing beyond a few obvious things...like screwing all bookcases/shelving units to the wall... boxing in his fireplace in his room...socket covers, etc. and moving things out of reach. everyday he's getting into new things here.

he's also become very good at pulling himself up and can stand unaided for a few seconds... with something to hold onto, he'll stand for awhile...provided he doesn't forget to keep holding.

anyway there's important playing to be done!

schmumpy talesient

2009-08-05T03:21:00.004+01:00

I haven't really been that informative i suppose... so here are some details to fill in some gaps.

While we were at the cottage by the lake, eden ate some sausages...this was not so unusual, what was unusual was that they had milk in them and somehow i hadn't noticed. We did notice the results, however. I thought i was losing my mind. I think my parents thought I was losing my mind. I suddenly announced to everyone that eden had done a 'lactose fart' and i was sure that he'd had some. A few hours later there was no doubt. The doubt only lingered over where on earth the lactose came from. Finally we thought of those stupid sausages. Needless to say, the ingredients are well checked before every meal again!

(phil's face went war-paint like after using a scuba mask to look at fish. we thought a photo was appropriate. eden didn't notice)

Ahem. Whilst in mississauga we decided that the kids needed to get outside...but it'd be raining lots, so i was umming and ahhing as to what to dress eden in and how he could play. Rach suddenly remembered that an old rain suit of tegan's was lying around, except it was unlocatable -the only one to be found was leyna's. Phil and i decided that it'd be better just to let him play...sooo.... here is some photographic evidence of our poor child in a purple, flowered rainsuit. I think he still looks like a boy! One day he may not forgive me for this!

schmumpy meets the lake...

2009-08-02T20:10:00.004+01:00

Well, there will be more photos on facebook as it's easier to upload them to there... but here is a taster!

We've just gotten back from spending a week at a cottage on a lake, and it was FANTASTIC. (equally fantastic was the fact that the grandparents and eden came back a day early so phil and i could canoe, paddleboat and walk to our hearts content without worrying about naps, etc).

This week eden went on his first canoe ride...he wasn't so thrilled about the life jacket experience (it was SO tight on him, but the next size up was too big)..but was pacified when he realised he could lean over the side and run his fingers through the water. He also went on the back of a paddleboat...and of course 'swam' by sitting in his little floating chair. The first time i didn't think about aclimatising him to the cold water...and so it went far better the second time.

The night he came home with my parents he decided it was high time to learn how to crawl! As well as sit up whenever he chooses....

anyway he seems to have woken up just as i picked up the computer so i'll say goodbye for now!

Toronto & Mississauga

2009-07-26T15:36:00.002+01:00

We've spent the last week or so hanging out with our friends Rachael and Andy + kids in Mississauga. It's been great to see them again, after the best part of a year, and Eden loved it too. He was mesmerised by Tegan and Leyna, deciding that watching them was much more fun than whinging. Mainly we just chilled out in Mississauga, going to various parks, reading and playing with the kids. On Friday we went into Toronto for the day, which was great. We had already seen the tourist-y stuff like the CN Tower last time we were here, so this time we concentrated on getting lost in a department store, going to Kensington and having sausages. As seen in the photo, Eden loves being on the train, and even had his very own seat. Now we're off to a lake for a week, so expect some photos of Eden in his baby lifejacket.

2009-07-20T02:12:00.003+01:00

Wow. What a week. Only a week?!?! This past week we've had a few changes...although they don't yet seem to be changes here to stay - at least yet. All of the sudden Eden became a nightmare to put to bed, for naps and at night. And unless it was fruit, he wasn't eating it. Oh my. But apparently this age is known for a few of these things...so once we came to terms with it, we were far less stressed - and he stopped being nightmare-ish. I think he just likes to keep us on our toes.

The top photo is him in his paddling pool. He loves it. We've also finally taken him to a local pool - another favourite. He definitely loves water and also to be surrounded by other children. this next week in Mississauga with Rachael and Andy & their kids will do him a world of good.

Eden is still desperate to crawl, and everyday it seems that it may be the day. He seems to be able to go backwards, both on his back and on his front. when he goes backwards whilst in the crawl position it definitely isn't on purpose and it upsets him. He also seems determined to stand on his own. he'll use your hands to get standing and then try to let go...which doesn't work out so well. He tries and tries and tries though.

He still loves new people. We left him with a teenager from my parents church from about 1:30 - midnight yesterday while we attended a wedding...and he did brilliantly. Although we returned home to find him playing in the lounge looking sheepish. I guess she didn't realise that if he made a noise he just needed a dummy, and it wasn't wise to turn all the lights on to do it!

We're having lots of fun but won't really be by computers for a few weeks. We're visiting our friends and then going to a cottage by a lake. I'm sure there will be many photos and videos when we return to kanata.

2009-07-10T21:45:00.002+01:00

Another week has passed. The weather has been unfortunately british but finally cleared

up yesterday so we headed to my aunt's house to play in her pool. It was way too cold to take eden in (phil would argue it was too cold to get in ourselves) so he sat in the ultra-tiny paddling pool my mum bought (she didn't check the measurements!). he enjoyed pulling up the sides around himself.

Eden's 2nd tooth has come through! It brought with it a fever and there is a questionable rash lurking... but it is through and he's much happier.

Oh and the big news is, within 2 days of arriving here, most of eden's eczema disappeared!!!! We think it must have been an allergic reaction to our laundry powder. This is slightly annoying as whenever i said what one we used (fairy, non-bio) we were told it wasn't the problem!!!!!!! Obviously it is. Er Was.

He's learning all sorts of new noises...one that sounds quick hen-like. And tries to take off to crawl but as soon as he's about to launch, he thinks better of it and pulls himself back.

Being Patriotic

2009-07-03T12:30:00.003+01:00

(not the most flattering photo!)

Well Eden embraced his Canadian half for Canada Day. We went into Ottawa to watch some of the festivities. He was much more sane that day than the previous one! There were all sorts of street artists as well as the official events.

He is starting to get back to normal. We're still having a few episodes but I'm starting to wonder if it's hunger. His eating times are obviously all different now and so i think i'm going to have to start introducing snacks!

Although the above photo is very unflattering, I think he may be losing a bit of chub. He really won't sit still. Dad tried to take him for a walk yesterday and the whole time eden kept trying to watch the road and play with the wheels... but in a very un-safe way. Wheels. My gosh. The best way to keep him happy ever!

Anyway today is a staying in day... we're hoping to help him fully adjust with no more episodes! So i'm going to join phil and eden on the floor!

we're he-re!

2009-07-01T01:18:00.002+01:00

WE SURVIVED! hahaha. Eden was an absolute star. There was a small amount of whingeing at a few points, but really he was brilliant. He smiled and bounced and - as this photo demonstrates - slept. (just didn't sleep enough)

His plane cot was suspended from the 'wall' in front of our seats... it was really crazy. he slept really well in it.

Today, however, has been a bit of a nightmare. He's overtired, strung out and overstimulated. Oh well. The poor boy. We came home from doing the groceries, to find dad giving a weeping eden a banana (it was definitely a good idea, i have to say). So we put him to bed.

Let's see what the night brings!

some very serious playing

2009-06-24T13:47:00.003+01:00

earlier today he was playing similarly and then would stop to clap when he heard the percussion in the music i was playing. it was very funny but oh so serious work.

2009-06-22T09:22:00.002+01:00

One week till we fly!!!!! Eeek. I just hope that he isn't teething that day.

these pictures are from his grandma's 50th birthday party. (hence the shirt and sweater). it was his first time in the ball pool/paddling pool. he liked it, obviously.

he has kind of entered a clingy phase. i suppose it was to be expected, but fortunately it has calmed down with the pause in his teething. he still always wants you to be touching him, and will periodically turn into you/your leg (depending on where you are) and cuddle it before turning back to his toys.

he's also struggling with his lack of movement. he wants to be everywhere and into everything. it's going to be a shock to the system when he actually can! he is already shimmying a little bit and launching himself at things... so he can get into more than we expect.

but he's also happier and more interested in things and people than ever. what on earth is he going to be like on a plane?!

2009-06-18T12:59:00.000+01:00

Well Eden seemed to begin teething after the tooth appeared! Since then he has been whingey and clingy and generally hard work (not easily going to sleep). It's kind of a shock to the system, as he has just gotten easier since the lactose has been dealt with!

Apparently butter, cheddar cheese, mozzarella and parmesan don't have lactose in them. I've been very nervous about trying, but we've been using butter for a week with no ill affect...so today i gave eden some soft mozzarella for lunch. He loved it. We'll see if there is anything - not that there should be, but...you know...

It turns out we didn't get a really good sand photo of eden, just lots of him being happy because of it. When I decided to let him play in it, he first tried to get it to his mouth but the sand fell out of his hand...but the wetter his hand got, the easier the sand was to get in! But then he started just face diving into it!!! he had sand up his nose, in his eye-creases - EVERYWHERE. A family near us felt bad and lent me some water to splash on his face...which made me think maybe i should stop letting him be in the sand. I have never seen him that excited though.

Just over a week till the big trip! i've started on the lists of what we can take. Hopefully phil and i will manage to get some luggage space for ourselves....

eden meets the sea...

2009-06-15T08:50:00.000+01:00

Well I've not got many photos uploaded yet (phil did them in a raw format, so that he can edit them) but I thought i'd put this one up...this is one of eden trying to climb up phil.

We took eden to the beach yesterday (Formby - Irish Sea). It was hilarious. Too cold for swimming but we introduced him to sand. And they hit it off well! He got so excited, just punching the sand...and trying to get it to his mouth...(and getting covered in it thanks to the suncream). He then kept diving for it and shoving his face in the sand...we had to cut him off but he was SO hyper and excited about the whole thing. It was very entertaining. There are a LOT of photos.

2009-06-13T10:10:00.000+01:00

eden's new favourite activity! seriously. if he is crying, he will stop once he's in reaching distance of the window!!!!

2009-06-10T11:32:00.000+01:00

well, mealtimes continue to be messy... this was eden's introduction to soya yoghurt. it went down well...hahaha....

i haven't been posting because i've been trying to figure out how to post photos off my phone, but my phone isn't mac friendly...and it's not working out very well yet. oh well. i'll just nick phil's photos for now.

well the countdown till our trip to canada is on. the thought of the flight plus the time change plus a completely foreign environment with eden does fill me a bit with fear! not to mention being organised enough to have everything we need for 18 hours of travel and 6 weeks of being away!!!

oh well.

i've been buying lots of 2nd hand toys as we realised that he was playing with the same toys he's been playing with since he was born...and he was starting to get less happy about playing on his own. boredom? i think so. now he's quite happy to sit and bash and roll and chase (until he properly falls over and doesn't know what to do) the toys on his own. still no sign of a crawler, but some babies don't crawl. i think it's possible he'll learn in the next few months though.

my little lady bug

2009-05-31T08:45:00.000+01:00

well all the photos are on facebook .. but here are a few of them.

it went well, except that eden was ready for a nap just as we got onto the float. i kept him happy and entertained until just before it started (he had a dummy in his mouth and a very grumpy expression when the press took his photo!)... so i put him in the sling...i figured it matched the theme as it looked leafy...and then as the tractor pulling the float started, he fell asleep - and woke up as i got off! oh well. it would have been more fun if he was awake, but it was funny to dress him up. poor child.

it's been a GORGEOUS weekend, but they say another cold spell is coming. we've been outside as much as humanly possible. i think today we'll be filling up his baby bath and letting him play in it outside... there'll probably be more photos. we'll probably put him back in his suit as it's UV protected. these things are brilliant for outside swimming activities so we may get one in the next size up for canada as i'm not sure how long this will fit.

2009-05-30T09:23:00.000+01:00

this is the background on phil's new phone. nice and cute.

well eden has decided that not only can he clap, but that it's the BEST THING EVER. so he does clap, all the time... and if he's grumpy, just start singing (preferably 'Twinkle Twinkle' for some reason) and he stop whinging and start clapping immediately!!! it's hilarious!

he has started to sleep loads better. it's been at least a week of only feeding him at 5am once he goes to bed. this makes life in general so much easier. there are still dummy calls once or twice but you don't have to wake up properly for that! once we return from canada we'll dispose of the dummy, i just think we need it for traveling and i don't want to send mixed messages.

he is getting stronger every day, which means that changing him has become a full on battle. not because he doesn't want to be changed, just because he doesn't want to lie still...he wants to kick, and suck his toes and twist and turn....

he also is way stronger with standing up. you still have to help him balance but more and more he's starting to hold his own weight.

anyway, enough for now. the sunshine is out and i don't want to waste it.

2009-05-22T08:29:00.000+01:00

obviously he stopped when the camera came out, but he was being SO noisy playing with his toys....

someone has brought to my attention that 6-9 month clothing goes up to 20 pounds...which means i may have to start introducing the next size up! some things are fine, as he's a shorty...it's just his belly that suffers! i think sleepers and vests are going to have to go to the next size very soon! honestly child!!!

2009-05-20T09:14:00.000+01:00

Well eden and food are certainly getting along! His new favourite seems to be baked beans. Except both times I've given it to him, he's been super tired...so he'll grab the spoon, go to eat it and then start rubbing his eye, which meant that spoon was 'rubbing' the other eye and spreading baked bean chaos!!!! I had to get it out of his eye lashes and his hair....but he was happy.

this morning he started to clap!!! he was in his baby bouncer (jolly jumper) and kept stopping and looking at me...i clapped, which always makes him excited and bounce more (which did) but then i looked up to see that he was clapping! he did it a few times, but then i couldn't get him to do it anymore...mostly because he was put off by my reaction i think!

the following 2 pictures aren't great ones, but he's just so happy being able to sit up and play on his own. i can leave him for ages. and if he tips over, so long as he has a toy to play with by his head, he's happy!

I'm starting to plan flying with him. I'm hoping to get to a carboot sale on the weekend with phil to stock up on small toys... we'd go bankrupt if i bought them all new.

And...the news is...Eden now weighs 19lb 15 ounces!!! A seriously heavy baby. Heavier than all but one of his baby friends (who are all older)...and only 4 ounces off the heaviest!

2009-05-13T07:41:00.000+01:00

well... we've just had the 2nd of 2 very bad nights. i am starting to wonder if i'm not making enough milk for each feed anymore...as he only has his lactose free formula during the day and breastmilk at night. i think i'm going to start making bottles in the night as well. i'm currently just waiting for him to tire himself out in the bouncer and take a nap (however it's only 7:45 so i probably have a while to wait).

yesterday we had a vomit fountain. it was the biggest mess ever (and all over me as he was in carrier facing me at the time). i'm nervous it was a reaction to the egg in the potato scones he'd had for lunch...but he'd thrown up a little the day before...so it could be a reaction to the formula... but kathy has also mentioned the phil threw up regularly because he was a greedy guts. eden is definitely greedy. and had way more milk than usual as well as food yesterday.

he is getting better and better at sitting and this has made him a much happier child. crying only comes from ordinary situations now - overtired, bumping heads, etc...

anyway i don't have anything interesting to say so i'll go back to watching him bounce.

and another rainy day...

2009-05-06T13:06:00.000+01:00

life has gotten so much easier in the past week and a half with eden learning how to sit on his own. suddenly he can be left to play for much longer, being much happier...he was never really into lying on his back...

he is becoming better co-ordinated every day...now i put a selection of food on his tray and he completely feeds himself...he'll even keep going back to dropped bits.

todays lunch was toast with dairy free marg, steamed carrots and tomato chunks...it was a first for bread and he really liked it...

unfortunately the introduction of food is causing some very bad nights as his body struggles to learn to digest it....particularly now that we've begun the transition to lactose free formula. he takes it cold, thankfully, so we don't have to faff too much...but its a learning curve for all of us!!! fortunately i have friends who bottle feed who have introduced me to very helpful equipment!!! and to the fact that i needed faster flowing bottle tops!

video time...

2009-05-02T16:41:00.000+01:00

it simply needed to be documented!

2009-04-29T11:30:00.000+01:00

This morning's breakfast was our introduction to messy food. Except, i forgot to put a bib on him...I didn't get a photo of just how messy he was because i didn't want to touch the camera once i picked him up!!!

I decided a few days ago to buy some baby puree that i'd seen - it's organic and the only ingredients are what they say on the front - for different feeding options. This morning's breakfast was some of this puree - 'Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Apple and Blueberry' (surprisingly ok combination) spread on rice cakes... but then he got a bit fed up so for awhile in there it was puree on the spoon - which I let him feed himself. It was hilarious. He was VERY happy. We won't do it everyday as the puree isn't cheap...but it's better for him than jam, and he obviously can't be having butter or cheese....

and this last photo was taken a few weeks ago but i just found it...

cuddly days

2009-04-27T09:38:00.000+01:00

well. it's a rainy and miserable day here, so it's time to get stuff sorted! like passports, blogging, tidying, etc. all the things i avoid like the plague.

everyday eden is becoming that much more co-ordinated, that much more interested in his surroundings. we had lunch in the pub yesterday and after he got bored with his melon, he sat on my knee doing his best to steal my pear cider and sorbet!

this week we'll be going to the doctor again to sort out lactose free formula. finally the big question - will he take it - will be answered. i'm not sure what the plan is if he refuses it! we haven't thought through that far.

he is loving his high-chair. there is still only so long he'll sit in it, but he is still quite young.

we're attempting to wean him off his dummy...yesterday he wasn't really interested in it, other than for sleeping... this morning he's been a bit clingy/grumpy so it's been in...i just don't want him to be 4, running around with a dummy in his mouth!!!

the countdown is on until canada. phil is on his final placement, and starting to look for jobs... a break will be SO nice. I mean, i know that i am off all the time...but it's different on weekends or when phil is around.

eden is constantly pulling funny faces with his mouth shape... i suppose it's learning to form sounds, etc, but it is hilarious. constantly puckering, or sucking in his bottom lip, or making his lips go flat (so they kind of look like a duck's bill!).... so i'll leave you with this photo...it's my favourite lately.

there and back

2009-04-19T09:10:00.000+01:00

well we went to leicester yesterday to see mark and anna and bethany! eden will be glad that we're doing no major driving for some time now. being home is difficult for a few days.

he's now eaten:

roasted sweet potato

roasted potato

steamed apple

steamed pear

cucumber

tomato

melon

kiwi

steamed zucchini

the latter be the only one not liked!!!

anyway he's struggling to fall asleep for his nap so better go see him

another day done

2009-04-17T18:00:00.000+01:00

eden decided that bedtime needed to come early tonight...mostly because he only had

snippets of an afternoon nap (he'd fall asleep in transit). so we skipped story time and

i put him down and he fell asleep within a minute.

the bedtime routine does work pretty well though. it starts with a bath, sometime between

6 and 7 usually (tonight it was 5:30). we do it when he starts giving his signs - eye rubbing and trying to turn into you and close his eyes. then i top him up with milk (usually the last feed wasn't that long before)...and phil reads him stories. then he is placed in the cot, the cd is turned on (either African Lullabies or White Noise, depending on the situation) and the job is a goodun. Sometimes there is the occasional dummy call as he falls asleep but usually i just walk out of the room and go back a few hours later for a feed.

this video was taken this morning around 7:30am.

this one is of him in his bouncer...not so bouncy today but noisy!

he is looking more and more like a little boy. phil and i took a bunch of photos in whittingham today, as it was lovely and sunny. eventually some of them will make it on here. he had a little baseball cap on that came with an outfit...it's not supposed to fit yet, but the hat is almost too small. That's because my son is a monster-child!

it's a party and everyone is invited

2009-04-14T21:25:00.000+01:00

Well, its all happening. Eden is eating regularly (although still only very little amounts)...and, for the most part, he is feeding himself! His favourite foods are all of those that phil hates - cucumber and tomato being the top 2. Tomorrow we're going to start on cooked foods. The advice is to make them soft enough to be able to mush in your mouth with your tongue. We'll see how that venture goes!

(this banana didn't go so well, as he immediately squashed it between his fingers and couldn't find it to get into his mouth!)

He has also suddenly discovered how to use his baby bouncer. He has always enjoyed it, but only moved a little bit. On Friday, however, I put him in it and he immediately started going crazy - bouncing, jumping and dancing. It was HILARIOUS. He does it every time now. I'm going to video it soon. He gets really tired though but as soon as he is partially in the harness, away his little legs go...and getting him out is complicated. It starts with some whinging, so I'll give him his dummy but he won't stop bouncing to get it to his mouth...he simply keeps his mouth wide open and bounces harder!!!!!!

we're still sleeping terribly. some nights are worse than others. last night was extremely bad... so i took 2 naps today! this definitely needs to be sorted out, but i'm not sure how. the past few nights he's been restless but he never is awake in the middle of the night, just crying and trying to sleep. Phil says that its me keep eden up all night... i think he's mistaken!

(i can't seem to add the photos i want to add. i'll speak to phil about this and sort it out!)

2009-04-06T19:50:00.000+01:00

we can't find the tooth anymore...can they retreat?

we've started introducing eden to food. our idea is to do baby-led weaning, which means we'd put finger foods in front of him and when he was ready, he'd feed himself. so far, however, it really means that i hold food in his mouth while he chomps happily away. i'm not surprised, he prefers it when i hold his toys as well (lazy child). so he has had a bit of carrot, although he was in a terrible mood...but melon, apple, and kiwi have been far more successful. someone has given me a bit of stick on giving him fruit, saying that he'll only eat sweet stuff and what about his teeth...but come on, it's FRUIT...

so sometime this week we'll be moving on to cucumber, broccoli and tomatoes.

unfortunately he hates his highchair. it's really big...i cannot decide if we should invest in one (it was given to us) or just wait...but he won't be big enough any time soon...so what are we supposed to do? lots of people use bumbo chairs in the interim, however we'll be gone for such a long time while he would be using it...so it'd be a waste of money...i think

he did really well on the weekend away and slept great in his pop-up cot. i wish it lasted for a few years rather than for a few more months!

the tooth has sprouted...h,my

2009-04-03T11:15:00.000+01:00

...much to everyone's relief!

i thought he was looking particularly cute yesterday...there'll be more of these shots at some point...

eden LOVES his bouncer....especially as its facing out hallway mirror...at first he only would 'walk' in circles but he's starting to bounce as well...

eden now has to wear socks on his arms, to bed, in order to keep them protected from his constant sucking (making the excema worse) and to protect him from the emollient we need to put on them. we think it looks funny.

eden now grabs at everything near him...my hair,my mouth, my nose, my phone....paper, ...all of it. he's still a bit shaky with doing what he wants with his hands but he definitely uses them!

anyway, have a nice weekend!

2009-03-30T10:49:00.000+01:00

well now that i've changed the 3rd pooey nappy of the day (all before 10:30am) eden is playing on his playmat... although he can do more all the time, he gets really frustrated by not being able to do what he wants to do. he starts shouting at his toys and getting really worked up after awhile...

so this weekend he sat on his own! i had him sitting up and was supporting him, but started to talk to someone and looked down and realised i wasn't touching him and he was sitting and talking away to himself.

also, there is DEFINITELY a tooth almost out...i can see the white and it's shape...but it's not quite through yet. this means we're getting a lot of moaning...but its understandable. tooth pain sucks.

he's also finally grabbing at toys with his hands rather than just opening his mouth and leaning forward!!! he can pick up things i wouldn't think he could...as his co-ordination is increasing daily.

anyway, the whingeing is on...

another day

2009-03-26T21:50:00.000Z

(i'm glad this includes some of the ever-present drool)

eden has a habit of pulling this and similar faces as soon as he sees a camera. some of my friends are determined to get a smile, and keep taking photo after photo...but his smile disappears the moment the camera comes out!! it's weird...

i don't understand how it is thursday again. i meant to post a few times this week and somehow, it simply hasn't happened.

oh well.

the rolls and giggles have continued and increased! last night we were out with a group of people at a restaurant, and i was focusing on making sure eden didn't cry...but he did the opposite - he giggled and giggled and giggled. it was so fantastic. and today i kept putting him on his tummy and he'd roll onto his back. what a show-off.

the health visitor came today and we're getting even more stuff prescribed for his excema. the poor child is moisturised to within an inch of his life. oh well. we're going to need written, detailed instructions for anyone who looks after him....which are going to get even more complicated when we add food (but lactose-free) to the mix. i'm already feeling like the overprotective parents i always mock, but i have no choice! he really has excema and is lactose intolerant and so i have to do these things...oh well.

anyway i really ought to go to bed but realised it's been a week again!

schmumpy

2009-03-19T18:53:00.000Z

time keeps flying by!

spring is teasing us - they say it's going to snow next week - but i'm enjoying it! i bought eden a sunhat today as the sun is constantly in his eyes and his woolly hats were just too warm.

in 12 days he gained almost 2 pounds and is now weighing in at 15 lbs 11 ounces! now that i'm putting him in sitting on my side, i can carry him again in the sling...he was getting too heavy. he likes it much better as he can look around, although he mostly still falls asleep quite quickly.

he's still developing quickly with adding a roll and some giggles to his repertoire! his new favourite trick, however, is to suck in his bottom lip and 'shout'...making LOTS of noise. he really likes this and does it whenever possible...so today we sat through a session on weaning with everyone straining to hear the leaders above his noise!

at the session today i brought up the fact that he's lactose intolerant and apparently milk and milk byproducts are in most things...even sausages! so the 6 months of lactose free are going to be a bit of a nightmare... made worse by traveling.. but we have to do what we have to do...

last night he only woke to feed at 4:30am, after going to bed at 8 and slept till 8!!! Progress!!!

found the cord!!!

2009-03-13T08:14:00.000Z

i keep trying to catch smiles but he always stops when he sees the camera!

this one makes me laugh - he's holding his dummy like a pipe!

well eden seems to be in a phase of development again...learning new bits of co-ordination and adding bits of personality... for instance, he loves looking at himself...in mirrors or photos. and definitely likes women better than men (I think cause they always gush about how beautiful he is)

he also has learned to spin himself 360 degrees when laying on his back... turn on his side at will.... and grabs at things above his head now to play.

in fact, after he has his syringe with milk and colief, he opens his arms wide and his mouth wide and yells waiting for the rest of his meal. it's quite funny.

oh he's getting fussy. i think playing on his own is done for now. oh well i got my breakfast eaten.