Bea speaks

Christmas 2009 has come and gone. And so have you and your sister. You were here for three weeks which was about enough for all of us. For future reference let it be noted that although Bea turned one while you were here (and Daddy turned 30) she didn't walk on her own but she did add to her vocabulary. So now she says dada. mama, scarf (well, we know she means scarf) and nana. Clever girl!
The reason she says scarf is because she is always looking out for a chance to grab your comforter when you are not looking. She has Bunny, but it's not the same as having something of yours.
You, of course, now two, are talking nineteen to the dozen. Your favourite things are tractors, followed by POstmas Pat and Thomas the tank engine - and watching them on Mummy's i-phone.
You make up words for things, too - everybody has become allbody, smoked salmon was dubbed orange ham. It's charming. Just like you, when you are not asserting your independence and saying no to all suggestions.
You liked the snow. So did Poppydoggy who is growing apace.

Time Flies

Goodness me where has the summer gone? Little sister is now pulling herself up to her full height and trying to cruise along the sofa. She also seems to be showing far more interest in your cars than in her baby toys and you have a load of new words in your vocabularly including a very firm 'Mine'.
So - a progress update. You talk about the weather (rainingpouring), you can fill in gaps in songs (the wheels on the bus go 'roun an roun awdaylon'
You are stringing words together in ways that make perfect sense, Daddycup, Nanashoo. You have decided that Grandpa shall forevermore be called Papa and, of course, you are walking everywhere unless Mummy needs you to go in the Phil and Ted buggy because that makes life easier (and please don't kick Bea on top).
When you are out and about you like watching out for tractors, lorries and buses and you got very concerned when the fire alarm went off. I think you were convinced there was a neenaw upstairs. Trains are a big favourite, too, especially in stories.
But the big news of the week is that you did a poo on the potty. This may have been due to luck not judgment on your parents' part and we will have to see what happens next. But it was the first time Mummy had suggested you might like to sit on the potty and do a poo, so it was pretty impressive.
I still think Mummy will get the new puppy Poppy housetrained first.

Little sister

Your little sister isn't so little any more. In fact someone who shall be nameless said she has more chins than a Chinese takeaway.

Big Brother is Watching

...and stroking

And now you are a big brother

On Christmas Eve there was a special delivery at your home - a baby sister called Bea. I think you were actually having a nap when she arrived. I wonder how you feel about the new arrival?

Sprogwatch

It is two days before Christmas and we are awaiting the arrival of your baby brother or sister. Meanwhile you have been making the transition from baby to boy.
You have now walked five steps all by your self.
You have given Daddy, then Mummy, big sloppy kisses.
Mummy cut your hair with the clippers as it had grown very long at the back.
You no longer have bottles of milk and you don't often have jars of baby food. You are getting better about eating - but you would much rather feed yourself than have someone feed you. The only trouble is, you like dropping things on the floor and making a mess as much as you do putting things in your mouth and swallowing them.
You may not be able to tell us in words what you do want - but you have a very nice line in head shaking to tell us what you don't.
And you have discovered books. Especially books that do things. Elephant Wellyphant and Oh Dear are two of your favourites.

Bouncing

Ever since you were able to sit up on your own you have loved to bounce. Whenever you hear music – the pipes and drums of the school band, songs on the radio – you happily bounce up and down.
That’s why it seems entirely appropriate that your first word (uttered this morning in the presence of both your parents, so there can be no mistake) was Tigger. After all, bouncing is what Tiggers do best.
I seem to remember that the Tigger you were talking about, your toy Tigger, looks like the Tigger drawn by a man called Ernest Shepard who painted pictures and illustrated books for a living.
Some of these books were written by a man called A A Milne and were about a little boy called Christopher Robin, his teddy bear Pooh and their friends and adventures.
Tigger made his first appearance, I think, in a book called House at Pooh Corner, where we learned that Tiggers don’t like honey, haycorns or thistles for breakfast and, indeed, that Tiggers don’t climb trees.

The newer Tigger – the one you will probably get to know even better – is like the original Tigger only more so. Stripier, orangier, bouncier. He appears in a series of Disney cartoons and in order to make lots of money, people did deals with each other so that toys and clothes and plates and lots of stuff could be made with pictures of this Tigger on and sold to Mummies and Daddies and Aunties and Uncles to give to their children.
But I still like the original Tigger best. How about you?