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?

One small step for Finn

Well not quite. But according to your Mummy today was momentous nevertheless - you not only pulled yourself up to standing (which you've been doing for a week or so) but you then let go. And you stayed standing on your own two feet. For at least five seconds.

Nine months

Nine months is the length of a pregnancy. Nine months is how old you are now.
This is what you can do:
Crawl
Put bits of grownup(ish) food in your mouth
Eat bananas and Weetabix and scrambled eggs
Say Ga and Da
Go on the baby swing (you've been sitting up for ages)
Bang things together
Shake rattles and other musical instruments
Pull off your socks (good game)
Pull off your sunhat
Pick up little things with your thumb and forefinger
Find things hidden under other things
Recognise familiar people with a big smile
Know what we mean when we say No
Open some drawers and cupbaords (see above)

News for the tooth fairy

Seven months now and your smile is about to change for good. That's because your first tooth has just come through. It will be some time before you get a visit from the tooth fairy, though . I wonder what the going rate is these days?
You have just started to edge forward when you are on all fours. Time to think about what you will be able to reach when you come to stay.

Little Star

Six month update:
You have started at nursery because your Mum has had to go back to work
No surprise then that you have had your first chest infection and your first lot of antibiotics plus inhalers (what fun!) and your Mum and Dad had to take time off work
You sit up at dining table in your new clip-on babyseat. It’s lovely to see you sitting at the very same pine kitchen table where your Mum used to sit when she was a baby
You like banana
You have started eating mushy baby food and like to grab the spoon
You put everything into your mouth to chew
You have visited one stately home (Longleat) and one National Trust property (Dyrham) in the baby back pack
You have had nappy rash but it seems to be clearing up nicely
You can sit for a few minutes before you topple forwards or sideways
When you get upset and start crying your Mum sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – and you stop