Leila Rose Petal

Dear Princess Petalpants,

I’ve been meaning to blog about the words you use for a while but keep forgetting. We just had a little conversation, though, and I thought I should sit right down and blog about it.

You were standing next to Finn’s desk looking at the pile of activity books we have there for him. You looked at me and said “Book.” So I said “Book?” and you said “Book”. Then I said “Would you like a book?” and you said “Yeah”. So I got some of your books out for you and you’re looking at them now.

When I write that you said ‘book’ I am exaggerating a little but I’m not sure how to type what you actually said. Like most of the words you use it sounded like the word ‘book’, but without the ‘k’ sound on the end. I don’t know how to type that. You also say ‘dog’, ‘cat’, ‘down’, ’sock’ and ‘bath without the endings on them.

Your favourite word at the moment seems to be ‘juice’, which comes out sounding like ‘choooozzze’. You are also rather fond of ’shoes’ - both the word and the object - and that comes out sounding like ’shooshoooze’. This should not be confused with your word for the fish which is ’shoosch’ (or something like that).

‘Ta’ is reserved for when you’re giving things to people and when you’re given something you say ‘dada’ in a singsong tone that reminds me of one of the carers at childcare saying ‘there you go’. This is quite different from the way you said ‘dada’ to Dad last night. There can be no doubt that are different words/phrases. ‘Hello’ is a word you’ve been using for a while too. You say it as ‘hedo’. You love to say “hedo dog”, “hedo cat”, “hedo shooosch”.

As I wrote above, you also say ‘yeah’ when things are offered to you. At one point you said it a lot, but it’s becoming less frequent. ‘No’ is also a lot less frequent than it used to be and generally appears to reserved for times when you really, really don’t want something or someone is trying to do something you don’t want them to do - like Dad washing your hair.

‘Mum’ is another word you use sparingly. You say ‘mumumum’ sometimes when you are upset. Today in the car Finn said ‘Mum’ as he almost always does at the beginning of a sentence and you followed up with ‘mumumumumum’. It was quite cute.

Love,
Mum

Dear Leila Rose Petal,

You are a lovely and inquisitive kid. You are friendly and clever and beautiful. But Mum and I have been a bit frustrated by your reluctance to walk. Tearing around on your knees is certainly cute but we are sure you’ll like your feet once you give them a good try. We’re both sure you are just taking your time and will do stuff when you are ready, very much like your brother.

So last night after dinner when you just started walking around the place we were both shocked and delighted. It was made even more special for me that you called me “dada” as you tottered past me. Keep it up little moppet head.

Dear Princess Petalpants Snotbucket,

You are 16 months old and I haven’t been updating your blog anything like often enough. Your mother has always been absent-minded but these days her head is like a sieve and she has you and your brother to thank for that. You’ll understand when you have children.

It seems that your major achievement this winter is going to be a world record level of snot production, coupled with being completely miserable and grumpy. I hate to tell you this kid, but you’re not a nice person when you’re sick. Its a good thing that you’re so gorgeous that we can forgive you anything (although I do get tired of being smacked in the face).

Your last cold turned into an ear and chest infection and required antibiotics to see it off. You had to stay home from childcare for 2 weeks and it was a long 2 weeks - for both of us. You were healthy, happy and eating properly again for all of ten days before the next virus struck. You had your first day back at childcare on Thursday. On Saturday you were very snotty. Yesterday you were snotty with a temperature. You refused to eat and spent a lot of the day being cuddled by either Dad or I.

That last point is how I know that you’re quite sick. You do like cuddles but generally quick ones. Bit of a hug and a squeeze and a pat on the back - maybe a kiss if we’re lucky - and then you’re off again. Yesterday you rested your head on my shoulder for ages. I sat on the couch with you lying against my chest and I think you fell asleep for a while. You haven’t done that since you were a tiny thing. So we’ll be off to the doctor again today.

In other news you’re still not walking … well, not on your feet. You occasionally wobble 3 or 4 steps here and there on your tootsies but for the most part you’re content to waddle about on your knees. I’m not sure whether this is odd or not but I keep telling myself that you will walk properly when you’re ready. I’d just like you to be ready sooner, rather than later. You have lovely shoes waiting to be walked in and dresses that you can’t crawel in waiting to be worn.

You also haven’t produced any more teeth and still have only your middle ones, top and bottom. When you’re eating the lack of gnashers doesn’t slow you down much. You chow down on pretty much anything you’re presented with. Things which don’t succumb to being gummed into submission are carefully removed from your mouth and placed on the table. Sometimes you drop them on the cat who waits underneath the high chair. You think it’s hilarious when you hit her on the head. She’s not so amused, but it’s food so she tolerates the indignity.

Well, my princess that’s it for now. For all the illness and the grumpiness, the not walking and the lack of teeth, you are - as always - the light of Dad’s, Finn’s and my life.

Love,
Mum

Our Little Princess has been beset by yet another cold. We were meant to go on a long walk today but we decided that the weather and the baby’s mood were both too foul, so Leila and I stayed home. Finn and Mark went but found it too wet when they got there so they’re off to a mega shopping centre in search of an advance screening of a movie about a fighting panda. For those of us back at the ranch there has been much yelling and crying, doses of both paracetamol and stuff to dry up noses, snot by the bucketful and Baby Einstein and Play School dvds on high rotation (Play School is the more popular of the two).

We’re quite used to our Princess producing huge volumes of snot, but there are two slightly worrying elements to the current bout of snottyness: a really harsh cough and a refusal to eat much other than bottles and sweet biscuits. If the Princess is not looking a lot brighter tomorrow morning there’ll be a trip to the doctor for her.

a0423 Stone Steps at Federation Square by tengtan

Just last weekend Leila took her first steps at Gramda’s and it almost went unnoticed. Tonight I held her up and she walked about three or four steps into her mum’s waiting arms. Then we all applauded and she looked just thrilled.

Then she walked back to me and then to Finn. And then she got tired and just fell over. All the same it was terribly exciting.

No hands no problems street art hamburg by temp13rec.

This morning Leila was standing against the buffet which was pretty impressive. Her bum was touching the buffet but it was still a pretty good effort.

Then, just a few minutes later, we saw her standing completely on her own and just as happy as a clam. It was for only about ten seconds but still we were every bit as excited as she was.

Standing Over the Giraffe by Nicky P

Yesterday Leila went with her mum for an appointment and they had to wait for an hour and a half to see the doctor. Many kids (and adults for that matter) would be fractious but not the Little Princess. She crawled over to door and said “no no no” to her Mum. Then crawled over to the stereo in the waiting room and did the same.

People were very taken with her. Much as her mum, dad and brother are.