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.
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.
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.
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.
Well yesterday Grandma pulled off an amazing trick. She was saying Leila’s name to her in a sing song voice to get her to copy it. I sat there amused and quite certain this would not happen.
And then it did.
“Lee-Lah”
Hoorah for both of them.
It is lovely to come home and have a little kid flap her arms in excitement and then crawl like mad across the floor to see you.
I had hoped she might say “heddo” to me. Perhaps tomorrow.
It’s been obvious recently that Leila really loves songs. She lights up whenever we sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and her favourite show is Play School. She was all grouchy the other day but just lit up when I put on Belle and Sebastian on.
It’s lovely to see a kid enjoying music so much. Her enjoyment lights up the whole room.
