(Day 272) Dolls

As a daughter growing up in a very non gender - stereotypical home, you haven't had much experience with dolls. As parents we never really subscribed to the whole 'cars for boys' and 'dolls for girls' thing     ( however it is like trying to hold back a tidal wave, attempting to prevent this from happening in our society!). 

Thus we have very few pretty dolls laying around for you to play with, and you are most content and happy playing with stuffed animals (particularly tigers) which endlessly fascinate you. Tigers are your particular favourite, as you are a fan of National Geographic (which you watch alongside your big sister, who is fanatical about animals) and you make growling type noises every time you see anything even resembling a tiger!

However you have had two encounters with dolls - one at your Nina's place, where you cooly assessed the life-like baby doll, realised that it was a baby (albeit a baby with something very wrong with it, as it was cold and unmoving!) and proceeded to wail hysterically, prompting the swift removal of the offending life-less play thing! 

This time, you were much more accommodating of the idea of a baby that was not quite a baby, and proceeded to poke and prod her eyes, try to communicate with her, perform a quick taste test, and then slowly let her go, not to be picked up again!

I wonder if you will grow up and eventually love dolls? or perhaps be like your older sister, who never left a doll unattended in her room, lest they awaken and attack her in the night!

(Day 271) Camera crazy

Ever since you were born it seems that everybody in our house has become a photographer. It is a constant source of wonderment that you change and grow before our very eyes, and the other children are just as fascinated with your tiny little milestones as they are with the big ones. Every new word or sound or movement that you make is a source for celebration, and something to be video-taped, photographed and captured over and over again. 

It is no wonder that you are so curious about all of these things that keep being pointed at your face!

(Day 270) Banana

Oh how you love banana - in the early days of eating solids (which we started at around 6 months ... much longer than with your siblings) you would eat nothing but breast milk and banana

And Mama was partial to it because it was the ultimate fast-food - a quick peel, and instant baby food can be made by scraping a spoon lightly over the top of the flesh. 

However today I left you for 5 seconds with your eldest sister to be fed some breakfast, and came back to the sight of you propped up in the middle of the floor, munching on a whole banana (erm, not the usual way it is fed to you!) and looking quite pleased with yourself

I think you quite enjoyed being able to eat like this!

(Day 269) Wooden blocks

I used to think that parents who wanted their children to play with only wooden toys (which are very expensive in comparison to plastic!) were a little pretentious - in the same way that some might say ' I only drink bottled water' or ' I can only have my caviar on a Sunday morning accompanied by 1945 chardonnay'. However little miss B has been doing quite a lot of research on the affects of chemicals in the home lately, and has come up with alarming research about the affects of plastic on baby hormones and the chemical changes that can occur in little people's bodies when they are exposed to plastic. 

If you are interested in this (and you probably could spare 5 minutes to do a Google search - it's a bit scary!) a good place to start is with 'Slow death by rubber duck'.

Needless to say, rubber ducks are being re-homed in the rubbish bin, and I am going to be one of those parents who endorses wooden toys and possibly only eat caviar on a Sunday :-) 

(Day 268)

I am cheating a little with this photo as I have stolen it from day 270, however it was too gorgeous not to share! We have discovered that you are using your new-found fine motor skills to pick up anything off of the floor to eat, and thought that the best way to help you along would be to let you start feeding yourself. 

There is lots of research that letting a baby self-feed not only decreases risks of obesity, but also assists you to do all kinds of other necessary developmental things, so self-feeding it is!

Today you not only fed yourself mashed vegetables, but when you were finished, you were very curious as to where they came from, and promptly located the potato masher (that was being used to spoon vegetables on to your table), attempting to serve yourself some more vegetables, and then eventually giving up and going straight to the source!

Every day with you is such a joy and a pleasure, it is impossible not to have a giggle!

(Day 264) Street fighter

I imagine that sometimes Mummies look at their beautiful daughters and imagine that they might grow up to be a teacher, a lawyer, perhaps a ballet dancer or a famous opera singer

Some days I see this priceless face and I think

...possibly one day you could be a street fighter! 

hehe

(day 263) The faces she pulls

(Day 261)

(Day 258) first time standing up!

Today you stood up by yourself (propped against the lego box) for the very first time!

and in one of those magical moments that re-affirms all of my loves of home schooling, both your brother and your sisters were there to witness (read: tape record, photograph and cheer you on) the milestone together, as a family.

It made me a little bit sad that your Dada was at work, though also so happy that what would otherwise have been a moment that only I would witness, alone at home with you, was one that was shared with a house full of little people who love you just as I do. 

No matter what happens in the future, these are the little memories that your brother and sister will file away like tiny treasures in their box of lifetime memories ;-) 

(Day 255) Puppy love

(Day 254) Raspberries :-)

(Day 252)

(Day 251) love

As we have started homeschooling a few months ago, the time that I have available to blog and record all of the wonderful moments that I am able to capture throughout our days has gone from 'very little' to 'less than none'! hence the long absences from our family portrait that we call a blog, and the very short entries that seem more like throwing pictures out into the universe, rather than sitting with a friend and recounting the stories behind them.

But for now this will have to suffice.

As there are too many books to read, footsteps to walk, water to be swum in and adventures to be had - but this too shall pass, and as we get used to our new and increasingly hectic home school life, I am sure that we will have more to share than fleeting photographs - but for now - here they are!

(Day 244) Angel baby

(Day 243) Teeth

You are but 8 months old and already have four huge teeth!

Unlike many of your little friends who are well on their way to teething with their first, we had the pleasure of welcoming your first tooth at only four months old - and you let me know it!

There is no end to pained screams of horror at feeding time (that would be me) and cheeky squeals of delight (that would be you, laughing at me) as you put your fangs to good use. 

I am hoping this is something that you grow out of! 

xxx mama