21 months

Probably Leo's last monthly update as an only child so I'd better make the most of having a leisurely nap time to write this!

In the past week he has become a Play School junkie. I got a couple of DVDs out of the library for the first time (the Aussie version, identical in format and ethos to the British), and he is absolutely mesmerised by Play School Nursery Rhymes . He is already doing actions to songs on it, his favourites are Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around and Rock-a-bye Your Bear (the actions are things like 'take a bow,' 'turn around,' 'touch the ground,' 'sssh sssh sssh' with finger on lips. Very cute to watch). Anyway he now has an unhealthy obsession with Play School - when it finishes he says "Mummy? Mummy? More? More?" and when we say "Bye Bye" to it he says "Noooo" and there are sometimes tears... it is the bribe of choice if we need him to sit still for 5 minutes. I'm thinking it'll come in handy when I'm feeding number 2. He still loves old favourite rhymes like Hickory Dickory & Twinkle Twinkle; does the mouse running down the clock (fingers running down other forearm) and now uses his fingertips to make the diamond in the sky (he's been twinkling for months). Oh and Humpty Dumpty has now been taken to a new performance level where he becomes Humpty using the back of the sofa as the wall, and has a dramatic tumble off at the appropriate point before bouncing back up again saying "Again? Again?" (well his version of "Again" is "Aga? Aga?") He loves performing and if we're not both watching he shouts "Mummy! Mummy!" (he calls Ben Mummy as well) until he has the full attention of the room.

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall...

... had a great fall!

We are starting to go out without the pram for short distances, (like from car to supermarket, or just up to our local shops around the corner) he's a pro at pedestrian crossings and you don't have to hold his hand (although of course being ever ready to grab him if necessary) - he pushes the button, stands and waits for the green man and then runs across when the beeps go (saying "GO GO!" He also says "GO GO", if we're getting ready to go out and I say "Let's go!") He absolutely loves crossing the road and often just gets to the other side and wants to push the button and do it all again. So he's getting more stamina for walking, but still has a tendency to run out of steam and want to be carried when you're just at the furthest point from home and have bought 4 litres of milk and really don't need to be holding 15 kilos of boy in addition to his little sister and your shopping bag....so I am v glad of the new pram built for 2!

It was a sickly Easter break for us as Leo had his first ever contagious childhood illness... Hand Foot and Mouth. This lasted for about a week, and confused the hell out of us as he was also visibly cutting 3 teeth on his bottom jaw (2 canines and an incisor) so we put the symptoms down to teething (endless dribbling, night waking, not wanting to eat anything except yogurt and milk, terrible nappy rash with blisters on his bum). He's never had these sorts of problems before with teething and in the end I decided that it must be something more and rang the NHS Direct-thing and then took him to the doctor who diagnosed HF & M. The poor thing had ulcers down both sides of his tongue and possibly on his throat as well, so no wonder he'd been so miserable it must have been agonising. All better now.

Significantly he is starting to push boundaries and explore what happens if we say No and he does it anyway.... yesterday I disciplined him for the first time ever and sent him to his room for 2 minutes. There were tears, (almost from me as well) and that was a big threshold I guess, but he's definitely starting to test us and I'm sure will do so even more once his sister arrives, so we have to deal with it. He is the Prince of Tinkers.

He's starting to know his colours and loves felt tip pens, especially the black one ("Ba! Ba!") and is on a mission to find out whether there is anywhere other than paper that he's allowed to colour.... luckily the pens are washable, and so far a damp cloth has removed scribble from the TV screen and wall without leaving a mark...

As well as throwing himself off the furniture his other hobby at the moment is 2-footed jumping, off kerbs, steps or just on the spot. In the last couple of days this has evolved into a full-on seat drop, Big Daddy style. This is very amusing when he does it on the carpet, but the problem is that he keeps trying to sit on Banjo, who at the moment hasn't quite developed the healthy fear of Leo that makes Bonzo keep his distance (and his skeleton intact). Banjo and Leo are going to be great mates in the future, Banjo has let Leo pick him up a couple of times and doesn't run away until Leo is actively doing something painful, but we are having to keep a close eye on the L's rough and tumble to make sure he doesn't hurt our lovely little kitling and learns to be a bit gentle.

Busy mums out for a stroll

Playing ball with Will and James

Attack of the giant Milky Bar monster

Looks so innocent and sweet...grievous pigeon chasing followed very soon after this was taken

Another Sunday, another sheep-slapping session... in Williamstown this time

Directing events from behind his cuppa

Urggggggggghhhhhhhh....

Behind the wheel

Uh-oh...
Sorry Madam...I'm going to need your address and insurance details.

Translation for non-lipreaders: "CAR!"

Garage ramming