Energy-sucking timewasters

God I hate the internet sometimes.  Just when you think you’ve exhausted your interest in signing up for new pretties, you succumb to yet another.

Damn you, Facebook.  I have been resisting the urge, but no more.  Damn you!

Lift Off!

A day out shopping, followed by:

Arlo assisting with the unpacking of groceries:

And then finally deciding to walk unassisted!

The happiest baby in the world…

…resides in this house, and he gained that status because his Dadda’s home.  He is chuffed – he showed off all his news skills and tricks yesterday, even the ones I’ve only seen once or twice (like pointing to Amanda, a character in his favourite book, when asked).

Yesterday, he cried when Mark left the room and barely looked in my direction all day.  Today he’s been burbly and chatty and giggly – so calm and contented.

And I must say I’m pretty calm and contented too.  We’ve had a long month apart, and who knows when Mark will be going agin, but for now this is enough, that he’s home.

New things!

Some interesting things for Arlo in the last couple of days:

He cuddles.  Often.  And for the first time, when he’s overtired (if we’re out or something) he will scream and scream and then nestle into my shoulder and fall asleep.  It’s very sweet.  He also understands cuddle and complies if I ask beseechingly.

He loves loves loves books (aka "dog").  In particular, he loves Just Another Ordinary Day by Rod Clement.  I must admit, it is my favourite children’s book too.  He has back-arching tantrums if I try to extricate it from his grasp after we’ve read it the 50th time.  He recognises the main character, Amanda, and amongst a page of extras he will point her out.  And exclaim "Dog!", of course. 

He also loves the page with the elephant (it’s telling that I first wrote dog there, not elephant), and this morning he looked at it very carefully and then leant around the book to try and see the back of elephant.

He’s read it so many times that he knows the last page is just that.  Last night, after a fabulous evening with Lisa, Brynn and Arthur, we were home so late that he was very cranky – but he still wanted his book.  And when we turned to the last page, he knew it was the end and he urned his attention to begging for milk.

My little boy’s growing up.

He had a great time with Arthur last night, only one barney and it wasn’t much.  Poor thing, I neglected him in favour of a computer game called Insaniquarium – the thing is addictive in a really lame way.  I am so downloading it today.

Photos for dadda, who will be home in just two more grown-up sleeps, or 4 more Arlo sleeps.

This is how to attack and kill your sandwiches before eating them.  vegemite – it’s active stuff.

Dadda, not only did Arlo learn how to suck through a straw last night, but also he worked out how to tilt the sippy cup backwards in order to drink when the level’s low:

That’s all for now – see you soon, Mark.  Travel safe!

Somniloquy

Have I mentioned this?  Sometimes Arlo talks in his sleep – he did so last night while I was up reading.  It’s very clear, distinct, and I’m sure it’s obvious to all what he says – what else but "Dog".

Sigh.

Although he does say ‘nana’ with insistence if he sees the fruit platter. 

Yesterday evening he stood, on his own, for five seconds before falling backwards.  He’s really wary of it – he sometimes whimpers if I make any move towards letting go of his hands.  He is becoming very confident in walking while I only hold on with one hand; he toddles along, stopping to dance every now and then, and his little tongue pokes out with all the effort involved.  When I offer encouragement the coy little smile appears, and he tilts his head down and looks up through his eyelashes, in the manner of Princess Diana.

Also, have I ever mentioned how much I love words that end in -quy?

Even more photos!

Arlo’s cousins Elliot and Owen (and their mum, of course!) came to visit last week, and stayed the night.  Leighsa brought her faboo new lens (a Canon L-series, *drool*) with her and I tried it out for a couple of hours as we indulged in a photo shoot of the kiddies.  All up I took 600+ photos, many out of focus or blown or whatever but it was a fantastic afternoon.  This post is Arlo, the one below just a few of the Owen shots.

In other news, Arlo cut his 8th tooth overnight.  As you might expect, we had a tough time, and I got headbutted on multiple occasion (don’t ask).  But he’s much cheerier today and I’m hoping that now that the skin has broken we might get some sleep in the next year.

Cousin love:

More photos for Dadda

Some of Owen and Elliot.