Things I have started doing in the last couple of months

*I am now WALKING and have even started to try and run a bit!

My first significant walk, according to Mummy’s Facebook post, was on the 19^th of April. I walked 3 steps from the radiator to Daddy’s globe, stopped casually to spin it 3 times and then carried on another 6 steps towards Mummy, before falling at her feet (like Daddy J) as the Gramps and Mummy all screamed for Daddy to come see. Since then, there’s been no stopping me!

I’ve got really confident by going to 'Snakes & Ladders', this amazing soft-play place with bouncy castle, ball pit, padded slides and padded climbing frames and sit-and-ride cars. I go with Noah mostly, but even brought Rose, one of my girlfriends with me for a play-date. I now happily storm round even the normal (unpadded) park, rejecting Mummy’s hand when she offers it. I can DO it, Mummy!

*Going up and down stairs all by myself, crawling up and 'crawling' (or flopping on my belly) backwards down, at some speed!

* Swimming...I’m getting quite good at holding onto the side of the pool now as well as going underwater.

*Programming the microwave. I put my bottles on to sterilise for an hour once! Luckily Daddy found them before they melted.

*Closing doors – all kitchen appliances, Mummy & Daddy’s bedroom door when I leave the room, and the front door when we are saying ‘bye’ to visitors (sometimes mid-byes!)

*Saying “Chsss” when you give me anything – Mummy thinks it’s because she gives me ‘cheese’ a lot as a snack and when she says ‘Cheese’ I think it means thank you. But it also sounds like ‘Cheers!’, so they’re not sure. Whatever, it’s caught on and the pareys have started saying it to each other too!

*I can now 'High five!’

*I play 'Peekaboo' behind the curtains (I've been doing that for months, tbh)

*Taking the washing out of the dryer and handing each item to Mummy. I even reach right in to get the last socks for her!

*Kisses – big open-mouth sloppy ones. Sometimes I try and stick my tongue in, but no one seems to like that much, especially Daddy – although it made Grandma squeal!

*Sitting still and not screaming and wriggling when Mummy clips my nails. Sometimes.

*Trying to use a fork and spoon to feed myself (messy, but I’m trying!)

*Tantrums. Throwing stuff, my head back, arching my back, faking tears sometimes...Mummy & Daddy ignore me most of the time though. Spoilsports.

*Stuffing my mouth very fast with small foods until my cheeks puff out like a fat hamster - especially with blueberries, prawns, cherry tomatoes and grapes. Again, a skill from Daddy.

*Freaking out with the feel of sand or grass between my toes. I'm afraid I lose all cool at that point and whimper like a girl to be picked up.

Aside from that. I have gone from cuddly helpless baby to a high-spirited and cheeky toddler in the blink of an eye and Mummy felt a bit tearful it happened so fast.

Don’t worry Mummy, I’ll still love you, even when I’m running away from you in the park!

My First Burpday

On April 15^th I turned 1 year old, which means I had a Burp Day. Not sure why it is called that as *every* day is a burp day to me – but it might have been due to the amount of food that Mummy made for my party!

The whole bash was themed around one of my favourite books from when I was a *real* baby; ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.

Mummy said it was probably the only time *she’d* get to pick the theme as next year I’d want something off the telly like Ben 10 or something, so she had lots of fun with the details. She made themed party invites (The Very First Birthday Bash”), themed the whole menu around everything the caterpillar ate (cupcakes, chocolate cakes, oranges, apples, plums, lollies, salami, sausages, slices of watermelon, plums, strawberries, ice-cream cones, Swiss cheese – Babybel – etc) and she even found a ‘big green leaf’ to serve some party nibbles off.

Can you spot some of the foods in the picture?

She also got a big beauuuutiful butterfly, just like in the book which floated above the guests, and she took a whole day off work to make me the BIGGEST Hungry Caterpillar cake I ever saw – YUM!

Here I am enjoying the cake whilst Grandad enjoys his wine...

We babies sang and danced to songs (some of which had the word Caterpillar in them, but most didn’t – but I’ll bet not many 1 year olds have The Cure on their playlist?). Mummy also added Daft Punk and 50 Cent to the list (well, he does sing “Go Shorty! It’s your Birthday!”), which is apparently also quite unusual for a baby but I loved it!!!

I got loads of presents - everyone was very kind to me :)

And I had my first ice cream!!! I liked it quite a lot, as you can see...

All in all a GRAPE BURP DAY!

Nursery times...

I know, I know, it’s been aaaages since I last blogged – and that’s because in that time, Mummy has started back doing some work, I started going to nursery too!

She gave up her proper job in January, because she hated it and decided to spend all her time with me, but then she worried about not having enough money to keep her asos habit going, so she decided to go ‘tree lancing’. I’m still not sure what that means, but it makes her happy and I get to spend time either with the Gramps (it’s great, we’ve got to know each other loads better) or at nursery for a couple of days a week.

Daddy usually drops me off and Mummy picks me up and we go to the park on the way home. Mummy doesn’t really know what I get up at nursery, but I can tell you that I have lots of fun flirting with all my carers – they always tell Mummy I’ve been a very good boy (I think my cheeky grin helps me get away with anything – I learned it from Daddy!). They also say I *love* my food - in fact Mummy hasn’t found a food I won’t eat yet - which again I get from Daddy. He moans now that he never gets Mummy's leftovers as I always get first dibs. Well, I'm the growing boy round here, Daddy!

But I digress. When she comes to pick me up, Mummy sometimes hangs back to watch me play unawares. She loves that moment when I finally look up and drop everything to come to her! Sometimes we go home with things I have made (not just dirty/wet clothes...). Mummy joked that the house would now be covered in ‘rubbish art’ (tsk!), but I know she secretly loves them, and Daddy even said they are better than anything he could produce. Which is probably why he doesn’t have *his* paintings on the fridge – ha!

I like to move it...MOVE IT!

HELLO! I’ve been getting increasingly mobile these last few months...and the ensuing mischief (pulling cables out of sockets, items out of cupboards and drawers, etc) has meant I've been bit too busy to blog of late!

I started moving properly across the room at 5.5 months - and of course, (as with rolling) I did it first when Mummy wasn't looking! Auntie PK and Mummy both went to the kitchen to get some tea, then Mummy went back to get biscuits, and Auntie PK asked as she returned...

"Has Luc started crawling yet?"

"Um, he's trying to, but not yet..."

"Well, when I came back he was face up against the skirting board!"

So my cover was blown! At first it was just commando-style shuffling on my elbows and tummy, then by 6.5 months I started to get on my hands and knees and rock to get momentum...and then I was crawling properly, if a little wobbly at first!

The first thing I crawled to was the Wii nunchucks, so Mummy has had to hide them (I *still* haven’t found them to this day – but OH I WILL...!)

The day I turned 7 months old, I managed to pull myself up to the coffee table to get the Sky+ remote...I *love* remote controls – and all gadgetry and wires - they taste so good! I push the coffee table round like a baby walker, and pull the drawers out to help myself to my toys. (Mummy is waiting for the day I start putting them back in again too, but isn't that what mummies and daddies are for???)

Since I discovered a whole new world outside the living room door, I've been positively whizzing round the house. I've love getting Mummy and Daddy, or even Auntie PK to chase after me...and I’m getting better at nipping through the legs of the dining table and chairs to escape them! Noah’s always trying to get me to crawl after him, but I beat him every time! Well I *am* three weeks older, don’tcha know?! I’m a BIG boy!

I've also been pulling at the wine and Champagne bottles (well, I *am* my parents' son...) so Mummy has started storing them neck inwards (although I'm learning what "No" means now and generally keep away) and crashing into furniture. Yes, there have been a few tears, but Daddy and Mummy believe in the 'School of Hard Knocks' and that I’ll learn fastest that way...

It’s true, if they don’t make a fuss of me, I rarely cry when I bump my head or fall over. Plus, I’ve now learnt that I can trap my fingers under the swivel bit of our telly unit, the doors and the kitchen drawers, and hit my head coming up too fast under the dining table – and I’ve pretty much learnt to avoid it happening most of the time, even when watching my favourite programme, Waybuloo, holding onto the TV unit - although Mummy noticed I get much clumsier when I get tired (don’t we all?)

I’ve also managed to start crawling up the stairs – a godsend for the Gramps as they don’t need to carry me upstairs any more (Grandpa B has a dodgy knee, Grandma B’s back hurts at the mo) and for Mummy who can now multitask and carry other stuff up as she follows me. I like playing chase on the stairs – I’m getting really quick! – and love them crawling up after me trying to catch me as I squeal!

But the thing I’m *most* proud of is that I’ve learnt to get off tables (I love climbing over and even *onto* the coffee table - usually to read a book or flick through Grazia or GQ – check me out here reading GQ and listening to Jazz on a lazy weekend morning! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqgslz8oZ-o ), beds, sofas and come down stairs *feet first*, which let me tell you, is infinitely better than my first attempts (head first – ouch!) and this always makes Mummy very proud as she has been teaching me "feet first" from whenever I started to roll.

I’m also a proper little water baby now – just about to complete stage 2 swimming and going to do stage 3! I love going “Splash splash splash!” in the water, especially when I go with Noah. We LOVE pretending to splash each other, whilst really we’re trying to see who can splash the other’s mummy more – ha!

I won’t be able to go with Noah any more as Mummy has started work and Auntie PK is about to start work and they will be working on different days. Mummy decided to quit her big job as she didn’t like it, to spend more time with me, but she’s doing a bit of ‘tree lancing’, which confuses me as she is normally very environmentally friendly, so I’m not sure why she’d want to fight some plants?! But she gets to put on make-up and pretty dresses again, (and then a dressing gown over the top whilst she feeds me breakfast!), and she says she has time to read her magazines now. But *I* never get to see Grazia now - tsk!

At the moment the Gramps are looking after me 3 days a week, but I have a feeling things are changing as Mummy keeps talking about “nursery” and saying how the crèche (which I go to when Mummy goes to the gym) is good practice? For nursery rhymes???

So now I’m on the move in so many ways – across the floor, over, under or on furniture, up and down stairs, in water and on land...on Daddy's shoulders (clubbing at www.babylovesdisco.co.uk the other week - I won a medal!), on Mummy's back, swinging in the park - see pic - oh and side-to-side! My favourite thing now is saying "no" by shaking my head emphatically, whenever Mummy asks me to eat more food, finish my milk or put 'that' down! She says I'm going to be a "will full" child. What *do* you mean, Mummy? I *am* full!!!

Mummy sighs that I am like a proper little boy more than a baby now, and growing up so quickly - but even she has to admit I get cuter and more fun every passing week - I mean, getting away with stuff with a cheeky grin has worked for Daddy all his life, and he's my HERO :)

Next stage – walking! At the moment, I can stand unaided for a few seconds, swaying slightly - but then I fall onto my bottom. Mummy reckons I’ll take my first step towards my birthday cake. With the (in)famous Pieroux love of cake, she might be right!

AND I turn ONE next month!!! I’ll no doubt tell you *all* about my party next time.

Unless nursery is any good!

Gotta go wreak some more havoc now - toddle-pip!

Merry Crispmas!

I *think* that's what everyone kept saying, anyway!

Just a quick post because we are already so late past Crispmas, but Mummy said it was my first one, so I should tell you about it.

Instead of a card with my face on, Mummy thought it'd be cool to get some special stamps made up by the Royal Mail with my face on.

Of course, being all clever and cute backfired somewhat as an awful lot of people completely missed that it was my muggins on their envelope and chucked me away - doh!

Still, for those who did spot me, they liked it!

And for those who didn't, here it is!

Anyway, as I am now pulling myself up and crawling madly round the house (following Mummy everywhere!), the pareys didn't get a tree until the week before Crispmas as they were scared I grab at the light cable and cause all manner of crashes or pull the baubles off. Tsk! They underestimate me. OK, so I patted a couple of the branches, just to see what they felt like, but I generally ignored it.

One morning though, we came down to lots of brightly coloured and shiny boxes of far more interest under the tree - wow! How did that happen?! Mummy and Daddy gave me some boxes and tore the paper off for me. They got me a load of great boxes with some stuff inside! Cool!

Then we all went to a hotel for a Crispmas meal, with these things called crackers, poppers and hats, and then we went to a room for a nap and then we opened more presents on our big kingsized bed (getting glitter everywhere!) slept some more and came home the next day!

Then Mummy started cooking as the Gramps B and Unca Ash were coming over. They had a lovely lunch whilst I was napping (I'd already had mine) and Unca Ash loved it so much he apparently had 4th helpings, even beating Daddy! Luckily he left enough for me to have some Crispmas dinner later that day and for a couple more meals - I've discovered I LOVE roasted Stone Bass (like Sea Bass), roasted parsnips, carrots, potatoes, mashed potato and swede and peas and onion gravy all mushed up - and so does Daddy, who kept sneaking a mouthful when he though Mummy and I weren't watching! NOM!

I got a cool baby walker off the Gramps B and a really great shelving unit to put all my books in off Unca Ash, plus lots of books and loads of other FAB presents off Mummy's family and friends. Somebody called 'Santa' (I think Mummy spelled her name wrong?) got me a baby mobile phone - but I'm not fooled, it looks nothing like Mummy and Daddy's iPhones! Mummy and Daddy also got me a baby laptop so I can stop smashing the keys and slamming the lid down whilst Mummy is typing on hers...(this plan only sometimes works...Mummy realised it's actually a toy for an 18+monther, so it might be a bit advanced for me at the mo)

The baby walker is great though, as it means I can get across the room even quicker - upright! - thereby creating more mess and send more things flying in less time. It makes loads of great comedy noises, that *still* haven't managed to send Mummy and Daddy crazy. Must try harder. :)

The rest of the festive season passed in a bit of a blur, visiting Daddy's friends Claire, Jase and toddler Ed (who kept trying to stop me having my laptop by SITTING on it and making me cry!) then to Chippenham to see Daddy's family (Granny P, cousin Laura and her boyfriend Luke, and cousin Katie and her boys, Declan, Fraser, Ralph and Albie - my nephews! - who are more used to other babies and shared all their toys with me...plus I got loads of cool pressies again) then Daddy's friends Martin, Sam and their kids Tom and Tegan who are always good fun - they loved my laptop too!

I also got a baby remote control (again so I supposedly don't go after the real ones...). It makes Sesame Street noises when you press the buttons! I got it in the post from my Auntie Shital and family in USA.

I'm not sure what it's all about, but I like this Crispmas lark - can we have it again next month, please Mummy?