I know this happens all the time but since France we have really noticed the changes in our baby toddler.
Her language has gone crazy. It seems like yesterday that she was saying individual words but now she is mostly using 2, if not 3 or 4 at a time. It is just ace, I love hearing her say, 'red shoes', ' Daddy where are you?' and 'oooooh look' when she is excited. She even called me 'big fat Mummy' tonight. Not sure about the last one.
Her understanding also seems to have moved on so much (or perhaps we just realise this more now that she can communicate better). She is genuinely useful (hmm that sounds wrong, helpful) now when emptying the dishwasher and getting things done, like finding and putting on her own bib (albeit it does take so much longer and patience is not my thing). There are some downsides to this, like the fact we have had some 'bottom lip' moments when dropping off at nursery and if we are doing something that she doesn't fancy (or probably doesn't care either way but apparently the game of asserting your authority doesn't seem to get boring) she just makes a run for it (I swear she knows I am not as fast at the moment, she is playing on my weaknesses). I feel like my whole life is either a negotiation or an attempt at asserting control.
She has started to love role playing, so much fun. A tea party with her doll and teddy keeps her interested for at least 10 minutes and tonight she pretended to put 'special cream' (copying me with my desperate attempts to avoid stretch marks) all over her body, talking to herself along the way ('arms', 'legs' etc) and pretending to tip the toothpaste tube onto her hand each time. Too cute.
We are creating a photobook all about my tummy to help her prepare for the move from having 100% of our attention (uh oh). She will stroke and kiss my tummy now and is slightly obsessed with pulling my top up (not always appropriate) but at the same time also enjoys giving it a good shove now and then and trying to sit on it about once an hour. We are encouraging her to look after her doll gently, kind of hope she didn't notice that the other night when tidying round I threw the doll from one side of the room head first into the toy box, all about setting the right example I find. Her brother or sister is definitely going to know who she is when they come out.
Talking of which, just 8 weeks to go. My cravings for mince have gone but I am still no doubt eating way too many eggs and cold drinks are just amazing. I think I am bigger already than by the end with Mabel and a slightly different shape but I don't buy into any of the theories of knowing boy or girl. G Kisby thinks boy, I think girl (for the record). Although I have had moments of complete panic about how I will cope with 2 on my own in the week, we are both too excited about having a new baby. And besides which, I already lack control so its not like I will be going from one extreme to the other?!
Last week I learnt...
That it is possible to become slightly obsessed with the Olympics. For the first time in my life I bought a Radio Times for the Olympics pull out. Please tell me you stole that from the doctors surgery came the response from my husband. Not only that but I was then hit, when I pulled out said publication in front of my mother (surely aimed at her age group) with the comment,
"Do you know what I do, I just use the red button"
Ahh, good times.
That my husband is also obsessed with the Olympics but, rather too obviously, more in the sports like beach volleyball. He was meant to be studying the other afternoon and I found him watching it on the grounds of, "no, genuinely, it is very skillful". I think he almost convinced himself. Later that day I jokingly asked, as I launched myself out of the bath with a small pig like grunt (why does that happen involuntarily when doing any leaning whilst pregnant?) whether he was glad his wife looked like a volleyball player. He replied that I looked like I had swallowed the volleyball. Harsh.
That I am way out of touch with 'the youth'. I am vocally not a big fan of Facebook. But I needed to find out when a (pretty average & definitely not cool) music class was on to take Mabel. In trying to find out it turns out I managed to 'like' them on Facebook. Apparently this does not do me any favours on the cool front. Again the husband informs. I then had to ask him to show me how to reply to a message and whether everyone could see what I was writing. I could hear how crap I sounded.
And lastly, that with ones second baby it is very easy to get fat. I seriously don't think I was this big by the end last time. The maternity trousers I wore right up until finishing work no longer fasten and we still have 11 weeks to go. I did some extra energetic swimming at the weekend but am also having lower back pain this time so I think my Zumba days are nearly over.
Maybe a cake would make me feel better?!?
