: : : Here is the news for July : : :

Thursday 31st July
I think I may be coming down with something. I'm hoping that its not the same thing that Peter seems to have. THAT makes you shout really loudly in the doctors office and I don't want to have to do that. Besides it seems to put him off his food and I enjoy eating too much to be ill.

Wednesday 30th July
Today I spent a lot of time surveying the general goings on in the house from the elevated position of the highchair. I have plenty of toys to play with and should I drop one, Peter picks it up for me as quick as a flash and says "here you are Andrew". He's very kind like that. Sometimes though I drop something on purpose because I don't want it, so getting it straight back again can be an annoyance.

Tuesday 29th July
There was a little surprise for Mum today - she put me in my special inflatable doughnut and left me near Dad's desk. She popped into the kitchen for a few minutes and when she came back I was right over near the window - a distance of over 3 metres. Peter was watching me from the sofa and only he knows how I managed to do it - so far he hasn't told anyone - I swore him to secrecy.

Monday 28th July
I've learned how to recover my seated position (and my dignity) when I fall over to one side when I'm doing my sitting up practice. There's a certain amount of grunting and groaning but I eventually get the job done. To recover my dignity I pretend that nothing has happened.

Sunday 27th July
I spent a long time sitting up in my inflatable ring today. I've found that it's better if I pratice my sitting up in there as it's much less painful if I make any mistakes.

I am becoming very adept at moving food from my hand to my mouth. I nearly always mange to get most of it in and there's only really a very small amount that gets spread around my face, although it does seem like a lot.

#Saturday 26th July
I'm starting to get up on to my knees a bit more now. It's very tiring for me so I have to have long rests inbetween times. I suspect it will lead to crawling eventually. I suspect that crawling will lead to major changes in the household dynamics. For a start I'll probably find myself imprisoned in some kind of playpen or cot.

Friday 25th July
There hasn't been much fun today - we couldn't go out in the pushchair for a walk because of the pouring rain. I couldn't even go for my nap because I usually like to have my snooze in the pushchair, which as I have mentioned was out of action because of the rain. Eventually, using a combination of insistent shouts and constant grumbloing I managed to persuade Mum to push me in the pushchair in the kitchen. I did have a little nap, but it's not the same as sleeping whilst being pushed around the park.

Thursday 24th July
I've been trying to persuade Mum to let me have a go with my food spoon. I'm, sure I could be at least as successful in pushing food into my mouth as she is. I usually end up with food all around my face anyway, so I can't really see what difference it would make. Maybe the floor would be cleaner but that's another side issue.

Wednesday 23rd July
I went to the baby group today and as there weren't any other babies there I had the special inflatable ring all to myself - I sat up in it and played quite happily for ages. I also sat up in my pushchair for all the time I was in it. I'm still a bit wobbly when I sit up on my own, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm sure it won't be long before I can sit up all by myself without the aid of straps and strings.

Tuesday 22nd July
I haven't really had a proper nap today - there were too many extra people in the house and I couldn't concentrate properly. Dad had to take me to the shop after bathtime to make me go to sleep, but it was too interesting what with all the shiny goods on display and all the admiring glances I was getting, It seemed a shame to close my eyes. I eventually went to sleep at around 9.30. I made a special note to wake up about an hour later for a little snack though.

Monday 21st July
I have been enjoying many new types of food besides my favourite reliable old milk. I very much enjoy deserts, apple and pear and so on, and for the main course I usually tolerate something with carrots in it. I'm not sure why everything that babies eat has carrots in it because Mum pays the price with the washing I can tell you. Sometimes carrots make for an explosive end to the meal.

Sunday 20th July
I've had a lovely day. First of all my other tooth came through in the night. I missed most of it because of being asleep, although I did manage to catch the very last bit of it at around 4.00am.

I've got an excellent new toy - its a door bouncing device which Peter can't get in to what with him being so big and all. I can dance around quite happily for ages. Today I managed about 25 minutes. The only drawback is that it makes me very very tired. Mum and dad see this as some kind of plus point though.

Saturday 19th July
It's a very important day today, because not only is it the second day after my half birthday, but I have managed to get TWO TEETH from somewhere. No one knows where they came from or when they are going. It's no wonder I've been quite grumpy for a few days. One of them is all the way through and the other one isn't quite there yet. So there's also the promise of more grumpiness to come. I think Mum and Dad were looking forward to a few more tooth pain free days as Peter has only just got his last tooth. 2 down 18 to go!

Friday 18th July
I had a go in the big swing in the park today. Sam took me on it. A bit later on Joe came in too and gave me a lovely cuddle.

I played a lovely game with Dad today - He was swinging the hangy up thing in the big window and I was trying to catch it. Sadly my hand only moved as fast as the swingy thing and I was just a litle bit behind it, so I never ever seemed to catch it. Luckily Dad stopped the swinging and put it in my hand.

Thursday 17th July
Its very exciting and all normal news has been pushed aside for my amazing announcement. I am 6 months old today and that makes me officially... a whole half. I've nearly learnt to crawl and I can wriggle around ever such a lot. So all good news really. I've been told I have to wait for presents until I'm one though which is slightly disappointing and seems a whole lifetime away, which in my case it is.

Wednesday 16th July
I have happened across perhaps the best game that I am able to do. Its the kind of game that can only be played when I'm being dressed, undressed or changed in some way. Its quite an easy game - all I have to do is roll over and over at every possible opportunity. This makes it almost impossible for clothes to be put on or off, and extremely difficult indeed to put a nappy on.

We went to some kind of farm today - I didn't have much interest in anything that was going on though. I did get a spoonful of food whenever peter came round on the roundabout though.

Tuesday 15th July
I am starting to really get the hang of actually sitting up on my own - I'm still a little bit wobbly but I can sit up for a few minutes using will power alone. My falling over rescue facility seems to be faulty though - I sometimes fall over in the other direction when I try and stop myself falling over in the first direction.

It was so hot today that Mum had to buy me some special water and give me a drink when we were out shopping.

Monday 14th July
I had to use my special smile very carefully this morning to get round Mum and Dad. I think it may have worked first go with Dad.

Sunday 13th July
Tonight I was mostly awake - all night - this didn't make me one of the most popular babies in the house, but I think I may have a few points banked up. My winning smile is a real point earner.

Saturday 12th July
Dad has returned to Mama and Dada's house! He very much enjoyed carrying me around for as much of the day as he could although I did notice several casual placements of ME on the FLOOR while he made himself a sandwich. I also had to let Mama have a quick go as a special treat because today is her birthday! Happy Birthday Mama!

Friday 11th July
Today I shouted and shouted and shouted. Mama said that she would take me out for a walk. It took ages and ages for her to do my straps up, during which time I yelled and yelled and yelled. Eventually we got to the front gate, at which point I lost interest in the whole affair and fell fast asleep.

Thursday 10th July

The good news is that having slept on it I can now do all the bits of the activity centre. I spent many a happy hour sitting on Magdalen's knee while twirling and pinging.

As a special bonus, today I sat up in my special chair and ate my first deliciously sticky rusk. As a reward I sat up in my pushchair and listened while Magdalen gave a wonderful piano recital for me.

Wednesday 9th July

Magdalen came to visit me today and played for ages with me on the special activity centre. It was very hard and I couldn't really do it very well. There are too many twisty and turny bits.

Tuesday 8th July
Poor old Dad has to go back to work today which leaves poor old Mum with Peter and Me. I'm hoping that we won't tire her out too much.

Monday 7th July
We went to a farm today and I saw several different types of creature. I believe there may have been a pig or two. I did enjoy my very first train ride though. I managed to get a smutty head from the steamy bits.

Sunday 6th July
We're at Mama and Dada's house and I believe there are some trips being planned. I'm not sure where we're going but I suspect that I will be safely tucked up in my pushchair. I'm having lots of fun rolling around on Mama's big square cushion between being held by various people though.

Saturday 5th July
I suspect that there will be a very long journey today. The car is getting fuller and I have been parked out of the way in a corner. I'm planning on staying asleep for the best part of the journey - only waking up for my food. I can easily make up for being asleep by being awake later on in the evening.

Friday 4th July
I went to the shops with Dad this evening, after almost everyone in the house had gone to bed. Well, Peter anyway. First we went to Matt and Liz's house, but Ben was asleep. Pam and Jan gurgled over me for while though. Jan did this little piggy on my foot and Pam tried to eat one of them. Going to the shops was a bit of a let down after all that attention.

Thursday 3rd July

I am still trying to sit up properly, but alas my balance, which, looking at my forebears, should be unparalleled in its poise and accuracy, is not up to much. I'm ok for a bit as long as I don't try to move too much. Moving even a little bit can result in an undignified tumble into the play mat. I'll be having another go tomorrow.

Wednesday 2nd July

I've done two new interesting things. Firstly I have been awake for most of the night due to restlessness. No one ever wants to play with me when it's dark and I just can't work out why. It's almost as if I'm less appealing and less attractive when it's dark. The second new thing I've been doing is being spectacularly sick all day. Mum finds this exciting.

Tuesday 1st July

There now - a brand new month. Today Dad has been trying an experiment to do with bed time. He's been putting me to bed on my own. I shouted quite a lot until Mum came and picked me up. I rewarded Dad's efforts by being sick everywhere. I expect he'll find some new trickery to get me to go to sleep, but I believe I'm on top of the situation.

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