: : : Here is the news for March : : :

Wednesday 31st March
I did the slide in the garden all by myself today. Mum helped me a few times and I pretended that I was incapable of doing it by waggling my feet and arms uselessly while she was lifting me up and then suddenly out of the blue I just did it all by myself. The sitting down bit at the top is the hardest bit to do.

I walked nearly all the way around the big square bit of te park today. It's a lot further than it looks I can tell you. I was particularly interested in the monkey puzzle tree because of its funny spikey shape. I know that Peter wanted to play lots of football but football is quite dull after a few kicks. I'd rather be running around.

Tuesday 30th March
I have had to go to the Doctors house today. It was for an injection, but amazingly no one told me that that was what I was going for before I went. It was almost as if Mum and Dad were keeping the fact that I was going somewhere to have pins stuck in my legfrom me so that I would be all unsuspecting and everything. Anyway - it turned out that it didn't hurt at all and I didn't make any fuss at all.

Monday 29th March
I can almost play football although I prefer to use my hands in a kind of webb-ellis fashion. Peter and Mum have been showing me how to kick the ball once and then several times in a row. I have to be careful though because if I kick the ball too hard I tend to fall over. We had quite a game going for a while though.

By the time Dad had taken off my t-shirt at bath time I was so tired I nearly fell asleep on the landing. Dad forced me into the bath and washed me up despite my protestations. Eventually I was allowed to my bed although I didn't drink any of my warm milk. To tired. This clocks forward thing has really thrown me. My body told me to get up at 5.00am this morning. No one was pleased. Dad was totally fooled though - he only realised that he's got up really early when he got to work.

Sunday 28th March
I had a lovely game of headstands-on-dad today. It's afun game and there's never any need to worry about hurting myself because Dad is very adept at catching me if it looks like i'm heading for any kind of danger. It's best to start by doing small headstands in his lap to start with and then I work my way up to pushing his face with my feet. I think he likes it, although it's often difficult to tell what kind of noise he's making when my feet are pressed firmly into his face.

We went to the park with Mum this morning as Dad wasn't feeling very well. Peter rode his tricycle at about 100 miles an hour, although I notice that when we got back to the house he got most of the imprtant details of the outing wrong - the exact park, the number of times he rode round it, and who we went with. Maybe one day I will have my own tricycle. Perhaps I'll even get Peter's one when he's finished with it. He finished with his cot today because Dad made him a bed. I get the new cot. The old cot goes in the loft.

Saturday 27th March
I have had my first sofa pinging today and it's enormous fun. The rules of the game are quite simple - lean up against the sofa and wait to be hurled onto the cushions by an unseen forace (dad's hands). Peter seemed to like it too.

I went shopping with Dad today which was the more resful option as Peter was forced to ride round the park on his tricycle. I sat in relative comfort eating grapes and waving at passers by. I was treated to a crust of bread too.

I think my top left tooth has finally poked through.

Friday 26th March
There are three things to talk about today.

ONE: I seem to be getting a bit more hair on my head. It's getting a little bit browner although the little silvery bits are still there - in fact the bit that is on the very back of my head is almost all silvery.

TWO: My first pointy tooth is just about to poke through. I've been waiting ages and ages for it to happen and it's finally about to happen.

THREE: No one like it when I throw pasta on the floor, and no one likes it when I wipe pasta sauce on the back of my head. Sometimes Mum and Dad find beans in my ears.

Thursday 25th March
I've been getting out of the pushchair more and more on our visits to the park. Sadly I can't be relied on to stay in one place and I often wander off in random directions. It's either that or fall over a lot. Sometimes I combine the two activities while Mum is occupied with Peter and his funny needs.

Wednesday 24th March
We went to the park today and I wore my beautiful clean trousers. So... I waited until Mum was looking after Peter, who was having a wee, and I sat down in the biggest puddle that I could find and started eating sand and gravel.

I also still enjoy throwing food on the floor, although I usually wait until the food in question is covered in some kind of delicious sticky sauce.

I didn't sleep very well last night, as if by magic neither did Mum or Dad.

Tuesday 23rd March
I'm still a bit ill today. I was awake a lot last night and spent a long time in Mum and Dad's bed. Dad put me back in my own cot after a while because of the infernal twisting and turning that I was doing. I complained loudly, but Dad really insisted that I should sleep in my own bed. It's so much more friendlier with three or four.

I had a go at taking my own temperature this morning with the ear beeping device. It's hard to aim it AND press the button though, so I settled with pointing it at my ear and then looking at it and pressing the button. Sometimes I answered it too.

Monday 22nd March
I slept for some of the night in my new bed and for some of the night in Mum and Dad's bed. When I was in my bed a lay perfectly still. When I was in Mum and Dad's bed I turned round and round like a tiny clockwork robot. Fairly soon after I woke up Dad took me down stairs and I watched the teletubbies - now I know what time they are on I shall wake up early more often.

I've some kind of illness this afternoon. It's joined on to a temperature of over 40 which isn't very nice. I only recovered when Dad got home. I managed to eat a bit of toast and drink a bit of water and that perked me up a little bit. It was nice to get to bed though. I'm sure i'll be up in the night so I'll need plenty of sleep before then.

Sunday 21st March
It's the last day of my holiday today - very sad i know, but it will be nice to get back to my house and play with all the toys that i left there so long ago. There was a nice surprise when Hannah came to see me, I took a while to get used to her, but she's actually quite nice if you give her a chance. Sadly we couldn't see her for very long because of the car drive home.

I slept all the way home - for all three hours. I only woke up very briefly to complain that my neck was a bit twisty, but it wasn't really waking up - more a kind of sleepy grumble. Mum rearranged me. I was allowed to stay up a little bit later and then I found that there is now a new bedtime routine. I am now sharing Peter's room. It looks like Mum and Dad have reclaimed their bedroom. We shall see...

Saturday 20th March
I banged my head really hard on the fireplace today. Mum and Dad had to put ice on the lump to cool it off. A little bump came up like a tiny egg. There's just a little bruise there now though so all is well. I've falled over so many times recently that I hardly notice any more.

Friday 19th March
I had to go swimming again today, but Dad says it's the very last time. It still made me grumpy though and I made Mum or Dad carry me for nearly the whole day. Dad took me round and round the whirlpool bit for nearly an hour. That appeased my anger a little bit.

We drove back to Grandma's house in the afternoon. I can now get back to tripping over unfamiliarly placed objects and banging my head on the fireplace.

Thursday 18th March
Dad and Mum are looking very tired when they ride the bikes. Dad says there are no gears. Dad took us all the way in the rain and mud to see some giant redwood trees. When we got there they were closed. I went back to sleep. I did see some diggers before my eyes closed though, so it was definitely worth all the trouble.

Wednesday 17th March
I met some ducks and a squirrel and a rabbit and a deer behind our house today. I quacked at them all.

Mum and Dad took us to a soft place today which had lots of tiny slides which were just right for me. There were also some tunnels with soft edges, so it didn't matter if I stood up too soon. Very thoughtful of them.

I went for a walk with Dad today while Peter was swimming with Mum. I had a snooze and he had a sit down. I had a cup of milk and he had a cup of beer. We had a nice talk about pigs too.

Tuesday 16th March
One of my teeth is very near today so I was extra grumbly.

There were some good things though - I nearly fell down a fox hole that Mum found when I was out for a walk with her, I saw a load more rabbits and ducks and Dad took us for lots of cycle rides through the woods. All jolly good exercise - especially for Mum and Dad. I like a good snooze for half the time I'm being taken on a cycle ride - it's a very cosy trailer - especially with Peter holding my hand and stroking my head.

Monday 15th March
We're all on holiday today and there's water everywhere, and I'm stuck in it up to my neck. I have to wear a yellow jacket, which helps me keep floating. I tried drinking a bit of the water but there was ever such a lot of it and it didn't taste very nice. No more for me thanks. Sometimes the water is cold, sometimes it's tepid and sometimes it's warm. It's all very exciting.

We've got a lovely little house to stay in which is completely surrounded by rabbits and ducks. I get to make all my favourite animal noises.

Sunday 14th March
We went to see Grandad's new house today. It rained a lot so I was allowed to look from the car while everyone else got to get out and see properly. Their excuse was that I still had a cold. I am grumpy.

Saturday 13th March
I'm very ill today, which is very sad as it's Mum's birthday today. We all got her a t-shirt with beegirl on it. I got one too. We all got one. I'm coughing a lot today and I had to sit in the car for an eternity which made me feel very very sad indeed.

I was very wobbly at Grandma's house which made everyone very nervous as her house is almost completly made of rocky corners and dangerous steps. Dad and Grandma sis their made to round them off for me with the aid of mattresses and cushions. On the whole they did a fairly good job. I still can't judge how tall I am though.

I slept in a room with Peter tonight. He did a very good job of looking after me. His snoring reassured me a lot.

Friday 12th March
I said my first real words today that wasn't either Mummy or Daddy or one of the other baby words that I sometimes use. My new word is "tigger" and I'm very proud of it too. I actually think I prefer piglet as an A.A.Milne character, with all the complex feelings that he feels and stuff, but at the end of the day, Tigger is easier to say.

I'm getting iller again. There is facial goo.

Thursday 11th March
It is officially official. I seem to have lost my sense of balance. I can now fall over without even having to move to anywhere to do it. Usually I like to climb somewhere high up to do my falling over, but now I seem to be able to do it just standing around. It makes it slightly safer, as I'm not so high up, but it's much more annoying because it takes me by surprise every single time. Dad thinks I may have some kind of ear infection due to my teeth. It sounds unlikely but it may be true.

Wednesday 10th March
I'm starting to think that I'll never learn. After I tripped over something this morning I temporarily lost my sense of balance and fell off th same thing 4 times. Dad kept on telling me NOT to try and sit on the potty, which I like to do from time to time, but I kept on trying and falling off it. It was ok though, because When I fall off from a low thing I do it in a rolly, ninja kind of way. And that's a good thing.

I'd like to say that Peter is the best brother ever. He has been very nice to me all day long.

Tuesday 9th March
Mum took us all to bump and bounce today where they have had a bit of a re-jig since I was last there. The best bit was a tiny slide with two steps that I could manageto do all on my own. I wasn't so keen on the three levels of holes specifically arranged for me to fall straight through. Peter seems to have no trouble navigating them but they are too hard for me. I stuck to my little slide mostly.

Monday 8th March
I had another night of being awake last night and I woke up very early too. It's lucky that there always still seems to be someone in the house awake fairly soon after I shout for them. If its Dad then he usually trips up on something when he comes into the room. Sometimes he bangs his leg on the bed too. Last night, for a change he trod on one of the small bits of megablok. Always an enjoyable experience as I can testify, having fallen down on them several times.

So - another generally grumpy day because my face hurts. I did getto eat a yoghurt with my hands again. I couldn't quite reach one place on the back of my head though. I'll need longer arms if I'm to get full head/yoghurt coverage.

Sunday 7th March
I've been a bit sad today because of my teeth, which are still taking ages to come through. Apparently there are one or two that are nearly nearly there but that's not really near enough for me.

I played a new game with Dad today - it's a very funny game where he shuts his eyes and then I shut mine. It's simple but very effective. It's like peepo without hands. Half the trouble.

I was very tired today because I was up for most of the night. I didn't even manage to have much of a nap today either. Consequently I went to bed quite early and was out like a light. I didn't have enough time to even dribble on Dad's T-Shirt. Straight to sleep.

Saturday 6th March
We all went for a lovely walk today to get into practice for our holiday. As usual I was kept nice and cosy inside my pushchair and quilted cover while everyone else had to do all the walking and riding of the tricycles.

Dad has put a stop to my favourite game of climbing onto the wooden box and then onto the arm of the sofa so that I can slide off onto the sofa. Unfortunately I accidently dived off the arm off the sofa headfirst onto the floor. Although he was a long way away Dad managed to catch me by the foot just before I clonked my head. The box has gone now and there's only a very narrow gap between the sofa and the wall which I have been trying my hardest to wedge myself in.

Friday 5th March
I may not have any new teeth yet, but I am now the proud owner of some actual new hair. It's the first hair that I've ever really actually grown any longer than my standard very short length. My new hair is quite tufty and it's located at the back of my head. It's also white, which is quite unusual. Although I'm called silvery Andrew, my hair is Golden more often than not. New hair!!!

I got yogurty this evening. You can't eat yogurt with your fingers, it's impossible. It gets in your hair and everything.

Thursday 4th March
I played a lovely game of round and round Daddy's legs today - the idea is to run round one leg and then through both and then round one leg and then through both. It's easier if I hold onto one of the legs. It's quite funnyh afterwards too, because I couldn't walk in a straight line at all. I nearly walked into the door frame but Dad caught me just in time.

Wednesday 3rd March
Mum was doing the hoovering today and I thought that it might be fun to try and ride the hoover as if it were some kind of horse. I tried my hardest to sit on the front of the hover, which, as it was being pushed around at the time was quite difficult. This fact coupled with my current reversing techniques made the success of the whole thing highly improbable.

Tuesday 2nd March
I had a nap in a new cot today - it was the spare one in Peter's room. I had a lovely sleep, but I did wake up a little bit confused which put me in a bad mood for an hour or so. I suspect that there may be some changes happening around the bed time hour. Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow night, but some time, and soon.

I can say "goodnight" now. It comes out a bit wobbly, but it's a good "goodnight".

Monday 1st March
There are still no extra teeth for me although one seems to be just about to burst through the gum. That's what it feels like anyway. At least I'm almost over my prolonged illness - just a little cough to remind me. I'm hoping that I'll get back to having a bit more sleep this evening. I had such a bad cough that I had to get up very early this morning.

I've been really enjoying my stacking cups - they are so versatile. You can stack them up and get a round of applause, knock them down and get a round of applause, put them on your head and get and round of applause and put things in the and get a round of applause. Is there anything cups can do that won't get a clap? I shall try a few more things out tomorrow with Dad.