Jakey's First Word and the Paddling Pool

Can't believe it has been over three months since my last blog, the year is just flying by. We have had a few days of very warm weather which prompted the arrival of the paddling pool in the back garden. It has been great fun playing with my brother, Jakey Baby as I call him, as he is getting big now! He is 8 months old and he sits up on his own very well, except for when I am naughty and push him over saying, "oops a daisy!" He is also getting more vocal and yesterday was doing his usual gurgling and cooing in his high chair and then all of a sudden out came the word "Mamma"! Mummy looked around from the sink thinking that it was me as she says we sound identical! BFN, Finny x.

Snow snow snow!!!

This month we have had more snow than in 18 years apparently. Mummy says that she remembers going out sledging with Uncle James all those years ago and how much fun it was - and I agree! Mummy and I made a snowman - and then a few days later we had yet more snow and so Daddy helped us to build three more snowmen so that we had a whole family of them sitting in the back garden peering into our patio door! Every morning I would go downstairs to make sure they were all still there, and for quite a while they were. But gradually they began to melt and leave nothing more than their "snowmen noses" (as I call carrots) and a scattering of stones that we had used to make their faces and buttons. I kept telling mummy that they had gone off on motorbikes as that is what happened in the story of The Snowman that Daddy has read to me. I was sad to see the snow go - I had great fun with my friend India having a snow ball fight! She got me more that I got her as my gloves were too big to pick up the snow easily! Jacob sat in his bumbo seat and watched us from the patio window as mummy said it was too cold for him to come outside. Poor Jacob has not been very well these last few weeks. He has had a chest infection and I have not been able to make him laugh at all but mummy says he is almost back to normal now and he has started to smile at me again :)

Christmas 2008 - My 3rd Christmas and Jacob's 1st!

Christmas this year began with a carol service at church with my mate Oscar - it was great fun! We sat together and watched the nativity play and then sung lots of carols and Oscar shared his packet of Goodies crisps with me! Then I went home and had a bath and then to bed as mum (I call her that now sometimes!) said Father Christmas was on his way and that he wouldn't come in to deliver the presents unless I was asleep! I awoke on Christmas morning around my usual time of 6.30 am and we went downstairs to see what Father Christmas had left! I was very lucky - I got a car garage, cars, a tape recorder, lots of books, a rocket, a digger, clothes, a xylophone, a giant Maisy jigsaw, a funpod and daddy got a remote control car that I love! We had Christmas dinner and then Grandpa and Aunty Wendy came round to see us. I was very tired that night after playing with all my new toys all day! On Boxing Day we went to see my Grandma and Grandpa and also my Aunty and Uncle and my new baby cousin, Eva, who was so cute and little! Then my other Uncle and Aunty came over that evening and stopped over. I have great fun with my Uncle James, he played with me on my magic car and brought me lots of Christmas presents. The day after my uncle and aunty stayed for lunch and Grandpa came over again to drop off another Christmas present - my funpod so that I can help mummy out in the kitchen! The next day I wasn't feeling too good as I had caught Daddy's cold so we didn't do much except go out in the buggy for some fresh air, then I slept a lot and had a nice hot bath and a good night's sleep. I am just getting over the cold now - I have an annoying cough that has put me off my food. Mummy says she's a bit worried but I am having milk and I had some mango today which is my favourite fruit at the moment and also had a crumpet and half a veggie sausage so hopefully I will get my appetite back again soon. I am looking forward to seeing my Aunty at the weekend as she is coming to see us and she has been away on a course for 3 months. I like it when she comes to stay as she makes me laugh and I have fun snuggling up in the camp bed with her in the lounge! Happy New Year to everyone and thank you Father Christmas and everyone for all the presents I am such a lucky boy!

Father Christmas is on his way (hopefully) !

We have been busy again this month. Jacob is enjoying tummy time on his play mat these days although he still won't play with me, and I am into everything these days so mummy says. Today I went to the hairdressers and had my first hair cut! I sat in a high chair so that I could see myself in a big mirror and the hairdresser put a gown around me that had cartoon dogs on it. Mummy said I was very good apart from moving my head a bit too much to look around and so I had a Milkybar on the way home. We did some painting later in the day which is great fun as I love getting paint on my hands! Afterwards Mummy left me in the cloakroom to wash my hands while she tidied the kitchen and I was naughty and put the toilet roll in the sink and turned the taps on and nearly flooded the house! I didn't mean to do it I just like experimenting at the moment and I like to do things for myself like turning the pages when we read stories and shutting doors behind me. I like to help mummy with the baking and even help her wrap some Christmas presents this afternoon by sticking the cellotape down. I also help her in the mornings by going into her room and getting her glasses from her bedside table and handing them to her and saying - a little too loudly over and over until she gets the message - "Wake up mummy!" which she doesn't seem to find very funny! If I want mummy or daddy to play with me and my toys I pull their arm saying "Come on mummy"/"Come on daddy" and that normally makes them laugh. My friend India has started coming around to play once a week again - we had great fun playing with all my trains last week as India has a train track at home too. We put up our Christmas tree this week. I love the twinkly lights and the candy canes on it, which I can take off and put back on all by myself. If I do not know what something is I say, "What's that mummy?" or "What's that daddy?" and they tell me what it is - and I usually remember if the word is not too complicated. This Christmas I have learnt the following words: Christmas tree; candy cane; decorations; wreath; stockings; presents; reindeer; snowman and of course not forgetting Father Christmas who is a man who will bring me presents if I am a good boy!

Pumpkins and Fireworks and Smiling Jacob!

The last few weeks have been great fun. As it was Halloween last week we bought some pumpkins from the supemarket and made homeade soup and muffins as well as lanterns! I watched mummy carve the pumpkins and it was really exciting once they were finished and we put a candle in each of them to light them up. In the evening we put the biggest pumpkin on our window sill and lots of children came around to our house trick or treating. Every time the door bell went I ran to the door with mummy (or daddy if mummy was busy feeding Jacob!) to see the scary costumes the boys and girls were wearing. Mummy gave them some sweets and I was allowed some too - I had two lollipops and didn't want to go to bed that night! Then on Wednesday it was Guy Fawkes night and we went to a fireworks display. It was very loud but I wasn't scared at all. Mummy and Daddy were worried about Jacob not liking it but he just slept in the buggy the whole time - obviously not impressed! It was great fun watching the fireworks and being out past my bedtime!

This weekend was also great as mummy and daddy took me out to lunch at a pub where there was a wacky warehouse which I loved and can't wait to go back! Mummy had to distract me with a bar of chocolate to get me out without kicking and screaming! Then on the way home we went to an outdoor adventure play area and I had great fun walking through moats with my new Bob Builder wellies on - but still managed to get very wet as I fell over at one point and my trousers got soaked so they had to come off for the journey home and I borrowed one of Jacob's blankets to keep my legs warm! When we got home I had a nice hot bath and changed into my pyjamas before having dinner, and then it was time for bed - which I was definitely ready for this time!

Jacob has also been smiling a lot this week so I have included a few pics that we have managed to get of him - in-between his sleeping and feeding which is all he ever seems to do! He doesn't want to play with me and my toys but mummy says he will when he is a bit older - then I'll have to share my toys apparently! Mummy thinks we should also note down things that I can do now. I can count to 6 and nearly 10 sometimes! I am also talking a lot more - trying to form sentences rather than just saying one word. I try and repeat everything I hear and I made Daddy laugh the other day when I kept saying, "Gone bit Pete Tong" as I had heard him say it when Thomas and the engines had a crash! When I see something I am unfamiliar with I say "What's that?" which always makes mummy laugh for some reason! When I'm tired I say, "Bed now" and I also know all of Thomas the Tank engines friends! My favourite toys at the moment apart from my engines are jigsaws, as well as my DVD player (which I can work myself) - my favourite DVDs at the moment are Shaun the Sheep, Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine, and I love reading books with mummy and daddy. We went to the library last week and mummy thought it was funny when I walked in and remembered where the children's books were so I walked straight over to them saying, "library books, library books" excitedly! When I am hungry I go into the kitchen saying "want ice cream" and open the freezer door - but mummy tells me I have to have the ice cream after dinner. The other day I went into the cupboard and pulled out a gingerbread man and went and put it on my table where I eat my dinner and said, "after dinner" pointing at the gingerbread man - which again made mummy laugh! I also like to try and feed myself now - I don't like being spoon fed and I'm still not too good with cutlery so I like to eat everything with my fingers if I can! I have also started going to playgroup on a Monday afternoon with my friends India and Jake. We have great fun running around a big room with lots of toys to play with and mummy gets to sit and have a cup of tea with other mummys! At the end we all sit in a circle and sing songs with actions - my favourite is Incey Wincey Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - I can sing the first lines of the songs on my own!

Some more pics of my baby brother!

Today my cousin, Aunty and Uncle came over to meet my baby brother Jacob and my Aunty took these lovely photos.

My Baby Brother Jacob Robert

Last Tuesday night my Mummy and Daddy had to leave me with my Aunty and rush off somewhere just as Mummy was putting me to bed. When I woke up in the morning Daddy was back but not Mummy and I wondered where she could be as she had never left me overnight before. Daddy put me in the car and we drove to Grandma's house and picked her up and then went to the hospital. When we got there I ran into a room and saw Mummy with a baby! He was very small and everyone seemed very interested in him, I was just pleased to see mummy and had a little nap in her bed! Mummy and Daddy told me that the baby is my little brother and that his name is Jacob. Later on we went home and baby Jacob came with us too. I got to ride in the front seat with Daddy so that mummy could sit in the back with Jacob. Jacob is ten days old now and I quite like having him around, although I now have to sleep in my own bed instead of Mummy and Daddy's because otherwise Jacob wakes me up in the night because he needs to drink lots of milk! I like to touch his head and stroke his hair as it is very soft but I won't kiss him! Mummy and Daddy keep encouraging me to kiss his head as they do but I just scrunch my nose up and shake my head replying "No!" I also like to touch his tummy and watch his arms go up in the air – that makes me laugh! Apart from that baby Jacob doesn’t do much at the moment except eat and sleep! I’m looking forward to the day when he can come out and play in the garden with me!