My cheeky little Rabbit,
You are seventeen months old. I remember when you were a newborn baby, I would look at people with eighteen month old children and marvel at how big they were; at how many things they could do. And now you're almost there yourself. The time has flown.
You understand what’s going on in your world so well now. And you’re always investigating how things work. And delighting in stuff. The simple stuff. The stuff that makes me smile when I stop and see it through your eyes.
I am fascinated by how much you understand. One afternoon we were sitting in your bedroom and I was telling you a story. About a little boy called Jamie, who lived in a beautiful house and had a wonderful bedroom. This bedroom was complete with a lovely cosy cot [you looked at your cot] with Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger above it [you looked at your mobile]. Jamie had lots of toys, including a wonderful elephant that went “ehrrr!!!” [You looked over at your toys in the bookshelf.] Every morning Jamie and his mummy would open up the cupboard and have a look at all his clothes to decide what he was going to wear for the day [you looked at your cupboard]. Wow. It blew me away.
So then I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised at how clever you were a few days later when you were “helping” me folding the washing. You’d knocked a whole pile of clean clothes onto the floor. I had one red sock, but its mate was on the floor. I asked you if you would get me the red sock. Now, I know that you know what a sock is. I didn’t think you’d get the red bit though. So I showed you the sock I had in my hand and told you that the other one looked just like it and would you please get it for me. You looked at the pile of washing on the floor and walked straight over to the red sock, picked it up and gave it to me. It blew me away. Again.
You are beginning to instigate imaginative play. The other night you were using your hairbrush to stir around in an empty ice-cream container. I looked over to catch sight of you lifting the brush to your mouth and “eating” your imaginary food. You were pretending! When I commented you held out your spoon for me to eat some too. We played like that for a bit, you and I. Then you offered some to Jak. Unfortunately, he didn’t understand the game.
When we read about people or animals eating now, you make little chewing noises. Or when something’s yummy, you look at me with a big smile and make little chewing noises. Similarly, when something’s all gone you throw your hands up in the air. “All gone!” You turn the TV off. Hands up in the air. “All gone!” Your drink is finished. Hands up in the air. “All gone!”
You are expressive. “What do fish do, Jamie?” results in you making little floating, swimming movements with your hand. You’ve been watching the fish on Grandad’s screensaver. You can also show us how birds fly – little floating, swimming movements with your hand. And how to shoo flies – little floating, swimming movements with your hand.
You are talkative. You babble constantly. You tell me about what’s happening in our world. “Errr!” It’s a bird while we’re walking. “Errrr!” It’s a bus driving past our car. If something is very interesting you exclaim “ohhhhh!” with an excited pursed mouth and sparkling eyes. Easter Eggs get an “ohhhh!” A sippy cup of milk gets an “ohhhhhhh!” The owner of the café where Grandma and Grandad take you for “coffees” loves it when he brings your babycinno. He waits a while away from the table now, until you catch sight of him. Or, more exactly, until you catch sight of the cup he is carrying. He waits, because he knows that he’ll get an “ohhhh!” from across the room. And a big beaming smile.
You are cheeky. You are naughty. You have a little sideways glance that is cheekiness epitomized. Usually it follows me telling you off for doing something, and is followed by you immediately doing something else that you shouldn’t.
You think it’s hilarious when someone burps. Grandma has been teaching you very, should I say “grandma-ish” habits. It started off that when you burped you’d laugh and pat your chest. “Pardon!” Now you laugh and pat our chests for us, if we burp. Amusing.
You are loving. Hugs. Kisses. You pat our knees when you want to sit on our laps. You like nothing better than to sit on our laps with a book.
And today.... today for the first time I got beautiful kisses before your afternoon nap. Little pursed lips, blowing gently on my cheeks with little lovie noises. Aaaah. Sigh. I do love you!
and storage (from top to bottom).
