eighth month

my gorgeous Harrington is eight months old today and yes, I still wake up around the time he was born (2:01am) which is rather strange but quite nice, really :)

however, my poor little boy has really not been happy today and has been crying, fretful, ridiculously tired and refusing food. Plus much dribbling and big noises when he sucks it back in. On the rare occasions one can get to see in his mouth, it looks once again like the tegglepegs are coming. This seems to be happening in fits and starts so am not at all convinced that one will magically appear overnight. No one prepares you for just how terrible you feel when your wonderful child is in pain and there's nothing you can do to take it away (despite cuddles, medicines, etc.). And the worse thing was that I had to go back to work where I could not at all concentrate, wanting to be home with my boy, loving it out of him. But he's asleep now and looks very peaceful so hope muchly that it all feels better in the morning.

anyway...there haven't been many more changes this month as I wrote the last one only a couple of weeks ago (due to lack of facilities). But, over the last month, Sir Harrington of Piddlepants:-

* still continues to eat/try everything but has now developed tastes more, much preferring some things rather than others and is more changeable with this. Basically, it means that mummy shouldn't get complacent and have a hundred different things on hand to try. It would be easier in a way if he had teeth as she could produce an array of healthy finger foods (bread, cheese, fruit, vegetables, etc.) instead of the usual cold meal that he doesn't really care for warmed up thank you very much. Mummy spends much time cooking very nutritional and yummy meals but they are of course spurned when water or a nabana is spotted

* has now moved on to follow-on milk. Strangely enough, he seemed to know when it was time to move on and really went off the infant milk. He must have seen the other stuff in the kitchen. This child has a beak on him the size of the Empire State Building

* loves his muslin more and more every day (and don't worry, there isn't just one that gets grubbier and grubbier by the day - mummy is CONSTANTLY washing. None of her clothes, mind, oh no...) and is often found chomping it, playing peek-a-boo with it, cuddling it, stroking it, rubbing his face on it like a comfort blanket and more importantly, sleeping under it. In fact, it's a ridiculous rarity if he falls asleep without it. And when I say he sleeps under it, he really does as he is this evening. I can't even see any of his beautiful face :(

* now has the playpen actually in the house (despite it being bought several months ago and it having a short holiday in granddad's abode) as the mooseling likes to go a-moving and can NOT be left for any amount of time at all. Trust me. We're not entirely sure about it at all but don't mind it, or will rather tolerate it, if we are sitting up in it with a cushion behind our back just in case we fall

* is now Very Good at sitting up indeed but only when he can be bothered for he is a teenager trapped in a Small English Toad's body. Oh yes

* can also pull himself to a sitting position from laying down but more often when laying on mummy (as she is a vantage point and springboard only)

* still likes to try and pull the leaves off mummy's extensive range of plants and tassels from the cushions

* love, love, looooooooves mummy's mobile phone more and more each day as well as remote controls. Mummy often finds the freeview box in her bedroom doing strange things as a result

* has decided that he rather likes the pussycats and is always looking at them, talking to them, laughing at them and trying to pull their fur/whiskers out. Not very helpful when mummy is trying to feed him before bed as he is more interested in them than the minski but then gets grouchy when he realises that he isn't drinking. Typical

* seems to have started to understand certain words. Examples being minski and pussycats and a few others, but only when he wants to of course

* chunters more and more and the latest thing is opening and closing his mouth, sometimes saying "mama", "bwer bwer" and many more.

* has learnt how to lock his limbs so that mummy can't get him dressed in the mornings. Fun

* likes mummy reading to him in bed some nights (even though she likes to do this every night) but tells her to shut up when he's had enough

* really enjoys it when he has had his bedtime minski and mummy cuddles him when they are both on the rocking chair and sings to him. A perfect opportunity to put his fingers in her mouth and have a poke around

* has gone up to the next size nappy - will this boy ever stop growing, I wonder

* smiles even quicker when mummy picks him up after work and seems to have got to the point where only she can comfort him when he is really upset

* that mummy continues to love him more and more each day...

...she can hardly believe how many months it has been since he arrived. But is so happy to have him in her life. Cornily, he is her world and will continue to be, as granddad says, for the rest of his life and beyond.

poor child.