little man about the village

You've grown up in a village HK.  Literally - its called a village, it looks like a village and people get to know everyone just like a village.  Like your barber doing your first hair cut.  You walk past him and say hi most days.  You bumb into him at the local coffee shop.  We love that about living here and it been just great to be able to take you out and about so easily.

you love the zoo

yes you do.

ankle biter

My view most of the day.  So we’re at that stage HK –you are literally always at my ankle and biting me! Occasionally annoying but mostly just really cute.  Not sure what to do about the biting - "ouch that hurts mummy" just gets a laugh from you.  Hummm might need to toughen up a bit there MK.

little traveler

Hey little HK - you've just enjoyed your first weekend away.  You stayed in your first hotel and stayed with your first baby sitter!  But most of the time you just enjoyed having both MK and DK around to give you attention.  We visited the very pretty country town of Kynton.  DK went fishing, MK when antiquing and you laughed out loud when seeing your first sheep.  Above we are visiting the organic farm hoping to show you some pigs ... no luck though it was too cold and they stayed in bed!  I think they would have given you a laugh too - either that or you'd yell at them to get "OUT" as you seem to do to all animals you see at the moment.  I can't imagine where you picked that up....

little chicken legs

Another rewind... this was you a year ago today little HK.  Loving those skinny little legs.

always my baby

Things are changing so fast with you little HK.  This last month you turned one, weaned yourself, started to chat chat chat and I can see that walking is only moments away.  Life is flying by in a rush.  In this photo you were just moments old.  Can't you stay a baby just a little bit longer?

who's that there...

In joint celebration of mother's day and your first birthday tomorrow we took you for your first trip to the zoo.  You now 'roof roof' as your means of communicating with all non humans.  And there were some pretty funny looking dogs at the zoo today.  Certainly a much more relaxing way to spend the day than the 22 hours of labour that was my first mother's day... a year ago today.

MK: "You're nearly one - you can try your first bit of cake" HK:"Humm cupcake you say?"

HK: "YAH CUPCAKES ROCK!" MK: "Humm this must be why they say not to give babies sugar"

We posted the invites for your birthday party today little HK.  A whole year has nearly gone.  A great year - a tough year all in one.  If a fairy asked me if I wanted to live it all again? Sure would my little bundle of fun.

 I made him for you from scraps.  You seemed pleased.  We named him POG.

Best holiday ever.  Still suffering a serious case of the "don't wanna go home"'s.  Despite copious sun protection you even scored a slight baby tan.  So cute.  Back to reality now though.

come here - go away

This learning to crawl business has you in a bit of a dilemma little HK - you want nothing more than to wriggle away from me and practice practice practice - then you get suck or hurt yourself and demand to know why I wasn't right there.  So I guess it's begun already ... the push me pull me of parenthood....

Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away.
So he said to his mother, "I am running away."

"If you run away," said his mother, "I will run after you."

For you are my little bunny."

"If you run after me," said the little bunny,"

"I will become a fish in a trout stream

and I will swim away from you."

"If you become a fish in a trout stream," said his mother,

"I will become a fisherman and I will fish for you."

"If you become a fisherman," said the little bunny,

"I will become a rock on the mountain, high above you."

"If you become a rock on the mountain high above me,"

said his mother, "I will be a mountain climber,

and I will climb to where you are."

"If you become a mountain climber,"

said the little bunny,

"I will be a crocus in a hidden garden."

"If you become a crocus in a hidden garden,"

said his mother, "I will be a gardener. And I will find you."

"If you are a gardener and find me,"

said the little bunny, "I will be a bird

and fly away from you."

"If you become a bird and fly away from me,"

said his mother, "I will be a tree that you come home to."

"If you become a tree," said the little bunny,

"I will become a little sailboat,

and I will sail away from you."

"If you become a sailboat and sail away from me,"

said his mother, "I will become the wind

and blow you where I want you to go."

"If you become the wind and blow me," said the little bunny,

"I will join a circus and fly away on a flying trapeze."

"If you fly on a flying trapeze," said his mother,

"I will be a tightrope walker,

and I will walk across the air to you."

"If you become a tightrope walker and walk across the air,"

said the bunny, "I will become a little boy

and run into a house."

"If you become a little boy and run into a house,"

said the mother bunny, "I will become your mother

and catch you in my arms and hug you.

"Shucks,"said the little bunny, "I might just as well

stay where I am and be your little bunny."

And so he did.

"Have a carrot," said the mother bunny.

Excerpt from The Runaway Bunny by M W Brown

He's off

You're crawling.  Well more often reversing than crawling but you're getting around. And banging your head.  A lot.  Still smiling though. And I thought I was busy before...

intruder alert #2

Remember that friend you made in the bedroom mirror last week HK?  Well you made a new one today - on the floor.  Half an hour playing with your own shadow - who needs toys?

peggies on the way

Exhibit A: zonked out in pram after sleepless night

Exhibit B: gnaw marks on your toy



Judgement: case against new peggie toothy proved

oh no not the pause ...

Mummy mummy mummy ... you can't even talk yet little HK yet you have been saying it in your own way non stop ALL DAY.  You will play quite happily provided that you remain in physical contact with me at ALL TIMES.  If I should .. oh I don't know propose to do something clearly unreasonable like get a glass of water or go to the bathroom (or run out of butter chicken and rice at dinner time) .. oh is there trouble.  Your DK and I clearly know when we're in trouble with you - you make it absolutely clear with the dreaded ... PAUSE.  It's when the crying stops but just long enough for us to wince and to know we're gonna get it ... and then comes the SCREAM.  But I guess the regular MK saying applies - better out than in my angry little man.

intruder alert

"Hey - who's that baby?"

"He looks friendly"

"Give us a kiss cutie"

lazy Sunday with DK

fishy fishy fishy

We took you to the aquarium today to see the fish.  You really enjoyed it - as evidenced by the fixed "ohh" shape of your mouth in every photo!  

As we were leaving you had a go on some of the rides and amazed your DK and I by pulling your self up to standing for the very first time.  You were very pleased with yourself!

who me?

Yes little HK you understand your name! Your little brain has certainly developed in these last few weeks.  You 'chat' constantly including up to 10 min monologues when you have a particularly exciting experience you need to relay to me.  Favorite word - DADA! Of course.  You have not quite got the concept on "no" yet and mostly look at me puzzled with a "why does she keep saying that" expression.  Your current favorite food - feta - strange but true.