Sucker parents

Yesterday DH and I took Abi to a toy shop because we are insane loving parents who want the best for our child.

The impetus for the toy shop visit was that we had just taken back a bathable baby to the toy library which Abi adored and kept asking about. She was also quite taken with an extremely creepy looking doll in a cafe, which of course she also had to leave behind. So we decided to go and buy her a new baby. I had seen little cheapy ones at this nice shop that she liked so we headed up to Sassafras to go shopping.

Well, I watched my daughter fall in love in that shop. And not with the little cheapy doll I offered her either; no, she went immediately for the gorgeous, newborn-sized, $70 baby on the shelf above.

She held this doll and gazed lovingly into its eyes while patting and stroking its cheek. She stopped gazing only to kiss it and snuggle it against her face. She looked like I must have looked on the day she was born. I tried a bit of bait-and-switch, but after playing with some trains for a while she turned huge blue eyes on me and said "baby?" in a quivering little voice.

That was it, DH was gone. He said, as he watched Abi cradle the doll, "There's no way I can take it away from her now" so we bought it. And she loves it. Just adores her new baby.

At the moment, her old baby is definitely second best, but I think she'll come around to both of them. She's also getting a bathable baby for Christmas from my brother which makes it especially silly that we bought the expensive one, but we have a bit of extra money and it was so lovely to through caution to the winds and get her something she loves so much. I must say, it's a gorgeous doll. I'm quite partial to cuddling it myself.

My baby and her baby

Welcome to the house of germs

Yes, sickness rears its ugly head once again in my house.

Both Husband and Daughter are leaking from several orifices and in the case of Daughter, are insisting on being carried around and cuddled at all times. I took Abi to the doctor yesterday to discover that it is just a virus, no ear infection, no chest infection and it will hang around for at least another three days. Can we give her anything? No. Oh, except fluids. Lots and lots of fluids. And when Abi hears 'drink lots of fluids' she hears 'remain clamped to Mummy's boob all night and most of the day'. Sigh.

Abi and DH have been getting sick every second weekend since about, oh, the Middle Ages, it seems. We've had a variety of colds, coughs and just to shake things up, gastro over Cup Weekend. I have caught none of it, thanks to my early-childhood worker Immune System Of Steel which is good, but also bad, as no-one ever feels sorry for me or makes me soup.

Surely this is the last of it for the year? Surely.

My mum is selfishly in China at the moment gallivanting around teaching English. I miss her and so does Abi who keeps saying "Nanny?" whenever we are going in the car. She has now started following it with "Nanny" said while shaking her head and screwing up her face.

Ooops, child has woken up. I'll just record what I think is the cutest thing ever: Abi has started telling us stories and she now has her most understandable one yet. It goes like this; "Ma[n] ee[r] ee[r], ne[ck], che[st], Mummy Mummy [said with crying voice and face], mi[lk], [s]i[de].' This means - 'the man looked in my ear, then my other ear, then at my neck, then he listened to my chest. I cried 'Mummy Mummy' and then I had some milk and the other side' This is exactly what happened at the doctors and she came up with that story all by herself. Genius.

Letter from Daddy

To my darling Abi,

Today you turn 20 months old. In my last letter I talked about what a big girl you seemed, and since then you have continued to leave your baby self behind. Your hair is getting long (it’s just down to between your shoulders) and Mummy and I have started putting it in a ponytail sometimes. You look very cute with your hair up: older but also more cute.

You’ve continued to add more words to your vocabulary, although you also like to say, ‘Dwai, dwai, dwai,’ sometimes. Sometimes you say it happily, sometimes sadly. You also like to tell Mummy and me stories about things you’ve done. Because you don’t know grammar, yet, your stories can only be things like pointing to your top with a whale on it and saying ‘Nanny’, or saying ‘ma’’, then ‘puppy’, then ‘ba’’, then ‘ta’’. But Mummy and I can understand that you’re remembering how we bought that top at Red Hill market with Nanny Didi, and how you and Daddy saw a man throwing a ball for his dog at the park, and then later they left in the man’s car. I’m glad Mummy and I can talk to you even though you still can’t say a lot of things; you seem to like telling us things, and I’m sure when you can say more you’ll tell us all sorts of stories.

You’re also very affectionate, now. Considering how miserly you used to be with your kisses, Mummy and I are spoiled now. You give us lots of cuddles and kisses, and always kiss us when one of us is leaving the house. You also give lots of kisses to Harry and your toys. You also always eat dinner at the table with us, now, which you have more patience for than at breakfast. You like to make Mummy and me do things, like shake and nod our heads and wave our arms, so that you’re entertained. Probably your favourite word at the moment is ‘mo’’, whenever Mummy or I do anything even remotely entertaining, you keep telling us to do it more, over and over. You also like the candles we light for dinner, and are getting pretty good at blowing them out when we’re finished.

You also like your shoes, now. For a long time, you refused to wear anything but your poor, old, worn-out (second) pair of black Dunlop volleys, but then one day you started wanting to wear your slippers, your blue gumboots, and even your red squeaky shoes. Now you choose which shoes you’ll wear, saying ‘boo’’ for your gumboots, or ‘noi’’ for your noisy squeaky shoes. You’re also very interested in Mummy and Daddy’s shoes, and like to put them on and try walking around in them. You also often take shoes out of the wardrobe and put them in the bed while Daddy’s trying to get you to go to sleep in the evening; you especially like some thongs with a hyacinth pattern on them, and often hold them up, saying ‘ma’’ and laughing a lot. I’m afraid I’ve never been able to work out what you’re saying, or why it’s so funny.

In any event, you’re always laughing a lot, and always making Mummy and me laugh with the things you say and do, and you especially like to entertain us by running around naked when we’re trying to give you your evening massage, or by shaking your bottom when there’s music playing. Mummy and I are very lucky to have you.

All my love,

Daddy.