7th Oct - Mad mad toddling boy.

DB is finally offically a toddler. He has finally twigged that his legs and little eager feet are more than capable of not only suspending him above the floor, but of racing him along it. In the space of a fortnight, he's gone from Mr Tentative, wobbling delicately from foot to foot before tumbling over backwards and connecting his buttocks with the floor with an audible smack, to Mr Cocky-Boots, raring along the floor, his little feet spinning around as fast as Fred Flintstone's in the opening sequence of the cartoon (you know, when he's propelling his car along) - arms splayed out in excitement, cackling with sheer hilarity before colliding with the next inanimate object.

It is extremely funny to watch. Though perhaps not so funny when Mr Cocky Boots gets too over confident, trips over his trouser leg (why are all baby's trousers too long in the leg, before suddenly being far too short? One of life's mysteries.) and wellies his chubby chin into a chair. Or, as was the case yesterday, smacks his forehead into the floor. Or, when colliding with something, chomps down hard on his lip, causing it to bleed. Then, when D's wails reach a fairly deafening crescendo, it ceases to be funny at all. Poor little love. The lessons to be learned in the process of growing up.

But he is enormously good fun at the moment. Watching him trying to speak is just classic. We've got the very excitable 'yeah', complete with vigorous head nodding and waving, when you offer him something he fancies. Eg - 'D, would you like some yoghurt?' Reply - 'YEAH!' and head nodding so frantically that he nearly falls out of his high chair.

We've also got 'Daddy' which is very cute. I asked him today what we needed to take with us to go out on his trike. (the correct answer was HIS JACKET.) The answer given was a very enthusiastic 'daddy'. Aw bless. No sign of 'mummy' though, despite all my best efforts.

And, the two that really get me are 'yum yum' when eating food - bizarrely, even if he doesn't like it, and 'oh dear' when he drops something - he says it in such an old womanish way.

So, in short, life with D is great fun at present. Hard bloody work, yes. Exhausting, yes. (particularly when attempting to work and also attempting to renovate the house). But hugely good fun none the less.