I can do crawling!

Today I let Mummy and Daddy see what I've been practising for a while (although Mummy did see me yesterday when I thought she was busy) - my crawling.

I managed to crawl across the living room to my shaker. It was very hard work, and I was worn out afterwards, but it won't be long before I can crawl easily and really get up to mischief.

Mummy had better watch out!

Another milestone...

Mummy says everyone does it, but all I know is it was scary and made me cry. one minute I was rolling around on the bed playing while Mummy popped to the bathroom, the next thing I was falling and then I landed on the floor with a big bang, on my hands and knees. I was very frightened and cried a lot, but Mummy made it all better.

She says it is a rite of passage and all babies do it. Ashton has done it. But I don't want to do it again.

My boyfriend

Today I had lunch with my boyfriend, Ashton. His Mummy Sarah says I am one of his harem, but I don't know what that means.







My Mummy cooked us gnocchi at Ashton's house and we ate loads.

Then we went for a walk and to the River and Rowing Museum for a drink. While we were there I smiled at the waiter there who always smiles at me, but Mummy says if Ashton is my boyfriend then I shouldn't be so obvious I am doing that. She says I will learn what she means when I am older.



Talking of when I am older, I had a go in Daddy's car today, but apparently I have to wait until I am older to drive it - something to do with my feet and pedals.

I had fun in there though.

All the Hot Gossip...

Hot Gossip is my most favouritist (yes Mummy it IS a word) cafe in town. It's a bit of a squeeze to get my pram in, and there aren't any baby facilities, but it is a really fun and friendly place so Mummy and I go there a lot.

My bestest (and so is that one Mummy) thing in there is the jukebox. It has flashing coloured lights and plays music from the 50s and 60s, which are the songs Granddad sings, Mummy says. I like to touch the jukebox so Mummy has to hold me near it so I can reach.


As we go in there a lot we have got to know the waitresses really well, and my favourite is Megan. She says she doesn't really like babies but that I am different and she really likes me, and that's good because I really like her too.

But today was her last day at Hot Gossip. Megan is a musician and she is going on tour and releasing an album so I won't see her for a while. You can check out her music at http://www.myspace.com/meganhenwood

Today we went to see her and gave her a card, and she gave me a cuddle and a lovely Elmer toy.

Here are pictures of me and Megan, and me with Elmer:









And this is Suzanne, another of our friends there:



I forgot to get Mummy to take a picture of Lorraine, who owns Hot Gossip, but we might take one another day. Mummy says it is a good excuse to go in and have some cake! I am not allowed cake. It is 'not for babies', apparently. Lots of things are 'not for babies' according to Mummy, but once I am crawling I can get things for myself!

A big day

Today has been a very big day for three reasons. Firstly, I turned 40 weeks today, so I have been out of Mummy's body for as long as I was in it. Mummy says this means I am now a big girl.

She says this about the second reason, too. Because today I cut my second tooth! It is at the bottom, next to the other one, and I managed to make it come through by biting hard at Mummy's cardigan and shoulder this afternoon.

Mummy thinks my top teeth might be on the way as well, and says I'm being very brave because I have hardly cried.

The third reason deserves its own post, because my favourite waitress from my favourite cafe is leaving.

A hospital visit

Yesterday I went to the local hospital to see a lady about my eyes, because Mummy and Daddy think I have a squint.

The lady tried lot of things to do what she called 'breaking down the eyes' to make my left one squint but she couldn't manage it! She said this was maybe a good thing but that with the family history of squints, she expects that I do have one.

I have to go back in three months' time and she will see if she can make me do it then, but she said that at my age now is when the eyes fix their binocularity (I think that's what she said, it is a very long word!) so they may be fine after all.

So I will go and see her again in July.

A dog licked my head!

Daddy says I should write this blog, not Mummy. Mummy says it is too 'cutesy' if I write it, whatever that means, but I've decided to do it anyway and Mummy can write in it sometimes.

Today we met up with my friend Samuel and his mummy Clare by the river. It was a bit colder than Friday so not as nice, but we were having fun anyway, watching the ducks and especially one which came up really close to us. Mummy gave it some bread so Samuel and I could see it really close up, which was fun.

Then I wanted some Scrummy (which is what I call Mummy's milk) and so I was having some when suddenly a big dog ran up to us and licked my head!

I didn't mind, but Mummy knelt up and told the man who was with the dog off. He wasn't very sorry though, which made Mummy a bit cross.

My head was all wet after that, but it soon dried.

Then as we were going home, we went past a mummy duck who had eleven ducklings! It was very exciting watching them; they were very cute.

My first picnic

OK, so it was more of a snack of fruit than a full-on picnic, but today we didn't just walk by the river, oh no, we actually SAT by it! Amazing, as the Gruffalo might say.

After feeding the ducks, during which Lilia demanded the cheese sandwich previously rejected forcefully (by throwing over the highchair continually) and demolished the whole lot (half an adult sandwich but still huge by Little Lady standards), we decided to stay by the river watching the ducks.

One blanket on the grass, and parasol above, and Lilia spent over an hour happily rolling and laughing and playing, much to the delight of what seemed to be the entire elderly population of Henley, as well as the students, who seem much more broody/baby-friendly than I remember being as a a student.

There is little better than being told how beautiful/clever/good your baby is by pretty much every passer-by. We shall be spending more time by the river, methinks.

Sadly, there is no picture except a rubbish one on my phone, but the blanket was blue, the weather sunny, and the baby cute. Let your imaginations run riot...

I can do parties

Lilia is officially nine months old today, which is scary, but even more scary is that in that time she has attended two weddings, one funeral, and two birthday parties. Seriously, this girl has a better social life than most adults.

The latest party was her friend Niamh's first birthday. The last first birthday party she went to, she was frightened and cried, overwhelmed by all the children, and who can blame her?

This time, she last 90 minutes before being overwhelmed, and as she was due a nap by then Mummy was very proud of her improvement.

Sadly, the birthday girl was equally tired and ended her party crying. That's babies for ya!

Here are Niamh and Lilia:




There has been much crying tonight, which could possibly mean her lone tooth will at last be joined by some others - watch this space!

Swings. The new trees.

The face says it all. The joy. The delight. The wondering why Mummy hasn't brought me here before now. Swings. We love 'em. Although, only for three to five minutes, tops. Then they get too much. But for a few minutes, they're just great.

Bye bye Uncle Mark!

Ah, the day has come. Uncle Mark and Auntie Karryn are off on a swanky year-long round-the-world trip while us mere mortals are left behind.

But never fear globetrotters! You can still keep up-to-date with all the exciting things happening in Little Lady Lilia's world thanks to this fabulous blog.

Oh yes, now you need wonder no longer whether the Little Lady has eaten a new food (guinea fowl, anyone?) or tried a new activity (swings are fun!) because the answers will be right here, quite possibly complete with pictures if you're very lucky.

So sit down, log in, and (virtually) enjoy the next year of Lilia's life as she goes from eight months to 20 months - which is a very scary nearly two! - and hopefully manages to clock up such milestones as talking and walking, not to mention tantrumming and hissy-fitting.

Oh yes, one final thing - bon voyage!