Peace

Sometimes when Lily rises from her afternoon nap she is still very sleepy, like her Mother waking up doesn't come easily. In these moments Lily is warm bundle of soft and dreamy delight. She will cwtch up nice and tight on my chest, face nestled in to my neck, arms straight down by her sides and she will lie quiet and breathy and still and I will take this instant to drink in my daughter, her smell, her beauty but most of all her serenity.

It lasts only a moment but it is one of my very favourites.

Mama

The whole language thing is taking its sorry time. Funnily enough before Lily learnt to walk she was saying a few words when the mood took her but ever since she became irreversibly mobile (believe me I have tried) she is mostly mute and communicates only in a serious of R2D2 type beeps. Lower grunts signify disapproval or frustration or general annoyance, the higher the pitch the more excited/content/ gratified she is. Additionally she is still signing a bit, most noticeably for 'food' and 'finished', 'milk' and 'elephants' which is particularly useful as we do get a lot of long-nosed pachyderms around our way. She has recently added pig and rabbit to her repertoire. Most of the signs are made up by me but I figure as I'm the main care giver then it matters not.
Today, however, when she was particularly tired and really very cross she attached herself to my ankles and started MAMAMAMARing quite distinctly; was excited about this turn of events but am hoping that next time it might happen under pleasanter circumstances.

The Godfather Part II

We found Lily another Godfather. He is a little late for The Naming having been firmly ensconced in Australia for the most part of his life but he is none the less excellent Godfather material.
I think we have all the bases covered now, particularly the sexual orientation ones and he will be especially useful if Lily turns out to be a raving homosexual.

Dress Up

Lily had a dress up box before she was born. I thought it was probably one of the most important things I could do for my child; provide her with a selection of interesting hats, scarves, shawls, masks and fake moustaches to fire the imagination and spark off creativity. So while most anxious, soon to be parents were gathering up cotton vests, babygroes, swaddling blankets and scratch mittens I was collecting dress up.
Even at 15 months she is pretty keen on transforming into beetles, ladybirds, lizards, fairies and woof-woofs; but presently she gets the most joy out of making us wear it, the sight of which invariably sends her in to fits of hysterics.

*There are no fake moustaches. Yet.

But That's What I Got

No one told me that when I got a toddler I would also get a little person who likes to:
Don an assortment of interesting hats
Wear socks on her hands
Sport several layers on cardigans, preferably 3 at a time
Woof like a dog
Carry rucksacks everywhere
Blow kisses
Do very fine monkey and elephant impressions
Sit on steps and chairs and stools and remain perfectly still for what must be a record time for a 14 month old
Get picky about clothes and cups and toothbrushes
Get frustrated at not being able to fit enough cardigans on
Eat enormous amounts of sultanas, smoked mackerel and blueberries
Obsess over stars and daises
Dance at the merest hint of a melody...

But that's what I got.