The Noodle

Crawler

Sam is starting to crawl. I have no pictorial evidence for this, as being the second child spending my day snapping photographs of every precious moment is no longer a priority, you will just have to take my word for it. So far it is a cross between a shuffle, a crawl and a drag but it serves its purpose very well indeed. I am reminded now to go baby proof, he has successfully ripped the telephone wire out of its socket and now heads in that general direction as much as possible, knowing (even at this tender age) it is something dangerous to do with his time and therefore immensely thrilling.

Treasures

Some well-loved treasures I kept from my childhood that now belong to Lily.

From top to bottom-

A tiny wooden carousel

My night light

Tiny Tears and Kermit

Illustrations from "Too Many Bozos", "Children's Book of Hymns and Prayers" and "The Elves and the Shoemaker".

All very well loved by me and now my daughter.

The Smiler

I worried greatly through my entire pregnancy with Sam, that he would somehow suffer because of my grief. I cried so much during those 9 months I began to panic I would give birth to the world's most miserable, p*ssed-off, melancholic baby. Somehow, quite the opposite has happened. I appear to have the happiest child on the block. In fact it is particularly difficult to make Sam cry and Lord knows, Lily has tried. She left a bite mark on his arm which lasted almost a week and the little chap just grinned at her. He is now, rather adoringly, waving his fat little arms about just begging to be picked up at every opportunity and once he has achieved his goal one is rewarded by a delightful chuckle and the loveliest of bear hugs.
Lily calls him "The Smiling Baby" and she is right, as usual.

Cinderella

Lily's first pantomime, greeted with much wonderment and later constant questioning. That daughter of mine sure likes to be clear on things... "exactly why are those step sisters so mean?"... and "where did they all go after the wedding?" (the closing scene)... and "what are ghosts made of and do they really haunt woods?"????!!!
Still, for me, it was pure delight watching their little faces ( I took Wren too, a big girl's treat). Sent me tumbling right back to when I was a wee thing, sandwiched between my parents knees, mesmerised by genies and fairy godmothers and giant-killers and so full of excitement and magic I could burst.

Lily Finally Gets a Haircut

Three and a half years later....

Walk to School

We woke up early and the fairies had set the table for breakfast. You choose mismatched hair slides and I managed to tame your hair in to almost-bunches. It was a beautiful crisp autumn day. The river was still and quiet. You skipped over the millennium bridge, carrying your blue backpack while I pushed Sam. The school welcomed you in and you told me not to stay.
I heard you laughing from up the corridor.