A NOTICEABLE CHANGE

It's quite obvious that Alice's speech is becoming much clearer, her vocabulary wider and her conversation seems to be growing by the day.

When I picked her up from Nursery on Thursday evening she was quick to tell me, 'Mummy, I love you!' It was very clear and very special as it was the first time that she'd put Mummy at the front of the phrase, she said it several times that evening and has said it quite a few times again today. It's noticeable that this week she's said it with no prompting and she's said it out of the blue (rather than in response to me saying it first). She's also been very physically affectionate and is becoming more gentle - though she still like poking my eyes and forcing my eyelids open!

KISSES

. . . what we all need on days like today (even though these were taken yesterday!)

1 - air kissing Fuss
2 - FP Mum and Dad kissing (Alice made the kissy noise)
3 - loving that Mummy kisses the FP people too!

. . . and the photo you can't see - the kiss she gave me after all the others!

HARD DAY AND MILESTONES

First day back at work.

I woke 20 minutes before the alarm and so I was up before 6.30am - that's very early for me!! I crept downstairs and got things going, moping up some organisational bits for work, making my packed lunch, sorting out and tidying up. Just after 7am Alice started to squirm, I stayed downstairs and she was settled again within 2 minutes.

I went back upstairs, had a leisurely shower (quite a novelty) and got dressed. Alice slept so I went downstairs for breakfast. I twiddled my thumbs for a while until M came round to look after Alice. Alice began to wake just as I was leaving - at that point I decided to let M get her up as I thought that handing her over just as she woke would be harder on her, but not cuddling her, not telling her that Mummy was going to work, not waving goodbye, not knowing how she'd be without seeing me - was all VERY hard for me.

I try to leave home things at home when I'm working, that was harder than usual today. I don't normally ring, but today I had to know that she was OK. Of course she was fine! She was obviously pleased to see me when I got home and we had a lovely evening. She had a bubble bath tonight and had wonderful fun picking up the bubbles and blowing them away.

She's changing daily, particularly her speech and singing. She's showing more and more enjoyment of songs and singing and will increasingly join in with the words (especially the last word of the line and the verse!) Tonight she sang 'Happy Birthday to Grandpa' and gave his photo a kiss. Today, as everyday, I remember him and tell Alice about him and Granny - she finds their photos and blows kisses. Granny and Grandpa would love her so much and would be so happy to hear her sing and feel her cuddles.

Over the summer Alice outgrew her sleeping bags, even though I had the next size I hung back using them. Tonight Alice tried one of the new ones - cuddly pink jersey, it looked and felt very comfy. Once she was wearing it she lay back on the changing table and pretended to sleep - but got the giggles when Mummy snored for her!! Precious times.

We had lots of kisses and cuddles this evening - to make up for this morning. She knew 'Mummy work' (I had told her last night - which made this morning a little easier), tonight as we cuddled in front of the cot she told me 'Mummy work,' so the cuddles continued a little longer while I repeated several times that I had worked today but not tomorrow and that tomorrow was a Mummy and Alice Home Day. She's very happy at home with M and I enjoy the change of pace and feel refreshed at the time apart, but equally I hate leaving her and being apart from her, even though it's good for both of us!

RECENT PROGRESS

Alice's progress:

• Walking - is improving daily, she's still inclined to look a bit like John Wayne with the horse shot out from underneath him, but she's getting steadier and faster all the time. Her dancing is now moving round the room with a strange stomp walking to it too!
• Talking - intonation and syllable patterns are very accurate and she's making more sounds too, sounds are increasingly recognisable. B tends to be D in Alice's world. Cows ('ows' for Alice) go 'Boo' not moo! Cats (no word yet) say 'Ow' as in 'Me-ow'! If in doubt somethings are 'Ducks' but mostly 'Dogs' - it's a great complement from Alice to be called 'Dog' as they're her favourite things! Beware of horse though - Alice says horse but it sounds like '@rse'!!
  

• Signing - her sign language is exploding. She signs for milk all the time, with determination and cheekiness - difficult to describe how she does this but she's definitely got attitude first thing in the morning!! She's also using 'All Done', 'More', 'Home' and 'Bird' (?) with great accuracy and no prompting. We watch the first signing DVD and I've just bought the next one with high hopes, even if we make no further progress with signing we've already felt the benefits with these few words making life more peaceful and the pride Alice has when being understood is so satisfying for both of us.
• Playing - she's very fond of pushing her baby buggy - but without a passenger! She continues to adore books and demands 'Up!' to be read to many times a day. She loves playing with anything if you'll join her in the game. Anything becomes a game if repeated more than twice and a great giggle will come too. She continues to be an adrenalin junky and will undoubtedly be the source of many grey hairs in the years to come with her love of adventure and risk taking. She loves to bounce anywhere, but when in the playroom and bouncing on the sofa, she will tell me 'No-no,' and point to the trampoline! Cuddlies are still great favourites, giving them kisses and cuddles, giving them to Mummy for Mummy to give them kisses and cuddles, making 2 of them give each other kisses - she's very affectionate with cuddlies, friends, dogs and especially Mummy!

• Teeth - the final of the 1st set of 4 molars (bottom left) is coming through - causing lots of finger chewing and dribbling but luckily (so far) she's been quite jolly with this one - at least it's coming through on it's own, this will make 16 altogether.
• Attitude - she's determined and demanding but compliant (usually)! She's now transferring rules between different scenarios - while we were away last week I told her not to touch a fig tree in my GM's kitchen, when we got to GFW's she indicated to me that she wasn't allowed to touch their weeping fig - she went close to it, almost touched a leaf and told me 'No-no!'
  

Other people have told me that she's smart and beautiful.

• Smart? I don't know, I know that I continue to be amazed by what she does but I don't know how clever she is in relation to other children and with such different life experiences in her first year comparisons are difficult and besides - what do they achieve?
  
• Beautiful - I think so, but then I'm her Mum, her No1 fan, I'm biased. I don't know if she's a true beauty on the outside, but I know that she has a remarkable spirit and a happy nature - that's important and a lot more important than the lovely packaging that it comes in!

MORE CUDDLES!

Great day, simple day.

A quiet day at home with a few friends around for coffee and chat, lovely.

Sleep's still an issue. Alice is still taking a long time to go to sleep, especially in the evening. She cries slightly when I leave the room, but only for moments. Despite yawning, eye rubbing etc she is taking several hours to fall asleep in the evenings - that's not the worst of it, she's tending to wake screaming when I go to bed, not so quick to settle then either. Not sure if it's an adoption issue or (I think more likely to be) a control issue.

Pickles became the most favoured cuddly today - Pickles and I got lots of cuddles and I got lots of kisses too.

The magnificent T and I took down all the Christmas decorations while Alice explored her cot at naptime. Usually the tree is down well before New Year, but Alice really enjoyed it this year, so I did too and so it stayed up longer!

SO KISSABLE!

This is the kissy face.

It's just an expression, it's not related to the kissy sound or receiving a kiss. Alice has made this face ever since our first day together and it's a lovely expression.

MORE KISSES!

First there was the kissy face.

Then there was the kissy sound.

Finally Alice started sharing kisses.

Alice has only been sharing kisses (connecting) since last week. I'm most likely to get a kiss in the morning - in bed, after her first bottle, or in the evening, rocking after her last bottle, but they're coming more through the day and in greater numbers! They make me very happy and Alice clearly understands that! It makes my heart sing to know that my baby likes to make me happy - what more could I ask for?!

Over the last day or two the kisses have got sloppy, very sloppy, I quite often have to 'rub' them in!

Not only is she giving more kisses, but also more cuddles, really holding tight and relaxing in - rather than just a momentary squeeze. She's also initiating more kisses and cuddles. I like these changes. I've also noticed that she makes the kissy sound when we can't touch - often while I'm driving I'll hear her lips 'smack' from her car seat, when I reciprocate she'll do it again, I like playing 'pass the kiss'!

PROGRESS REPORT!

Lovely as ever and always changing, WOW.

We went to have Alice's photographs taken professionally on Wednesday. I went (alone) to view the results today - fabulous but expensive, can't wait to post the results.

Speech and kisses are the biggest differences this week, I can't believe the changes in a week. Alice is trying really hard to imitate speech and say her own words, mostly it's only the first sound that is recognisable, except 'Dar' (big emphasis on the 'D') for car! Alice is now coming in for a 'connecting' kiss, even offering them at times! (I tend to demand them by pukering and making the 'kissy' sound!!) Lots of kisses some days, fewer other days, but always lots after her bedtime bottle. T was offered a kiss without asking for one on Wednesday and Alice lent in several times to the dogs this afternoon!!

Overall this week - Citizenship, professional photos, swimming progress, loads and loads of affection and loads of wonderful memories!

KISSES AND CUDDLES WITH ALICE

Alice's always made the 'kissy' face and she's always received kisses around her face, hands, feet, etc.

At the beginning of November she started making a 'kissy' sound - it looks odd as her top lip is flat!

The kissy face and sound aren't related.

In the past 2 weeks or so she's allowed (occasionally) a 'connecting' kiss (on the lips), more in the last few days and especially when we're swimming. Tonight it was 'Kissy Fest' at bedtime - facing each other in the rocking chair, she actually lent in several times for a proper kiss. I made a big thing of these kisses - just to make sure that she understands how special they are, that created giggles, smiles and more kisses, wonderful!

As for cuddles . . . she's been initiating them more and more in the last 2 months or so, especially at bedtime but increasingly whenever she's picked up and when we're out and about (in shopping trolleys, coming out of the buggy and car seat etc). Wonderful!