Bye bye cot bars!

Stop press! Grace is sleeping in a bed! A moment of madness saw me asking Matt the Husband to do away with the bars and convert the cotbed into a bed.... the very first for Grace. So diddy, the bed, it's cute and we sat at the top of the stairs after lights out last night holding our breath and wondering if the silence was too good to be true. Mummy's little angel climbed in at the end of her bedtime routine, pulled the duvet up over herself, snuggled into the pillow hugging Mr Rabbit and let us turn the light out and leave the room without so much as a peep...
She woke up 11 hours later. A freakishly easy fluke perhaps?

Her daytime nap today was a similar affair. Walked out, shut the door and listened. She chatted to herself a while then it went quiet.... she woke up around 3 hours later. Hurray Henry! If only everything were this simple!! We were bracing ourselves for weeks of havoc - the only reason we started now was because we wanted Grace in a normal bed by the time we go on holiday in May. So the fact she hasn't even batted an eyelid makes me feel lucky... privileged even. Here's hoping potty training goes as smoothly. (I know I'm counting my chickens - there's a little bit of me sitting thinking 'I'm being too gobby here' and I bet I'm in for a night of bedtime bedlam, but as it stands at the moment it's quiet up there so all looking good!)

Grace learnt to nod this week too - she still prefers to shake her head but she's getting in some very vigorous looking practise. We've been out and about with the dog on walks in the early spring sunshine too. I'm aching from that today, so unfit that I am, but Grace seems to have endless energy which is wonderful to be a part of. Here's a few pics I wanted to share with you. Bye for now!

Feeling Hip in Mummy's hat

Stomping along, happy as larry.



Checking teddy is happy with the sleeping arrangements...

Super cute - Grace 18 months

Toddlerdom 18

Time stands still and then it flies again, doesn't it? Grace turns 18 months this week and she is facing her toddler years with aplomb. Confidently on her feet since Christmas, Grace is belting around at a rate of knots exploring her world from toddler height. I have marked the occasion today by baking my very own biscuits - no mean feat for Matt the Husband, for me... a triumph. I can cook pretty well - I'm no Nigella L but I'm certainly ok. Baking on the other hand is more of a rocky road. Outcome? Taste.... GOOD! Presentation.... POOR! Who cares? At least Grace is happy.

This past week or so, Grace's development has been firing on all four cylinders after seeming to be at standstill for some weeks. She's rattling through her wooden peg puzzles, can identify an alphabet's worth of pictures (Z for Zebra, A for Apple etc), and can just about identify the letters of her name. Clever little bean. She loves to colour and draw, help out around the house (loading the washing machine is a personal favourite) and can put her clean laundry away in the right drawers. Sorted.

She loves touching plants, taking in the different textures. Likes chatting to the cats we meet as we go about our day and will read book after book, particularly those with flaps and pop-ups. We're frequent visitors now to the library where Grace brings me books to read her while I sit and relax with a coffee on the sofa (Mothers must rest and recuperate...)!

At the moment, Grace is enjoying a daytime nap (and so am I). I'm making the most of these time-outs as I know her need for sleep in the day won't carry on indefinitely. I'll miss these times in the day when I can regroup and take stock. Being a Mum is busy work and I still struggle with tiredness at times. Usually times like this when it's quiet in the house, I'm alone for a while and body and mind just go umph...
When Grace wakes up, I might have a go at converting her cot into the toddler bed for her to learn to sleep in. She's growing out of the sleeping bags being tall, and it wont be long before she'll be trying to climb out of the cot anyway. I'm astonished to find retailers flogging toddler bed duvet sets for more (yes more) than it costs to kit out a single. Less material?? Robbing bastards. Oops!! Swear jar.

Anyway, better be getting on before I melt into the back of the sofa in a post-lunch daze. Bye all, speak soon x x

Covering her eyes for a game of Hide & Seek Mr Rabbit...

Well happy!