No more a full-time Mum :(

I'm back to pharmacy work on Tuesday. Not looking forward to it one little bit. In fact I'm dreading it. I'm only going back to pay the bills, and I'd much rather be at home with Imogen. I've - nay, we've - loved the last 11 months, but unfortunately the mortgage has to be paid. I keep telling myself it won't be for ever, but it doesn't really make it any easier.

I'm going to be working 2 days a week, with possibly occasional Saturdays if we're really stuck for cash. Unfortunately one of the days is having to be a 9 hour day for me (the second day I'm hoping to be able to manage by covering stores that have half-day closing, or where I'd be a second pharmacist so wouldn't have to be there all day) which is going to be a very long horrible day.

Imogen is going to this nursery. It's not in our village - the ones here weren't really suitable - but only just across the valley, and we'd rather travel to a nursery we are happy with. It is lovely with lots of outside space - and they go out every day, whatever the weather, and animals (including sheep & chickens!). The staff are lovely and everyone I've spoken to has good things to say about it.

Imogen went for a visit on Tuesday, with Dave and I going with her as well. She seemed fine with it all, and wasn't really fazed by the new people and environment - after just a few minutes she was happily playing at the other side of the room to me, and helped herself to plenty of food at snack time. She was due to go for a visit on her own on Thursday, but then woke up with conjunctivitis, so that got put off and she's now going on Monday, before she starts properly on Tuesday.

To be honest, I'm not too worried about her. There are some things that I think about - mainly sleep (she's not good at settling herself, and I worry that she'll be left to "cry it out") and discipline (more later, when/if she has "tantrums") - but I think a lot of it will be down to communication between us and the nursery staff.

It's more me that I'm worried about - not only am I having to leave Imogen, but I'm having to do it to go to a job that I don't enjoy at all.

Hand gestures/baby signing

I heard about this research on the radio, and it prompted me to blog about baby signing and hand gestures that Imogen's starting to use.

We got this book a few weeks ago. Imogen had started to know what she did and didn't want but was getting frustrated - as were we - that she couldn't tell us. A few friends have been to baby-signing classes, but there are just not enough days in the week for that, so we decided to just go for it without attending classes. The book is really good, explaining about the research and background behind the idea, and then going on to show you plenty of signs to get started, and how to make learning the signs fun.

We do now use plenty of signs in every day life - drink, nappy, change, finished, more, get dressed etc - as well as some more when were playing - different animals, train, book etc. We've also learned signs to go with different songs and nursery rhymes, although Dave can't quite do them "at speed" yet!

And it's already starting to show signs of success with Imogen. It's not totally clear yet, and not always appropriate either, but she's trying to use some signs such as "finished" and "change". She also does a fair amount of pointing which gets the message across too!

But the biggest - and most reliable - signing so far is from church. At Sunshine Hour - the local toddler service - we always do singing and the favourite among many of the kids is "The Ladybird Song", that involves some actions. And just in the last few days she's started doing the action for "ladybird" and "tree so tall". Sometimes, she'll look at you and do the ladybird action, then give a big grin when you start singing the song. We'll try and capture it on video, because it is so cute!

Our primary reason for starting the signing was to reduce frustration and encourage communication for us all, but if it helps to develop her vocabulary as well, then that's a bonus.

Fun in the snow!

Last weekend was SAGGA catch-up at Hesley. Dave was studying, so I took Imogen up there for a few hours to see people and say hi. Someone had thought a brought a couple of sledges, so I took Imogen out to enjoy the snow. Her waterproof all-in-one was a little tight over all the layers, but we still had fun!

She was quite happy sat in the snow, playing with it, but - as you can see in the photo - she wasn't too sure about sitting on the sledge on her own! When I sat on it with her and we whizzed down the icy slope that had been created, she giggled and laughed, which was great. I haven't been sledging for years, and I've forgotten how much fun it is, even on just a little slope!

She's changing all the time!

It's been far too long since I blogged about Imogen's development, but let's just say she changes all the time! Every day seems to bring something new, and it's great. We're really enjoying watching her antics and only this morning I remarked that she always cheers me up! (Well, not quite almost!)

She's crawling, climbing, standing and cruising. Basically, that translates as "into everything". Kitchen cupboards make great playgrounds, Buster's cage makes a good hiding place and everything that shouldn't be makes a good toy! One of her favurite things is going down on hands and feet, bum in the air and head down to the floor, waiting for you to tip her head over heals. (We've tried to video it, but we're still trying!) She's so fast, both physically and mentally - sometimes too fast!

She's just figuring out the shape sorter, although at the moment it's really limited to the circle. The stacking rings are now also being stacked rather than thrown across the room. Pouring water into the water wheel in the bath is fun too. Books are starting to appeal and she'll turn the pages to see what's next - books with things to touch and feel, or flaps are best.

Out and about everything is exciting for her. Walking along the road you can tell she's watching the cars etc, she'll smile and wave to anyone, and when we're walking Buster she laughs and giggles at him. The park is one of her favourite places and she loves the swings and slide.



We're still going for swimming lessons. We've had a bit of a struggle with it at time since Christmas - Little Miss Independent deciding she doesn't want to do certain things! - although the last couple of lessons have been a lot better. She holds onto the rail at the side of the pool keeping her head out of the water, she loves Bubba the surfboard, and is quite happy splashing in off the side especially if prompted by someone singing Humpty Dumpty.

Food-wise, there's no stopping her. We're not worried about her appetite (a Pizza Hut children's meal is yum!) and there's not much she won't eat. It's getting a lot tidier - not so much on the floor for Buster to clear up - and she's starting to try and use a spoon on her own now.

Imogen is - generally - a happy smiley little girl and laughs and giggles at anything. She's got a lovely caring side to her as well - just recently she's started giving lots of cuddles. She just comes up to me, puts her head on my knee or chest for a hug and then goes back to playing. If I'm holding her and Dave's nearby she leans over to give him a cuddle too. Very cute!

So I reckon we're about up to date not. Hopefully it won't be that long before the next update. Must try harder!

Routine HV review

The health visitor has just been to review Imogen's health and development. Imogen was asleep!

She (the HV) asked me questions about her motor skills (is she crawling, is she sitting, is she passing things from hand to hand?), her vision (can she see at distance as well as close up?), her vocalisation (is she babbling?), her general health (any recurrent problems?) and that was about it. I'd been to clinic recently so she didn't even weigh her.

And Imogen stayed asleep!

Snow!

Imogen was born on a snowy weekend, and today she got to see the white stuff properly. There was a bit before Christmas, but it's the real deal now.

It was white over this morning, so our morning walk with Buster was her first good look. And it didn't go too well. It wasn't snowing when we left and - and I know this might stupid - I sometimes forget how wet snow is, so I didn't put the rain cover on the pushchair. Imogen had the waterproof foot muff on, and I pulled the pushchair hood over her, but she didn't seem to like the snow on her face and cold hands didn't help - although that's her own fault for pulling the gloves off!

From inside the lounge she seemed fascinated by the snow falling and kept standing staring out of the balcony doors. So, after lunch, in a break in the snow fall we went out into the back garden with Buster. She did a lot of staring around, seemingly bemused by it all. I picked some up for her to have a feel of, but she didn't seem to like the chilliness of it! Buster enjoyed it though, although also seemed a little confused - and all the more so when I threw a snowball for him to chase and it disappeared when it landed!

I have seen kids being pulled around the village on sledges. Is Imogen too small for this? Would she stay sat on it? Would Buster try and get on it with her? And perhaps more crucially, will any shops have sledges left in stock?