here is Wombat's eleven month update.
First, here is a pic of my little bookworm (enjoying some nappy-free time before his bath). Do you think he has inherited his mummy's love of literature?
He has been practicing walking a LOT this month, starting out holding on to two hands,
then one,
and he has even taken some steps on his own without help. The other day he climbed up my knee to stand up, then took off across the kitchen without waiting to grab my hand. He got halfway before he realised he was on his own, at which point he sat down suddenly in surprise ;) It won't be long before he is running around by himself. He is very strong and pulls us along, and if we try to lead him away from the direction he wants to go, he sits down on the spot!
His horizons have broadened as a result. Here he is playing with the front fence.
He has even walked all the way down to the dam by himself - though he was pretty tired after that, and happy just to sit and look!
The damwater has been pretty murky lately, due to the drought - the levels are quite low
but thankfully we have had quite a lot of rain this month, and while it has by no means refilled, at least the water is a lot cleaner.
Once he recovered his energy, Wombat continued walking (with breaks for a bit of rock study) and made it almost to the end of the bush track before I needed to carry him.
The rain has also helped the grass, and it is lovely and lush and green. Yeti is having a hard time keeping up with the mowing (especially after the mower threw away one of its wheel nuts - so now he has to use the whipper snipper!)
Wombat loves wandering around in it - and this month he discovered Dandelions for the first time.
I'm not sure if he liked the taste!
But it definitely gave him 'food for thought' ;P
Because of the snakes, he is no longer able to roam by himself while I hang the washing, so we have settled on the swing as a compromise.
Wombat's efforts to make friends with the cats has come a long way this month. He has managed several patting sessions, and instead of running away from him, Morgana has started inviting him to share her adventures.
She also has taken to supervising his play - though she can't quite understand the fascination of an empty paint tin!
The quest to keep him from hurtling himself down the stairs (usually after an escaping pussycat) continues. (In this photo I am holding his hand, which is the only reason he is going down feet first instead of head first!)
Going up the stairs is also a challenge for him - he won't put both feet on one step before stepping onto the next one - no, he has to be like the adults, and just walk straight up, with a foot for each step... what is really funny is when he decides to try SKIPPING a step, even though the steps are further apart than his little legs can reach!
He has also discovered that, with a bit of effort, he can now crawl over the edge of our bed.
It's so much more fun when you do it all by yourself!
He is such a cheeky little wombat,
and everything is such fun to explore...
The less stable it is, the better!
I have been so tired lately, I must admit he spends more time on my exercise machine than I do ;P
He likes to twist the tension knob, which makes funny clicky sounds. I am sure one day he is going to twist it way up and then it will break there, so I will be cycling on the highest level for ever after!
Not surprisingly, with all this adventuring, he has a constant supply of bumps and bruises. This was a particularly good one - a lump like a marble on the back of his head, caused by falling backwards onto the doorstep. He gets very 'floppy' when he is tired, and falls over very easily, but this doesn't stop him wanting to explore everything. Thank goodness there have been no serious injuries so far (touch wood).
My experiments in baby-wearing continue. I still haven't had the chance to buy some proper fabric for a sling, but I have tried various other alternatives. This is a bedsheet and works well for around the house, if a little too bulky for wearing out.
When I am doing the housework, I still use the Chinese carrier, only now I wear him looking out, which he thinks is fun - he sings to my while I vaccuum!
As with all kids his age, he likes Mummy to build tall towers out of his bricks
which he then takes great delight in knocking down.
He is quite the little naturalist, and loves collecting things on his walks (here he has a leaf, a rosehip and a stone from the driveway)
Some kids draw on the walls with crayons... our little boy uses flowers!
Wombat's new food discovery this month is a biscuit for morning or afternoon tea. Here he is enjoying a Milk Arrowroot, while watching Yeti's remote control car (mentioned in my previous update)
We bought him another pram on ebay - having admired it in the shops for $700, we eventually got a secondhand one for $100. It is not quite as well sprung as the Emmaljunga (still my favourite) but it gives him a great view and is better over the rough terrain of our bush tracks. It is also a lot faster on the road.
The unimpressed look is for the next set of teeth which are well on their way.
I will leave you with this big toothy grin, showing the promise of things to come!
