The challenge of putting in eyedrops

Jessicat has a severe cold and conjunctivitus. This means several times a day, Dave and I have to go through the traumatic job of attempting to get eyedrops in. Even the bribe of mini Cheddars to follow does little to stem the flow of tears, and all 3 of us will be glad when this never ending cold is finally over.

On a more cheerful note, our friendly librararians at Wick Road kindly put aside a consignment of brand new board books for Jessicat and me to share. We have had a nice time discovering some new writers together, including:

Love is a Handful of Honey - Giles Andrae. You wouldn't know from this book that he is also Purple Ronnie! Not too sure that Jess is keen on the rhyme, but she is fascinated by trying to find the 3 tiny mice hidden on each page. What a great way to hook an easily distracted toddler!

Bedtime Teddy - author unknown. Sweet little books that show a teddy going about his bedtime routine. Nice to share a book with Jessicat that so accurately reflects her experience.

Baby Noises - Verna Wilkins.

One Moose, Twenty Mice - Clare Beaton. I like her distinctive illustrations and think that Jessicat will enjoy looking for the cat on each page.

Wake Up, Little Rabbit - Debi Gliori.

Duck's Day Out - Jez Alborough. I love this book! It's full of fun and has a very basic story told in rhyme. An instant winner.

When It's Time for Bed - Nick Butterworth.

Jessicat's first steps!!!

Yesterday, Jessicat took her first tentative, bumbling steps! I was sitting next to her on the floor reading to her whilst she played her usual game of standing up and then letting go of my legs to balance herself. All of a sudden, she took two wobbly steps forward and fell into my arms, feeling very pleased with herself! Cue much pride on mine and Dave's part, and an immediate phone call to my mum to do some boasting.

I'm also trying to introduce paperback books now, as we've exhausted the board book collections at our local libraries. To start us off, we have:

Jungle Sounds - Colin Hawkins

There's Something at the Letterbox - Jez Alborough. An immediate winner, with Jess signing "more" as soon as I reached the end for the first time, and she is amused by the dad we meet on the final page swinging on his rope and pretending to be Tarzan.

Hello Lulu - Caroline Uff. Jessicat is still attracted to the bright pictures. She can now point to the text on a page when asked to identify which bits are words, and which bits are pictures.

Noisy Poems - Debi Gliori.

I'm now looking forward to seeing if Jessicat's new found mobility (well, a few steps is a start!) leads to a leap forward in her ability to verbalize and communicate with us. This is an exciting time to be a mum!