Growing Up

Last week I (finally) finished putting together Emily's first year photobook. (I put it off for three months. It only took me three days to compile. Silly me for procrastinating.) It was as I was doing this that it really began to hit home: my daughter is growing up. She's no longer a baby, despite me still referring to her as one. She's very much a toddler, well on her way to being a proper little girl.

I look at these two photos side by side, and can't quite get over the difference...



Yes, Hamley bear is huge. I am still almost as taken aback by him everytime I lay eyes on him now as I was when my colleague walked in to the bar, carrying him, where we were having farewell drinks for me on my last day of my first ever job in London. Such great memories. And he wears the t-shirt to prove it.

But I digress.




Emily is growing up fast. We have little conversations now, even if I can't quite follow half of what she's telling me. She says "thank you" and "please". She darn well knows what she wants - apart from when she's tired. And then I know she wants a nap.



At bedtime, she loves climbing up the stairs herself, but has to stop at the photographs on the bookshelf to point out people and say who they are. She loves us reading books to her, and she especially now loves lift-the-flap books. Even if it's because she likes tearing off the flaps "by mistake."



She will now nod - very slowly and carefully - when she wants to say yes. And she wants to eat out of a bowl. With a fork, which she will then pick food off with her hands to transfer into her mouth. She'll then lick the bowl clean(ish). And she can't have breakfast without the radio on.



She's my little peanut!