Samuel at eleven months'

I'm going to whisper it quietly. Just in case I'm tempting fate or I'm getting too ahead of myself, but I'm pretty sure about it. This is the month when everything has changed.

And the main change is that he's off. He's crawling like a demon, cruising round the furniture at turbo speed and he's even taken his first steps. He can go wherever he wants and get to whatever he wants. I'm generally right behind him, telling him in a panicked voice that he's not allowed in that particular place and that he can't have that particular thing. He's pulling himself up left right and centre, and the bumps and tumbles are coming thick and fast. 

But, neuroses and knocks aside, these latest developments are marvellous. All that frustration of being stuck in one place has evaporated and he's a far happier baby as a result. That's freedom for you. He quickly, and a bit clumsily, shoots towards the exit of whatever room he's in, then just as he's about to disappear out of my line of vision he looks over his shoulder with an enormous cheeky grin and makes sure that I'm chasing him. He's trouble, this one. And fun. So much fun.

And that's not all. This month he's started clapping. He claps enthusiastically when James comes home from work and he claps slowly and sarcastically while he's waiting for me to get his dinner ready. Meh. He's also shaking his head to say 'no' and he's repeatedly sticking his tongue out. He finds both of these things hilarious. He's discovered that the power button on the X-Box lights up and makes a pleasing beepy sound when you press it, so he spends ages switching it on, then off, then on, then off again.

This is the month when he discovered soft play with its bouncy castles and ball crawls. And, unlike most of the other baby activities he's tried, he didn't dislike it. Oh, and he thinks he can juggle. He can't juggle, but he watches us do it, then grabs a ball in each hand and holds them above his head and looks super pleased with himself. It's cute.

And, talking of cute, those curls. They get me every time. He's turning into a deranged Goldilocks. And those eyes. That giggle. How on earth did we manage to make that? 

Gushy, me? Yep. But that's eleven months for you.