Second Christmas

Second Christmas for Drew, but it felt like the first. Drew was more aware this time around. I say 'more aware', I mean she was awake and getting right into the boxes that her presents came in...literally.

We spent Christmas in Devon with my parents and everyone was looked after by my Mum and Dad's usual the 4*** style. We even got out washing done!!! Yep - good eh?! However, we couldn't find the telephone number for Room Service to order our breakfast in bed and the Do Not Disturb door notice seemed to have disappeared. I'd normally complain, but we couldn't find the customer comment cards....

It was a great Christmas Day and now Drew has dropped her afternoon sleep, we can do more with her. For Jerry, this is THE biggest challenge as he tends to forget that traipsing around TKMAX isn't as exciting as he thinks it is. For anyone. That includes anything where Drew is strapped in her buggy or stuck in her child harness...she gets a bit restless. Usually, this is a sign that she wants to be more independent and wants to get herself round everywhere...however at the moment, she's still crawling and she's not the slightest bit interested in walking.

On the one hand I'm desperate for her to walk, but on the other, everyone when she finally does start walking unaided, we'll be wishing she wasn't! We've child-proofed our house beyond belief though so we're ready for the 'Walk of Life'. In fact, I think we might have child-proofed the house about a year ago. Is that said or just plain old OCD?? We could get rid of the gate from the lounge into the kitchen as she has a habit of hanging off the gate, strumming her blue plastic drumstick along the bars, staring us out as if she was in an episode of Prisoner Cell Block H.

All the kitchen cupboards are child-proofed, but its just that the kitchen floor is a bit minging. Not that we're unclean, but the tiles haven't been put down well so there are gaps everywhere where food and 'stuff' get in and stay 'til nasty bacteria starts to grow...I imagine. So, until we replace the kitchen floor with lovely new vinyl, I'm not sure watching Drew crawl across the kitchen tiles is good. Saying that, we do have Barney, the K9 Vacuum. He's pretty good and he doesn't come with a power lead.

Drew is doing brilliantly now. Crawling as fast as British Royal Marine and 'cruising' everywhere possible. And NO, I don't mean she's frequenting bars and looking for blokes. I mean pulling herself up to standing using everything, a chair, coffee table, Barney.

Then, using sideways shuffling steps, she carefully walks along. I know it doesn't sound like much, but she even leans her body onto the furniture and uses her free hands to reach for toys...or more often than not, the TV remote controls. Yep - she knows what they do. She even knows we have given her own remote without batteries in...she knows it doesn't make the big colour picture change so throws it away and searches for the battery-powered ones...clever girl!

Thankfully, she doesn't show much interest in the TV and would rather check out how the hinges work on the stairgate or the wheels on her walker. She takes after her Grandad. Not that my Dad loiters outside shop doors and inside car parks. No! He's an Engineer. Or was. A few years ago, he decided to retire so he could spend more time with his beloved PC. And my Mum.

Drew's going to be the last one in our antenatal/postnatal group to start walking, but that's what makes her special...so I keep telling myself. Maybe she's going to be more like Carol Vordermen than Tessa Sanderson...and lets thank God for that! And maybe...just maybe...Drew wants to make a grand entrance when we're least expecting it!

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. Christmas! Drew really enjoyed the Christmas turkey dinner sitting in Nanna & Grandad's credit crunch highchair. It's great! I wish we'd known about these chairs before. Ikea sell them for £9.78 and it comes apart...you don't need anything else - brilliant! Its my Tip of 2008!! BUY ONE!!! Even if you don't have a baby! BUY ONE!!

I hope everyone reading this had a great Christmas 2008. Check out our 2008 Family Christmas Photos here and here's to a fantastic 2009 to you all!

What will it bring????