200

My son, you are 200 days old today. Your two little front teeth, which caused you a little discomfort but not as much as some babies experience, seem more prominent today - I guess that'll be the case every time we get a good look. You are on three "solid" meals a day; natural yoghurt in the morning and then two others that your mum prepares. Today I fed you a butternut squash & carrot mixture that you enjoyed a lot.

Today you've been "speaking" a lot. "Abba", "Baba" and "Awa" seem to be the extent of your repertoire. Since "baba" means "daddy" in Mandarin and this is how your mum refers to me, I can kid myself that your first word is a reference to me. There's a little more time to go before that happens for real. You seem a little more co-ordinated; you're passing stuff between your hands and getting stuff into your mouth first go more often. Also, your poo is solid now - little nuggets - and smellier. You're 200 days old and we love you so much.

Reading List

You had some books with different languages for Xmas (from us) but to date your reading list is as follows:
"Caminando por la jungla" by Debbie Harter
"Tickle, Tickle" by Helen Oxbury
"That's not my baby", "That's not my puppy" and "That's not my monkey" all by Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells
"My duckling book", "Peek a jungle" and "My mouse book" by Jellycat
"The Wheels on the Bus (simplified Chinese & English)" by Annie Kubler

Beautiful

Rolling

Firsts are rolling in and so are you. While I was cutting aubergine and your mum was out at the local supermarket, you rolled from your front to your back when only Auntie Julie was watching. And then did it again.

Splashing

You had your second solid meal today - avocado (and it looks  like it will be your third tomorrow too). Your mum said you couldn't have opened your mouth wider in anticipation and wanted more. I guess it is that time of development: we stopped supporting you from below in the bath so you were pretty  much sitting up by yourself and as a consequence had your hands free to splash. You got me and your mum wet. We played afterwards and then you were pretty hungry, biting mum with your gums.

Solids

You're growing, a happy, chubby little giggler. We've been talking about weening but when I got home today your mum said you had had your first proper solids; you were looking interested in a banana she was eating so she mashed some up with milk and fed you with a little plastic spoon we (literally) picked up at my birthday party 2 months ago. It's another new stage. You are five and a half months old.

Happy New Year!

We expect so much of you this year, Rock, and your first tooth has made an appearance. You've had upsetting moments during teething periods (I noticed on NYE that your first one had cut through) but not as bad as some babies get it. Big kisses for 2012 and your progress.