The End Of Daytime Naps?

I’ve long thought that daytime naps are over-rated.  I am a baby that has resisted sleeping during the day since I was born.  None of the usual ‘tricks’ worked as a certainty for my parents; rocking, the car, lullabies, my pushchair.  I just fear I miss too much.  It’s a huge gamble to take just for a bit of shut-eye.

And so yesterday I skipped my nap altogether.  It was a the weekend, both Mummy and Daddy were home, and I just didn’t fancy missing anything.  They tell me they’d rather sleep than do some of the things we do at the weekend, like going to the supermarket, but the novelty is still there for me.  I can still get away with pointing and laughing at other people in the shop, after all!

There’s a whole world out there for me to discover and if I sleep while someone nips out for groceries, I won’t get to squeeze the fruit or bounce bottles of fizzy drinks that Mummy will hastily put back before anyone notices!  I wouldn’t be able to select the hand-soap for the bathroom or the paper towel for the kitchen.  You see these things as chores, I see it as pure excitement, enthralling for every minute.  I’ve picked vanilla soap and paper towel with an elephant on the wrapper this week, if you’re interested.

My naps have been reasonably regular for the last couple of months.  I have an hour or so one side of lunch or the other.  Usually.  Yesterday, it might have been that I was actually overtired because with the clocks going back, I was up early.

My folks are trying to build in ‘quiet time,’ too.  I’m starting to get used to it already. It’s a chance to tell my favourite toys about my day so far. I have a whale and a bunny that are particular favourites at the moment and they’re both great listeners.  I spend a bit of time in my cot just chilling, and even if I don’t actually sleep, it goes some way to recharging my little batteries.

I’ll admit, I’m pretty nasty by the end of the day if I’ve not slept long enough.  The final hour before bedtime is pretty hard work for Mummy and Daddy! It’s unfortunate that it coincides with when Daddy comes home from work, but then what’s a girl to do?  Grandma used to encourage quiet time when Mummy was little – it gave her a chance to do ‘important things’ without interruption.  I can’t imagine what might be more important that playing with me, but I guess Mummy might have her own important things these days.

I still don’t nap in a cot at nursery – it’s the buggy there – so Mummy pushed me round yesterday for two hours trying to get me to nod off.  She failed, but she walked miles in the Autumn countryside!  Ha ha!  Between you and me, I don't really think I'm big enough to do away with naps altogether, but it doesn't hurt to keep you grown-ups on your toes so I’ll carry on taking a nap if I fancy and battling on through if that’s how the fancy takes me.  Thanks.

CB

Life In Mummy's Shoes

This week for SatCap at Mammasaurus, I wondered what life is like in Mummy’s shoes.  Do you have a caption for this photo?

Check out the other entries here.

CB

Three Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day . . .

Much excitement in the Chatty Baby house today!  It’s What? Wednesday and Mammasaurus launched Percy Pinecone yesterday for her entry this week . We agree that leaving a tangible ‘thing’ for people to find might be the way forward.  So here goes!

Mummy was casting her mind back to the days when globe-trotting gnomes made the papers with tales of sending postcards home from around the world and so, today, we have launched three little ducks out into the big, wide world!

Each has instructions to leave it somewhere, with a photo, and I’ll keep track of their progress here.  In fact, I’m so hoping they’ll take off, so to speak, that I might even give them their own page. I’ll post updates on their progress and see where this little ducky jailbreak takes us.  Imagine if one made it across The Pond!  Perhaps I’m thinking about running before walking, but hey, Mummy always says to “think big.”

We left the ducks at Cheddar Gorge; one on the roof of a car belonging to West Country Ales, the second at the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company, and the third on the windowsill at the Fortes cafe. The first and third were gone within half an hour, so I’m hoping for big things.

If you see one of my ducks, do get in touch!

CB x

Poorly Chatty Baby - Hand, Foot & Mouth

Sorry I’ve been a bit quiet over the last few days.  I’ve been a poorly baby: I have Hand Foot & Mouth.

Let’s be quite clear – this IS NOT Foot & Mouth disease!  I do not have hooves.  Foot & Mouth affects cows, sheep and pigs.  Hand, Foot & Mouth is very common amongst babies.   I’ve had to explain that to Granny today who is wondering whether her friends will send her to Coventry (wherever that is) if they find out I have Foot & Mouth.  Which I don’t. 

The Doctor confirmed Hand, Foot & Mouth today.  I’ve got some pretty nasty sores that look a bit like chickenpox but smaller on various body parts – can you guess which ones?  Apparently they should be gone in a week or so.  Doc says they’ll clear up on their own, and because it’s viral, there’s nothing he can give me.  Mummy just needs to make sure I keep my fluid intake up so I don’t get dehydrated.  I’m finding cooler liquids easier to drink – doesn’t hurt as much.

I felt a bit rough over the weekend, just generally unwell, with a bit of a sore throat. Thankfully, my appetite hasn’t been affected though many babies will find they don’t fancy eating at all, usually because it’s just too sore.  The spots were just small and red at that point.

By today, the spots are big ulcers that Mummy’s described charmingly as “minging.”  My mouth is full of them and they’re all over my hands and feet.  And my bottom and, er, ahem, girly bits.  Nobody wants blisters there.   Apparently that’s much less common, but that’s where I have some in addition to the ‘regular’ lesions.

So, what’s is all about? Well, now that we have internet access again, we’ve found out that it’s quite a regular thing in small people and it’s thankfully a mild illness caused by an enterovirus.  It’s very contagious and I probably picked it up at nursery because it spreads easily and is very common amongst babies, toddlers and young children.  Grown-ups can be affected, but it tends to be much milder for them and often they don’t even notice they’ve got it.

And there you have it.  Hand, Foot and Mouth.  While I’m sitting here feeling sorry for myself, I’m trying to think of a better name for it, if not for me, then to save face for Granny and stop her friends disinfecting her shoes when she comes to visit.  Worse still, I’m sounding croupy tonight, too.  Could be a rough ride for Mummy!

CB

Listography - Top 5 Keyword Searches On Your Blog

I saw the Listography this week and thought, “ooh, I wonder . . . “ so I had a look out of curiosity and now I’m going to share.

1.     The top search term sending people to my blog, thankfully, is “Chatty Baby.”  Yay! Long may it continue. I'm on the right wavelength.

2.     The second search was “things about Autumn,” after a post about why I was looking forward to this season so much.  Have a look here, if you fancy. 

3.     In third place was “5 things about Autumn” so I’m not going to count that as it’s so close to 2.   So, instead, my number 3 is “encouraging baby to talk,” I guess inspired by this post.

4.     My personal favourite.  Who knows what the people were thinking when they were googling “and climbing stairs grooving,” but there was more than one, and they ended up on my blog.

5.     And finally, quite dull in comparison to number 4, “Cotswolds” came in at number 5 after a post I wrote about my holiday there for The Gallery.  It’s here.

Some great entries from other people!  Have a look at the Kate Takes 5 Listography page.

CB

What? Wednesday - Clark's Village, Street

I have been shamed into branching out from my admittedly rather dull post-it notes for this week’s What? Wednesday at Mammasaurus.  And having heard that Mamma’s entry last week on the pier got the first response from a real live person, I thought it’s high time.

So, this week I have some paper babies with all my contact details, and you can see them now on the fort  in the children’s play area at Clark’s Outlet Village in Street, Somerset.

 

Have a look at everyone else’s effort here.

CB

Baby Food Portions - Too Small In My Opinion!

I’ve long suspected that food in this house is being rationed.  Specifically, my food is being rationed.  The supply of fruit at any one sitting is limited.  Mummy tells me there is “no more” but then there is more at the next sitting, without any trips to the shop.  Now, I’m smart enough to know that our personal strawberry crop was rubbish this year, so either the fridge grows its own, or I’m being lied to.  A white lie, but a fib nonetheless.  Ice-cream, sweeties, all the ‘good stuff,’ comes in small portions!

I have it on good authority that dog food is on short supply, too.  Hairy Dog and I have decided that enough is enough and action needs to be taken.  We thought about some kind of distraction technique whereby I’d keep Mummy busy while he grabbed something from the cupboard, then I’d meet him in the garden when the coast was clear.

The plan was faultless, except for the fact that without opposable thumbs, Hairy Dog was a bit of liability.  We reversed roles.  HD was going to create a diversion and I would raid the cupboard.  He did try, bless him, but he’s cried wolf (or rather, “CAT! CAT! CAT!”) so many times that Mummy just wasn’t falling for it.  In the end, I just got up and made a run for the kitchen.  I walked with purpose, and no-one realised what was happening till I had lifted the cereal box out and wrenched the lid off. 

By tipping the Coco Pops upside down (other breakfast cereals are available) I was able to maximise the opportunity and created a bit of a scramble for me and Hairy Dog.  Brilliant! We stuffed our faces.  I love it when a plan comes together.

This is us with our spoils!

CB

Flying The Flag For SatCap

Here’s another photo from my collection that I’m offering up for all your caption suggestions.  I know you won’t let me down.

Have a look at the other entries over at Mammasaurus here.

CB

Baby Shoe Obsession

My name is Chatty Baby and I am a shoe-aholic.  Obsessed is the only word I can use to describe it.  I love shoes! 

Mummy loves shoes too, but she’s never forced her passion for footwear on me.  I developed one all of my own.  She has a lot of shoes!  I like to arrange them for her.  She keeps them on a rack in the bedroom, but always in pairs.  I used to think that’s a bit restrictive so I spiced things up a bit for her and created my own pairs.  Sometimes, I would hide a few (never the same) somewhere else in the house, which I thought was a much better game than Mummy and Daddy seemed to.

Now I’ve grown up a bit, I understand the aesthetics and practicalities of a matching pair and I like to choose a pair for Mummy each day.  Sometimes, she gets ahead of herself and chooses her own but if I shout loud enough when I present her with my choice, she usually sees sense.

I like to carry shoes at baby groups, or anywhere else we go where people have to take off their shoes.  It’s not that I want them all for myself, I don’t.  I just like to look at them, feel them, appreciate their beauty, and then return them to their owner.

I have a beautiful pair of shiny pink shoes with purple flowers on the toes, and some gorgeous wellies, pink again, with red roses on them.  I like to put them on first thing in the morning; I have to toddle past them in the morning to get to the table for my milk, so it’s not unusual to find me having my breakfast in my pyjamas and wellies.  You can’t buy this sort of style, you know.

Mummy bought me some new boots yesterday, brown, knee-high, with gold and brown flowers all up the leg.  They’re fabulous!  I wanted to wear them after my bath last night while I had my story, but the big meanie said “no.”  I must have dreamt about them too because “Boots” was the first word I said to Mummy this morning when I got up.

So off I trotted to nursery to wow them with my footwear.  They were suitably impressed and my shoe obsession continues.  Anyone else out there share my passion?

CB

What? Wednesday - Chatty Baby In Pole Position

Wednesday again.  The weeks are flying by!  It’ll be Christmas before you know it!  Hurrah!

So, Mammasaurus has another What?Wednesday going on over here.  I have enlisted some of my family this week to help out  - Mummy, Grandma, and Auntie B – and they all drew a note.  The “winning” one is in reference to Jenson Button because the notes are stuck on mirrors in the loos in a pub in his home town, Frome.

CB

Bloggers’ Blogger Of The Week

Well, here it is, my biggest claim to fame to date  – I have been voted the Bloggers’ Blogger of the Week over at Love New Blogs!  To say I’m excited doesn’t come close.  An award of any sort is great news, but the fact that this one comes from fellow bloggers means so much to me.  It was a complete surprise, so forgive me for not having any sort of acceptance speech prepared.

Of course, I’d like to thank Mummy and Daddy for their unwavering support (mostly Mummy because Daddy just doesn’t get blogging) and all the bloggers who voted for me.  I’d also like to thank all the bloggers who’ve written inspirational posts and comments that I’ve learned so much from in the last few months. 

I am wary of not blubbing like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Oscar acceptance speech (although I think I’d look fab in her pink dress!)  I thought instead I’d take guidance (read “shamelessly quote”) from some of the most well-known Oscars acceptance speeches out there .

“You like me, right now, you like me!”  Sally Field said this in her Best Actress speech way back in 1985.  That really sums it up for me – I’m chuffed to bits that people voted for me, but that does deliver a little bit of pressure to continue as I’ve been doing.  I hope I’m up to it!

To make sure I don’t miss anyone out, I’m turning to Cuba Gooding Junior from 1997. “Everybody, I love you!  I love you all!”  Thank you.

My final word comes from Julia Roberts, in 2001, while I continue to enjoy the moment; “I may never be up here again!”

And here’s my trophy badge!

CB x

This One Time, At Blog Camp . . .

I’m sorry, it’s obvious, but Mummy still thinks it’s a hilarious title and she made me use it.  I sent her to Blog Camp this week in Bristol, organised by Tots100.  She’s come back all excited, bless her.

“So, Mummy,” I said, “What have you learned at Blog Camp?  What do we need to do differently?”

This is what she came up with:

1.     Find your voice and stick with it – be consistent.  It can be a character, but stay in character at all times. (Who would write as someone else?!)

2.     Have more “play dates.”  This sounded like sound advice to me but it was about finding other blogs you’re comfortable with to follow and build relationships

3.     Get stuck in! With Facebook, with Twitter, on forums. 

4.     It’s ok to keep your fans wanting more; don’t feel you have to blog every day, or three times a week, or whatever – once a month might be plenty!  The content is more important so make that powerful.

5.     Mummy and I are so far behind the times when it comes to tech and social networking!  “Who knows this logo?” one of the speakers asked – not Mummy!  She’d never heard of half the things he was talking about.  She has brought home a list of twelve (yes, twelve) terms that we need to Google (other search engines are available) to fully understand what advice was being given.

6.     If you want people to find your blog, you need to optimise your copy for search engines and you need to create linkbacks, or trackbacks, or pingbacks.  Something like that.  I’m looking forward to reading the e-book on the subject.

Thanks to all the speakers for their time and advice, and to all the lovely bloggers who made Mummy feel welcome.  Blog Camp was our first foray into the world of blogger events and it was definitely worth doing.  Big hugs to everyone she met (too numerous to mention and I'd hate to miss anyone off the list!) See you all at the next event!

CB

What? Wednesday In The Otter Valley

What fun Mummy and I had today at Otter Nurseries in Ottery St Mary!  They have their beautiful Christmas displays up, and now they have a lovely What? Wednesday note, too.

As usual, I’ve done a close up of the note  and then a photo of it in situ.

Have a look at the others over at Mammasaurus here.

CB

Bite For The Right

If you haven’t heard already, I’ve been getting my teeth into nursery, or more specifically, the babies there.  Mummy’s gone on and on about it since the Nursery Ladies grassed me up, I mean, told her.

It’s not that I want to hurt other children, I don’t.  It didn’t really occur to me that I was causing any real pain till the Nursery Ladies told me off and made me think about what I’d done.  There’s not even any positive attention in it for me.  I’m trying to communicate rather than just be wilfully naughty – I’m not a bad baby!

I do care passionately about some toys though, especially pushchairs.  Buggy Love is a big deal for me!  I sometimes feel threatened by the other babies, like they’re trying to take away my things.  There I go again, they’re the nursery’s things, but we have so many toys there and I wouldn’t mind if I wasn’t allowed to touch some of the other things as long as I had exclusivity on the pushchair.  Pushchairs.

Sometimes when I yell, The Aggressor backs down and moves away.  Sometimes, it takes a scream, and when that doesn’t work, biting moves them on.  It gives me a safety zone.  I do feel pressure and stress and because of my age, I don’t have the words to express myself or the social experience to really grasp the concept of sharing.

Thankfully, Mummy’s not of the opinion that biting me back is a good idea.  She doesn’t want to teach me that violence causes violence, but she is keen for me to stop. She’ll make sure that I know straight away that I’ve done something wrong.  Daddy says it’s like training a dog – if you don’t tell them off immeidately, they don’t make the connection – and I’m not sure I like that analogy!

Mummy’s trying hard to spot signs before I do it, but she’s not at nursery and the Nursery Ladies don’t have eyes in the back of their heads.  The good news for everyone involved is that because they rotate the toys, the pushchairs probably won’t be there next week.  That buys me a little more time to get soms speech together beyond, “NO!”

CB x

Wot So Funee?

Please give a warm hand to Actually Mummy who has started what promises to be a very entertaining meme over the coming weeks – Wot So Funee?  The gist is, Mummies and Daddies post things their babies have written or spoken to them that have struck them as amusing.  Actually, sounds a bit mean!

I’m still a bit young to be talking and I’m not so good with a pencil yet, but I hate to be left out so I’m going to share things my family have said instead.  Hope that’s ok.  Have a laugh at other babies’ expense here.

My auntie was having a barbeque recently and luckily for her, my cousin was on hand to warn her, “Be careful, Mummy, that’s extremely burnful!”

Not just a little bit burnful!  Needless to say, she was grateful for the advice.

CB x

Saturday Is Caption Day

Here’s another photo calling out for a caption.  Give it a whirl . . .

Check out the other entries at Mammasaurus Saturday is Caption Day here.