17 months

I can't believe J has been home with us for over four months already. He is just growing up so fast! He is walking and running like a champion, and talks so much! While it sounds like babble to most people, he has about 20 words that he says in context that we can understand, and understands even more than that.

He can bounce on the trampoline, loves his swimming and music lessons, and has two favourite television shows - Hey Duggee and Sarah & Duck! He plonks himself down in front of the tv anytime either of them come and giggles, and tries to say Duggee and Duck! It's adorable.

One of the challenges over the past 6 weeks has been the transition from baby to toddler in terms of behaviour. He is not quite as carefree and smiley, he has become very clingy to me, wanting me to pick him up all the time, even if he is already being held by Murray. Any time that he doesn't get his own way, whether it be taking something like a pen off of him, sitting down when he wants me to stand up, or the bath isn't ready for him to hop in, he starts whining or fake-crying, which can escalate into full tantrum in next-to-no time. We are trying some strategies but hoping this is just a phase that he is going through, and not the start of three years of the terrible two's!

Even though we have just finished Christmas, I have already started having ideas about J's birthday. It will be Hey Duggee themed, and as there isn't a lot of party merchandise available, I'm going to have to do a lot of DIY. Luckily it's not until July so there is plenty of time haha!

Our first Christmas as a family

Wow. It's two days after Christmas and I am finally getting to sit back and reflect on our first Christmas as a family of three.

On Christmas Eve we all got new pyjamas and watched the carols on television before bed. Waking up on Christmas morning was amazing.His face just lit up once he saw the tree with the presents, even if he didn't quite understand what he was meant to do with them! He was very spoilt with a trampoline from Nanny and Poppy, a playgym from Nonny, and a John Deere ATV ride on and about 30 other things from us!

We had a barbecue breakfast at my Mum's house and he ran about the back yard and had a dip in a blow up pool. Then we did Murray's family for a more traditional sit-down lunch which was lovely. J had a second nap from 4-7pm which he never does, which meant he then stayed up until midnight! But he was having such a blast playing with all of his new toys, he barely made a fuss.

Life is profoundly different. It's not all rainbows and fairytales. I've struggled with my identity a lot, and gosh parenting is hard. I wouldn't change it for the world though, and certainly days like Christmas are made a lot more enjoyable with our little man.