Watch out, there's on one year old about!

I think it is time to admit to myself my scrap of a baby is growing up. I'm not going as far to call her a toddler (there is a distinct lack of toddling for a start) but she is definitely full of mischief and intent to cause said mischief, is hell-bent on trying to find some method of mobility and is learning new things all the time. In the last few weeks she has (I'm so proud, can you tell?):

• bang two objects together
• splash in the bath when she means to, not just accidentally
• splash me when she is in the bath
• today she deliberately dropped an item into a tin (the baking kind, not an empty baked beans one, I do have some standards) and thought the noise was hilarious
• become incredibly keen on finding out what is underneath the rugs

She also has the attention span of a diminutive gnat. Toys get roughly 30 seconds each unless it is the remote control, the wooden spoon (allowed) or my mug of coffee (definitely not allowed) or anything I thought I had successfully hidden. I'm delighted after her prematurity and stints on oxygen that her eyesight is brilliant-but slightly too brilliant for me!

 We did though receive this frankly amazing belated-Christmas present in the post though from my sister, her aunty. It is a cheese-and-mouse puppet. Of COURSE. What else?! There are five finger puppet mice who live in the hollow textiles wedge of cheese. Well, I had barely got it out the package before Wriggles was in peals of laughter. For that afternoon, all I had to do was just show it to her before she was honking away. Then came the miraculous discovery that the mice come out if you pull their tails. She was entranced. I must confess that I am also, and long after she went to bed was rearranging the mice inside...

 Other recent hits include this push along Brio hedgehog. Due to the infamous premature-baby-snorty-snuffle (think small animal waffling in the hedgerows) she had for months after coming home, she has become besieged with all manner of hedgehog items. This one has a wobbly head that bobs up and down and whooshes along the floor which means that it is great from her point of view. The other favourite is a wind-up mouse. It was claiming to be a Christmas decoration from M&S but is far too sinister to adorn a tree-think lonely mouse head in Santa hat. 

Hit number-I've-lost-count are some RSPB Birds that sing genuine birdsong if you press their tummy/go within a foot of them. Wriggles received three (robin has gone AWOL already) and they are excellent, especially at diffusing the beginnings of tantrums, a welcome teething distraction and also for pacifying nappy-changes or coat-putting-on episodes.

I have also dug out my double-sided sticky tape (I was an addict all the way through my fine art degree; there is no way I'd have passed without it) and tried to 'make' some toys as she gets through everything at a frightening ruthless speed and does not have the motor skills or strength to be mobile to explore. So far I have stuck sparkly paper inside a cardboard box and attached rubber bands to make a twanging sound when strictly supervised to avoid surprised baby and THIS (left) is my attempt at what I shall coin 'A rattle-y photo box'. Namely a cardboard box filled with lentils, meticulously masking taped shut as shut can be and covered in photographs. She is very keen on looking at herself (well she is pretty beautiful) and also making a Very Big Noise so this buys me at least two minutes of peace. Maybe I will get to drink that mug of coffee after all......