Two

I am very nearly 2. 

In corrected terms, I am 21 months old although they have stopped correcting my height and weight. I have finally passed the 10kg mark and am 78.4cm tall! I have just started to wear 9-12 month clothes and my new shoes are a size 3 (19).

Developmentally, I am (apparently) somewhere around 14 months with an extra heap of inquistiveness thrown in. I can crawl, pull myself up and cruise, especially well sideways, and am very good at climbing-mainly on very wibbly wobbly chairs when no one is looking for a split second. I can crawl up stairs and sort of down stairs but I do not like anyone helping, even if I am about to rolepoly down them and bang my head. I am beginning to learn to throw as well as drop and I can make babbling noises. I can eat some things but am not very good at swallowing and think food is generally overrated and rubbish apart from Quavers.

I can sign about 25 signs in Baby Sign Language and Makaton. I am beginning to be very noisy when doing some signs ("mama" and "star") which I think my mama is hoping is about to herald some real words! Most of my signs are animal based, which makes me look very well-educated when we go to a farm. I am beginning to be VERY INSISTENT making a noise when pointing and signing "star" and am very good at finding them, even the teeny tiny ones. Mama said I sounded a bit drunk: she is so rude sometimes.

I know at least what a nose is and also, knees, toes and fingers. Sometimes I can remember a head but don't hold your breath. When we read my favourite book "A Squash and a Squeeze" there is a line that says 'my nose has a tickle' and I always grab my mama's nose at that point which makes her read in a really silly voice. I am extra good at beeping noses when I hear something else beep, like the lift.

I love books and have favourites which I am never tired of hearing again and again and again and again! My favourites are Ten Fingers and Ten Toes, A Squash and A Squeeze, Not Me and We're Going On A Bear Hunt. I have met the Gruffalo but wasn't really that bothered.

My favourite colour is yellow. At least, that is the felt tip I always make a bee-line for. Felt tips are quite good on paper but equally good on carpets, xylophones and in grown ups diaries. They are best when scribbled up your legs, hands and feet. Mama is very distrustful of ones that claim to be 'washable'. Talking of washable, last week I discovered turning buttons and dials round so I can now operate the washing machine!

I have very recently discovered pointing, pinching, hugging and throwing a wobbly when told "no". The latter is really funny in public. If I could stand up I would definitely stamp my foot. As it is, my legs get confused and I end up jumping. I have recently found out about the wonders of climbing. Back at the beginning of July, my mama and her friend helped show me how to climb up stairs. Mama really regrets this now because I am OBSESSED (she says) with stairs and can scale up a chair, cardboard box, my buggy or a drum pretty quick.

I really, really like going to hospital and seeing all my friends the doctors and nurses. They have really good badges and keyrings and funny things that hang around their necks to listen to your chest. Sometimes they let me play with them. I can put a stethoscope on if no one is looking at me. I can also draw up and empty a syringe and know how the buttons on my feeding pump work.

One of my favourite games is throwing everything out of my cot of pushchair. Mama is not quite so keen on this game, except for first thing in the morning as it means she can wake up very slowly just blearily lobbing Rabbit across the room.

My favourite thing ever is water play. Baths are good and so is painting but water play is the BEST. Taps are lots of fun and so is splashing grown-ups. So is sitting in rock pools and crawling into the sea. If I can't do any of those things, then the next best thing is a swing. Slides are brilliant sometimes but sometimes are a bit scary.

Happy nearly being two to me!