and the boundary testing begins... having all this new found freedom to move means that's all they want to do ALL the time! which is a pain in the bum, when all you want to do is get through lunch/get them dressed/change their nappy/go shopping! some of the things I have done to redirect those little challenges (and believe me they don't always work) are let Aston feed himself. He has been doing that for a couple of months now, and in the last week or so has wanted to use a fork, so he has been. He sits at the table with us to have breakfast/lunch/ and most of the time dinner, and enjoys the whole social occasion of it I think. He will only eat what we are having now. Getting dressed after he has had bath is preluded with a nudie run around for a while, then I lay him down, which he protests about until I start singing him nursery ryhmes like tinkle little star, and the little green frog. I do the same thing with nappy changing, and do it on the floor now. we had a struggle for a couple of weeks, and I just kept saying the same thing, the more you wiggle around and protest the longer its gonna take baby boy... and now he has a little whinge, but doesn't wiggle around and carry on...he seems to have figured out that if I lay here, she does it quicker and its all over and I can go back to what I was doing.

Its funny because with Laura I remember being absolutlely mortified when she chucked a tantrum in public, and wished the earth would open up and swallow me whole... with Aston I pick him up, and put him under may arm in an areoplane hold and continue on my way. I had to do that today actually, and a woman commented to me, well that's one way to get around, and I just said, yep - works for me, and didn't even feel anything, no moritification to be felt at all... just a confident mummy who knew what she was doing worked. Seems that on my journey of motherhood, I have actually learnt a few things along the way....and even I'm surprised about that!!

We went to Australia Zoo today, laura, Nathan, aston and I, and it was brilliant. had so much fun. Aston is at such a fantastic age to look at wonder at everything. We spent at least 20mins watching the otters chase each other around in and out of the water. He thought it was hysterical. he patted any animal he could, from kangaroos, to lambs, calves, and was not particularly impressed that he couldn't get into the tiger cubs!

hope all goes well at your hospital appointment Blanche, enjoy the retail therapy after.

Tara :hugs: is your morning sickness worse this time around? btw are you going to find out what colour you are having?

Christy - do you need the monkey harness back hun, happy to send it to you. Its been brilliant, and I definately will get one.

Kim - as easy as it is for me to say this...try and relax. because she will not starve herself. Tomorrow is a new day, and yes she is testting how far she can push her mother for sure...just try not to let her know that she is getting a reaction, because as the saying goes, attention is attention no matter how you get it, misbehaving, or doing something cute. :hugs: