Still at home, the Lovely Melanie is still ill – the main difference today was that Millie doesn’t have nursery on a Tuesday (although, she soon will,  and so will the Bubbah).

But although it’s been quite hard work and a bit intense I’ve had a really nice day, mainly because I’ve been getting to know the Bubbah better.  Most days – let’s be honest, every day – the Lovely Melanie feeds her and does most of the taking care of her.  This is at least partly unavoidable, since I’m at work and she isn’t, but when Millie was little we both used to split the work rather more evenly.  Millie would regularly get her breakfast or evening meal from me, whereas Bubbah gets bathed by me a couple of times a week, gets a a few nappies changed at weekends or odd work days…and that’s about it.  I only really see much of her at weekends, and if we go visiting people, as is not unusual for us to do, then I feel as though I see even less of her because those people we’re visiting get first dibs on her.

Over the last couple of days however we’ve spent a lot of time together and I’ve been doing all the caring.  And much as I want the Lovely Melanie to get better (she’s been having a hell of a time of it, the poor thing) I’m ever-so slightly glad on one level that it’s given me time to see my youngest daughter before she starts growing up because – long and gruelling as the baby years sometimes seem – once they start growing up they grow like a rocket.

Looking back on video footage of Millie at Amber’s current age it seems an eternity ago; that the little stumbling toddler we see there is the cheeky smart wonder we have today just about defies logic.  And I may be wrong, perhaps it’s just because of all the time we spent in hospital with her beforehand, always afraid we might lose her, but it had felt as though I got to know Millie better at that age.  The past 48 hours have gone some way to making up for that.

The Owl and the Pussycat?

The Lovely Melanie doesn’t believe me about this, but I’m certain we got our first display of genuine language skills by the ‘Bub today.

Here’s a picture of them tonight sat together on the bed before bathtime.  I’d been shaking my head sadly and saying, ‘Lays, ‘Lays, ‘Lays, ‘Lays, ‘Lays… (our pet name for Millie) at something silly Millie had done when I heard the ‘Bub repeat it.  She didn’t quite parrot it – her tone and pronunciation were waaay off – but she was recognisably saying ‘Lays’ AND repeated it the right number of times AND repeated it again when I said it.

So she’s learnt how to imitate and how to count.  Up to a point.

DISCLAIMER: the Lovely Melanie, whom I insisted struggle upstairs from the sofa her sickbed to see this miracle was somewhat less impressed, and only commented that ‘She said “Mummy” the other day.’