Fidget was 49 weeks old on Friday. I was at home with her, as M and I had swapped working days. So I took a few pictures of her playing in her ball pool.

This weekend, Granny and Grandpa came across to visit. Fidget has been doing much more walking and is an expert cruiser, so Granny took us out to buy Fidget's first proper shoes.

Thanks Granny!

Fidget also started waving bye bye this weekend, which led to some protracted exits from the room!

It was M's birthday on Sunday, we had a nice breakfast and gave him presents, and a very nice lunch with a cake. Poor M though, spent the rest of the weekend working on the deck with Grandpa, which we are really grateful for, but it wasn't much of a birthday treat for M!

Sunday was Father's day. Fidget had made two cards for her Daddy, and had me get a mug made and buy some chocs and a photo frame.

Daddy was very pleased, and enjoyed the breakfast that Fidget and I had put together for him.

More walking...or tottering...

Fidget was 48 weeks old today, and also 11 months old...

she has been doing lots more walking and is now pretty confident to walk across the room, stop and then plonk onto her bum, aslong as she hasn't got tired-jelly-legs!!

Mummies afternoon in the park today.

All the babies were having fun... little A was pulling great faces,

little S was having great fun having a piggy back with her mummy...

mini-mush was having less fun, getting over his grass phobia!...

(he is very brave!)

and Fidget was having a great time practicing her walking. She was doing lots of it, and standing too. She would toddle off towards another mummy or the the edge of the blanket, then stop short and stand, while we all squeeled excitedly...

While M worked on the deck this morning, Fidget and I went across to the park to take a couple of pictures for the invite to her birthday. It was a beautiful morning and I managed to get some rather nice shots of the park (even if I do say so myself)...
Fidget was less compliant, and though we did get some nice pics, it was a bit of a struggle. A couple that didn't make the cut are worth showing, first because of the hidden message in the background, and second for recording a short sequence of events...

"mmm, that looks like an interesting pebble..."

"it's tasty too!"

M got all the boards screwed down on the near deck, and so I was able to have some time working in the garden too. Still quite a bit to do on the decks and garden but it is good to feel we keep making progress.

Fidget was 47 weeks old today, and took her first steps on her own!!She had just extracted the monkey-ball game box from the shelf and then turned and took 3 steps to arrive at Daddy!

I was at work and was increadibly excited when I heard the news, but feared that I would not get to see the walking. I got home and could tell that she was so much more stable when walking round, she was just holding one of my fingers and really not needing much support from it. Just before bath time she was holding onto her book (and we think that gave her the comfort she needed - to be holding onto something), when she stepped away from M, to walk to me! We then did it a few more times to get a video clip. She really seemed to enjoy it, probably due to all the cheering!

You may notice from that video, just how long my hair has grown, well no longer. After Fidget went to bed, I headed off to the hairdresser. I felt it was time for a change, and for a style that would offer Fidget less opportunity to pull it and get her little fingers tangled up in it all the time!

Now that Fidget is so good at pulling herself up and standing, the napping has taken a step backwards, as no sooner is she put down but she springs up, clings to the side of the cot and wails. Despite this, she has been in a good old mood Monday and Tuesday, we had plenty of cruising and walking and managed to get a few videos....

the increased mobility has led to quite a few bumps and bruises, one bump on her forehead last week at nursery, one yesterday when she launched herself at me from cruising along the sofa and landed rather short, and then this morning, in her attempt to show how not-tired she was, while flailing, crying and rubbing her eyes she headbutted the bars of the cot, she is still a pretty little angel...

Fidget was 46 weeks on Friday, no photos again. My intention was from 1 year old to move to month photos, but M seems to be prompting this initiative early!

In between the downpours this weekend, M was out working on the deck, Saturday was quite a nice day so Fidget and I went out to join him and test out the deck...

we approve

Fidget has been coming on in leaps and bounds (quite literally) with her walking, she is now quite happy to come up on her knees and pull herself to standing on whatever she finds near.

She is also getting much more confident with the v-tech walker, trying to steer it and even pushing it backwards to get out of a corner! She has also stood unaided a few times when she has wanted to reach something she cant cruise to or push her walker to. When M had some power tools out, she let go of the walker and stood quivering Bruce Lee style before deciding it was a stretch too far to get the impact driver and grabbed back hold of the v-tech.

Today we were clearing out some old cardboard boxes, but they were just too intriguing...

and then we got a lovely surprise...auntie M and uncle A popped by to drop off a birthday present for me, a great CD and book, and then lots of lovely treats from a recent trip to France. Fidget was really pleased to have some new people to play with.