Savannah at 20 Months

It's almost too hard to believe that Savannah is already 20 months - just four very short months from turning 2. Her second birthday. Time really does go way too quick!

I'm going to start listing different things each month to remember these times forever...

So, at 20 months Savannah, you:

Say Dad, constantly. I've yet to hear Mum since you first said it over a year ago now.

You are MUCH better with your sleeping, sometimes sleeping though the whole night. We're sitting in the hall way as you drift off, and the other night was your first full day withour a breastfeed. Your last remaining one is your bedtime feed...

You're eating is getting better. You snack all day, and put up a real fight for proper food. We're having to spoon feed you because there's no way you'd do it yourself. You also don't like chewing the 'good' food, so it's still fairly mushed up in order for you not to choke. That said, you will happily bite and chew a biscuit, a hard one at that...

Your favourite foods at the moment are:

• Yoghurt Balls (dried fruit covered in yoghurt)
• Cheese, cheese and more cheese!
• Savory and Cheddar Shapes
• Chocolate Tiny Teddies
• Fruit Poles
  
• and a new "Berry Mix" we've recently discovered. Dried fruit basically.

Favourite Drinks are:

• Juice - you drink diluted V8
• Strawberry milk
• Water. You drink lots of water which makes daddy VERY happy!
  

You can say Juice and Shoe now, and you say them constantly. Apart from those two new additions, you've got Dad, and car which you add a 'k' to the end of, and it comes out "cark". But that's ok, because if we don't understand you, you follow it immediately with a beep beep, which sounds beyond adorable. You're very good at saying Ball.

You can wave bye bye, although you do it with your palm in, so your fingers are waving to you instead of out to the person you're saying goodbye to. It's so adorable! Occassionally you will also say the word Bye, but you like to wait until your away from ear shot. You will also occassionally say Hi to some people.

You can also get cat out most times, and you ADORE animals. Your love of animals comes second to your love of music, and Channel V is pretty much on all day here. You're not so much into the Nursery Rhymes as you are the Top 40, and there's certains songs that come on, that will have you running from the other end of the house to the TV to listen to.

You're in mostly Size 2 tops, but still in Size 1 pants.

You're also very destructive. You enjoy nothing more than pulling something apart, especially if it's paper!

You got to Swimming every Tuesday, and love it. You're a natural water baby and are excelling beyond the rest of your class. You will be going into a higher class with older kids at the start of next term. You will be having your lessons with children aged between 2 and 4!

You also go to Playgroup every Friday, and you get very excited by this. You're asking to put your Shoes on from the moment I let it slip that the day is Playgroup day. You have a great little friend called Mischa there who's only 1 month older than you. Although you generally spend most of the time just running around with everyone, especially the boys if they're there.

Still here...

Just a quick message to let you all know I'm still here. Still alive. Just BUSY!

Oh my goodness. I've gone from most days at home, to nearly every day out!

Monday - We have a new playgroup in the mornings. Sees us get home just in time for Savannah's midday nap, and before I know it the day is over.
Tuesday - We've joined a swimming class. More just fun and games to get Savannah familiarised with the water, but she loves it! And again, we get home just before her nap and then bam, the day is gone.
Wednesday - I generally spend the day, or most of it, at a friends house. Usually Bec's as Savannah adores John and could be superglued to Mikayla she loves her that much.
Thursday - Our day at home, most weeks. Unless I forgot my camera at another friends house like I did this week, and then spend 3 hours there instead of just popping in to pick it up.
Friday - We have another new playgroup in the morning, followed by a quick stop off home for Savannah's nap and then straight out again to do the grocery shopping and anything else needed to get ready for the weekend.

Saturdays are a bit of a blur and have no order. Sunday's are family day and we've taken to either the indoor play centers, the park or swimming recently.

Lots of fun, but doesn't leave a whole lot of time. On top of that, I've gone back to school to hopefully be able to assist with the income side of things in a new area, one I've never done before and I am super excited about it! But that's also taking up pretty much every spare night and any other time I can find hiding.

All of this means I struggle to find the time, or the mindset, to sit down and blog. But I promise, I'm still here, we're all doing fantastically and I'll have more pictures real soon!

Quick updates:

• Savannah LOVES the water! We'll spend hours at the pool, and she thoroughly enjoys Tuesday mornings. Such a water baby. She can already kick her legs, 'dig' with her hands (aka doggy paddle) when she wants to, and is learning to put her face under.
• Savannah has a new little friend, Tennyson. From Monday's playgroup, although we're also catching up outside of playgroup. He's 2 years old and 23 kilos!! Yes, 23 kilos! Given Savannah, at 16 months is 9.5 kilos, that's a huge difference! He's a big boy.
• We're currently fighting to get money out of Bob (the builder) to compensate for the horrible paint job and other issues. Money he promised to us ages ago and is hoping we'd just forget. We haven't. And we're now speaking to the CEO of Windsor Homes to try and get it all sorted.
• And everything else is pretty much the same...

I'll try to keep this updated more often, even if it's just little snippets here and there...

Computer Wizz Savannah - Part #3

And of course, all that hard learning makes for one very sleepy (and very cuddly) Computer Whiz Savannah...

Say it with me now... "awwwwww" :-p

Computer Wizz Savannah - Part #2

As I mentioned yesterday, Savannah's very into the PC's. Even when Buzz takes his laptop outside while digging (to play music), there is nothing more interesting. Toys are not more interesting. The cats are no longer more interesting. And even dirt takes a back seat. Our little Computer Wizz!

Computer Wizz Savannah!

As I've mentioned before, Buzz and I are on our computers all the time. We don't watch TV, we place computer games. It's going to be no surprise that our photo albums are going to be full of pictures of Savannah getting in on the action. Oh well, at least we're giving her a head start at learning computers, right?

Sitting on Daddy's lap

Holding the mouse, perfectly. See the little finger up and everything? Naaw.

And lastly, testing to make sure it's a quality mouse...

Meet Roger!

Meet Roger. Roger was a 1st birthday gift from my best friend Bec, and until recently, spent most of his days hanging out with the other toys. Around the same time I decided to help Savannah learn to settle herself more and sit in the hall/doorway instead of physically in bed with her at bedtime, Roger stepped up to accept his roll as comforter. Companion. Big tough defender of all things scary. And... pillow.

The Lizard Birth...

Be careful where reading this - extremely loud laughter will ensue!

'Lizard Birth'
If you have raised kids (or been one), and gone through the pet syndrome, including toilet flush burials for dead goldfish, the story below will have you laughing out LOUD!

Just after dinner one night, my son came up to tell me there was 'something wrong' with one of the two lizards he holds prisoner in his room.

'He's just lying there looking sick,' he told me. 'I'm serious, Dad. Can you help?'

I put my best lizard-healer expression on my face and followed him into his bedroom. One of the little lizards was indeed lying on his back, looking stressed. I immediately knew what to do.

'Honey,' I called, 'come look at the lizard!'

'Oh, my gosh!' my wife exclaimed. 'She's having babies.'

'What?' my son demanded. 'But their names are Bert and Ernie, Mom!'

I was equally outraged.

'Hey, how can that be? I thought we said we didn't want them to reproduce,' I said accusingly to my wife.

'Well, what do you want me to do, post a sign in their cage?' she inquired (I think she actually said this sarcastically!)

'No, but you were supposed to get two boys!' I reminded her, (in my most loving, calm, sweet voice, while gritting my teeth).

'Yeah, Bert and Ernie!' my son agreed.

'Well, it's just a little hard to tell on some guys, you know,' she informed me (Again with the sarcasm!). By now the rest of the family had gathered to see what was going on. I shrugged, deciding to make the best of it.

'Kids, this is going to be a wondrous experience,' I announced. 'We're about to witness the miracle of birth...'

'Oh, gross!' they shrieked

'Well, isn't THAT just great? What are we going to do with a litter of tiny little lizard babies?' my wife wanted to know.

We peered at the patient. After much struggling, what looked like a tiny foot would appear briefly, vanishing a scant second later.

'We don't appear to be making much progress,' I noted.

'It's breech,' my wife whispered, horrified.

'Do something, Dad!' my son urged.

'Okay, okay.' Squeamishly, I reached in and grabbed the foot when it next appeared, giving it a gentle tug. It disappeared. I tried several more times with the same results.

'Should I call 911?' my eldest daughter wanted to know. 'Maybe they could talk us through the trauma.' (You see a pattern here with the females in my house?)

'Let's get Ernie to the vet,' I said grimly. We drove to the vet with my son holding the cage in his lap.

'Breathe, Ernie, breathe,' he urged.

'I don't think lizards do Lamaze,' his mother noted to him. (Women can be so cruel to their own young. I mean what she does to me is one thing, but this boy is of her womb !

The vet took Ernie back to the examining room and peered at the little animal through a magnifying glass.

'What do you think, Doc, a C-section?' I suggested scientifically..

'Oh, very interesting,' he murmured. 'Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, may I speak to you privately for a moment?'

I gulped, nodding for my son to step outside.

'Is Ernie going to be okay?' my wife asked.

'Oh, perfectly,' the vet assured us. 'This lizard is not in labor.... In fact, that isn't EVER going to happen.

Ernie is a boy. You see, Ernie is a young male. And occasionally, as they come into maturity, like most male species, they um . . um . . masturbate. Just the way he did, lying on his back.' He blushed, glancing at my wife.

We were silent, absorbing this.

'So, Ernie's just . just . . excited,' my wife offered.

'Exactly,' the vet replied , relieved that we understood.

More silence. Then my vicious, cruel wife started to giggle. And giggle. And then even laugh loudly.

'What's so funny?' I demanded, knowing, but not believing that the woman I married would commit the upcoming affront to my flawless manliness. Tears were now running down her face. 'It's just that . .I'm picturing you pulling on its . . its. . . teeny little . . ' She gasped for more air to bellow in laughter once more.

'That's enough,' I warned. We thanked the vet and hurriedly bundled the lizard and our son back into the car.. He was glad everything was going to be okay.

'I know Ernie's really thankful for what you did, Dad,' he told me.

'Oh, you have NO idea,' my wife agreed, collapsing with laughter.





Two lizards: $140.

One cage: $50.

Trip to the vet: $30.

Memory of your husband pulling on a lizard's winkie:

Priceless!

Moral of the story: Pay attention in biology class. Lizards lay eggs!

Dear Pet...

Dear pet:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is cheating.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:
(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they
(1) eat less,
(2) don't ask for money all the time,
(3) are easier to train,
(4) normally come when called,
(5) never ask to drive the car,
(6) don't hang out with drug-using people;
(7) don't smoke or drink,
(8) don't want to wear your clothes,
(9) don't have to buy the latest fashions,
(10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and
(11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children

Our trip to the park...

I popped up the street today to pick up some bread and a few other missing grocery items. As we were leaving the car park, I decided on a whim to take Savannah to the play ground just up the road. Now, I don't remember specific details of the park when I was little, but I'm sure the sparkles I remember weren't from all the broken glass. Not an meter of the tanbark ground cover wasn't mixed in with broken glass of some sort or another. The longer I was there, the more glass I kept coming across. At one point I felt something stick the side of my foot (was in thongs) and expected to look down and see blood everywhere. Thankfully it was just an aggressive piece of tanbark!

I experienced my first real 'mother-heart-stopping' moment when Savannah bent down and swished her hands back and forth in the tanbark to spread it everywhere. I've seen that action a thousand times in the bath, usually followed by squeals of glee as she washes all the walls, window and ceiling for me. But when she did it today, my heart damn near stopped. In two and a half steps I was by her side. She hung from her arms wondering why the ground had suddenly dropped away so quickly.

On top of all the glass, there was the rubbish. I did stop at a playground right? This isn't just old equipment at the tip I'm at by mistake? My goodness! Drink bottles, food wrappers, a couch! Cigarette packets, bits of metal, pieces of material perhaps once clothes, and something that I'm sure once resembled a food product. Savannah found one diamond in the rough when she stumbled across a discarded computer mouse. Of course, she already has her mouse at home, and she didn't understand why mummy snatched it so quickly to inspect. But thankfully, it was all in tact and looked ok. Which is good because it proceeded to join Savannah down the slide, numerous times. I'm sure if mice could giggle, it would have right along side Savannah.

The playground over all was, disgusting. We were only there half an hour before my blood pressure couldn't take it anymore and I deemed the playground too dangerous. If it wasn't the immediate danger of the glass, it was Little Miss Tidy bringing me every, piece, of rubbish she came across! I didn't know WHAT she was picking up! And the most amazing part? NO BIN!! There was a bench to sit on. There was a table and chair combo. But was there a bin? Nope! No where to put the rubbish!!

I naively thought that, since Savannah loves slides so much, that we could come to the local park more often as it was free. The biggest draw card. The indoor play centers are fantastic, but they also cost money. After today though, that tiny $10 cost a visit is priceless for the piece of mind if offers. From now on, it will be Kidspace all the way!!

The one thing I did do today, which is something new for me at a park. Is I actually took notice of the graffiti. As a kid you don't even really see it. As a teenager, you might contribute to it, but again, you don't really pay attention to anything outside your immediate world. Today though, as I waited patiently for Savannah to take the steps on her own (no help today thanks mum!), I stopped and read the little messages left by today's youth. And what sad little messages they were... especially, with all the SPELLING MISTAKES! I mean really kids. If you're going to insult someone, insult them correctly!!

WARNING!! Language afoot!

Yes, that message is "for Britt (no full stop) Extra loose bitch might need a (should be 'an') extra large... cucumba" Cucumba? Seriously? My googling for that word shows lots of beauty salon hits. A lot of stores named cucumba. She's that loose you need a whole STORE to shove up there? At such a young age too...

((Oh yes, and I purposely cut out the phone number as I didn't feel she needed anymore exposure. Clearly getting all the action she can handle...))

New blog title...

So 'My little world' is apparently a very common title for blogs. Especially blogs about families. Makes sense that I too chose it when I first started, but now I want to be a bit different. I want to be more than just another one of those blogs about my little world.

Lying in bed last night from 2am through till sometime after 4am, I started thinking about my blog. While Savannah was throwing herself around the room, kicking up a fuss at no breastfeed and refusing to even get on the bed, let alone accept cuddles, I got thinking. This is not what I imagined when I pictured being a parent. And voila, my new blog title!

Next in line is a new theme!!