18 March 2010Toddler Blog

It's been a very eventful few months in the New Year. Mommy went back to work, as though looking after me isn't enough work! So now Bianca looks after me during the day, but mommy is still there to put me to bed and dada still magically appears in the morning with my milk! So I am settling in. I am trying to be well behaved for Bianca, want to ease her in slowly.
I have also discovered the world of numbers! There is never a dull moment when you have numbers, they are everywhere: on all the houses, on every page of a book, on all the cars, just everywhere.

12 December 2009Toddler Blog

Christmas is upon us and I have no way to communicate my requests to Santa other via this blog:
Dear Santa,
I know I have not always been the best-behaved toddler in the world, or for that matter in Bryanston Square, but I have consistently been sweet to everyone I meet. Please instruct the elves that I would like a robotic pet like a dog (cleaner than the carbon variety). In return Mom and Dad have been told to leave out milk and cookies.
Love Simon, aged 16 months.

21 November 2009Toddler Blog

Today I entered an apple-slice-eating competition with myself - and won. I managed to cram four slices into my mouth while Mom and Dad just chuckled at me and scarcely acknowledged the significance of my feat.

16 November 2009Toddler Blog

I haven't yet let on that I can understand most words people say. This is convenient for me because Mom and Dad don't realise that I understand when they are talking about me. I have heard all about my strange sleeping patterns, eating habits and walking style but I only chuckle to myself. People comment that I am always smiling, but it is you dear adults who entertain me. Today though I nearly let the kitty out of the bag when Mom showed some socks in my picture book and caught me tugging on my own socks. Then she asked me where my ears are and I gave them a tug, doh! Now they will become guarded about what they say and resort to spelling things out to keep things secret. "Don't let Simon see the C-A-K-E on your plate". I will have to raise my game yet again....

9 September 2009 Baby Blog

We have LIFT OFF!!!!! Seven months after the first tentative steps I am finally walking independently. I have a very smart pair of shoes, but Mom says I look like a duck walking in them. But fear not, my waddle will soon turn into a sprint and then I can finally put Mom and Dad through their paces and take my mischiefs to a whole new level.

12 August 2009 Baby Blog

Last week I passed another milestone when I turned 1. This means I have been age zero up until then. I enjoyed my birthday immensely and am grateful for your wishes and gifts. I think I embarrassed my parents by going into a feeding frenzy on the cupcake with one candle that they held out in front of me to blow at. This young gun is tired of organic vegetables and prime meat and fish. I needed some sugar and I needed it pronto.

27 July 2009 Baby Blog

I have just returned from a great summer holiday in the Czech Republic. I got to explore the forest and pick some mushroom and best of all eat wild strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries. Sampling some of babi's baking was reason enough to start chewing better, which is even easier now since I have 7 teeth! Babi and Jan were great fun to play with and every day was full of fun and laughter. Jan and I wrestled for the remote controls, rode on the tractor and shared some great food. Babi and I lounged in the sun, played in the sandpit and explored the forest. We also got caught in a huge rainstorm - I have never seen mom and dad sprint so fast to get me home! He, he, good to keep them on their toes!!!

25 May 2009 Baby Blog

The past week has been both exciting and difficult. I finally have 2 teeth, they arrived just a day apart so they caused me much irritation. But I'm not one to let a small thing like new teeth get me down and have been up to my usual activities, crawling and walking around the house and playground, really putting mom and dad through their paces. Much to my excitement I've discovered the kitchen cupboards and drawers open!

14 April 2009 Baby Blog

Ladies and gentlemen, I have finally done it! I have learned to crawl. The world is so big and exciting now, so many electric sockets to explore and wires to pull. This morning I upended one of mom's pot plants, it was such fun... and the mess too! No time to write more, I have exploring to do!

10 April 2009 Baby Blog

Hello again adults! These past two months I have made major strides in the crawling front. I have been able to crawl backwards for some time now but now I have developed a unique way of propelling myself forwards that can only be described as a combination of press-ups and bunny-hops. I am also well on my way to enjoying adult food, having three full meals a day. I start with ricecake finger food and baby porridge and fruit, then I enjoy a lunch of which Gordon Ramsay's children can only dream (for example supreme of cod boiled in milk and blended with tender organic brocolli florets). I also enjoy a delicacy that is out of reach of most adults - my toes! Now I just need some teeth... Signing off until next time, Simon xxx

Stardate 12 March 2009Baby Blog

These past few months I have been so busy growing, learning and discovering that I just haven't found the time to update you on my progress. But, boy, have I been having fun. I am eating solid food now, pears and parsnips are at the top of my favourites list. Mom and dad took me to South Africa to visit all my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It was so much fun, especially being in just a nappy and t-shirt all the time, definitely beats the snowsuit!! Now crawling, that is no easy task. Have been trying for months. Finally I am on hands and knees with tummy off the floor, only to discover I keep moving backwards!

Stardate 24 November 2008Baby Blog

I am 3 1/2 months old now and having great fun. On weekends dad and I read loads of books - stuff about monkeys and cats that wear hats and such written by some Dr Seuss. I doubt he is a real doctor, probably an academic doctor like my Mommy. I know about these things, you see, ever since Mom took me to the mathematics department at Oxford. My vocabulary is also quite extensive already, about 50 words I have invented as various combinations of vowels. Mom and I have long conversations about the most interesting things, she's learning my language fast. Mom has been taking me to baby massage, which is quite fun since I get to check out the other baby girls. Mom takes off my nappy to do the massage which gives me great opportunities to deploy my powerful firehose at sneaky moments, I have to keep up the practise, you never know when London will be in danger of burning down again like it did in 1666!

Stardate 3 October 2008Baby Blog

Last night Dad celebrated my head wetting with colleagues but I wasn't even invited and the only thing that got wet was his throat. I still smelled beery breath as he leaned over me on the changing mat at 1am this morning. Bad daddy, bad daddy!

Stardate 2 October 2008Baby Blog

Today I weighted in at 5.5kg. I was jabbed in each thigh with innoculations but was very brave and hardly cried.

14-Sep-2008Baby Blog

I'm starting to play well on the baby gym Uncle Paul gave me. Mom and Dad joke that I am vain because I spend a long time looking at myself in the mirror on the gym, but this is just me practicing focussing my eyes. I tap at the rattles and babble at the world. At night I am still unsettled in the predawn hours and Dad has taken to calling me Captain Ahab on account of my determined whaling. I sense a pun at my expense.

11-Sep-2008Baby Blog

I told them the pram looks more pink than purple. A few days ago we passed a little girl who peered at me and asked her Mum if I was a boy or a girl! Mom and Dad just chuckled but I felt very indignant! Today I weighed in at 4.48kg, a 300g increase on the previous week and I have almost caught up to 50th percentile weight now, despite being delivered at 37 weeks.

4-Sep-2008Baby Blog

Baby greetings! Today is Mom's birthday. It is special day for another reason: it is weigh-in day at the clinic and I have put on 500g in the past week (mainly on my chin and cheeks). I weighed in at 4.15kg, putting me firmly in the shrimpweight division. If my weight continues to grow exponentially at this rate I will weigh as much as an elephant by my first birthday (you do the maths). I also passed another landmark today having gone through 250 nappies. Dad has asked the Pampers factory to ramp up production.

29-Aug-2008Baby Blog

Today I weighed in at 3.7kg, putting me firmly in the light-feather-bantam-flyweight division.

stardate 25-Aug-2008Baby's log

I am now 18 days old and getting to grips (quite literally) with my world. It is fun to tug at things. Mom and Dad are learning that my pops, squeaks and squawks are a sophisticated baby language that I am determined to teach them, before we move on to English and Czech. Life is good but I feel I must object in the strongest possible terms to "nappy free time" which is supposed to clear nappy rash but which I hate (just imagine if you had to lie naked on your back for 15 minutes!) and I generally register my disapproval by weeing at anyone in striking distance. This is not the 15 minutes Andy Warhol had in mind...

stardate 12-Aug-2008Baby's log

I am doing well, 5 days and 18 hours old now and feeding for about 20 minutes every 3 hours or so, but not completely regular as I like to keep my parents on their toes. I sleep in between feeds although Dad and I have had a few play 30 min sessions, nothing too hectic as he is old and his back is sore from leaning over nappy changing table and doing household tasks. I also spend time exchanging meaningful looks with Mom who has been a very caring breastfeeder. Mom and Dad burst out laughing when I do burps farts and exploding poos but they won't find it so funny when we venture outside into public or as I get older... I have a few surprises in store for them.

6-Aug-2008My motto

"I always know my limits because I frequently cross them"

Likes

Soft things, Mom's smell and big sparkling eyes, Daddy's stupid laugh, stochastic differential equations

Dislikes

Being patronised with baby voices, hospital, Robert Mugabe

Devo - The Day my Baby Gave Me a Surprise

Baby heart beat 3 days before birth

Simona heart beat 3 days before birth