Oscar's first year

Our oldest son was born in September 2000. We lived in London. Grandparents were in Kent and in Gloucester. I thought it'd be good to share with them how he and we were getting on during his first year. I created a website and posted weekly updates. The website is long gone. Having a poke around some old hard drives and I found the html files for the website. Pleased I did. Ordinary and everyday observations seem to get better with age.

No.1

For now the news is he has been settling at home establishing his presence in the flat, especially when he is hungry. He is feeding well and likes to burp and wind after each meal which, I have heard is not that uncommon even among adults. He is sleeping a lot of the time between feeds though is beginning to show his eyes (which are dark brown) for more hours each day (and night). He is fast filling up baggy babygrows and thanks to Lisa and Samantha has plenty to get through.

No.4

Coming up for six weeks now. It's been this long for Hackney Council to give us an appointment to register his birth. We did this the other day so he is now official and bringing in £15 a week to pay for his food and board.

He is guzzling milk whenever he can and Spouse is doing really well managing to do anything other than fill his stomach.

Oscar continues to give a variety performance at night and is developing new routines and sketches all the time. There's not been a lot of crying, more grunts, burps and breaking wind really. He likes to wave his arms about and shake his fists with the odd smile thrown in at random.

He was visited by two of his cousins Chloe and Oliver with Annabelle and Tim last weekend. He has been out and about in his trolley a fair bit and was awake looking around today when Spouse took him down Bethnal Green.

Next week he has his first developmental check and vaccination. Ooohh don't they grow up quick!!!

No.5

Seven weeks old yesterday and a busy week for Oscar.

He had his six week developmental check a few days ago and got a clean bill of health from the doctor. He now weighs 11lb and some ounces and is growing up well. He also had his BCG jab at the same time. Seems a bit early but they reckon there is a fair bit of  TB around this part of London.

He's been out with Shaun and Samantha with Spouse to Portabello market. Shaun had him sat in a window of a cafe where he caused a bit of a jam with people on the pavement outside cooing and waving to him.

Up to Gloucester on the Great Western Railway on Friday to see everyone up there. He is getting to be a seasoned traveller on public transport and may soon come to a terminal near you........ Click here to go back to the top November

No.6

Coming up for 2 months old now or just over 8 week's whichever you prefer.

Back from his travels in Gloucester all safe and sound. His cousins Zephaniah, Joel, Naphtali and Noah  were all great with him. They had about a hundred questions like where he came from, how much he cost, why can't he stand up and can he sing !!???

Oscar is smiling quite a lot now, both to himself and to us. He turns to Spouse when she comes into the room. He seems to recognise our voices and familiar things like his mobile and baby gym.

Night times are getting more towards regular now. He has his bath about 8 or 9pm, a bit of a feed then settles till midnight or so, another feed when he wakes then settles again till about 6ish. He'll lie in his cot awake without too much distress in the mornings then till about 8.30. This I fully expect will have completly changed the next time I do an update so if there is anyone smirking "that's what he think's" you best come back to see if you are right.

He has been "pushing up" on his legs a lot and has the strength to hold himself up though has not got a grasp on the art of balance so is liable to sudden lurches in any direction.

He was up Oxford St again today in his baby sling with Spouse (not together (in the sling)). He bought a video with some money given to him by Doris call "Baby Bright". Yes, he did choose it himself as he takes his education very seriously..

No.7

10 weeks old today. Oscar is smiling loads now and has the beginnings of a laugh. It's more of a croak really, a cross between a crow and a frog, but he looks very happy when he does it. The sounds he is making are changing and being added to all the time. He is cooing and ahhhing a fair bit and his cry is no longer the pity-full whimpers of a new born but more towards angst ridden feed me now plea's.

Bath times have changed a bit in that he does not get all the bubbles any more because his face was getting a bit dry and red. Oilatum for him now and it does seem to have helped his skin get back to normal.

He now seems to have begun to realise that those things waving around all the time are actually his arms and hands and that they belong to him. Can't say he has held anything yet though he is beginning to show signs of reaching with a purpose.

Oscar is holding his head steady and following sounds and objects with his eyes. When he is on his front Oscar can now lift up his head and have a look around.

A lot of his early clothes have now been washed and packed up in bags for Samantha who will be having her baby very soon. Good luck Sam. At this rate we will have to start buying his clothes for him as he grows his way through all those donated.

His Granny Turner got him a millenium tree. It's a special project for all baby's born in the year 2000 to have a tree planted for them in a Millennium Baby Forest of which there are several around the country. Well the trees are being planted out this month and when we find out where it is the details will be forthcoming.

No.8

Oscar has been examining his hands with fascination this week. Can't do a lot with them yet but he's getting there.

Nights have gone a bit random again but even randomness can seem like a routine that you get used to after a while.

His growing up nicely and has almost got to long for his babybath. He looks like he is trying to swim kicking his feet like pistons and you have to be careful to stop him propelling himself headlong backwards into the end of the bath.

His croaky laugh has been sounding a bit like a small dinosaur recently. He got some new boots and strides at the M & S in Woodgreen the other day with some vouchers Elroy from work gave him. Cheers Elroy.

We are planting a tree for Oscar on the 26th November 2000. It's part of the Trees of Time and Place project. The "Millenium Baby Forest"  where his tree is being planted is actually on Hackney Marshes. That will always be good for the memories. I've been informed it will grow well there as it was used as a dumping site for rubble after the Second World War. Quite why it should grow well because of that I was not told. Any answers welcome. Thanks go to his Granma Chris for sending in a reservation for him.

No.9

12 weeks old yesterday. A milestone in baby development book's though it's significance seems to have passed Oscar by, He is doing all the things the books 'suggest' your baby 'may' be doing by now and is loving it.

He is stretching his vocl chords every which way and making all sorts of noises to his own and our amusement. He finds the bathroom taps very funny and will sit in the bath staring up smiling and 'laughing' at them. Oscar has been clutching his hands together and holding on to things that are given to him and will wave them about for a while if the mood takes him. He is pushing up on his legs a lot and his balance is getting better all round. He is taking more notice of what is going on around him. Oscar recognises familiar faces though is still happy enough with everyone who holds him.

Oscar has made his claim on a bit of land today. We planted a tree for him on Hackney Marshes. It is a Yew Tree and it is on the north side of the marshes near the River Lea. Grandad and Granma Chris came up from Whitstable with Justine, Henry, George & Alice from Dover to help mark the occasion. Now Oscar has always got a spot in Hackney to remind him of his birthplace. Lovely. We will be checking on the tree's progress over the years and you know what? I could do a web site keeping you all up to date...

December 2000

No.10

Oscar is three months old. Hurrahhh. Now there is a distinction of being three months as opposed to twelve weeks which is what he was last week. It may be a distinction only parents of a three month old baby make but there it is all the same.

The news this week has Oscar weighing in at 14lbs and 2ozs. He was at the doctors the other day for his second round of vaccinations and was weighed at the same time. All is going well and there were no problems at all except when he got his injection of course when he had a bit of a scream.

Just lately he has been noticing some of the toys and things people have been buying for him. He has got a little blue elephant he is getting familiar with that a friend of Granma Chris got for him. His first ever letter came through the door a few days ago with a PG chimp inside. He's got a rag book that Linda bought all about Buttercup the Cow being hungry. Of course he has not read it yet but he does seem to like the taste. Froggy Longlegs makes him smile which one of Spouse's old clients from Community Support gave to him before he was even born. At night time he likes to count sheep and listen to Brahms Lullaby either on his sheep mobile that Azeem and family got for him.or on his Aquarium Light Show a gift from my boss Debbie. During the day Old MacDonald is the tune of choice played on his mobile from Grandad & Granma Chris.

Oscar is beginning to give a passable attempt at sitting up with support. With some imaginative use of a knee to support him and the sofa arm rest to push/pull up on Oscar is able to get up to a standing position from sitting. He is more happy with holding things though still without much control yet he has manged to direct things to his mouth already.

He has been laughing at the doorknobs in the lounge recently. A strange sense of humour is becoming apparent.

No.11

Oscar is making more noises than ever the past week or so. You can really get him going by copying the noises he makes. This seems to amuse him no end and he gets quite excited by the whole thing.

When passing the time of day and relaxing around the house Oscar likes to lie on the floor these days as opposed to reclining in his baby seat. He can now lift his head well when he is on his front though does have a tendency of puking up his milk then rubbing his face in it.

We have an established night time pattern that is going well. Get the feeling that we or at least I have got off lightly so far, thanks be.

Oscar will grab things now when he can and his movements are becoming more controlled. This may only be discernible to Spouse and me however but there it is all the same. On the hair front he was born with a fair bit and it's getting longer and curlier all the time.

He will be celebrating his first centenary on Monday when he will be 100 days old.

On Wednesday Oscar went down to Brockley. He saw his Nanny, Ella, Sam and Shaun and their new baby boy Saul who was born on the 5/12/00 at 9.15am. Congratulations to his baby cousin Saul from Oscar who says he looks forward to many mischievous exploits with you in years to come.

No.12

Oscar has been out in all weathers with us this week. Round Victoria park in the wind and rain during the week. Down to Bethnal Green this morning when it was cold enough for him to see his breath. He does not seem to mind whatever the weather all wrapped up inside his McClaren Techno Stroller (nice one Bala).

Not only is Oscar getting more fascinated by his hands he likes to suck his fist quite a bit now. He has never really taken to a dummy so good luck to him. He has also noticed his lower half now and is quite content to lie on the floor trying out different things to do with his hands, feet, arms and legs.

Oscar will do a smile when he see's himself in the mirror but you get the feeling he does not know yet that it is himself that he is looking at. During the night now he is usually asleep by ten. He has been waking just once and then he's normally OK to lie in untill around eightish. During the day he is awake for a lot more time than he is asleep.You can feel his weight now when you pick him up. He's getting bigger and stronger everyday in testiment to Spouse's feeding. If you call his name he'll look over though he'll do that if you call out the name of any common vegetable so at least his hearing is good.

He's in new nappies these days. This is in response to Oscars shock and concern about the staggeringly high volume of domestic waste that his disposable nappies constitute and the fact that he heard it takes around 500 years for them to decompose on a landfill site. To that end he has chosen to go for Nature boy & girl made from 70% natural materials. Good for Oscar and good for the environment. Hmmmmm. Find out more at www.naty.se

Thanks go to Damian & Annette. Oscar can see when it is bedtime as he has his very own penguin clock also called Oscar.

No. 13

I read/heard something along the lines of with language comes mentality. If this is right then what do you reckon is on Oscars mind when he goes mmmmmm, hhmmmmm, ummm,ehhhhwooo,chuckles and clicks his tounge all while lying on his back looking at his hands and smiling at the speakers ?

What an appetite. Breast is no longer enough for this boy. He is now knocking back a 6oz bottle a day as well. Oscars had a bit of baby biscuit and a thumbnail of mash on Sunday all to his approval.

Now he's getting bigger and has been out a few times seeing what the baby on the street is wearing this winter Oscar has developed a style of his own. Both with clothing and accessories he is definitely leaning toward the urban / utility tone of presentation this season. The emphasis is on functionality and ruggedness, avoiding the fashion gaffs that can be the downfall of a young baby on he way up in London.

Before Oscar we never bothered with a Christmas tree. Without a Christmas tree we would not have anywhere to put all the presents people have sent to him. He likes the tree and is so excited about opening his pressies it's been a job to stop him having a sneaky look.

He's got a busy Christmas planned. Down to Whitstable on Christmas day to see paternal family and friends for dinner and gossip. He's especially looking forward to this as he's never been to the coast before. Dinner with the maternal family up in Gloucester on boxing day. This is a return visit so news to catch up on with old friends no doubt. Easy Oscar.

Oscar wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and make it one to remember as there is little chance of him doing so. So wise for one so young.

January 2001

No. 14

What a first Christmas and New Year Oscar has had. Remember Live Aid "Do they know it's Christmas time at all...." Well Oscar obviously does not but that has not stopped him from adding to ours and everyone else's. He has had loads of presents. thanks to everyone who sent him a gift. Me and Spouse enjoyed opening them and now Oscar is able to reach, hold and shake things and that is pretty much what he has been doing with all his presents.

No turkey or Christmas pudding for this boy. He has gone for avocado, banana, Farleys Rusks, mash potato and carrots this year. He is enjoying his food and his appetite continues to grow. So he's now on the breast, on the bottle and snacking when he can. Don't sound to bad at all does it?

Oscar had his first experience of snow and ice this week. He has also been travelling extensively by road. First to Kent and then up to Gloucester. He seemed to find the experience relaxing and slept for nearly the whole time while in the car.

He has seen a lot of his relatives and has been happy to be held by pretty much everyone. Continues to make lots of noise and look at everything going on around him.

Night times have been a bit disturbed the past week. He seem's to be waking again at odd times usually with a blood curdling scream. He'll have a feed then fall asleep where he is until he's put back in his cot when he'll protest until he is too tired to do anything other than fall asleep. Is it a recognised phenomenon among babies that they will happily fall asleep pretty much anywhere with loads of noise but as soon as they are put in the cot they scream blue murder??

Oscar is four months old tomorrow and is very much looking forward to 2001. He wishes everyone all the best and that things are well in the world for you.

Remember to check on Oscars Archive for links to his Christmas photos.

No. 15

Oscar is not only blowing raspberries from his backside anymore. This week he has learnt how to do them from his mouth as well. Not quite sure if he is trying to communicate in this way but once he's on a roll there's no stopping him. A result of this new found skill is that he has also discovered how to blow bubbles which he seems to be finding a worthwhile way of passing the time.

He is getting more and more control over his movements. He can now remain sitting up on his own for at least three seconds before toppling gradually over to one side. When Oscar is on his back he will now  sometimes crane his neck, arch his back to one side and begin to roll. He has not quite mastered the manoeuvre yet but watch this space, it won't be long now.

Some weeks back he was sucking his fist. These days he is more happy to suck on a few choice fingers (of his own). When he is not sucking his fingers he is reaching out and grabbing things a lot more.You name it and if he can, he'll grab it and sometimes finds out what it will taste like by putting the article in question in his mouth. He has a baby gym which in his younger days he had a job to use in the correct manner. Today he was bashing it so much he managed to pull of one of the dangly things that hang down and threw it off behind him.

What makes him "chuckle" nowadays is having his top taken off before his bath time. Soon as you go to take his arms out of whatever he is wearing he cracks a grin and has a little laugh. Oscar is beginning to get a little ticklish me thinks.

Another visit to the doctor a few days a go for the last round of injections and polio drops to vaccinate him up against all those nasty bugs which are apparently so prevalent in Hackney. No more now till he is between 12 & 15 months. This means I can take him swimming just as soon as we get him some nappies that won't lead to red faces and polluted municipal pools. If he carries on breaking wind as he has done then it could well be a jacuzzi that he ends up having. Nice. While he was at the doctors Spouse had him weighed and he is now tipping the scales at a healthy 15lbs and 10 ozs. Connect to the Internet if you can't see this image.

No. 16

So what's new in the wonderful world of Oscar.

The predominant theme this week has been Oscar getting physical and laughing a lot. He's been pulling on his ears and on his hair. We have been cycling his legs and pumping his arms and he chuckles away at this little exercise. Chuckles not really a good description of his laugh. It sounds like a proper laugh alright but more of a Heahhhhhh Heahhh heahhhhh from the back of his throat. Know what I mean???

Oscar has learnt the principles of cause and effect and he will now demonstrate this understanding  when he thinks someone should be paying him attention by yelling out. He has mastered a particular high high high pitched squeal for those extra special moments of need when my eardrums are placed in danger of serious and long lasting damage.

What with all the food Oscar has been getting down him...breakfast of baby cereal, baby rice or cornmeal, dinner of a bit of fruit or veg and the odd bottle and breast thrown in for good measure along the way, the move up to the maxi nappy is well established. Oscar's doing a fine job of filling them up and they are getting muckier and smellier to change as the days go by. (Is that just a little too much information??)

When I get in from work in the evening these days Oscar has been greeting me with a great big smile. He recognises me and Spouse from strangers straight away now and carefully weighs up newcomers before giving out any grins.

Everyday another distraction opens up for him the latest being his shadow which he has just come to be aware of.

We took him for a walk in the techno stroller along the Regents Canal and the River Lea to check up on his tree in the millennium baby forest. It's doing well and seems healthy looking with all it's little chums. Hmmmm.

No. 17

Oscar is twenty weeks old yesterday and he's found his feet quite literally. He's playing with them & touching his toes and seems very proud to be able to do so. Oscars also discovered his ears and is generally becoming more and more aware of his whole body and it's relationship to him.

For a bit of light relief from existentional development and the quest into the nature of being Oscar has immersed himself in blowing bubbles from his mouth and gets a lot of pleasure from doing so.

Oscar is proving adept at getting food down him. He'll take now without too much fuss a bottle or a spoon, he'll go on the breast or take a baby drinking cup. His expanding dietary requirements however have been waking him a fair bit at night and so we are once again enjoying the opportunity to see how things look in the dark at random times between midnight & eight a.m.

We can now perch and carry Oscar on the hip around the house. He can support himself well in this position and have a good look around at things.

His hair is getting thicker and curlier on top though a bit thin around the sides (which is the exact opposite of mine as it goes).

No. 18

A bit of support and encouragement goes a long way with Oscar as he continues on his epic quest.....

This last week has seen Oscar rolling over onto his side and back again. He's nearly going all the way and onto his front. When learning this new skill he had been pushing his legs and craning his neck but all he succeeded in doing was to go round like the hands of a clock. When he finally got it I don't know who was more surprised, him or us.

This increasing mobility means it's no longer guaranteed he'll stay in one spot anymore so we have to be careful when leaving him alone now. With that in mind both sides of his cot are now on. A point to note : last week (21) Oscar had his first couple of full nights sleep without waking. The first night from 9pm - 7am and the second night from about 9.30pm to 5.30am.

Another small but important development in Oscars co ordination is he can now transfer objects from one hand to the other. He will grab hold of absolutely everything he can and his grip is very strong. Ahhh the little things parents notice ehhh.

Spouse has been playing sing along a la la's with Oscar. He loves this and seems to mimic the sounds he hears (or is it the other way round????). When out in the buggy he's ooooing and ahhhhing a lot more of the time. Oscar saw some horses the other day and he had a good look at them and then started to "sing" for the next fifteen minutes.

Oscar had some more new clothes given to him this week from one of our neighbours, Theresa. Thanks very much for them. Nothing is going to waste because soon as Oscar grows out of things Saul is just three months behind waiting to fill them up again.

His appetite continues to grow and he's taking pretty much anything Spouse prepares for him. He loves his food and when it's something he really likes he even laughs and smiles between mouthfuls.

The search for childminders is now on and both Spouse & Oscar have been tramping around checking out whats on offer. Spouses done a lot of research into this endeavour and she has found a lady that lives down the way who looks like she just might fit the bill. Another visit this week and fingers crossed it all goes well.

For a boy with his own website then you would think he'd get the odd e-mail even if he is just coming up for five months old. Well he did get one the other day from Chloe his cousin in Whitstable and he thanks her very much for her kind words.

No. 19

Five months old yesterday and Oscar is in the beginnings of trying to sit up. He is getting very aware of what's going on around him and likes to get a look at everything. Oscar continues persevering in his efforts to roll over and is doing well on this front {and back as well).

He's been making himself heard around the flat these days. His moods change pretty quickly with little or no apparent reason and Oscar will go from laughing away to crumpled face and tears in as long as it takes to say "ahhh you big baby Oscar". He likes to have company, eye contact, food and all those other little baby essentials and has discovered that a screeching cry is a fairly effective way of getting all of these things. Eeee the little rascal. When he laughs now he get's right into it and you can get him going easily enough by ha ha ha harring to him yourself.

We have been taking him with us to baptism classes for the last couple of weeks, only one more to go and we can set a date for his christening. That is if we pass Father Timothy's Baptism Quiz?? We are thinking of having it it up in Gloucester on the 20th May. Watch this space for further news.

Another visit down to the childminders on Friday and things are almost set for a couple of days a week from mid March. Time is going quick.

Since a few weeks old Oscar has suffered with a bit of baby eczma on his face. He's been having e45 on it but still this still causes him a bit of irritation and gets quite red at times. At night we put some little gloves on him but he has learnt how to quickly get these off. Oscar still enjoys his bath times and has now started to splash about and try to grab his toys. He's not at all bothered by the water and will have his hair washed and face splashed with no worries. Connect to the Internet if you can't see this image.

No. 20

This last week Oscar has learnt to roll from on his back to his front and from his front onto his back. He's been doing exercises a lot. Spouse has been going to Palatis classes and Oscar seems to be joining in with his sits ups and leg stretches.Seems to be doing him the world of good as he's getting stronger and more lively and responsive all the time.

He is really enjoying playing with his toys now and he examines and manipulates them more meaningfully these days. It does not take much to send him into fits of laughing but if he's not in the mood then it's just not happening. When there's is music playing Oscar sometimes sings along. His vocal range is obviously somewhat as limited as his vocabulary so all we are getting at the moment is ahhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhh but top marks for effort.

Oscar is now the proud owner of an Anthracite finish Prima Papa Roller High Chair with padded grey leatherette seat. Top of the range dining accessories to enhance those gastric adventures. His diet continues to expand  and he is really enjoying his food. He is sometimes taking water from one of those feeder cups to wash down his nosh and is not puking up so much with his burps after. Ahh, how nice.

Had some visitors the other day. His South London spa Saul was round with his mum Samantha. Oscar and Saul had some time catching up on baby stuff  before knocking back a few ounces of milk each and getting in forty winks while they could.

Nights start of very good these days. He's now asleep most evenings by nine right through till around threeish. Then it's a case of  Spouse filling him up with milk any number of times until eight or nine a.m. when it's time for him to have a wash and get dressed for the day.

No. 21

Oohh he's asserting himself these days and starting to protest when you take things from him. He is getting more and more inquisitive with his toys. He looks for them when there on the floor around him and grabbing anything within his reach. This is all of course causing him to laugh a lot and blow bubbles and raspberries. Oscars palate t is developing too. He now screws up his face and recoils if he does not like the taste of something, like the courgette / cauliflower mix Spouse tried giving him. Smiles and waving arms if it something he likes.

He is getting very proficient at rolling over and once on his front is stating to show signs of what may  soon turn into a crawl. When Oscars not sprawling about on the floor he likes to sit up in his high chair and observe the goings on around him. Saying that there is nothing he likes better than when his physical needs have been met than a bit of a face to face company and being jigged up and down.

Bit of a quirky one this but just for the record. Oscar is very tolerant to temperature change these days. Spouse had him weighed a few days ago and he is now 17lbs 5oz. Thats bang on the average line in his development chart.

We've been out a lot with him in his stroller enjoying the infrequent glimpses of sunshine we have been getting lately. Oscar is now in a semi sat up position as opposed to a full recline in his trolley now and getting a good look at everything around the place in Hackney. He was at the Pub on the Park during the week and visited The Royal Inn on the Park this weekend. Good choice Oscar. Seems like he's in a social smiley mood these days and has been very obliging to passers bye with smiles, laughs and oooh ah ahhhs.

No. 22

Another fantastic week (the 25th one) in the life of Oscar. Splish Splash he's been having his baths and going absolutely bonkers in it waving his arms and splashing all the water over me and Spouse. Oscar this week has been discovering the difference between the bath and the water in it and is loving it.

Busy time on the relative front. During the week he has been chilling with his cousins Ella and Saul who popped round on the way back from Sunderland and this Sunday we all went down to Whitstable. Oscar managed to get himself ready in good time and we got an earlyish train at 10am. Oscar saw his Great Grandad Victor, a fleeting glance of his Great Uncle Peter with his son Alexander and daughter Sophie, Granpa Mick and Granma Chris who cooked us all a dinner. Later on we took Oscar for a stroll along Tankerton Sea Front which left him so nonplussed he slept the whole time and missed seeing the sea for the second time.

From the sixth of March Oscar will be with a childminder for two and a half days a week. Spouse's going to see how it goes with work. If all is well Oscar could soon be making some new friends and getting used to being around some other people.

Going against the grain and my own beliefs about wheeled transport Oscar got his first car the other day. Suffice to say it had been held up in traffic for three weeks before it got here from the manufactors but he has it now and is learning how to drive. Shame because he won't be able to park it outside our flats.

Night times. Ahhh..... the saga continues. There is not a week that goes by that is the same as the week before. To be fair though Oscar has slept fairly well up till now based on hearing and reading about other parents experiences in this area. This week he is learning to go through the night without a feed. He's done it a couple of times so far with only a 15-20 minute yell around threeish before falling back to sleep on his own. (Don't worry we won't starve him but he does have to learn you know.)

Connect to the Internet if you can't see this image. March

No. 23

Six months old this week and Oscars not been himself the past few days. It looks like he's had his first bout of ill health. He has been sleeping a lot day and night and when he is awake he's not very happy and just wants to be held. Been running a bit of a temperature. We have dosed him up with Calpol which has done the trick. This evening Oscar has perked up a bit and is smiling again. Maybe there'll be a tooth in there soon and that's whats bothering him???

It's not all bad. Celebration is in order as Oscar (and Spouse) has now had the first few unbroken nights of sleep since birth. That's from about 9.00pm to 7am.This truly feels like a major milestone and one that should be added to all developmental records. For the cynics out there these occured before his bout of sickness.

Another significant achievement for Oscar this week is his growing ability to stay sat up on the floor. He has very nearly mastered it and will have it cracked very soon. When he is on the floor he revolves round like a clock and can push himself backwards. He is pushing up on his arms and knees and it is looking more and more like a crawl is on the way. This is a big week coming up for us all when Oscar has his first few days aways from Spouse. He goes to the childminder for two and half days. Ooooooohhhh what's it gonna be like. Don't know yet. Come back next week and find out.

No. 24

Very good news is that Oscar is fit and well again and enjoying life. His sickness cleared up without any intervention aside from the Calpol and just him sleeping a lot between feeds.

He is developing his mobility skills and can now pretty much circumnavigate the lounge. He does this with a combination of rolling over and over and by pushing himself in a backward crawl type manouvre. We are more aware about what's within his inquisitive grasp and you'd think that would translate as a  tidier flat but it does not seem to work out that way.

Change of plan on the child minder front. Oscar will now stay with Spouse who will continue to look after him at home instead. Combination of factors influenced the decision but a result that leaves us feeling good.

Oscar went down to Brockley to see Saul today who is looking very good. He'll be moving next week so no doubt the two will be meeting up again soon to rate the new place. An update on clothing and accessories which have not had a mention lately. Oscar has now outgrown nearly all his clothes that were up to six months. He now has trousers that don't look like they've fallen out with his shoes (Chlorpomazine trousers for those with any psychiatric background).

Thought his teeth might of been coming through but no sign of them yet. Easy Oscar in your own time.

No. 25

Oscar had his first haircut today. It was not easy. Spouse kept hold of him and I set about his mop with the clippers. The result was not quite what we had in mind but at least it will grow back over time. Shame really because in the last week he's taken an interest in looking at his reflection in the mirror. He has one on his playmat and he will put his face right up against it and have a good look.

On his mission for mobility Oscar is progresing well. In addition to rolling about on the floor he is now sticking his bottom in the air and is pulling his legs up so he is almost resting on his knees. This with him doing mini press ups and I reckon it's only going to be another week or so until he's moving about on all fours. The smart money may be with Spouse though who is not so sure about this as he's not really sitting up on his own yet. Oscar is making different sounds and learning new ones, ga ga ga ma ma ma sort of thing. Sometimes it sounds like he's saying OOOOh No and Mama when he's in a bit of distress. Ahh bless him.

A very useful skill that has been demonstrated in the last week. Oscar is now able to put his foot in his mouth quite literally. Should hopefully be some considerable time before he manages to do this in the idiom sense.

What will all this physical and linguistic exercise a healthy appetite has been maintained. Oscar is having three square meals a day and being topped up with milk at stategic points in between. Night times are now milk free untill he wakes up about six or seven in the morning. He is still waking up at night and crying but manages to get himself back of to sleep without the need for a feed. Well that's the idea anyway but it's a lot harder for him than it sounds.

Who'd have though that sleep could have so many different facets to get the hang of ? Fighting tiredness and then getting upset because your sleepy does not make much sense does it ? Supposing you don't know that the two are linked though and then it must get very frustrating. It seems that this is something that Oscar is going through at the moment and it is causing him some angst. Never mind Oscar, like your hair it won't be like that forever.

Ocsar's moods and behaviour are changing all the time and what may make him happy today might make him cry tomorrow and vice versa. However he does appear to be quite contented on the whole and is fairly easy to pacify when upset. Oscar likes to have attention and company but can be left to amuse himself for a short time now that he's intrigued by touching and grabbing everything within his reach.

No. 26

Wohohoohhh Oscar easy goes it. He's rolling all over the place, scrunching things up, ripping paper, dropping stuff, pulling and pushing and just being completely made up with what surrounds him, whether or not he can reach whatever he's seen and then what he can do with it once he's got a hold.

Just starting to be able to notice that Oscar is now imitating and mimicking sounds he's hears from us. His favourite thing right now is to smacking his lips together making a kind of opping sound like ummthmbff ummthmbff not that either of us do that much!!!!

The crawl is coming on very quickly. He is up on his hands and knees and now mastering the art of forward propulsion pushing with his feet.... getting his arms foward at the same time is the tricky bit which failing to do so means he can spend a good deal of time looking very closely at the carpet.......... nearly there Oscar.

Down to Gillingham on the train today where he met up with his Grandparents for a tour of the Medway towns. To be chauffeured around by his grandfather is an honour which unfortunately Oscar is too young to fully appreciate yet but let this entry be a true record of the occasion which Oscar can now look back upon in later years and feel proud.

A bit of a cough & runny nose this week but not distressing him too much. Oscars been getting off to sleep fairly quickly these days, normally by about 8pm and zzzzzing it till 5 or 6 AM, maybe with a couple of plaintiff crying spells in the night but settling again soon. Putting away the food and drink and bouncing about happily.

The hairs growing back nicely and should be looking all the better for the trim in a few more weeks. Lat thing before I forget again and just for the memory, Oscar has been responding consistently to his name now for about three weeks Connect to the Internet if you can't see this image. April

No. 27

Seven months old yesterday and sitting up and crawling, all be it in an unconventional way that is a cross between a caterpillar and a break-dancer. Certainly very proficient at getting around the place and he is now venturing into the kitchen.

Oscar is obsessed with the waste paper basket and likes to knock it over and rummage about with the contents whenever he can. Buckets of bricks and paper are on the way. He is going in just about everything he can get his hands on pushing buttons on the remote and attacking the video and cable box. On Sunday he spent time ripping up and rearranging the magazines and papers.

When Oscar hears music he likes he grinns a lot bobs his head and rocks about on his hands and knees.

No. 28

This week has seen Oscar sitting on the floor good style with no support. Oscar has also put in his first proper crawl on his hands and knees and can cover the length of the flat in no time. Ehh well done Oscar and just for the memory it was at seven months and one week.

No teeth in sight yet though he is managing to eat food with lumps in it. Sleeping alright and waking around 6am screaming for food after which he's happy in his cot for another 1-2 hours. Still enjoying all his food and drink going Mmmmmmm between each mouthfull.

Oscar went down to Chatham again this weekend and met up with his cousins, who were down from Grimsby for the weekend. Oscar also had a look a what might be his new house . If it turns out to be the case then we'll have to be thinking about a new name for this site.

The waste paper basket that Oscar enjoyed rummaging in last week has now been trashed itself. It was a straw basket and Oscar liked to pull all the straw out. The video continues to be a major attraction and we were disguising it with cushions but he soon sussed that. A big stool now bars his way.

Alexander   Jacob and Joseph.

No. 29

Oscar is now well able to sit up properly and can shift between a crawl and sitting up with the consumate ease of a professional.

He has been crawling about all over the place on his hands and knees and is exploring everywhere. He is pulling wires, trying to put things in the video and playing around with whatever else takes his eye. The other day he was in the bathroom having a look round then he crawled of into his bedroom before returning once more to the lounge. Oscar is following things a bit now like objects that roll and so on. He'll also come after Spouse or me when we leave the room and come looking for us. Don't worry we never leave him for long.

It's a bit small the flat to explore so yesterday when we went to the Royal Festival Hall down on the Southbank to meet Shaun, Sam, Ella, Saul and Zephania, Oscar had the time of his life crawling as far as his little hands and knees could take him on the polished wooden floors they have their. His cousin Ella got down on the floor with him and gave him all the encouragement he needed which was not actually very much at all.

Quite a busy week on the relatives front as he had spent the night at Aunty Elaines in Essex during the week while his Nanny Rose was down from Gloucester. Another big opportunity for him to see everyone is coming up soon when he gets baptised on the Sunady 13th May 2001 at St Peters RC Church in Gloucester. His Godmother to be Lucille Campbell is organising it all so big thanks to her and I just hope she keeps Oscars Godfather to be Shaun in line at least untill after the ceremony.

Oscar has a funny way of sleeping at night these days. He rests on his knes and sticks his bum in the air and will maintain that position for hours. He has been waking up in the night but not for long. However Oscar is like an alarm clock come 6 a.m when he screams for his breakfast bottle which see's him through till around  7 or 8 when it's time for everyone to get up.

Another new development that Spouse noticed has been that Oscar can get a little bit overwhelmed with lot's of people in his face especially if they are not familiar to him. He soon gets over it but can have a bit of a cry at first. Ahhh well the trials and tribulations of babyhood that we have all had but have long forgot.

No. 30

Connect to the Internet if you can't see this image. As you can see on the picture Oscar has now learnt to pull himself up.

The last 2 weeks or so has seen such big changes in how Oscar is. He is more becoming an active participant in his own world as opposed to a passive recipient. He is making things happen and trying things out and being absolutely delighted with what he's discovering.

The latest thing he's working on is copying a wave. When he see's a wave he puts up his arm and opens and closes his fingers not quite getting a grasp of what it is he wants to do. At the rate he is going though I'm sure it won't be long before he gets it.

Spouse has taken him up to Gloucester this week and Oscar won't be back till Friday. AAhhhh the first week away from his father. I think I'm probably missing him more than he is me with all the attention I know he'll be getting up there. Good on you Oscar, enjoy the week and I'll see you soon.

No 31

Ehhhh........ Oscar has spent the last week cruising around and visiting relatives and friends up in Gloucester. By all accounts he's been on top form smiling and laughing with everyone he has met.

Plans have been made for the 13th of May when he's getting baptised with Lucille's boys Michael and Stephen, who have been getting to know him while he was up there.

Spent some time with his Great Grandmother Celes and was a visitor at her lunch club where he went down a storm with all the regulars crawling around, pulling trouser legs and grinning at old ladies.

Still no teeth though has caught the sun a bit with the time he spent in his Nana' Rose's garden. Eating out a lot during his visit what with all the travelling around he did but maintaining a very good appetite

He 's waving his arms to say hello, goodbye or just ooooh I'm a bit excited. Sleeping very well. Seems to have got the hang of it. By 8pm till 6am with maybe just a little variation to the pattern every now and then.

Standing up whenever he can use something to haul himself up with and starting to side step along the sofa and trying out what it's like with just one hand. May

No 32

Here we are now at eight months old and the first signs of his teeth can be seen coming through at the front. This I think has caused him some discomfort and has been what's keeping him awake at night the past few days.

During the day he is a live wire, full of energy bouncing, crawling and peering into every nook and cranny. When he's in the bath he won't stay still for two seconds and is splashing about, lunging for the taps, bath plug and shower hose.

Spouse had him weighed last week and he's now 19lb 6 oz which according to the chart is just about right. Oscar now has quite an extensive baby burble vocabulary and is keeping us both entertained finding words that his babbling sounds like.

The balance is getting better and Oscar can now stand up, sit down and move sideways along furniture all quite proficiently. The video will soon be destroyed unless we find a better way of keeping Oscar from sticking his hands in the front flap and banging on the top with his hands. Connect to the Internet if you can't see this image.

No 33

A very eventful week in the life of Oscar.

His two bottom teeth are emerging slowly and the white caps of both are visible now. Oscar is screaming a lot and a bit more agitated than usual for him so I think it's a safe bet to say that they are still causing him a fair bit of pain and discomfort. We have been giving him stuff to ease the soreness but he seems to prefer his fingers to gum on more than anything else. The Bonjela came out today so hopefully this will give him some relief.

We've all got out to enjoy the sunshine proper for the first time this year and Oscars been catching the rays enough to start bringing out the colour in him. We walked over to Hackney Marsh a few days ago to see how his tree is doing. It's coming on fine but not growing quite as fast as he is. Oscar enjoyed crawling about on the grass in the open space, though I think he missed having any obstacles to get across. Oscars philosophy when it comes to navigating obstructions is why go round it, if you can climb over it.

Up to Gloucester on the train this weekend where Oscar was baptised. It was a very special occasion with Lucille's boys Michael and Stephen also Christened along with three other babies at the same time. St Peters Church was the venue and Father Fitzpatrick did the honours. Oscar was supported by a whole heap of relatives and family friends and big thanks to everyone who turned out and gave Oscar gifts, cards and well wishes. Special thanks to Rose who organised the party afterwards, everyone who made the trip up from outside the area and Shaun and Lucille who very kindly have become Oscars Godparents.

Oscar is starting to find comfort / distraction with a teddy he's been given called Penny Payne and tonight he has just fallen asleep in Penny's lap.

No 34

Oscar likes to see things fall when he drops them. This is his thing this week and it's keeping him amused. Oscar has also been enjoying knocking things down and throwing stuff.

He is fascinated by the plug and chain in the bath and as it not attached he is sometimes very reluctant to give it up after his bath. It can get a bit tricky trying to get his arms in his clothes while he holds on to it and dives about on the bed.

Oscar is very wriggly when getting him washed and dressed and very quick. In a bat of an eye he can fearlessly put himself on the verge of disaster. He's fallen of the bed once already but did not seem that bothered by it at the time. He's forever banging his head and as I write Oscar is climbing over my feet to smash up the computer arghhhhhhhh.....

This sunshine and warm weather is very much to his liking and doing the eczema on his face the world of good. It almost clears completely on nice days. We took Oscar to London Fields Festival which was on at the weekend. We bounced about to Jah Youth sounds and Oscar got into the swing of things getting most lively between tunes?!!

Oscar's has been out driving in his push car along the canal and round the estate. He has some concerns about parking in Hackney so is cautious about making this his main form of transport.

Something else that keeps him happy these days is standing or sitting at the security gate looking out the front door. Just hope this doesn't give him a preference to looking through bars!!! Picture Links

No 35

Oscar is getting more emotional and he is free in expressing his frustration. He can put up quite a protest, enough even to shame the average 21st century urban protesters efforts on a May Day. Fair play to his current form however as most of the time he remains quite content in either amusing himself or being amused.

Oscar loves being outside in open spaces and that's where he has spent a lot of the last week with me and Spouse lounging about in the sun. He crawls about as far as he can get before we think we should bring him back. Seems quite a long way to me. He absolutely loves climbing over things and if given the choice between a clear path and an obstacle course then the obstacle course get's it every time.

His balance is slowly getting better and better and when standing holding onto to stuff he often has a go at letting go or just holding on with the lightest touch. His baby gym has now transformed into his first keyboard which he can pull himself up to so as to play at the keys. He uses this and his push car as a type of zimmer frame and when the momentum gets the better of him can be seen to go charging across the room. He takes a fair few falls and has coped with them well and seems to be fairly robust in general.

Night times have taken a bit of a nosedive. He has been getting to sleep a bit later and waking up in the night and howling. At the moment different things are being tried and we're going with whatever works. I think it's a combination of teething, hunger, tiredness and a greater awareness of his own complaints that's causing it. Oh yeah and him being a baby as well.

No 36

Oscar was nine months old yesterday and is becoming more and more inquisitive every day. He is looking into every nook and cranny he can find and squeezing into the smallest spaces. When he's got hold of stuff he is examining it and seeing what he can do with it before throwing or dropping it to one side and moving onto the next nearest thing.

Granma Chris has knitted him a very nice jumper that Oscar has been proudly wearing. He loves all the bright colours and sends his thanks.

Oscar is copying sounds and gestures more quickly and is waving back at people and imitating all sorts of noises that he hears.

One thing that he is not doing at the moment is putting much in his mouth. Oscar is eating all the foods that he's given but has yet to realise that he can put stuff in his mouth himself. It's sort of good in a lot of ways but it does seem a little unusual. He put's his fingers in his mouth OK and had been putting stuff in his mouth a few months ago but not so much anymore. So much for Freuds oral stage of development, looks like Oscar got bored with that and has moved onto the next stage with his first bout of nappy rash. Having said that though he did almost put a bread-stick in (his mouth) today but never quite made it. Watch this space for future developments.

No 37

Ahhh Oscars got a bit of a cold this week with snuffles, runny nose and a chesty cough. Warm clear fluids apparently is the thing for this so we'll see how that goes before trying anything else.

His nappy rash is a lot better and it's almost gone now. We are however getting through loads more nappies than before. Shame on us Oscar if we have not been changing you often enough. Mind you we've been told that teething causes nappy rash because it makes the urine more concentrate what with all the dribbling and that . You learn something new everyday.

Talking of teething his two bottom teeth are nearly all the way through now  though there is no sign of anymore on the way yet. Oscar loves my toothbrush and waves it about like he's conducting an orchestra. He is almost letting me near him with his first toothbrush a strange looking affair which has rubber bits on it instead of bristles. Can't really see it doing much good aside from introducing him to the concept of oral hygiene.

Oscars been trying to stand up from sitting without the aid of furniture but not getting it just yet. His balance is good though and he can stay standing without holding on to anything for a few seconds. He is practising his walking skills by pushing his keyboard along the corridor and he's getting more proficient at this all the time.

We are being treated to some major strops nowadays when we are putting him in his high chair or buggy but Oscar soon calms down once he's there.

Sleeping pretty good once again through the night from 8pm to around 6am. Hurrraaaahhhhh for Oscar.

No 38

No place is safe from Oscar these days when he's on one of his seek and destroy missions round the flat. We've tidied a lot of stuff away but still he gets his hands into everything. He can turn the digital TV box on and off and has strange viewing preferences to watch B&W snow. Most of the time we don't have the TV on when Oscar's up as he likes to stand up holding on to the screen with his face about an inch away.

And on standing....... Oscar continues on his quest to stand unaided. He can now quite often be seen to wobble tentatively, arms outstretched alongside whatever it was he was holding on to at the time. This enthusiasm for mobility and the energy of a small power station leads to bumps and scrapes but nothing to dampen his adventurous spirit. Today he got his fingers in the bin and has been opening kitchen cupboards and getting out the shoe polish.

Still enjoying the baths, probably more so than ever. We get soaked almost every time. He jumps about a lot and tries diving over the side.

His cold has nearly gone and a big green slimy one it was to. However to Oscar's credit he has got through it with little fuss and has only the last of the chesty cough to shake off now.

At meal times Oscar is starting to put finger foods in his mouth. Had some pitta bread the other day and cucumber this evening.

No 39

Nothing better than emptying out boxes and looking into stuff for Oscar this week. He has learnt how to clap his hands and is repeating sounds if you listen with a little bit of imagination.

He's been taking his first steps / stretches / balancing from one point to another and does not stop scrambling about from the time he wakes up till he goes to sleep again. Mind you as long as he's on the move with things to see he''ll sit quietly. Me and Spouse took him on a grand tour of London Waterways in the buggy. We were out for nearly eight hours and he was happy watching the world go by and snoozing on and off throughout.

Oscar loves being out in the open and crawling about in the park. The hot and sunny weather we've been getting we've got him the latest in sun protection.

July 2001

No. 40

Oscar is 10 months old today and doing all the things you read ten month old babies should be doing and then some more.

He likes to shout into the washing machine to hear the echo. He looks the proper little workman standing up with his head half in it peering around . Don't worry the powers always off.

Noises do seem to be the thing at present and he is copying sounds more and more. It's usually when you least expect it so you can't quite believe he did it though I swear he said dada this evening. Mmmmmummmmma he managed a long time ago.

Oscars first unsupported faltering steps are getting ever nearer. He can balance unaided for a few seconds before a controlled descent. Today he turned from the sofa and put one foot forward before going into a crawl. Speaking of crawling I've been reading about other babies who are the same age as Oscar and are just beginning to crawl now. I have to say it.....  Oscars been crawling for at least six weeks now as well as loads of other stuff  that is more towards the eleven to twelve months stage. Well done Oscar you are an advanced baby and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

On the food front which has not been mentioned for a while. He is putting away a terrific amount and is still eating pretty much everything he's given. With the finger foods Oscar is really getting to grips with the practicalities now and will try cucumber, bread, vegetables and cheese  to name a few.

Night times of course will never be the same but two nights in seven is the average for Oscar to be wailing and flaying about which does not feel too bad at the moment. Always get the feeling I'm tempting fate when I write good stuff about nights but like everything else I think it has no bearing on his sleep pattern whatsoever.

What makes Oscar laugh these days is a set of smiling teeth. He loves them and he will be in fits if he sees a particularly gleaming set of gnashers. I'm pretty sure he can recognise his own picture now. We have one as the wallpaper on the computer and as soon as he sees it he's smiling and cooing away like there's no tomorrow.

Went to Lewisham yesterday to see Saul, Samantha, Shaun and Nana Rose. Oscar had a lovely afternoon romping about naked in the sun (Oscar not us!!!!)  and he had a bit of a paddle with Saul. Connect to the Internet if you can't see this image.

No. 41

Oooooooohhhh exciting times. Oscar has now taken his first steps. He's standing up unsupported and will sometimes get up without pulling on anything either. He can balance for a good few seconds and can take two or three steps before going down again. The enthusiasm he has to get somewhere or do something has to be seen as he leaps, crawls and moves around and finds his way into just about everything.

Expressing a wide range of emotions and getting upset when something happens he's not to happy about. Things like stopping him from diving off the bed or trapping his fingers in the doors are good examples because it's not as if you can let him do it till he gets bored. Easily distracted most of the time but if he has his heart set on something then a strong determination is showing through.

Peculiar thing Oscar does is drive his head into a pillow or similar soft object and then step forward until he's almost doing a head stand before rolling to one side. He does this quite a lot especially when he's a bit tired. Another odd thing is that he often sleeps on his knees with his head down and his bum in the air. Oscars been doing this for ages now but not sure if I've written about it before.

Today Oscar had some truly original Turner cooking with a recipe called Steak Macaroti created by Granma Chris. He had some mashed sweet potato with it to pad it out a bit and make it easier for him to swallow. He loved it and ate it all up.

Continuing to build on his linguistic skills and is picking up sounds and copying them quickly. He sings with the kettle when it whistles and can now definitely repeat dada.

No 42

The first steps have turned into his first walk and Oscar is now very nearly getting across the width of the lounge. He is being very modest about the whole thing and does not seem to think it's anything special as me and Spouse clap and cheer him on.

Early in the week Oscar managed to climb / fall out of his cot half way through the night and he fell to the floor. Luckily he did not damage himself as he landed on some pillows. I felt very bad for not adjusting the cot sooner but there I was screwdriver and pliers in hand at 1am lowering the base.

Oscar is starting to perform and is checking out the reaction he gets from us for some of the stuff that he does. Very responsive to everything and he has to touch, pull, poke and meddle with anything he can get to. Oscar has a teddy bear that he like to wrestle and the way in which he does this makes it look like bear is fighting back. On Sunday Oscar went to his first major music festival when we went to Essential on Hackney Marshes. When we were there he saw Johnny Clark and the Iration Steppas / Kitachi and seemed to approve all the way kicking his feet happily until falling asleep with the excitement of it all.

No 43

Oscar continues to practice upright movement at every opportunity, his enthusiasm knowing no bounds. The saying don't run before you can walk could be taken quite literally by Oscar if he could understand what it meant as he throws himself about the flat. His walk is a bit stiff at the moment and Oscar has a gait not dissimilar to Frankenstein. He is fond of walking whilst holding onto a cushion which can be a bit of a hindrance to him as he tends to trip over it and end up diving on the floor.

His top two teeth are visible and starting to come through. It looks like he may well have a gap between them just like his father. You can also see the impressions of the bottom teeth through his gums. Oscar lets us clean his teeth with a toothbrush and  toothpaste that tastes and smells like bubblegum.

The past week or so Oscar has been trying to manipulate his bottle so as he his getting it into his mouth himself. Oscar is also learning how to use things as tools. He emptied a box out, pushed it to the side of the sofa and then used it to as a stepping stone to get up on the sofa. Every week it seems he is learning something new and moving onto the next thing.

His cry is developing from the high pitched squeal into a full blood curdling yell from the back of his throat. It can sound quite amusing at times the ferocity of his protests against appalling outrages such as hunger or tiredness.

Oscar keeping in touch with his spa Saul and sharing his toys with him like the good cousin he is. August

No 44

Two weeks worth of news this time as we've had so much going on I've been distracted from writing.

Big times for all of us. We moved out of London and down to Chatham on the 25th of July and have been settling into our new home.

Oscar is now 11 months old and full of life. He's getting very good at walking and is enjoying exploring his new home on two feet as opposed to all fours. When Oscar walks he likes to carry things with him. Stairs and steps are the next challenge which at the moment he is either getting to grips with by crawling up or down the small ones or treating with caution and avoiding the big ones.

Of course with all these new things Oscar has had a fair few tumbles and knocks and sustained scratches and bruises on a regular basis. He does appear to be learning not to crash his head about so much and he has in fact learnt how to shake it manically from side to side. This he sometimes does whilst bobbing up and down on his hands and knees listening to music. It has to be seen but he looks likes he's shocking out to some hard tunes that Shaka or Aba Shanti would play.

Now that we have a back yard to go out in so Oscar has a whole new world to discover. Dirt is good in Oscars books and to spread it around is his mission. When it's been hot we've had Oscar in a paddling pool which he thoroughly enjoys spending time in whether there's any water in it or not.

Why do things by halves ? is what Oscar could be thinking about the recent changes to his accommodation. As well as moving house, on the same night he found himself sleeping in his own room. At the moment Oscar is almost like clockwork waking at 4am and then on and off till about 6.30 when he's awake for proper. His protests are loud and strong and have changed in frequency so sounding more guttural now as opposed to the high pitched screech that they were before.

No 45

Oscar has had a few more bumps and scrapes this week and looks like he's been rubbing his face on a cheese grater. Learning quite fast about how hard stuff like the ground can effect him and at times Oscar looks like he's showing some caution.

Spent this weekend over at his cousin Saul's in Lewisham and had his Nana rose babysit for them on Saturday night (and most of Sunday as it panned out!!) First occasion away from both of us for any length of time since being born and he did well.

At home Oscars stepping from the yard to the lounge and back again. He's learnt how to climb up the stairs and being dangerous trying to come down. When we tell him no, don't touch and so on he gets the message but still he trys it out and tests our reaction. Been helping out with the laundry at home and has a fondness for pushing the clothes horse round the backyard.

In the bath which is the big one now he slaps his tummy and pinches his skin and he seems to be noticing more of himself.

No 46

Oscar is fast approaching his first birthday and seems like he's getting excited about it already. Running about here there and everywhere bumping into stuff, climbing onto furniture, tipping things over and using the energy it would take to run a small car.

He's copying sounds and simple words quickly now and Oscars very latest thing is to point. Not at anything yet it has to be said but he's having fun learning the mechanics.

On Saturday we took Oscar to the sports centre where he played about in something called the Big Top Soft Play area. He was swamped by all the balls that were there to roll about in and thinking about it now Oscar was probably less active there than he is just being around the house. On Sunday Oscar met up with a lot of his cousins, aunties, uncles and grandparents on the Turner side of the family round at his Great Auntie Josephine's house for a Bar B Q. He had a brilliant afternoon running and crawling all round the house and garden and being amongst it all. Had his first go on a bouncy castle and was kept amused the whole afternoon going exactly where he wanted, clutching a sparkly windmill fan with me or Spouse trailing behind keeping him from danger.

All his bumps and grazes have gone now and the eczema on his face has all but retreated into nothing. Getting of to sleep very well these days nearly always by 8 p.m. Unfortunately it's not so good on the other side of the night as he's been waking at 4 a.m and screaming the house down. We've been trying different strategies and Oscar has been waking later the past few days to a more feasible 5.30 - 6.00 a.m. Connect to the Internet if you can't see this image. September

No 47

Congratulations and celebrations. Oscar has had his first birthday. Well done son your doing great and looking good

Well you know that come round quickly. Just twelve months ago we had a little baby all scrunched up and wrinkly and now we have little Oscar dashing about, laughing, pulling things over, bumping into doors and getting his hands into everything.

Oscars spent his birthday breakfast opening his cards and presents and later enjoyed throwing around building blocks and learning how to play a trumpet. Once he got that mastered he decided on taking the train up to see Saul and spending the afternoon hanging around the Royal Festival Hall on the Southwark.

Back on the home front things continues to develop. Oscar has begun to put things in places. At the moment we're lucky because if we can not find something Oscar has probably put it in the laundry basket but I wonder how long it will be before he has a hundred other places to deposit his finds.

He's racing around all over and likes to have his arms swinging about at the same time which effects his balance and co ordination somewhat and so he has had a few more close encounters with the door frames.

A big plus to having Oscar charge about is the fact that he gets off to sleep very well indeed these days and is out like a light at the end of his day. Mornings are a touch on the moody side but he's starting to be able to wake up without too much distress every once in a while until he see's either Spouse or me stir then theirs no stopping him.

He's getting more demonstrative and cuddly and comes running with arms open and likes to cling onto trouser legs if he's feeling especially vulnerable.

Spouse sings nurseries rhymes to Oscar and he has now started to sing along making noises to the tune. Ring a ring of roses is a favourite and Oscar thinks the atishoo bit is well funny. When we are out with in in the buggy he is much more vocal and Oscar is often the loudest person in the shops.

Now that he's a year old these regular updates are coming to an end. I am still thinking about where to go from here in terms of keeping the world informed (and of course keeping the record to look back on). No plans to take the site down as such but may have new developments coming.