In the last few weeks, P has been eating like crazy (as I write this he is shovelling his shreddies in with his hands). He has a hobbitish second breakfast at about ten, usually out and about, as here - he shows he's ready for it by either pawing at the bag that contains the banana/peanut butter rice cakes/dried fruit/ham slices or climbing onto a nearby bench. We're taking advantage of this surge of interest in food to ditch the bottles of cow's milk he's been having in the daytime for the last few months, which he seems to have taken in his stride.

Well, he is a phonetician's son, so I hope I can be forgiven for subjecting him to a little light analysis ... here's P's vocab at 16 months. I think he has a nice range of consonants coming along, got to work on those velars though!
[ˈbeɪbə][ˈbabi][ˈbabə] = baby
[baʔ] = back [specifically my back, to ride in the sling]
[bɛː] = bear
[bəː] = book
[a.a] with falling intonation = bye-bye
[ˈdəːti] = dirty
[dɔ] = dog
[dʌʔ] = duck
[(h)ɛjo][(h)ɛluə] = hello
[bʌʔbʌʔ] = hen [“buck buck”]
[ʔɔʔ] = hot
[nɔnɔnɔ] = no (!)
[ʃəː] = shoe(s)
[sɔʔ][ʃɔʔ] = sock(s)
[ʃjɛp] = step(s) [as in stairs]
[tuə] = toe(s)
[ʌp] = up
[d()us] = water [“juice” oddly, given that he doesn't drink it]

So guess what we did today?
I've been wanting to install this bike seat (NCT sale bargain) for ages, finally tackled it this morning and we all went for a ride. Apart from having his non-negotiable helmet clipped on, P seemed to enjoy it very much. I did too - it was pretty much the first time I've ridden properly since mid-pregnancy. We took in a country pub, an interesting church, a riverside path and a newsagents to take the Guardian home afterwards, just the job.

P down at the park yesterday...
In the last three days, four strangers have referred to him as a little girl (and, as I recall, none as a boy). He's generally been either wrapped on my back and wearing non-blue clothing, but I still really don't think he looks like a girl, do you? It doesn't bother me and I never correct people, just say "thank you!" - but it is odd. I'm sure a buzzcut would change things, but that's not on the agenda for now...

Am a post or three behind - still sorting out holiday snaps (though there are some on Facebook). Meanwhile, this is how Peter wanted to spend a good hour of this morning...

Back together again after the week in Swallowfield / Cambridge. P and I saw lots of Uncle AJ, Aunty Picul and Great Aunty Gil, as well as Nana and Grampa. P was harder work than usual, being a bit cranky, clingy and feverish following his MMR last week, but he seems chirpier now.
Here are a few photos from the week in Swallowfield:


Yesterday we spent the morning with Philip - the video is of us having a shottie on his fabbo recumbent trike -the afternoon with a group of sling-mad babywearing mamas who took over a playgroup in Reading. I had driven to mum and dads alone with Peter, first big drive and I was a bit nervous about not being able to stop on the motorways if he kicked off, but he was fine - when he wasn't snoozing he was burbling to himself or looking out of the windows.

Get a load of those teeth! Six and counting...
P and I are visiting Nana and Grampa and Uncle AJ this week while M teaches in Cambridge. Nana bought him this cow cup, which is a big hit.

Live Long and Prosper.
That's me and Rob in the background of the St James' Park sandpit, when we met up for a last day out in London before he was off to take up the Harvard chaplaincy. We will miss him a lot.

P snoozing in his new carseat. He's already over 10 kilos and getting taller, so it was time to move out of the baby-sized one. This is a German make called a kiddy infinity; instead of a five-point harness, the child is secured by the adult belt going across a bolster which sits in front of the stomach. Bit unusual for the UK market, but they came out really wll in Which? safety trials and (since we found we couldn't fit a rear-facing seat safely in our small two-door car) seemed like our best choice. It didn't hurt that the shop found us an odd model which features attached toys and a "road" for him to play with.

Shocking time lag since the last post. No very good reason, we have just been busy, or ill, or both... so here are a couple of photos until normal service is resumed. Am still wearing/wrapping P a lot, but we've moved on to back carries mostly. There are a surprising number of them, here's one of our better recent efforts.
We had P's first birthday and welcoming picnic. There are many photos here (should be accessible whether or not we are friends on Facebook, but if not, either befriend me or let me know!)
And here are M and P at the most recent swimming lesson. I love this photo.