I want to remember where we are now. Everything moves so quickly. Miss grows up at twice the speed Monkey did – because she’s the second, and also because with him I didn’t know anyone, had nothing much to do, was basically bored out of my tree quite a lot in the first 8 months or so, but it did mean that looking back, the time seemed longer.

And now. She’s starting to crawl. She’s six and a half months, nearly, so a little behind her Very Active brother, but still pretty darned active. She stealth-potters around the place, suddenly appearing over by the toys when I had put her down on her play mat only a few minutes ago. This evening she visited the lego box, B’s computer bag strap, the FisherPrice piano, and the leg of the coffee table, which she likes to lick before bonking her head on the lower level, which is nicely padded. All the toys are so tempting for her, all those bright colours and shiny plastic things that she knows she’ll be able to play with soon. She has so much at her disposal, compared to Monkey at the same age who had a paltry few toys in the magazine holder basket thingy.

She likes food, it seems, which is also a change for me. I remember agonizing over trying to feed Monkey his solids at the “right” time, thinking he was always too full, or too tired, or maybe too hungry to have patience with it… but clearly, he just isn’t very interested in food. Miss likes the stuff, lets me put bits of apricot in her mouth, cries to eat when we’re eating, acts like other people’s babies used to when I’d be despairing over Monkey’s non-eating. It’s nice to know I didn’t do anything wrong back then. I’m sure she’ll get picky when she’s a toddler, but for now, I’m pleased to have a baby who eats food.

Monkey, now. So much going on. He changes every day, is into new things, doing new stuff, saying new words. But I have to think to pin it down. Right now, it’s all Cars and Lightning McQueen, and his big new car that we got at the school yard sale on Saturday, which he can put his little cars into. I feel like he’s come out of the age-two irrationality, when I had to approach everything so carefully and jump on every little opportunity to get him dressed or put on shoes, and accede to his ridiculous demands or risk a tantrum. But at the same time, he took the water jug (empty) on his walk in the stroller at naptime today. Who am I to deny him such a request, if it keeps the peace? But in general, life is easier in many respects than it was this time last year. And then again, not. This parenting gig gets more complex.

Huh. Dean Cain went out with Brooke Sheilds. I would have thought she was older than him.

He (Monkey, not Dean Cain) goes to sleep on his own now many nights, and he sleeps through till 6am or later. These are things I could only dream of this time last year. He loves school and always says “I’ll be happy at school today”, mindful still of the time when he wasn’t always. He runs around the playground with the other boys, playing actual cooperative games with David and Matthew, or whoever his BFFs are this week. He converses with Helen – at least before their playdates degenerate into “You shaddup” – “You shaddup” – “Get away from my house” – “You can’t like blue” – “I like blue, and green, and yellow.” and so on. But they also do a very adorable running towards each other calling the other’s name when they haven’t seen each other for a while. Soon, no doubt, he’ll learn to pick her up by the waist and swing her round – at the moment they get to each other and then awkwardly, but sweetly, hug. And begin some sort of totally non-sequiteur conversation: “My mummy said I had new shoes because my old shoes hurt and they were green and I like green, and yellow, and blue, and light green, but I don’t like red” overlaid with “We came to your house and we brought brownies and I got a cookie for you,” or whatever.