18 months old … “my daughter is eighteen months”, how incredible …
is she a baby any more? She’s not a toddler as she’s not (quite) walking unaided yet … she is already embarking on some pretty shocking terrible two’s when she can’t understand something or can’t have exactly what she wants and she is also climbing sofas, arm chairs, stairs and pretty much everything else in her path.
She had a pretty good 18 month birthday really, we went to playgroup and she saw all her little friends, several of whom were born the same week and one within 20 minutes of her, we sang about the Dingle Dangle Scarecrow, the Big Yellow Tractor, and Baa Baa Blacksheep and we even wound The Bobbin Up before ‘Sleeping Bunnies’ and then fish and chips … such a happy morning. Then we popped into town to replace last year’s cheap linen trousers with this year’s pair … I have no imagination when it comes to shopping!! After that we drove to the lovely paddling pool and the swings and Hope played naked, and I just pottered about in my t shirt and knickers in the sunshine. Hope’s father came and paddled too and the sun shone. I paddled in that pool when I was not much more than Hope’s age, it means the world that I’m playing there now with my own daughter. She walks around in the paddling pool now holding my hand, she also loves working her way around the edge holding herself up and moving round looking up at everyone that passes. She shouts, “hello” when she wants attention and if she feels she is being ignored, she puts her hands up like a little pleading cup and says, “me me me” … and she has learnt the joy of splashing … we all ended up soaked!!! She went on the swings and shouted, “wheeeeeeeeeeee” before sitting on a bench in the evening sunlight and having a milky feast … or “me mulk mummi” as she demands when she’s hungry now. Then for a treat we shared an ice cream.
We headed home for pasta pesto with Granby and then Hope and I ventured out to see the fun on Parkers Piece in the middle of Cambridge at the start of the annual Big Weekend … a band I loved as a teenager, Hot Chocolate, were playing, we caught the end of “I believe in Miracles” and Hope danced. Then as the darkness fell the fireworks started. Her father had come again to join us and she sat on his shoulders looking around in her little pink cashmere hoody with her denim jacket on top. She was totally unphased by the whizzes and bangs and was fascinated by the other people and the lights from the fairground … all I could think of was how very happy she makes me and the Springsteen 4th July lyric, “the fireworks are hailing over little Eden tonight” … that they were and little Hope.
We came home to bed and Hope just beamed and beamed in the car and fell asleep so happy and peaceful no doubt thinking that the fireworks and the fair were all for her.
So … there we are, I had a baby, and now I have a little girl; a remarkable, feisty, chatty, solemn, happy, singing, dancing, hopping, merry, mischievous, stubborn, generous, free spirited little girl… and she’s 18 months old.
Perfect afternoon by the paddling pool
Looking ahead to the next 18 months
