Wednesday 21 September 2005
Hello everyone, and welcome to my 17th Update. Today I am 1 year + 4 weeks old…
…and I’m not feeling very well at all. I’ve got a terrible dose of chicken pox. I’m sick and sore and upset and itchy and very, very uncomfortable. I was vaccinated exactly two weeks ago in the hope that my inevitable infection would be as mild as Alex’s was, but things didn’t go according to plan and I’ve got loads of spots and I’m pretty miserable.
Alex had approximately 30 spots altogether, and I have about 30 spots just in my hair. I even have chicken pox in my mouth. Can you believe that? In my mouth!! I’ve been having a bath a few times each day in a foul-smelling anti-itch solution, and my Mum has been putting anti-itch cream on me, but nothing seems to give me total relief. I tell you, this chicken pox malarky has tested my usually sunny disposition somewhat. And, if you’re ready for a shock, hear this: I’m even a little bit off my food! (Don’t faint with the thought – it is just a little bit.)
Also testing patience this week are my teeth. My third tooth (top front right) appeared last Wednesday, and my fourth tooth (bottom front left) is threatening to emerge any day now. Tooth production alone is usually a reason to be a bit tetchy, but chicken pox AND new teeth would send a lesser mortal over the edge. Luckily, I’m no "lesser mortal"…!!
As well as growing teeth and blistery spots, I’m also doing a great job at growing hair. In fact, sometimes my hair even looks a bit messy and hangs down over my ears. Imagine that! It’s also starting to curl in a few places at the back which looks very cute.
When I’m feeling more myself, I’m now quite the little investigator. I love opening the kitchen cupboards and pulling all the tupperware out onto the floor. I particularly enjoy putting the strainer on my head as a hat, but so far I’ve been too shy (and quick!) to let Mum get a photo of me modelling said fashion piece.
A few weeks ago I started climbing up onto my highchair (which is generally a low-chair) and thinking that I’m VERY clever, but a couple of weeks ago I took my climbing exploits one step further: I now push my chair against the kitchen cupboards, then climb up, which means that I can pull everything off the bench! I can reach soooooo far back on the bench that there is very little room for my parents to keep anything safely on the bench. Today I took it upon myself to do a spot of washing up at the kitchen sink while Mum had her back turned. As you can imagine, I was VERY helpful…
I’m cruising very confidently these days and making a number of valliant attempts to stand indpendently. When I’m on the hard, unforgiving floor I usually just have a quick attempt at letting go of whatever I’ve been holding onto and see how long I balance for before falling on my bottom. However, when I’m frolicking on Mummy’s or Alex’s bed I get a little more adventurous. I sit with my legs outstretched in front of me, slightly apart and slightly bent at the knees. I outstretch my arms towards my feet then heave my full weight forward and upward over my legs and this, friends, and family, sometimes – miraculously! – results in my being vertical for a couple of seconds. I think I’m gonna have to find an easier and less unseemly manner of standing in due course, but it’s working and so – for now – I’m happy with that.
I’m getting better at feeding myself with cutlery. As you might expect, I’m extremely adept at shovelling finger food into my mouth, but these days I have to be holding a spoon if Mummy is, and I’m not too bad at getting a bit of food on the spoon and getting it to my mouth. I do have trouble with the final stage, though, because I tend to turn my spoon over just as I’m about to put it into my mouth, and then I look slightly puzzled about why I end up wearing the spoonful, instead of eating it. But I’m persistent so no doubt I’ll get there in the end. And my attempts certainly aren’t causing me to miss out on any nourishment, oh-no-siree-bob.
My Daddy went to Indonesia for nine days and returned home just over a week ago. I was so excited to see my Daddy when he got home! Alex and I had missed him enormously. My Daddy said that I had changed a lot just in the short time that he was gone, and that in his absence I had developed ‘personality’! Quite frankly I thought it a bit rude of him to suggest that I was somehow ‘lacking’ before, but certainly now you could just call me Miss Personality Plus, please…!
My vocabulary is also increasing at a phenomenal rate. A couple of weeks ago I learned to say, "Mummy" (and now use it ALL the time, including when I wake from each nap). I make a valiant attempt at saying "bird" but as yet it still comes out more like "baa", but I definitely know what I’m trying to say. I also often say, "woof-woof" when I see a dog. I saw rain for the first time in a very long time a few days ago and I held out my hands, looked up and said, "bubble!" over and over again. Still, though, my favourite word by far and away is "Ay-eeks" [Alex]. In fact, there’s no doubt that he’s my favourite person.
Because we were effectively in quarantine when Alex had chicken pox, and again now that I’ve got chicken pox, we haven’t been the most sociable bunch recently. I did get to see Granddad, though, who came to visit me last Wednesday before he and Nanna went on holidays, and I’m looking forward to cuddles from Grandma who is coming down from Brisbane early next week to stay for a few days.
And that about wraps it up for now. I hope you’re all feeling much healthier than I am. I will Update you again soon when I’m feeling better.
Lots and lots of love from
Baby Jess
xxx