Dracula

The second tooth (lower incisor) duly made its appearance just before Christmas, followed, unexpectedly, by one of the upper second incisors. The one on the other side looks set to arrive too, so the Squirmle is going to look like a little vampire for New Year.

Finally finished The Fionavar Tapestry: definitely a good read. I don't get much time for LibraryThing now, but I'm plugging doggedly through the fairytale shelf (aka [N3e]). Our position peaked at No. 383, but it will take a mammoth effort to get back up there.

Squirming along

Crawling backwards a few inches at a time seems to be the peak of the Squirmle's locomotory skills at present, though he can also roll over and over at surprising speed. That second tooth still hasn't showed up.

Note to self: never take an infant on the Bakerloo line at rush hour...

No. 388 (3,150)!

Separation anxiety

Today is the Squirmle's first full day at Day Nursery. As this comes straight after his first two nights sleeping in a cot in his own room (instead of in a crib in our room), he is having a momentous time at the moment: not helped by his failure to shake off an annoying cough (which occasionally precipitates a monumental spew). The Squirmle seemed delighted on arrival at nursery; Mummy's separation anxieties were muted by the discovery that she could go back to bed again!

I hugely enjoyed reading G. G. Kay's The Summer Tree, and will try to review it on Library Thing before I have got too far through The Wandering Fire.

Recent LT position peaked at No. 393 (3,102 books).

I'll stop obsessing now

We have broken into the Top 400 largest libraries on LibraryThing, coming in this morning at No. 397 with 3,084 books catalogued. However, with other users frantically adding their books too, it has been like climbing a moving escalator. I shall therefore stop worrying about it now, and just accept that this may be the highest position we ever attain.

Dentation

The offspring is no longer edentulous. The lower right incisor has made its appearance, and (as I found out while attempting to get the blighter to sleep) is quite sharp. Trying to establish good habits, we have already introduced the little blue toothbrush. The Squirmle's diet has now been boosted by almost atomically small amounts of apple, banana, carrot, cauliflower, and pear, rasped or sucked off a large lump with apparent enthusiasm (and some gagging). Oh, and part of a till receipt that Mummy left in the pram by mistake.

First visit to the day-nursery today went well: only a few tears, rapidly quelled by the application of food and a familiar muslin.

Licking apples

Most people probably have their first encounter with solid food while sitting in a high chair in the kitchen. The Squirmle is not most people: he decided to make his bid for Mummy's apple while we were visiting Castlerigg stone circle. He had a good lick. We tried him with a whole piece the other day, and he sucked it for a while before getting cross and spitting it out. He's mouthed a bit of cauliflower too.

The week at the in-laws was actually fine, and he went in a big cot for the first time without apparently noticing the difference. But he's waking a lot now, and we think he's got teeth on the way. Oh joy!

Spurts of growth and action

I got through a whole shelf of SF and fantasy last night, and we're up to No. 423 (2,922 books).

TinyBookworm seems to be having a "growth spurt": grumpy much of the time, refusing to nap (no change there), very unsettled last night, and today feeding like a sumo wrestler in training. Next week at the in-laws is not going to be a time of unalloyed joy and relaxation!