I took Katie to the park today and put her into one of the swings.

 

She loved it - Urs had taken her before so I expected she would. I didn't expect her to sit there happily for 30 minutes, she just loved watching all the other kiddies playing despite the cold weather.

 

We even heard the roar from the crowd when our local team scored a goal; the stadium is next to the park. This also gave me, so I thought, the opportunity for the cunning headline you see above.

 

Unfortunately when we got back home we found out they had lost the match so the headline doesn't work so well.

 

At least Wycombe won away at Rochdale.

I took a half day off on Wednesday.

 

Katie and Urs visited me in my office in London, which was fun. Katie was on her best behaviour and charmed everyone as usual.

 

Then we met up with some friends in the afternoon, including Tony the cakeman.

 

He's the one on the right.

 

A present from Katie's grandparents was a set of stacking cups.

 

Like Russian dolls each fits inside another but you can also turn them over and stack them one on top of the other to create a high tower.

 

Which Katie will knock over just as you finish it.

 

Again and again.

 

One of Katie's birthday presents (from friends of ours) was an Early Learning Centre shape sorter.

 

So far she has sorted five shapes.

 

It was Katie's birthday the other day.

 

A whole year gone already, crikey.

  

We bought a Colin the Caterpillar cake, which is surely the right thing to do on these occasions.

 

I think it's fair to say that Katie liked it.

 

We have reached 2,000 nappies.

 

What a moment.

 

 

 

 

Because I can...

 

It been a, er, heavy week on the nappy front.

 

Katie's gone through 49 so far, which takes the total used since she was born to 1,997.

 

That means she's wearing number 1,998 and we'll reach the 2,000 mark later today...

We met up with some friends in a local pub yesterday.

 

It was a big pub and wasn't too busy so Katie got to crawl around a lot and meet new people (and receive baby-sitting offers from some nice young ladies. Oh, and grab the charity workers' collecting tins, for which they gave her a sticker - once I'd deposited some money).

 

I dabbed my finger into the head of my Guinness and let Katie lick it.

 

She developed quite a taste for it.

 

 

Katie made us a Valentine's Day card and a heart-shaped biscuit at nursery today:

 

 

 

 

There was some nice writing inside although I believe she may have had some help, primarily because if she had written it herself surely she would not have missed off the apostrophe in Valentine's.

 

 

Urs got Katie weighed today, the last time before Katie turns 1.

 

She has put on 1lb 8.5oz in two weeks (although she did wear clothes this time!).

 

She now weighs 19lbs 10 oz, having put on 12lbs since birth.

Urs has started the visiting a local toy library - pay £4 a year and for £1 or so you can hire a toy for a couple of weeks.

 

Katie has become a big fan of a toy called Light n Sound Put n Take.

 

You drop a ball in the hole at the top, it falls and hits a pad below which triggers a tune and flashing lights.

 

Urs hired it again for a further two weeks, much to the disappointment of the other kids, I suspect.

 

We've also hired a V Tech First Steps Baby Walker which plays various tunes and in theory helps children learn their ABC. I have my doubts about that but Katie likes it.

 

Here's what it sings when you first turn it on:

 

 

 

Week 51 and we're just 52 short of the 2,000 mark.

Katie was put in the Naughty Corner at nursery yesterday.

 

She had tried to take a toy from another child and then tried to take his eye out when she couldn't get her way.

 

She cried when she was put in the corner.

Week 50 and the nappy count is 1,917.