A baby that clings rather than separates...

doesn't that sound like a rice commercial?

We've had a difficult month in some ways - E-chan has been sick 3 times, and one of those (gastro) went through the whole family (I can confidently say that the incubation time of that particular gastro virus was 2 days). Imagine me running about the house cleaning up after a gastro-ey child - the futon couch was washed and hauled out over the balcony to air and dry, Japanese-style, and 4 loads of washing were done in one day (my record). These bugs tear through the community, through playgroups, day care, kindergartens, and there isn't much you can do about it but grin and bear it, until your kid's immune system has some clout of it's own. Oh, and washing your hands and certain surfaces regularly helps.

The last ailment E-chan has was a fever. After 3 days of fever, I took him to the Dr, who usefully informed me he had a sore throat (that explained the lack of appetite) and gave me useful advice on his pain relief. After both Mum and Dad re-arranged their work schedules for the week, E-chan had almost a week away from his regular child-care. A whole week with mum and dad, it seems, is enough to knock him out of his routine. As a result, he was lacklustre and pouty in care on Tuesday and Wednesday, and when I took him to Playgroup on Thursday, he stuck to my leg like a limpet. I took this seriously, and began to worry something was wrong, but then what do you know, on Friday he was back to his usual self at child care.

On Friday when I went to pick him up, I found him in a pack of 5-6 kids between 1 and 2 years old, busily doing something or other. He beamed at me and walked over to be picked up, and waved goodbye to his friends and carers. This is more normal.

For us, having no parents or close relly's in the city to help look after E-chan regularly, child care has been a necessity. We also view it as a good thing for him - we worry about him being too sheltered seeing mostly us only. Being cared for by others has been good for him - he's learned to be settled by others, learned to sleep in different places. He's a quiet, observant child (in public anyway, at home he's less restrained) and hanging out with other kids teaches him to stand up for himself a bit when other kids decide they want to touch his hair (ie whack his head), poke his eyes, snatch his toys, or pour sand over his head. So I basically don't know what we would have done had he not shown some return to his usual character soon - we just don't have any other options.

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But anyway, he's started walking. Did I mention this on my blog? He's now able to walk all the way to the park, about 200m, with little stops along the way, to check out doorways, leaves, moreton bay figs, cars, sidestreets. And he's getting bossy. He points to the swing next to him at the park until I sit in it and swing along with him. He pats the floor next to him to indicate that I must go and sit alongside him, he points here and there, he dumps books in my lap, he demands to eat what I'm eating (if there is something he's allergic to in there, I have to go into full-on distract mode, otherwise he may even tantrum until I give him some).

Ah yes, the tantrums have started in earnest. And it's getting harder to divert him from them... But he's also learning more words, showing lots of affection for us, clever, funny, bringing cups, plates and bowls back into the kitchen (without being told to), and doing a whole lot of amazing things that just astound us!!