Hello! Is it me you're looking for?

The first thing I would like to point out about this video is that I didn't get her ready. This occurred on a Monday, which is Daddy's day. 'Nuff said!

Now, while we love Nanna's knitted finery, I shuddered to note that a button had dropped off her cardigan (where is it? NB. must find and remove choking hazard). To top it off, the cardy is clearly not co-ordinated with her (summer) trousers, and come to think of it, where's her coat?! Daddies just don't worry about these things. They have fun instead.

This is probably the reason why Millie is so chilled out, a remarkable thing given I'm her Mum. It is also probably the reason why her new favourite word is 'Daddy', much to my chagrin. I get her up in the morning to be greeted by 'Daddy!', I collect her from nursery 'Daddy!', at various points during our days off together, 'Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!' Sigh.

I should point out that one of her first words was Mama, but she's mastered it. It's no longer of interest. She's moved on. She's like a tiny Simon Cowell bestowing favour on the next shiny bit of pop tinsel before casting them remorselessly aside. So, for now it's all about Daddy. But I sense that his time will soon be up.

You see, following a particularly vigorous fun-packed maraud around Head over Heels, Chorlton - Bidabell (that's cousin Isabel to you and me) has been singled out for special attention.

Exclamations of 'Bidabell!' are usually to be accompanied by Mim toddling off to find a picture of her to plant a kiss on. It's a heart-warmimg sight to behold.

As for me, I remain hopeful that one day my star will shine brightly once again. Until then, I'm changing my name to Daddy Bidabell.




Bidabell and Millie x

Let sleeping babies lie...

The clocks have gone back. The nights are drawing in. The weather has taken a turn for the Arctic. This prompts two thoughts: 1, should you ever wake a sleeping baby? and 2, what do you do with them if you do?

Last year, Millie was just three months old when this monumental event heralded the onslaught of weeks and weeks of zombified sleep deprivation. One year on and the same event has sparked a period of slumber loving. It is epic by comparison (Shhh! Don't tell the sleep fairies, they'll take it away).

Just the other day, the good husband awoke with a start at 8.50am. Our alarm - that would be Millie - had failed to go off. Off Mik beetled to work, as I scurried into her room to check that she was still breathing. You see, anything beyond 6.30am is something of an event in our house. There she was, tucked up, happily snoozing. I left her to it. I'm not mental!

Given I didn't have to be in work (for this happened on a Thursday, when I am free from the shackles of press enquiries and branding brainstorms), I enjoyed a leisurely shower, gave the kitchen a once over and savoured a hot cup of tea without distraction or grabbing baby paws. Finally, at around 10am she woke up. Bright eyed, bushy tailed and ready to maraud.

This is where the second dilemma kicked in.

This Summer we've been living in the public parks, beer gardens (a little over frequently) and community farms of south Manchester. As the weather has deteriorated we've moved onto - and already exhausted - the library, the aquarium, babycinos at Costa Coffee and dancing around the living room. I know all the words to 'my pencil's out to get me' courtesy of hours spent at Head over Heels playcentre in Chorlton and I really can't spend any more time at the supermarket - Millie's favourite place - for fear people will suspect I'm stockpiling tinned goods for a nuclear holocaust... or the harvest festival. One or the other.

So, any suggestions for things to do on rainy days gratefully received. And no, they can't just include 'visits to Nanna and Grandad's house'!

So here it is...

...the reason I entered into the hitherto uncharted world of blogs - Dance-along-a Sound of Music.

This is the video that brought on a clamour of 'more Millie stuff' from family who had thus far braved facebook only to keep abreast of my daughter's daily to'ings and fro'ings. Now expectations have been set way beyond the mere status update. We've gone full-on multimedia.

So, at the risk of alienating even further my beleagured facebook friends, the time has come to get blogging.

This is now the place where all the latest pics, films and general happenings of my little giddy kipper will call home.