Hey, I'm back online at home, so can finally resume blogging and surfing and all that. I hope anyway, still waiting for an unexpected glitch. I don't know where to start surfing after having been without home access for about 3 weeks. You see, I'm good like that, don't do private internet stuff at work really.

A much needed Cubling update, much shorter than I like, but time is tight before Xmas, and she develops at the speed of light:
We've found the first gear. Reverse has been going quite well, as was using the steering wheel for getting about in circular motions. Now tentative but strenuous forward movements are all en vogue, especially if computer cables or mobile phones are just out of reach. Toys don't quite do it. Yet. Last  night she also practiced her version of crawling in the cot, even though she kinda slept through (I consider 8pm-2am such an amazing stunt that I shall name it sleeping through). So maybe that was sleepcrawling? Anyway, she had crawled into her soft toys and I almost couldn't find her in the dark. I think I picked up a camel, a polar bear and an owl before I found cubling. Methinks this is the point where cot goes one level down.

For the past 10 days, she's been babbling away like a mad woman. Hi dad. dadad. mmmmmmummmmm (spot the wee "u" in her usual grumble - I love it the way she says mum when something isn't going her way, but hidad when she's full of smiles and in play mood). Lights have gained the top prize for attention grabbing, and she clearly understands a few words of her choice: Licht, Papi, Mami. I'm sure of those, maybe she understands Ente, Frosch and Zebra as well, just maybe. Her childminder has a massive Christmas tree and she just adores it. Which makes me feel really bad, I never even planned on getting one this year as we'll be out of the country well before Christmas.

And, lo and behold, For 5 nights running I've managed to read her a story after the last milk feed and before her eyes shut. We're all on the road to breaking the monster of suck-sleep association, which according to the books is the root cause for frequent night wakings. For now, it's the sweetest thing ever to read a short book to a very tired but calm and relaxed baby, who smiles her cutest wee smile in response. It's such a massive change to the frantic crying I was rewarded with when trying to put her into her cot awake. The last moments of the day  now are just magic for both of us. Initally though, she woke earlier in the night, but for the last two nights there appears to be a potential for longer sleep and less wakings. Until next week when she's teething again...