A week in the life of Della

We took a visit up north this weekend. Simon played daddy daycare with Neve (my cousins daughter) and Della for a while. they both seemed to have a fun time.

Then on Mothers day Della made me an amazing card. I'll pop it up on here soon. We went out for lunch with my brother and his family. Trying to seat nine adults and two babies isn't easy but we managed and had a lovely time, here are the highlights...

Della decided to play on a child's bench. This was fine until I lost my balance and managed to knock over all the card wracks you can see behind me, only just missing a woman sat on a sofa behind them!

We went back for a coffee at my brothers house and both Della and Ethan needed feeding. My ultra competitive brother decided the race was on. Della won finishing all 8 onces in record time!

A couple of days later Della got a grizzly cold and although she normally isn't a fan of snuggling in or sleeping on people her Granda managed to get her to sleep on his lap, calming her down and soothing her sniffles.

The following day when Della was feeling a little better we went out to the shops and passed a pet shop. Della has met quite a few dogs and quite frankly she isn't impressed with them. However, these guinea pigs had her cracking up. They kept running around making her laugh then occasionally they would come close to her through the glass and she would try and touch them. She also found the fish quite exciting, shame ours died just before she was born! Although she can always go and look at the big fish in Granda's pond. 

The trials and tribulations of learning to walk

Della is quite taken with her walker. Here she is bobbing around...



However, playing in the walker does have it's problems. Firstly, I am on high security alert for little hands in drawers, cupboards and mainly on hot radiators. Also this happens to socks (I had cleaned thefloor that morning so I have no idea how she managed to get them this dirty)

Then once we popped her socks off we discovered that she had given herself her first ever blister. She was a brave girl and we popped a little vaseline on it, the skin flapped around and she had a good look at it. I can't believe she can't even walk yet has managed to be so vigorous with her walking that she gets a blister.

Then, she was pooped and ready for bed

Della goes South

This weekend we all bundled in the car and took a trip to see Gran Helen. Before we went Della insisted she sat in a fruit bowl. This made me laugh.

Then it was off in the car. She was very well behaved on the journey there and did quite a bit of sleeping, playing with toys and then enjoyed dinner at a moto service station while I enjoyed a Burger King.

While in cambridge Della did lots of playing, mainly on swings, and spent a lot of time walking (with help obviously!) and enjoyed going to the bootsale and an NCT sale in the hope of finding a new lightweight buggy to take to NY.

Bouncing fun, what you can't see is me and Gran Helen bouncing too!! 

Della still loves her backpack

Gran Helen took this lovely photo of Della playing in the dining room. Cow's and the MOO noise will always entertain Della I think. In green Della is also encouraging Spring to keep coming and for the sun to keep shining.

Our journey home wasn't quite as much fun. Cambridge's first half marathon meant there were roads closed and we had a little diversion. Then heading towards the motorway we hit another diversion meaning that our journey took five hours. Della slept most of the way though so that was a relief.

We called at an ok diner and I took some lovely photo's there but I have a new phone and I can't get my email set up, neither can I take the back off the phone to get the SD card out so they will have to go up on the blog another time. This is another sign that i am not cool and cannot keep up with the cool kids. I will have to go to the shop and ask them to show me how to do it.

When we got home though the sun was shining and we played in the garden

Tummy bugs, teeth and giggles

So Della has her first tooth. It arrived the day before her 9 month birthday. Can't believe it has taken so long - although this is about the same time as her cousin Bluet got her tooth, perhaps it is a Collins trait. Trying to get a photo of it is impossible.

in other news she has another tummy bug, the second in as many weeks. This exhibits itself in quite disgusting vomiting. poor little thing has no idea what is going on though and seems to be dealing with it well. The one thing giving her comfort are her soft toys, right now this is how she is sleeping:

Cosy

Her Dolly, a lovely present from my friend Alice, seems to keep her amused too. For some reason she finds it hilarious when Dolly hides and pops out or when she gives her a little kiss:

We have a tooth

Yey!! Della has at last pushed a tooth up through her gums!

Pictures to follow - if she will stay still and let us take a picture of it!

Spring has sprung

Which means we are out and about a lot more enjoying snowdrops, daffodils and at last some sunshine (even if it is still a bit chilly). We have spent lots of time at the park recently...

Mainly swinging - Della isn't impressed by the slide

Della has also started dressing up. She likes her Dad's clothes most...

I promise I will blog...

...tomorrow

In the meantime here Della is eating toast. If you look carefully you can see where she bumped her eye being a little too adventurous.

A dummy

As Della does still not nap without a good old cry and because we are flying off to New York soon and the crying herself sleep might just drive ll the other people on the plane crazy I thought it might be a good idea to see if she will try a dummy. We tried her with a dummy when she had her bad colic and many times since and she isn't sure. I feel a bit cruel forcing a dummy on her but if it helps her and stops her getting so upset it could just be worth it.

Here she is trying one out...

Della and Ethan

We spent a few days in Durham last week. Della spent some quality time with Ethan. I think there is a little resemblance between them...

Happy boy

Della wants to hold hands, Ethan isn't so sure

Then later in the week we went to the park for a walk to see the swans...

Cosy!

The Ps get to push!

Then back for tea and toast

I love to dance, me and my baby just love to dance...

Just before bath time some funky tunes came on the radio and we all had a little dance. Della got very excited and giggly:

A nice day out...

We decided to get out of York yesterday and headed to Ripon, a market town about 45minutes north of York. There we two reasons for this. Firstly, we have got a new car and wanted to give it a good run out and secondly, as Della is a proper grown up now, she has been promoted to a new forward facing car seat:

She loves her new seat - she can now look out of the window and watch the trees fly by

We went for lunch while in Ripon - Della ordered a massive veggie breakfast!

Happy eight month birthday

Della celebrated her eight months in the snow just before Gran Helen left. We popped her in the back pack and had a slippery walk to the park.

Della has been to the park much, mainly because I didn't think the swings had those little cages on them meaning she couldn't fall out - it turns out that they do though and she loved them.

She enjoyed the swings:




This was the first time Della has been out in the snow. She found it interesting and obviously the first thing she wanted to do was put it in her mouth!

Then she went on another swing and enjoyed that too...

Gran Helen is here

Gran Helen arrived on Thursday. Just as Della learnt than when she is standing up she can move her legs and slowly put on foot in front of the other, and with someone helping her can actually travel quite a distance. This is another sign that I am doubtful that she will ever crawl - she still dislikes being on her tummy. Instead she has become quite high maintenance and just wants to constantly be on her feet.

Simon had to work yesterday so as a treat me, Della Gran Helen and uncle Nick went to Malton for a little trip out. It was very cold but with Della all bundled up we had a stroll then a coffee and cake.

When we were driving back from Malton it started to snow and didn't stop. Nick and Sarah braved the arctic weather and came for dinner last night which was lovely. The snow was deep when we woke this morning and we would have taken Della out to play in it but she has a bad cold and think it might have been a bit cruel to expose her to such coldness.

It's now Sunday night and after dinner at the table with Della in her new highchair Simon and Helen have just gone out to the ballet. Nice.

A couple of pics of stripey Della

 

This is a bit cute

Della really likes to giggle now:

Della goes to Ikea

Last week while up visiting Gran Anne and Granda, Della decided that she wanted a trip to Ikea. Whilst browsing the wares she could not resist jumping into a crate of cushions:

I think Della is worth more than £1.99 don't you?

Apparently Ikea know what they are doing when it comes to babies and children too. However Della managed to find a major design fault in their changing area. I mean why would they put a paper towel holder over the changing area??

If you're happy and you know it...

The video is a little dark but isn't Della a clever little girl!

Della, meet Apple

How cute is the little lady above? This is Apple the puppy. She belongs for my Uncle and Della met her the other day. It was very exciting for the both of them so a little nap was inevitable. 

Apple must have been having fun dreams as she was wagging her tail so much while sleeping that she managed to push herself off her pillow. I wish I had caught her on video as the moment she fell off would have been a youtube classic.

A dance, some sleep and a watermelon

A few recent videos...

Della chatting




Della waking up




Della dancing

When Della met Bluet (one month on...)

Here is a slideshow of some pics we took while they were together

And here are a few short videos from when Della and Bluet first met

On the table




Overhead




Two for one




Feeding time at the Art gallery

New tastes

As Della is now over 7 months old she is officially as stage two of her weaning. This means exciting new tastes and textures for her and a busy Mam trying to create and make exciting new tastes and textures for her*. So far she has had the delights of beef and tomato risotto, fruity lamb with couscous, pork and apple casserole and this is her trying her first chicken curry, surprisingly spicy for such little taste buds:

In other news the other day a couple walked past our house and stopped outside, looking interested in what was on the floor. I was up like a whippet to see what they found so intriguing and there it was the first of our aberdeenshire snowdrops bursting through the frosty ground, spring is (already) on its way.

Also, here is a cute little video of Della and her daddy having a cuddle



*We have had to resort to buying some of our food and feeding it from the jar

Ah one, two, three four...

This is a little video of Della getting to grips with the tambourine Gran Helen Santa got her for christmas.




She's since learnt to make even more noise by banging it against a little drum she's got. Time to get her music lessons so she can turn a racket into a funky beat...