We've just about recovered

from our weekend visitors. Lovely to have them - but you forget what hard work little ones are - and I didn't have to do the difficult bits, just the cuddling, playing and occasional feeding! It has just confirmed my feeling that those women of my age who ask for fertility treatment are - shall we say? - misguided.

Miss Babybel is crawling [Commando style rather than up on her hands and knees] and bottom shuffling. We moved as much as we could out of reach before she came but some things were still in range - and of course she made a beeline for those. And then made another beeline for them as soon as she was taken away, watching her audience and grinning ...

She is also beginning to talk. This is her with 'Adda'. Not the name he was originally given but he does answer to it. Of course she over-generalises and other dogs, pictures of dogs, Custard, her mum's lovely long curly hair and the blanket on the back of our sofa were all Adda as well. There were some variations - 'Adad, dada' and we're not really sure if she is using several similar sounds to mean different things. [It is advisable not to have parents and grandparents who are social scientists.]

Her visit has inspired me to make another book. i made this one soon after she was born [I strongly believe it is never too early to read to a baby.] It has pictures of dogs, including a cocker and a border collie like her other grandparents' dog - and one grey cat. All called Adda of course.

As this book is popular for reading and chewing I have started another one - this time of teddies, as they were all I had enough images of. I am thinking of making a book of textures next as she loves to feel things.

The books were inspired by Gwen Marston's 'Fabric Picture books' - not quite my usual style but very enjoyable to make.