Seven short months

Lara and I in the garden this weekend.
"Why are you taking our photo Dad, this is standard?"

How life has changed over the last seven months, which have flown by in the blink of an eye. Lara has grown from a sleeping bundle of joy hanging out in the sling whilst I gardened, to sitting on my hip in the sling and reaching out for things to pick and eat. In the photo above I'm showing her how the beans grow and change colours. Not that she is all that interested, she just wants to eat them. The best thing about growing a veggie garden and keeping chickens is no longer watching those things grow and thrive, and then devouring them; but watching Lara's interest and enthusiasm, and her appreciation for a freshly picked bean or strawberry.

Seven short months ago.

Our first day at home and I already had Lara in the garden.

My little lady is now sitting up, crawling around and pulling herself up on things in a desperate attempt to walk. So many people comment that she has always wanted to be on her feet, but at the moment her determination to walk makes me so proud of her, and terrified at the same time. Lara continues to develop more and more character every day, playing with her dogs, watching her chickens, 'helping' me in the garden and today struggling to have her morning nap and calling out Mum and quietly waiting for me to respond....I didn't fall for it. The first time Lara said Mum was on the second of April whilst we were out sailing to Whitehaven beach, I just thought it was a coincidence, but she has been dropping the word every couple of days since, but only when she is trying to communicate with me. I didn't do anything to encourage her to say Mum, but now I'm working on Dad. Lara does attempt to say Boo and sticks her tongue out to lick Baxter first, so gross, but at least she will have a strong immune system. Her first tooth finally broke out of her gums on Saturday 19th April and whilst it is growing fast it doesn't have a partner in crime just yet.

It won't be long before we need to drop the level of Lara's cot to stop her from flipping herself out of it, and at this rate I'm scared that it won't be long before I'm walking her to school.