Nearly 18 months

We're just back from a lovely few days in the Lake District where this picture was taken. We were visiting Holehird Gardens with the girls on an absolutely freezing day. Affy is delighted at any opportunity to go out and is constantly wandering around the house with her hat and Stella's in an attempt to convince us to put them on and go outside. Stella is usually much happier to stay inside.

Affy is learning lots of new words now. It seems like there's something new everyday. I'm probably most impressed when she says "chocolate" with remarkable precision. Other words like "bag" come out as "ba" or "bike" comes out as "ba" or "dog" comes out as "do do do" but not "chocolate". She's very careful to enunciate every syllable of that word. Clever girl! Food and animal sounds make up most of her vocabulary - cheese, tea, cracker, (has she been watching too much wallace and gromit I wonder..) avocado "a co", banana "nana", apple "a pu", milk "nk", blackberry "bwa bwa" and toast "toe" are popular ones. She can do cows "mmm", ducks "kak kak", mice "squeek", birds "teet", pigs "ng ng". Also, door, car (especially "ourcar"), top, stop, look, bath "ba", bear. All i can think of for now but there are lots more.

Africa is also very discerning about what she wears. I'll go to put on one bib, but no, she'll scream until I put on another one which she wants to wear. She's very decisive about what shoes, coat or necklace she wants to put on or which bag she wants to take out. And if you're not paying attention - ouch, she can make your ears really hurt until you do.

Affy also does a good line in slapstick humour. She loves to do exaggerated expressions to make us all laugh and is very good at it. I'm sure once she's speaking a bit more she'll have us all in stitches.

She's sleeping really well now that Stella sleeps every night on the floor next to her. It's really sweet. I often go in there at night and they are snuggled up together. I think that hearing each other breathe really helps them to keep settled.