Swimming Lessons

Today we had your first swimming lesson. You love the water at bath and shower time, while Daddy was away on a course for work I bathed you in the laundry tub and may as well have had a bath with you. You had so much fun splashing about, water was flying everywhere! So today you got to have fun in what was just like a giant bath nice and warm we sat on the step and got used to kicking in the water then we moved into the pool for half an hour of singing and moving in the pool. You floated on your back, bounced through the water, sat on the step, motored through the water on your tummy and learnt some water safety. Using a floating mat we sang 'Fishes in the water,' with you lying on your tummy on the mat then we turned you round to sit on the mat and sang 'Ring a Ring  Rosey,' the idea being that if you fall into water that you will reach for something to float on like the mat. You took to the water well already being confident in it from bath and shower time. I can't wait to see how you go with putting your head under eventually. At the end of the lesson you just wanted to get back in, I had you on the change table and you were turning on your side strainning to see who was in the pool and what they were up to now.

Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles

You just love the water! From the time we came home with you, showers with Daddy have become a regular bedtime routine. These showers have made you more confident in the water. You don't mind the water streaming down your face and you are normally full of smiles and giggles as you and Daddy enjoy being splashed by the shower hose. Lately we have tried you out in the bath, having a bath with Daddy and again because of your confidence in the water you love baths too. You are a great floater and with Daddy supporting your head you can float the rest of your body. Now becoming more used to it you love to kick your legs about. Last night we added some baby bubble bath we were given to the bathtub. Lowering you into the tub you and Daddy were surrounded by bubbles. There were bubbles everywhere and again you splashed about. You started to put the bubbles in your mouth having them all over your face. At one point you even made your own bubbles and Daddy was concerned that he couldn't see the colour of the water, due to the bubbles so he was hoping it was only bubbles you made. Moving the bubbles around I could confirm it was just bubbles and you continued to have fun kicking about in them.

Four Months Old

So on Tuesday you had your four month birthday. Looking back at photos from when you were first born you have changed so much and are developing into a little person, it is so neat to watch. You are full of smiles when you first wake up and Daddy races to get you up, each wake up he is home, just to get your biggest smiles. You love music and I have found a kids radio station on the computer sponsored by Plunket; you love listening to the songs and your new favourite song that I sing you is Sausages and Custard. You will often giggle along to either the funny lyrics or my funny singing voice and expressions. Either way it gets you chuckling and there is no better sound, it is contagious.
You are confidently rolling now and are wanting to move. We can see you trying hard with the beginnings of a crawl but no matter how hard you try you still aren't quite strong enough and this at times can make you frustrated. You bring you knees up towards your tummy and like a worm shuffle up towards us or the toy that is in front of you. Even when you are sitting on my knee now, you want to get moving doing a little bum shuffle or rocking yourself forward and back for momentum to move. Your hands are becoming taster and lots more is being discovered through your sense of taste. You are even at times fleetingly finding your thumb to suck on. But you often have fingers or fist in your mouth chopping away and have started enjoying the coolness of your teething fish in your mouth. Story time is still a special time and you are watching learning all the time from reading now if I put you close enough to the book you will even have a go at turning the pages.

Olivia Was On The Mat And She Went Roll Over, Roll Over

So for a while you have been rolling from your tummy to back when we put you on your tummy but on Sunday (28th September) after a busy weekend with your second cousins and seeing them move about you decided you wanted to start moving too. We drove home from Auckland and went round to Nana and Poppa's for Sunday night roast. You weren't to keen on being held after sitting still in the car for the trip home so we popped you on the floor to have a kick about. Rolling over onto your side you became stuck and as much as you held your tongue out and used those strong tummy muscles you were so close but not quite there. Only seconds after me saying ''she isn't far away, I think in the next day or two she will have it,'' you had it. You pushed yourself all the way over with us all clapping and cheering as your little cheerleaders. Putting you back onto your back you did it again and again.
Since learning how to roll from your back to tummy there has been no stopping you. You roll everyday and several times while playing on your mat sometimes even going back to front and then front to back again. When I change your nappy or dress you in the mornings you try to roll to get away from me; because you love being in the nude so much (it is going to be hard to dress you once you are really moving).
We had spent the weekend up at Kirsten and Aaron's because Daddy had a course on for work and not wanting to miss out on spending time with you in the evenings and mornings we went up with him. During the day we hung out with Kirsten and Aaron and their boys Daniel, Alex and Campbell as well as their little girl Alyssa. Alyssa is only two and had found her new best friend, her little baby, for the weekend. Where ever you were Alyssa was never far away calling out "Lillia, Lillia."
You are one clever little girl and are mastering new milestones all the time it is amazing watching you grow and develop.