Bridget has painted her first masterwork.
Created at Stepping Stones; the brush was loaded by an assistant, but the painting is all hers. We look forward to finding out from Andy and Sarah (or possibly Dave and Erica) what this Chinese (Japanese?) character means.
Another new development, today. Having only ever shown the smallest flickers of interest in building towers, rather than in knocking them down, Bridget today sat and handed all the bricks in her large Duplo collection to alternating parents, and watched calmly and cheerfully while we built them up into a large tower - sometimes waving them at the tower or putting them roughly in place as if to suggest where we should stick them. It's only a small thing - and, I suppose, only really a variant on the 'handing' games that she seems to love - but it seemed to us to indicate a new interest in what could be done with (rather than done to) her toys.
Bridget's attempts to feed herself with a spoon have been improving, even though she has yet to realise the full glory of the distinction between slippy food and sticky food. However, today she discovered a new wonder: that a fork can be stuck into things (say, pasta or bits of banana) and the things stay stuck (mostly) until gobbled. Much easier than spoons.
On Friday we had a babysitter round for the first time since Bridget was born. (We've left her a couple of times when we were staying with other people - my parents and friends in Cambridge - but this felt rather different.) We had a friend from our playgroup come over for the evening so that we could go off and celebrate our anniversary in style (if two days early). It was a bit of a nerve-wracking moment driving away, but less of an event than it would have been had I not been back to work for two days and had Bridget at nursery.
We had a great evening meal and surprised ourselves by talking very little about Bridget, even though she's obviously the best thing that's happened in this particular year of marriage. We weren't worried about Bridget and were unsurprised to find, when we got home, that she might as well not have been in the house for all Debs heard of her. It's good to have taken the plunge, and we'll feel much more easy about leaving her with a babysitter in the future, as long as she keeps up her wonderful habit of sleeping so well.
When I left Bridget at Stepping Stones on Thursday morning she was crying - not a great sign. I spent the day worrying from time to time that she really wasn't coping with being at nursery, despite the comments from the previous day. However, that evening I had a chance to talk to Lorraine, Bridget's primary carer. She said that Bridget had been very happy all day, despite not sleeping well (and despite being somewhat constipated). She also said that everybody who had met her had thought she was wonderful, including several of the other mums coming to pick up their children. Apparently the other workers are jealous of Lorraine for getting to spend more time with Bridget! She's a hit. Of course, we know how wonderful she is, but it's good to see it recognized by other people.
The lack of daytime sleeps on Wednesday and Thursday meant that Bridget has been very tired over the weekend, and even gave me a lie-in until 7.45 today, which was a pleasant start to our anniversary.