Remembering

I think quite a few of my first efforts at blogging are going to be retrospective. I wish I had started sooner, so I could have recorded – remembered – more.

The boy was a terrible sleeper though, and the first two years – TWO YEARS – of his life just passed in a blur of exhaustion. I want to remember as much as I can though, so for my first reminiscing post I thought I would try and recall some of his first words.

R was a very early talker, he was saying ‘Daddy!’ (typical) very clearly before he was one, and making efforts to say lots of words by his first birthday. He used to point at things, look at me and say “Whassa? Whassa Mumma?” to make me explain things. I always made an effort to give him a running commentary on life, even from when he was a tiny little thing. I would lay him on my chest and read books to him, and sing silly songs I’d make up on the spot.

One of his first words was ‘Dirty’ (Dutty!) This was because of his obsession with the bin. He’d crawl over to it to attempt to get in it, and I would say “No, dirty!” and thus the ‘dutty’ bin was born. He had an amazing capacity to recognise any sort of bin as a dutty – my Mum stole him for a long weekend when he was about 15 months old and the whole car journey was peppered with little exclamations of “Dutty! Dutty!” every time he spotted a wheelybin from the backseat. For three hours.

Another first was water, or ‘Watta!” which always used to make me laugh, because he would say “Oooh, watta!” like it was the most incredible thing. I could prop him against the wall in the garden and let him splash with outside tap while I sunbathed and he would be thrilled “Ooooh, watta Mummy, watta! Ooooh” The picture for this blog was accompanied by a bucket of watta being thrown all over me!

I’ve forgotten the other ones. I’ve forgotten how his little voice sounded. I hope this blog helps me to not forget anything else.

Ooh, watta!