I need a place where I can witter on about Dominic: his adventures and triumphs. At first I needed it because I had only just discovered that a pram is, indeed, not an extension of my arms, that that feeling of having forgotten something is there for a reason. Now I need it because there is so much going on in Dominic's life that I like to be able to keep track!

Anyway, here goes:

18 June

Dominic is crawling! He's been moving forwards for about a week. He started off quite slowly, one hand at a time and grunting with the effort and now he zooms around all over the place. Haven't quite got round to putting up the stairgates yet... Mmmmm

4 June

I can't believe all this time has passed. Dominic now has seven (!) teeth and is chomping away merrily on all manner of foods: bread (favourite = brown) tortellini, tomatoes, ham, bananas, apples, oat crunchies, shreddies, fromage frais, samosas, spring rolls. All quite solid stuff, in fact he's not keen on eating anything pureed these days and clearly wants to eat what other people are eating. He ate two weetabix this morning, so not only is he having what we're having, he's also consuming it in the same quantities as us!

He's getting quite frustrated about a few things. Feeding himself is one (he concentrates hard on getting something on a spoon and then flicks it over the edge of the bowl, onto the high-chair tray, then he chases it round there and flicks it off again) crawling is another. He leans forwards, strains and stretches, pushes with his hands and goes backwards, so he gets cross because he's moving further away, not closer. I think going backwards is very clever, and I tell him so. I also demonstrate that he should be using his knees to help him to go the right way. He just thinks that's funny :-) as do I!

He is very good when travelling with me on the train in the mornings. He picks out blonde women and flirts with them, showing them all his most captivating moves. He crinkles up his nose, sticks his tongue out, waves, claps and best of all girates in a sort of body-popping motion. I think that is what is known as a 'male display'. It certainly does the trick, the ladies coo and giggle!

15 April

Dominic cut his third tooth on Sunday without any fuss at all. It's come through at the top and is bigger than I'd expected. We celebrated by going to the park to feed some ducks and geese with that morning's leftover toast. Dom was (understandably) very excited and also looked pleased to see some pigeons. Then we went to the swings for the first time. I put him on and he looked a bit blank, then he saw the little girl next to him to see just how he should be reacting, and began whooping. We'll be going again soon!

20 March

Yesterday I was late getting out of the office and, Dom and I ended up in the thick of rush hour. I couldn't get on the bus with the pram, so decided we should take a black cab. It was Dom's first taxi ride. You know that the suspension in black cabs is such that the whole experience is a bouncy one? Dom whooped all the way! He also does this thing when he's excited as if he cannot physically contain his excitement, and he needs to release the energy, so he wiggles his fingers at the end of outstretched arms. You can see him draw breath, literally gasping with wonder. I wish some other people I knew were that easy to please!

13 March

I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated this page. So much has happened. Dominic is sitting up beautifully. So confident. Isn't it amazing how straight babies backs are? I wish I had a posture like that! He sits and plays with his bricks, which he bangs together contentedly. He's also in the beginning stages of talking. Every morning over breakfast he tells us all about things 'aa-daa, da, da, da' (not saying mum, mum, mum yet) and says 'arro' and a lovely tinkly way, and waves. Dom is now going to nursery not far from where I work, which is great because we get to travel on the train together and there are plenty of interesting things to look at on the way, but it also means that his immune system is rather overloaded and he's had a cold for about three weeks :-( My sister, who's a practice nurse, says that it will be a few months before he really builds up his immunity. Until then, I'm expecting several more runny noses!

12 February

And another tooth has come through! Poor old Dom is a bit miserable - it's hard and sore work making pearly whites.

11 February

It's been all go in our house. Last Thursday Dominic rolled over all the way for the first time. He did it in his cot at night, so we didn't actually see him do it, but he got upset lying on his front and let us know! Yesterday I was witness to the great event and saw him roll over like a little top. It's amazing! And he got his first tooth on Saturday! He got feverish and I was worried that it was something serious and then in the afternoon Voila there it was.

28 January

Dominic made a lot of progress this week. If we sit him up, balance him straight, let go and count very quickly to three, then he can sit up for a whole three seconds ;-) before gravity takes its course! He's rolling from side to side like nobody's business. And last night he slept until 5am! What a clever boy!

I also believe that his testosterone has now kicked in. O lordy how the toys fly! (Also lots of grunting and whooping). Or perhaps the excitement was something to do with the helium balloon that his grandmother gave him on Friday. No, he wasn't inhaling it, he likes bashing it!

21 January, 2002

Dominic is now six months' old! He's increasingly entertained by new experiences. Not just entertained, enraptured! He gasps with excitement and waves his arms about. He loves spoons and cups, and is fascinated when watching the dishwasher being loaded. He squeals and laughs when you fling him about. And just yesterday he started babbling at two of his toys, Mr Cat and Kevin the bear. He's on three meals a day, is sociable and smiles at new people. An all round jolly chap, who's fun to be with! Just like his mum :-D

4 January, 2002

Dominic is nearly six months old and already he can stick out his tongue by invitation (if you do it to him). This has led to very many first Christmas photos of him 'catching flies'.

Dominic cannot yet roll over, as many six month olds can. However he can roll to one side and besides I am not worried because he can wave (a bit randomly admittedly, but it's a sure sign that he will be International Peace Ambassador for the UN by the time he's ten).

He gets incredibly excited when given squeakly toys, crinkly books, and is within reach of sparkly Christmas decorations.

He is mesmerised by his new elephant mobile as it wafts to and fro above his changing mat.

The thing that enchants me most of all is that Dominic is excellent company. He is a great listener and a marvellous conversationalist (not in any language that I can understand, obviously) and is an all-round jolly chap.

If you would like to join Proud Parents Not So Anonymous, please feel free to witter uncontrollably about your little ones below.