Awaiting title

Someone I used to work with once said that if the amount of disruption caused by one baby is a value x, then the combined trouble caused by having a second is not 2x, nor even x² but x^x. (Did I mention he was quite geeky?) He's probably overstated the case but life chez wassocks has been very busy (in a nice way).

Dom had a bonus Christmas in November, with the arrival of Tilly and loads of presents for him so he "didn't feel left out". Christmas itself arrived and they both got loads of presents for which we and he are very grateful. He was just the right age to appreciate the magic of Christmas this year without being old enough for the focus to be 'I want this, I want that'. In the run-up, when directly asked he would tell people that what he wanted for Christmas was snow (so he could make a snowman) and a real penguin. Santa Claus, the hard-hearted git, let him down badly on both fronts. He'd also note the Christmas lights going up in houses on the route home from nursery and observe "ooh look, it's Christmas in their house", as if it was something that physically happened to people rather than an approaching date on the calendar.

Tilly's present to us was to become the smiliest baby imaginable. You merely need to catch her eye to be rewarded with a smile that could light up any room, and if you throw in a little bit of jiggling of her rocker-chair she'll contentedly gurgle away with a twinkle in her eye and even tries to reciprocate your laughter. She's at the stage now where she'll move her head to follow your voice, earning herself a big bald stripe across the back of her otherwise still luxuriant head of hair.

When not being busy occupying her usual spot by the fireplace, she's filling her days with splashing about at Swimbabes and refining the art of being on the receiving end of 'Swedish milking' and the occasional 'hug and glide' at baby massage classes. She happily submits to all this extra-curricular activity and looks quizically at any babies who are less keen. Helen swears that if she could roll her eyes conspiratorially at her, she would.

(As ever, if you want more frequent updates check out the flickr photos).