Favourite activities at 14 months old

Noah has discovered the joy of bikes, and can now get on and off himself. The one we have is borrowed from the Lynches in Hobart, so you can guess what Noah is getting for Christmas!
Bathtime is always fun, and so is having clothes-off time when Noah gets out...


Even better is walking around the house with a towel over his head. Noah thinks not being able to see and bumping into walls is hilarious, and it is rather amusing to watch!

Noah hates to be left out of things, so being able to sit on the bench is a great place to be. And if you've got food in your hands it's even better!


Being rather crazy is part of every day. Noah loves putting on sunglasses, and parades around for anyone who is there to see it - today it was to a bunch of people at a cafe, who gave him big smiles in return.
Balls are one of Noah's serious addictions. So you can imagine the fun he had in a ball pit at an indoor playground Jan and I took the boys to. He didn't care about too many other things; he had unlimited balls to carry around.

Another addiction is his holding soft toys, particularly when it's sleep time. His two favourites are his tiger and doggy. In the photo below I wasn't quick enough in putting Noah into bed, but luckily Tiger was there to save the day.

Noah loves books, particularly when he can climb onto someone's lap to be read the book of his choice. I love discovering him off reading by himself somewhere (as in the photo below).


He doesn't sit quietly by himself very often, though. He is constantly chattering or roaring and stomping like a dinosaur (captured in pic in previous post). He also likes to use 'trumpets' to create a racket.

Playing with cousin Josiah is definitely a big favourite. The photo below shows that an empty bottle filled with leaves and dirt is somehow great entertainment for both of them!

Holidays and Dinosaurs

I know Kate's been trying to get a post up here, and I don't want to steal any of her material, so here are just a few snippets on life.

First, my favourite photo from the past little while. (Kate took it and she'll comment some more on it in her post).


Jammies have got to be one of the coolest things about dressing your kid, I reckon. Had Charles Darwin seen this particular photo, something tells me that the Origin of Species might contain a very different hypothesis.

Last week our little family made it away to the Central Coast for a holiday. It was superb. Sun, quiet, no-broken-glass, more quiet, yummy food, happy times. Noah got to run around heaps; he was great in the car, both ways; there were little outdoor areas for him to explore... it was great fun. Maybe we'll go back there sometime.

Put on those walking shoes!

So after many attempts to make it happen by mum and dad (resulting in many 'first steps'), Noah has begun to walk - without holding hands! One week after his first birthday, he simply walked from dad to mum; about 9 steps. Very easily.

Since then, his skills have rocketed. When in Target yesterday he even went missing when mum had her attention on something else. He was only a couple of aisles away examining a toy, but he was fast!

We are very proud. Here's a video from a couple of days ago.

A miniature fair experience

College held a 'winter festival', or miniature fair last weekend. Much fun was had.


The favourite was definitely the animals. There were piglets, goats, lambs, rabbits, ducks, ducklings, and chickens. Noah was amazed.


In this photo Josiah is hanging out with Noah - he loves his little cousin.. and Noah loves him.


Cousin Shem was also at Noah's side, and was trying to get his little hands on all the animals.


Noah eagerly embarked on his first jumping castle adventure.


And, to top it all off, Noah had his first taste of chocolate ice-cream. This came about when mum had her hands full (with Noah and some purchases), and at the same time tried to eat an ice-cream. Noah was a keen punter to help bear the load and took the ice-cream for mum.


By the time we got to our picnic blanket, Noah's mouth and hands were stuck like glue to the ice-cream. He was quite upset that it was pried from his hands, but it was mum's ice-cream (what was left!) and we weren't sure what effect this new 'food' would have!


And then Shem was allowed to indulge, thanks to Noah's example.


What a nice day!

Fun at the park

A regular outing for Noah and mum is 'the park'. Noah LOVES being outside, and can get quite upset when his desires to go outside aren't fulfilled. At the park, Noah can admire all the bigger kids - sometimes watching, sometimes pursuing with a large grin on his face.

But he also enjoys the rocking horse, often accompanied by the chorus 'giddy-up horsie'.


But he doesn't play on one thing for long. And he's also been known to 'eat' the gravel or dig in pine-bark for a bit of variation.
Peekaboo at the tunnel slide is a favourite. And if Dad meets us at the park, going down the tunnel slide is a delightful option.

Climbing up slides is always attempted, but with little success. Mum or Dad are always there to help Noah use the slide for it's intended purpose.


[Actually posted by Katie]

The Birthday Party

Noah's birthday party was last weekend. It was a lovely family-affair. And finally it was time for birthday cake!

A whole lot of thought went into exactly what shape Noah's first cake should be... should it be a duck (from the park); should it be some character from the tv or kids' movies? We eventually landed on a teddy bear. The decoration is all Kate's handiwork this time around.

Obviously we couldn't have gone and fed Noah cake before he'd got over his nasty sickness. So when cake finally found its way to his food-tray, Noah certainly didn't waste any time.

Ah... Noah's first taste of chocolate cake! For a moment there I was a little concerned that too much had gone in... he could handle it :)

Also among the revelers were Nana, Unca Bruce, and Shem (below).
It's won't be long and we'll all get to celebrate little Shem's first big day too. Can't wait. That'll probably be Noah's second sampling of rich, yummy cake!

More Birthday Pictures... and those Jammies!

Ok, so just in case we didn't give you enough of Noah's Tigger jammies...


This was Noah's first attempt at opening a birthday present. I think he got into the spirit of the occasion :)

Happy Birthday, Noah!

Last week, Noah celebrated his first birthday!

As many of you know the little lad was quite ill with a nasty gastro-bug for much of last week, so birthday cake was off the menu (until Saturday). But, a birthday is still a birthday. The first birthday-signs were the SMSs. Aunty Fi got in first.


Then it was present-opening with Mum and Dad (in Noah's swish new jammies).


But not long afterward, Aunty Jan and the boys popped around. (Dad stayed home for most of the morning).


Later on in the afternoon, some parcels stacked with lovely presents and cards came in from Tassie. They were rather fun to open.


Thanks very much for all of Noah's lovely gifts :)

Tasmania, in Pictures

Noah had a great time in Tassie staying at Nana and Papa's house.


Each morning, Noah got up, threw-on his new (puppy dog) dressing-gown and played in the lounge room.


Of late, Noah has taken to carrying a sock with him. Not always. But socks are the first thing Noah has ever been possessive about. Usually he will give-up whatever is in his hand quite readily - not his sock. Stealing that sock can even bring tears to an otherwise happy Noah.


Richmond was a lot of fun.


As well as chasing ducks on land, Noah also looked-on, longingly, from the viewing-platform. (Much to Noah's disgust, Daddy refused to allow any walking-on-water out to ducks on the river).


It was time to go home, eventually.

All in a Days Work

Yesterday, Noah made three rather exciting little advances in life.

Number 1: He's figured out how to initiate keepings-off. I thought he was handing a sock to me, and then he snatched it back with glee. Then he extended his offer again... Then it was taken back! Now where would he have learned that little stunt?

Number 2: Chasings. Mummy was crawling toward Noah, so he turned it into a game of chasings. It entertained us for about 5 mins as he walked away (with Daddy's help) every time Mummy got close.

Number 3: Noah's discovered he can walk with the support of a wall (side-stepping). Up until now he's needed a surface to put his hands down onto, rather than up against. It's one metaphorical step closer.

This photo has nothing to do with any of the above; we just like him in orange. It was taken in the main hang-out area at college (right near the heritage-listed grape-vine).

In other news... Noah's crawling really well these days. I'll post some pictures sometime soon.

Noah's Bonds Hoodie Ads

We reckon that if Bonds used Noah as their model they'd sell many more hoodies than by using those teenage-lover-models.


We took these shots while on holiday. (See newtownlife for details).


On a related note, Noah occasionally likes to watch a bit of television (in his hoodie). Sesame Street is still going-strong, and Telly is still a main-stay of their monster-line-up.

Whaddaya say? Tempted to go and buy a new and fresh Bonds hoodie? I thought so. Tell them we sent you.

Progress on Crawling

Noah is simultaneously making moves towards crawling and walking. But let's talk crawling first.


If Noah sets his mind on some yummy toy that's within a couple of feet, maybe more, then he will squirm along until he gets it. Sometime he makes great lunges in the process.

He's not yet crawling properly, not as this photo might suggest. But he can definitely squirm forwards on his tummy quite competently, as well as turn around.

The next step is to make the same progress while supporting his whole weight on his hands and knees. He'll get there. Soon, I'm sure.

Noah and the Great Half-Banana

I think it's a great title for a kids book. It would go like this...

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Noah.

He liked to sit in his high-chair and eat things.
But of all the things in the world, Noah most like to eat banana.


Noah especially liked it when he was allowed to feed himself.
No spoons.
No parents.


Noah could eat half a banana all on his own. It would be all gobbled-up in just a couple of minutes.

And that's just for starters...

The End.

Yummy Mushy Moosh

All manner of things pass for food now, especially vegetables.


Noah has regular meals of broccoli or carrot, sweet potato, baked beans, peas, Farax; whatever takes Mum's fancy. Banana, cous cous, tuna, even Weet-Bix.

Meals of 'solids' take place in the new high-chair. It's quite a command-centre, really. There's a pouch for bibs and toys, there's a lift-off tray, a seat-belt, too.


It's most fun when Noah feeds himself; it's also most dangerous.