Growing Up

I haven't been posting so much lately as I am still adjusting to a having a full-time preschooler at home. I never seem to have more than 5 minutes to quickly check my emails, let alone time to plan and write blog posts, and spending time with Nikki will always come first.

I can't believe he is turning 4 in 10 days time! He is so grown up already! And all he is asking for is... a David Tennant Sonic Screwdriver and a Great Big Tardis Box. Yes, he's still Dr Who mad.

He does appreciate other things, though. I wanted to get a small teapot, since the one I have is massive, and so I asked Nikki what sort I should get. Orange, he said. Because I like orange.

I found a great 2-person tea set, with dainty cups, saucers, milk jug and sugar bowl to match the teapot in bright orange for less than the price of a new teapot on ebay, and Nikki loves it. Every day (often several times a day) he asks me if we can have tea. I am fairly sure he enjoys the process of serving tea for both of us more than the tea itself, since I allow him to pour the milk and tea all by himself.

I'll have to get a picture of him pouring the tea. There is only one teacup in the picture because orange teacups are, apparently, only for boys, and I have pretty pink flower ones that I must use. At least it decreases the chances of both getting broken if only one ever gets used...

Sneaky Little Helper

After lunch today, when I was taking the dustpan full of breadcrumbs out to the bin, Nikki decided to help...

I'm not sure whether he cleaned more with his legs or the cloth, but I appreciate the thought, even if I had to re-clean the table once I pulled him off...

Rest Time

Today, I managed to convince Nikki to have a rest in his room. Not sure how, but he agreed!

It was great! We set 1 hour on his timer and I put the timer just out of reach on the other side of his gate, so he could see (but not adjust) it.

Amazingly, he stayed in his room the whole time! This coming from the child who has done everything to avoid resting in the afternoon for 12 months or more! I don't know if he slept, since he shut the door, but he was silent for all but the last ten minutes, where he made a lovely house for his donkey.

Fingers crossed this will become a regular feature of our day - this afternoon has been so much calmer...

All Grown Up!

Nicholas is getting far too grown up!

He might need my help before and after, but when sitting on the potty he now demands 'Mummy - go away!' (unless he is doing standing up wees, in which case it is more 'Mummy, look - oh wow!')

He also  insists that he partake in all the 'manly' jobs - such as putting together new furniture!

He really enjoyed playing in the bottom cupboards! At one point, there was only one door and yet every one of the twenty-or-so times I was still surprised when I opened it and found Nicholas hiding!

He now has his own grown-up desk (or deks as he calls it), which is really my old one. He is so chuffed to have his own drawer and cupboard, and his 'old' desk is tucked in the chair space, so he can still sit and draw comfortably. 

Final Discharge!

We had an appointment at the Children's Clinic at our local hospital on Thursday. This was our final developmental check at the hospital. I have found it incredibly reassuring that they don't just forget you once you leave the NICU. We have had several check-ups with the clinic, and are still awaiting our final 'show-off' appointment with the physio in January (she hasn't seen him since he started walking). The physio has been especially reassuring, since he was so slow to reach the gross-motor milestones. The fact that we were getting told every couple of months that he was doing well (and several times that he was able, just not confident enough to try) made it that much easier to watch babies half his age doing things he couldn't.

Thursday's appointment was mostly a cognitive development assessment. We played some games and Nikki performed fantastically - at the top end of the normal range for his actual age (or two months older than he should be). Proof that he is a clever little monkey!

We were also reassured that the heart murmur that is usually noticed by the GP when Nikki gets a chest infection is almost impossible to hear when he is healthy and is thus of no concern whatsoever. I thought as much, as they heard it occasionally when he was in special care and hadn't worried, but a confirmation is always nice!

We can now cross our fingers and hope that he never has to go into hospital again!