Time relativity is an odd thing. On one hand, it doesn't seem like 13 months ago that Felix landed. On the other, so much has happened in those 13 months that it feels like a lifetime. I can't quite understand why a time can seem like a long period and short period at the same time, must be something to do with relativity and context. I'll try to split things up into similar headings for those with comparison lust.
Developmental stages have notions associated with them and so far, Felix is living up to them all. He started as a Baby - mostly inert pink converter of milk to shit. He then moved to a more interesting converter that moved and responded to external events. A baby nonetheless. In the past 6 weeks, he has turned from Baby to Toddler. Walking about and commanding respect by babbling. We're on the brink of a new phase...
Motion
Felix now walks unaided well in flat environments (inside) and with some help in rougher terrain (grass, pavements). We walked from our house to the shops the other evening and although he was fitted with baby reigns, he wanted to hold someone's hand for stability. Felix didn't have a crawl stage, he would shuffle along on his front ineffectually but not really crawling as other babies do. Instead, he stood and shuffled while holding onto furniture for a few months while crossing small gaps. In 6 weeks, he's gone from that to full on walking without using any furniture. He does not need any furniture to stand up, either. From sitting, he pushes his bum in the air like some sort of insane yoga move, moves feet into a squat and then stands upright. He also likes walking about with things in his hands, particularly socks.
Felix doesn't understand stairs or sudden drops at the moment - preferring to throw himself bodily forward and hoping his footfalls are successful. The idea of sitting on his bum and shuffling down the stairs is alien. He does dance, though. If you play upbeat or funky music, he'll jiggle about by bending his knees in time.
Manual dexterity has moved on leaps and bounds too - he loves to push buttons - especially ones that click (such as on our old DVD player). He can prise open a door pushed-to (that is currently missing a handle). Stacking bricks is where the manual dexterity really shines through. Whereas before he would just try and dump a block on another and wonder why the tower would fall, now the block is placed gently and his hand remains to steady it. Once built, the tower is destroyed with a flapping of arms.
Felix is only happy when he's moving or exploring. It was quite plain that he was frustrated as a baby that couldn't move under his own power and now he can, there's no stopping him.
Food
Felix prefers to eat whatever we are. He is moving slowly away from the pureed foods and pots of baby goo onto more interesting stuff. He likes strong tastes and gets bored of a single food if you try and feed him for too long. Ella's Kitchen strawberry and banana packets are still "baby crack". A typical set of meals for Felix are:
Breakfast
Scottish pancake things that Kate eats or toast
1/2 Banana
Biscuit (like a rusk - no sugar and very filling)
Some of my Crunchy Nut Cornflakes
Lunch
Bread and butter (no crusts)
Some ham (or pruscuitto/salami)
Some more banana
Apple and cinnamon rice cakes
Dinner
Pasta shapes with pesto and herb sauce or Omlette
Pot of fruit puree
Biscuit
The other big change that Felix has had is that he doesn't breast feed anymore. As his teeth came through (he now has 5 obvious ones and I think another 2 coming through), he couldn't get used to not biting Kate. If you're not wincing now, you've probably not understood.
Feeding from a bottle has been a big boon as a family unit because it means I can feed him! This removes the Kate-having-to-be-around-100%-of-the-time proviso to every activity. We tested this last week when I fed and put Felix to bed while Kate went to dinner with her friends. We also have a weekly day we will be dropping Felix off with his Grandparents (Kate's parents, Moo-Ma and Moo-Pa, collectively known as the Moos, yes as in Black Books). Being with other people is a good developmental thing as Felix will be less freaked out when he goes to play groups or school. Also, when Kate is ill, she can just rest and I can take over 100%.
Communication
Felix has a number of "voices", each that represent what we believe to be a state of mind. They are repeatable and although the syllables often mean nothing (although Kate thinks she hears things sometimes). The voices are roughly as follows:
Busy
Often used when walking around, this is his normal voice. 'Do do do dah do dah' tend to be the usual sort of sounds that come out. Some more complex 'words' too but we're not sure what any of it means. He often sounds like he's organising his troops before battle because it's all very serious.
Awe
A hoarse, loud whisper used when he discovers something wondrous or new. 'Ta da ta ta' tends to be the syllables. For example, he likes to play with the landline phone upstairs (lots of clicky buttons to push) and when he does so, I phone it from my mobile. You can get the same effect by giving him my mobile, which plays funk when it rings.
Little voice
The little voice is his loved up voice most often used when you pass him Norman, his favourite toy. It's a gentle and tiny squeak with sing son 'La la' sort of sounds. This voice will make you smile involuntarily.
Growl
Worthy of a Scandanavian metal band, the growl might be frustration but also excitement. Not really sure as I've only seen it a couple of times.
Some of the best communication comes through hand actions. He will tell you when he is finished with part of his dinner by waving his arms around. He will also wave to say hello or goodbye. He's worked out that you wave at someone, rather than the floor or wall. He points too. He points a lot. We have no idea why.
Personality
I don't like people assigning personality trait X or Y to a baby because they change so much and quite often the baby might be trying to communicate something entirely different. I also get uncomfortable when people suggest that personality traits are genetic. You hear "He does that thing you do...". I think I hate that the most because it means that none of us are really our own people, we're just personality constructs of our parents.
At the moment Felix doesn't like it when things don't go his way. If a tower of blocks won't quite stack right, he'll destroy the whole tower with an angry flap of his arms. He will also become utterly absorbed in doing something, like fiddling with a toy, stacking discs on a peg or watching his favourite telly programmes (Chuggington, Waybulloo and In The Night Garden). He has the makings of a wicked sense of humour, playing games by going to turn off the telly and looking round for a response. He giggles often and gives 'kisses' by sloppily pressing an open mouth against your face.
Tantrums occur when he is stopped from doing something he wants - especially when tired. Fortunately, you can stem them by distracting him.
Routine
Felix is a child of routine and we break it at our peril. He wants to sleep every three hours for about an hour. The exception is the afternoon/evening, which stretches out for ages. He does sleep well now, thank god, and soon he will drop the morning nap. All times are approximate.
06:00: Wakes. Normally by chatting to his bedfellows, Norman the cuddly dog and Dennis the musical seahorse. He's extracted from his sleeping bag and put into a jumper. Then downstairs.
07:30ish: Nappy change by now.
09:00: Morning nap.
10:00-10:30: Wakes. Bottle. Into "going outside" sort of clothes.
11:45: Lunch.
13:00: Afternoon nap.
14:30-15:00: Wakes up. Normally go out for a spell. Bottle during the PM.
17:30ish: I get in from work, some play/music.
18:00: Dinner
18:45: Bath
19:00: Bed - in pyjamas, story and a bottle until he looks sleepy.
19:30: Chatting or singing quietly to himself until he sleeps.