Dear Harrison

A Sunday morning at the beach

Hi! Your Aunty Maddy here. I'm writing this post while you are in the midst of your afternoon nap, and hopefully you will wake up nice and refreshed. This is our second week of hanging out together; hope you're enjoying it as much as I am! I've only been here in Perth a few weeks, but it's been great getting to know you and your ever-growing personality. It's hard to believe you are already a year old! 

We've quickly settled into a routine now that your Mum's back at work. I was worried at first that you would be bored, or that you would miss her... You did, I'm sure, for the first day or two, because you clung to her like a monkey (your favourite animal) when she came home, and cried whenever she went into another room. However! I've made sure to keep you well-occupied during the day with some activities:

Mondays and Wednesdays we take a trip down to Subiaco for Rhyme Time at the library. There are lots of other kids your age there with their mums (dads too, sometimes), and we sit and listen to some fun rhymes and songs, such as 'Galumph went the frog', and the crowd pleaser Hoky Poky. There's also a stuffed dog named Billy who participates, and you adore him! (You'd probably take him home if you could.) And if it's not the dog that excites you, it's usually the fish swimming in the tank. Of course, we do some reading as well, but you tend to get distracted mid-story...

On Tuesdays and Thursdays we visit the gym for toddler time, where you can crawl (or pretty soon, toddle) around as you please: there are bouncy balls galore, things to climb on, musical instruments to shake... 

Of course, we may not always stick to this schedule over the next few months; we might have other things to do, like meet up with friends in the park, or perhaps try out another toddler-friendly activity. But if there's one thing we've learned early on with you, you're happiest when you're out and about. (But naps are a necessity.) Perth's a great city to grow up in; there's a ton of things for kids to do! When you're older, you'll see just how amazing the playgrounds here are.

This playground in Kings Park looks like a pirate ship. What kid wouldn't want to play here?

Now that you're a year old(!), you're going to go through some interesting stages: discovering new things, understanding words, eating new foods, and the big one... Walking! This past weekend you took your first few independent wobbly steps (which I managed to catch on camera), and celebrations were had. Of course you're mostly still crawling around, and need help standing up on your feet, but you're getting closer everyday. 

All this can make a kid (and adult!) exhausted. You get grumpy sometimes when you're tired, but when you're happy, your laugh is probably one of the greatest things in the world. It's crossed between a hiccup and something else, and it's basically music to our ears. (Your excited arm-flailing comes in a close second.)

Well, I better sign off here, because it won't be long before you're up again. 

Will check in again soon!