I have a tooth now, just like Jay and Mum and Dad. It’s in the bottom of my mouth at the front on the left. It feels funny and I like to stick my tongue out so I can feel the tooth. I also like to bite hard on a toy and then pull it out of my mouth: ping!

I think another tooth is coming very very soon.

I can sit up all by myself now. Mum was at home with me today and she was chatting with Dad on the computer:

(10:28:51 AM) Joanne: saw felix sit up on his own about 15 mins ago
(10:28:58 AM) Bennett: Wow
(10:28:59 AM) Joanne: pushing up from his tummy
(10:29:14 AM) Bennett: He’s growing up
(10:29:26 AM) Joanne: and fast

I have to grow up fast because my brother Jay is bigger than me and I want to catch up!

After Mum fed me this morning she put me on my mat in the lounge room next to the coffee table like she always does. But I thought I might go and join everyone in the kitchen at the table where they were eating. And I did! Just by pulling myself along the floor while I was on my tummy — commando style.

It was great because there were lots of interesting things to put in my mouth on the kitchen floor, especially when I crawled under the table. I think it was a bit of a surprise for Mum and Dad and Jay but I love it. Now I can explore where I want to without waiting for anyone to move me. I wonder if I will be able to keep up with Jay one day…

Open out both your hands and hit them together and they make a fun sound. Clap! Clap! Clap!

Jay does this when he sings songs. Mum and Dad do it sometimes when I do something cute. This happens a lot. But now I can clap by myself. This morning Mum changed my nappy and I thought she did a good job so I clapped for her. She smiled and laughed so I clapped my feet as well as my hands.

Mum and Dad better learn some new tricks because soon I will be able to do everything they can.

I have been eating more different kinds of food in the last few weeks. Mum made a special trip to the organic supermarket and has made me all sorts of purées: asparagus, cauliflower, silver beet, sweet potato, pumpkin and rosemary and even apricot chicken! It all seems quite interesting and is good for throwing around. But I’m more interested in what everyone else is eating. And of course if I’m hungry I just want my yummy mummy’s milk.

I am getting better at sitting up by myself now. This is good because I can see what Mum is doing when she moves around the house. I feel happier and so I don’t cry so much now.

Also I can play with toys more easily and pick them up if I drop them. Sometimes I fall over sideways because I am having too much fun playing and forget to stay sitting up. Sometimes I do cry then. But sometimes I end up lying on my side on the floor, so I can just roll over and look for more toys. Maybe soon I will be able to crawl. That will be my next trick.

I can sit up all by myself now. Before I could only lie down on the floor and sometimes roll over. The trouble is that I get bored playing with the same things all the time like my rattle or my feet. Mum and Dad used to try to sit me up but I would stretch out my legs and fall over backwards.

But just this week I discovered that if I don’t stretch out my legs then I can stay sitting up. If I do this then Dad puts lots of toys on the floor around me and  I can pick and choose and play with anything I like. It’s much more fun. But I still fall over quite a lot.

Today I ate some food for the first time. Mum and Dad and Jay eat food every day but I always drink milk straight from Mum. But tonight Mum put some food in a bowl and I ate it from a spoon. It tasted nice like Mum’s milk but it was thick and funny to swallow. I was hungry so I ate it but it wasn’t as good as milk. The best thing about it was the spoon which was nice and chewy.

I have discovered that I have my own hands and they are great! I can hold them up in front of me, and chew them when I am teething. Sometimes I clasp them together or make shapes with them.

I really love my hands so I was delighted to find out that I also have some interesting feet! They are also good for looking at and chewing. Maybe I like them even better than my hands…

I like Jay because he gives me hugs. I get lots of hugs from Mum and Dad too but Jay hugs are the most fun because they are very exciting. Sometimes Jay grabs me in a big hug and then falls over and then I fall over too and we end up rolling on the ground. Sometimes he sits on me and hugs my head. It can be a bit sore when he hugs me like this. But sometimes he just gives me a nice gentle cuddle and a kiss. So even though he is a bit rough sometimes I always go back for more nice hugs.