November

Hello everyone,

Once again, I'm sorry for the late arrival of my post - you'd think I'd be early rather than late given my precocious start but never mind!

More progress at my end to report...
I'm using more words.  This was demonstrated nicely when my friend Artie came to visit.  I called him Ardhee, called myself Ardhur and played peedabooooo (peek-a-boo).  I've also started asking for bordher (water).  I can copy sounds too so M+D have been having fun  helping me say other things like pull, push, cup, dog etc.  I can still say banana, hello, bye bye and potato and blueberry.  The babbling has also increased.  M+D still need more lessons in my language but they are improving slowly.

As well as copying words, I can copy actions.  This has led to Mum teaching me 'If you're happy and you know it'.  I clap my hands, pat my head, pat the floor and stamp my feet in all the right places.  I like stamping my feet the most and sometimes get a bit carried away and forget the rest of the verses.  

The bum shuffling has also been stepped up (see what I did there?) with a vengeance.  I'm super speedy, determined and silent.  I'm quicker at getting from lying flat to sitting upright and I've started rocking onto all fours.  This is a big deal according to my physio as it means my shoulders are getting stronger and I'll be able to start getting from sitting to standing via a kneeling position once I decide I'm ready.  Well, you know me, I take my time!  This new improved mobility has got Mum all excited and she's now taking me swimming, to Gymboree and also to a new group for children with additional physical needs called Small Steps.  I've been on a waiting list and now my name has come up so I've been assessed and they think I will benefit from a 'short but sweet' term of intensive help to get me up on 2 feet.  They are brilliant and help young children, and their families.  I had my first session last week and found it really good, if a little tiring but the physiotherapist and teacher there said I did well for my first session and that my stamina would improve as time goes on.

Cutlery is over rated.

It was Mum's birthday this month and I gave her the best present ever.  I had a Movement assessment and the Developmental Paediatrician said I was hitting all my milestones appropriately for my corrected age of 18 months and that if she didn't know my history (being so premature and having the brain bleeds etc) then she wouldn't be able to tell by looking at me.  This is fantastic news; as I'm sure you know all the negative predictions M+D had been given by my doctors early on in my life.  So far, though, it looks like they've been proved wrong.  If they are anything like Mum or Dad in their jobs, they will be super pleased they have been proved wrong in such a positive way.  It also, shows what a good job all my doctors and nurses did whilst I was in hospital to ensure I really did do the very best I could despite all that I've been through.  It's still early days but so much more positive than before.

Now it's getting colder, Mum insists on wrapping me up nice a warm in my buggy.  This is fine but I don't like wearing hats very much (summer or winter) and gloves are a bit of an inconvenience too.  I don't seem to have much of a choice though.

Snug as a bug and high visability.

Another month has flown by.  Next month is Christmas and then it's my SECOND birthday. Yes folks, it will be a whole 2 years since I took Mum and Dad (and everyone else) by surprise.  Who knows what mischief I can get up to in 2013?

Love to all and bye for now,

Arthur xxx

October-fest

Very sorry we're running late this month. I've been a bit under the weather lately - nothing too serious: snuffles and industrial quantities of snot; but I passed it on to Mummy (it's good to share, and all that) and so things slowed down a bit.

Anyway - here's a round up of the October news.
Running:
Mum ran her half marathon round the parks of London. She'd told Daddy she'd take about 2 and a half hours and did it in 2hrs 30mins and 9 secs which is rather impressive if you knew she'd done no training! And she only needed to walk for a teeny bit (hardly at all) - so that's good. Daddy and I were in support mode; walking all over Hyde park to make sure we saw Mummy in three different places. I clapped and looked extra-cute to help. Thanks to you lovely people Mummy raised a total of £600 for Bliss. Big big thank you to all of you!!! I think Mummy may be planning to run the London Marathon when I am 3 years old - she may need your help!

Walking:
I can walk. I don't, obviously. But if someone holds onto my hands, and I like them, and I'm in the right mood then I can walk. This seems to make M&D very excited so they keep standing me up. And I keep sitting back down - one doesn't want to rush these things.

Transitions:
I've learned to sit up from lying and roll over whenever I want. This means I can now get from flat to mobile. Whilst this is clearly brilliant, it does have its downside - I have fallen off the bed. I seem to bounce though.

Talking:
I can count to two. Strictly speaking I can count "two" as I'm not really interested in single things. I can also say 'purple, bubble, tato (potato), nana (banana), nigh nigh and blueberry'. I also continue to talk constantly but my parents just can't work out what I'm saying. This is really stupid of them as I keep repeating myself to make it easier.

Teeth:
I have 16 (yes 16) teeth now and still seem to get new ones. They're really sore to make. but they do make toast easier. I like toast. I also like Nutella. You can make a fantastic mess with nutella. I have also realised that some foods taste yummy (nutella, toast, yogurt, banana, peas and smoothies) and others don't (everything else). Why on earth does anyone eat the non-yummy foods? I am trying to make my preferences known - spitting food out, hurling it to the floor and generally shouting, but they still keep giving me the wrong things. They really are hopeless, still persistence should win this game.

Drawing:
I can draw. Well to be fair, I can make marks with pens or crayons. Now I don't know if you've ever tried drawing when you're 2 foot nothing and sat on the floor - but it's much easier to draw on vertical surfaces than on paper on the floor. Oh, and the pens taste delicious. This tends to lead to Mummy chasing after me to clear up and me with pen all over my face.

God parent dinners:
My god-parents are super. Both sets had me to dinner this month. I have a sneaky feeling that they all stay up after I've gone to bed, but it was lovely to see them all and be generally fussed over.

Um.. That's about it for this month, it's been a bit of a quiet one. So here's a list of my favorite things to keep us going:
Bath time - I love splashing around
Books. At the moment I'm reading "That's not my puppy/Lion/Elephant/Tiger"
Pens - especially to eat
Cables. These are brilliant, and every time you pull or chew on one you get an imediate reaction from M&D
Glasses. I don't know about you, but I think glasses look cool. Every time I see them I want to pull them off whoever's face they're on, and wear them myself!
Planes. I like flying - so naturally I keep spotting planes overhead. And since we're on the way to Heathrow I can see lots of them!
Hugs and chat. Hugs with people I know, and chats with people I don't know well enough to hug.

I'll try and make sure we get the next one out on time
Love and hugs,
Arthur x

September lows to highs

Before I start - even if you get bored by my ramblings please can you read the final paragraph, it's really important to me and babies like me.
Thanks, Arthur x

Animals
This month started very well with a family visit to London Zoo to see Marcus, Sophie and Robin; old friends from my time in Chelsea and Westminster. Sophie works at the Zoo so we got the full insiders' tour, with friends of theirs. We had a great time and I particularly liked the Gorillas! And it was lovely to see Robin again.

Daddy went straight off to Oxford from the Zoo. Apparently he needed to be clever for a whole week! Mum decided that one of our special Olympic Mascot photos had been out of focus and so she and I walked across Regents Park and into London. And down through Fitzrovia, past Oxford Street, and into Covent Garden. Wenlock re-found and re-photographed and then we walked down to the river, across and down to home. I'm not sure Mum meant to walk that far but I saw lots of London!

Illness
On Monday I brewed up another chest infection and I had a horrid night. At 6am on Tuesday Mum FaceTimed Dad in Oxford and they agreed I needed to be seen by professionals (who aren't relatives) so Mum and I went up to St Thomas' Children's Emergency Department.
First visit Mum bumped into old friends from medical school, one of whom then treated me. Trainee and consultant opinions of how to treat me differed slightly - the consultant won. I went home with Mum feeling slightly better. Sadly I slowly got worse during the day and by the evening I was back in the ED breathing 70 breaths a minute and knackered. Mum found all this quite challenging, lots of memories of my early days. And I spent the night in hospital. I felt really quite a lot better by mid-morning and haven't needed to go back since.

Behind Bars at Tommies

Stressed!
So Mum hit the "help button" and Granny W came to stay a day early to help Mum with me and let Mum go to give a talk at a work course she'd been working on for ages. This would have been enough to make it a stressful week even if I hadn't been ill.  I did my bit by cooperating with my new regime of lots of inhalers and lots of coughing. I let Granny W look after me and didn't have a poo disaster on anyone! Mum coped amazingly given that we'd also chosen this week to have the front garden dug up and new stone paving laid! SUPER-stressful and all without Dad who was still doing his residential course.

Lots of little extras
But I got better, certainly enough to go back to nursery who keep making me stand up. They're even trying me with a walker. Sometimes I will - and sometimes I won't, but they keep trying anyway. The next weekend Mum was on call so stuck in her hospital. Grandad P and Aunty Lizzie came down to London so Dad and I met up with them for a yummy lunch. It was lovely to see them and catch up on the rest of life in Derbyshire.

That Monday we did a "once in a lifetime" when we used Dad's place to watch the Olympic athletes' parade. We were right in front of Buckingham Palace which was brilliant but - big but - we were hanging around for several hours. Mum had chosen to carry me on her back, and I decided not to stay in the carrier. We may have both got a teeny bit fed up at times! That said, we had a brilliant time cheering the athletes, doing the Mobot and listening to Mummy's favourite politician: Boris.  And we were surrounded by men and women in uniform. So maybe I'll think about following my great-grandpas and aunty Lizzie, and consider a career in the Armed Forces?

Well done Team GB!

Mum's got herself a bicycle - and a sore bum! She's now commuting over 12 miles a day by bike. No room for me yet! My swimming lessons have started again - now with a journey on a train but we do get a heated pool. And I do love my swimming.

Dressing up and dressing down
We had two escapes this month. First a weekend at the Goodwood Revival. Lots of old cars for Dad. And dressing up for Mummy and me. We stayed with Granny and Grandpa E and were shown round Goodwood by Simon and Cathrine. I saw car races and the most amazing flypasts. It was brilliant!!

In ear defenders 'cos it was quite loud

All dressed up

The second was for longer - a whole week in Puglia in Italy. We were staying in a simple Masseria formed from an old Monastery. [ www.masseriamontelauro.it/home-eng ] They gave me my own room next to Mum and Dad - with a vaulted ceiling and everything! We had wonderful weather: 30C and bright sunshine. The hotel had a deep lawn and an infinity edge pool - irresistable if you're a bum shuffling small. I only fell in once - and wore right through one pair of shorts. Puglia is beautiful with the most dramatically sharp coastline.

Action shot

Arty shot

Those who've been reading for a while will know I'm a seasoned flyer, but not this time: tantrums on the way out and nightmares on the way back. Apologies to my fellow passengers and to my poor M&D.

Talking

My talking skills are coming on a treat. Mum and Dad are now insisting I say 'please' before I get any treats. I have exacted revenge by saying it so cutely that they can't resist my charms. I can also say 'bye bye'; and impressed my fellow diners by saying bye bye to each table every night!
M&D are teaching me body parts. I've got as far as: eyes, nose and mouth. Can't do hands and feet yet. Cats are OK, dogs are too tricky.

Pay attention please!
As you know my early months were hard. Mum and Dad were very grateful to the advice offered by Bliss, the charity for babies born too sick, too soon.
Mum's clearly lost her marbles and is running a half marathon at the beginning of October. She's raising money for Bliss. If you'd like to help:

www.justgiving.com/ArthurMcSmall

Thanks for reading and bye for now.

Arthur xxx

Summer celebrations

Evening all,

Like most of the country, M+D have been very excited about sport (new thing for Dad, not so new for Mum) and have already decided which sports I should be encouraged to start learning.  Well, if Laura Trott can win double gold after her premature arrival, then why can't I. 

The Olympic and Paralympic mascots have generated a rather OCD type personality in Mum and I have been taken all over London in order to get my photograph taken next to all the models dotted about on trails in different places around town.  For most I managed a smile or giggle, for others I have perfected a look of indifference and for some I just couldn't keep my eyes open!

Indifference

Smiley!

Smiley with aunt Lizze

Yawn!

I've made mummy stop at four pictures - we've been to over 60 of the stupid things! Still the walks have been nice and it gets us out of the house.

August has been a fairly relaxed month for us.  We have enjoyed the sunshine, visited friends and had friends and family to stay.  My aunt Lizzie came to say hello and also got dragged to see mascots.  She also baby sat for an evening so M+D could go out for dinner. Thank you!

Stolen aunty's sunglasses!

My standing continues to improve and now my physio wants me to do dynamic standing which involves me standing and Mum or Dad moving one of my legs and me moving the other one to catch up.  I'm not a fan of this hard work and make it known to anyone who's nearby.

M+D also continue to encourage me to feed myself. This is a messy process but the shower curtain Mum has out on the floor means M+D don't worry too much about how much food ends up on the floor as long as enough ends up in my tummy.  The bottles have also been relegated to storage as I can drink from a beaker without any problems.  I'm becoming a proper little man.

The other lovely event for the month was the 'whole Eccles family' lunch. The three of us joined by my nieces, aunty and uncle; all went down to Grandpa and Granny's. The sun shone and we played games in the garden. It was simply yummy.

I've moved up into the Tweenies room at Nursery too. This means I'm a 'toddler' although I think I'm probably more of a 'shuffler' right now but soon enough I'll be mobile on 2 feet and then the world will be my oyster and M+D will have to move even more furniture and laptops and cables out of my reach!

I've been to the park near home to play with my friend Leo, and enjoyed the swings, slides and bum shuffling all over the grass.  Leo showed me how to climb over the climbing frames and introduced me to blueberries.  Yummy!

Mum borrowed a TVR Tuscan from the Classic Car Club and we went for a drive. Then Dad and I went out (it's a 2 seater so no room for extra passengers with me in the front passenger seat!).  Mum and I had a good time but Dad drives quite a lot faster. Lots of grins!  It makes a lot of noise and having the roof off is fun as I can feel the wind in my hair.

Vroom vroom

And I can talk now. Sadly my parents remain unable to understand me. I am trying harder and harder, talking loud and longer and even doing arm gestures. I can't wait until they catch up!

Until next month,
Love to all,
Arthur  xx

July

Greetings eveyone,

I don't need to tell you quite how wet it was for most of July here in London and the rest of the UK!  Fortunately, things have brightened up and the Olympics don't seem to have been completely washed out yet!

Matching shorts!

Mum, Dad and I escaped the weather for a few days by visiting our friends, Simon and Cathrine, in Norway and were blessed by days of brilliant sunshine and 27 degree heat.  It was so warm, M+D even dared to swim in the fjord with the Norwegian jelly fish!  I wasn't very well so I was given a reprieve from swimming.  I'm not sure I'll be so lucky if we go back next year.

Enjoying the view in fjords!

Back on home soil, I've been perfecting my bum shuffling and can traverse the whole living room at home and Blue room in Nursery as well as spinning on the spot a full 360 degrees.  This is keeping Mum, Dad and my friends at Nursery on their toes as I'm not always in the same place when they turn round.  But, as usual, my physio is not satisfied and is now getting me to practice standing too.  No rest for this cheeky imp!  Mum has worked out that I'll stand against the sofa if I'm distracted by my favourite apps when she puts her iPhone on the cushion in front of me.  Devious behaviour by grown ups of you ask me but it seems to have paid off. Now I can stand against the sofa/table etc without someone having to hold on to me and I don't always need an iPhone for distraction anymore.  M+D are very pleased indeed.

Distraction with balls not phones

I've had my kidney looked at again.  It's looking good, and I've grown and gained weight so I'm now 10.4kg and 77cm in length.  My blood pressure is normal and my urine is clear but my Consultant clearly likes seeing me as I'm going back again in 6 months for another ultrasound and review.

We've been busy at home, putting up pictures, changing beds in the spare room so friends and family have a more comfortable stay and fitting stair gates so I can't escape. The gate seems quite effective at slowing down grown ups too.

In time for the Olympics, I've learned another phrase to go with 'hip hip hooray!'.  I can now say 'go' when someone says 'ready steady...'.  It does sound more like 'doh' at present but my Speech therapist, who taught it to me, told Mum that g's are very hard for little people to say and d's are much easier.  She also says I am doing very well, achieving most targets for my corrected age and might even be doing a little better than that!

My eyes have been checked again; I can see and look straight ahead.  The Consultant did offer to see me again but Mum said she'd keep an 'eye' (see what I did there?!) on me and come back if necessary.  That means I've been discharged from Cardiology, Respiratory, Audiology and Ophthalmology.  Still on the books for physio, Speech and Language, Developmental and Nephrology but I keep on doing well and knocking off specialities so I might be removed from under the microscope by 5!  I know M+D will be keeping a close watch on me so I won't be able to get away with anything even if the doctors aren't involved!

Speaking of Olympics, Mum and I saw the torch as it came through Wandsworth the day before the Opening Ceremony.  Lots of noise and crowds.  I cheered and waved and Mum managed to hold on to me as I wriggled and squiggled.

Dad did one better and got to see the Tech rehearsal for the opening ceremony on the Monday before.  He came back full of praise about the security, the Olympic Park and the show.  I didn't manage to stay up for the actual event but M+D did and said it was fabulous and the Queen is the latest Bond girl - brilliant.  Shame the NICUs at Northwick Park, Chelsea and St. Thomas' didn't get acknowledged like GOSH but I know we're all  incredibly grateful to the NHS for my care when I was born and the Outpatient care that continues.

I promise there will be more videos next month.  But I hope you've enjoyed my photos and chat from this month.

Love to all,

Arthur xxx

Jubilee!

Good evening everyone.

More interesting than tennis!

It's been quite a celebratory month - Jubilee, Wimbledon and my own personal triumphs...

My Jubilee started on Friday with a trip to Speech and Language Therapy.  Mum collected me in a bit of a flap having legged (or tubed) it from work after doing her morning list, she hailed a taxi to get me and her to my appointment and we made it just in time. Phew.  I had a lovely time playing with lots of toys and Mum answered lots of questions about my birth, my time in hospital and what I was able to do and say now.  At the end of my appointment, we were told I was very good at paying attention to adults and toys but that I was behind in my word use and comprehension.  This may have something to so with the fact that I'm also behind in my mobility too.  I can't get up and explore like others my age (now 14 months corrected) and that is delaying other aspects of my development.  It seems it's all linked together and all important.  Mum was not surprised but it is a bit upsetting to keep hearing that I'm not 'normal' and that I continue to need additional help.  Both M+D know that I am doing brilliantly in comparison with what they were told to expect way back when I was in hospital and when I had my MRI scan but it is still hard to hear it from specialists.

I've got feet in my book and on me!

We had 2 Jubilee barbeques.  Dad went a bit bonkers with bunting and flags in the garden and made it look very pretty.  I said hello to our guests and then went to bed.  I heard the words Pimms and fizz mentioned and our neighbours' pork chops were complemented highly on Friday and Fred's ribs were complemented highly on Saturday too.  Both sets of my Godparents came round to say hello.  And one set stayed for breakfast on Sunday too which was lovely as I got to play with their daughters.  They selected all my noisiest toys and helped me play with them.  I think the parents found it a bit difficult to hear.  Well, it's not my fault they're getting on a bit and their hearing isn't as good as it used to be! 

At lunchtime on Sunday, M+D and I went for a walk to Lambeth Bridge, where we waited with loads of other people (well, actually I sat on Dad's shoulders for a while, them Mum held me for a bit, then Dad held me for a bit then I sat on Dad's shoulders again) for around 3 hours to watch lots of boats go past.  One boat in particular was very big and had a little woman in a white hat on it.  Everyone cheered and waved flags when it went past.  Apparently it was Brenda and Phil.  Of course, I'd met Brenda before at the Polo but it seems she was too busy to wave to me personally this time.
Despite it being June, it was chilly so we pottered along to The Black Dog in Vauxhall for a spot of food and were not disappointed with a fabulous hog roast with the best crackling ever!

Boing boing

M+D keep giving me new toys to play with. I suspect this is something to do with the 'development specialist' saying I should be playing differently. "Piffle" I say - complete nonsense.
So they gave me gorgeous wooden blocks (thank you to Alicja, Emily and Piotr) and Daddy kept stacking them; and I've had fun banging them together. They gave me hoops with beads in (thank you Granny W) and Mum showed me how to put them back on the post they came on; and I banged them together. And so they gave me random shapes, and Mummy kept joining them together to make a snake - which really annoyed me; and I banged them together. And then they gave me special shapes and a box with a lid you could post them through, and they both kept showing me where the square and the triangle went; and I banged them together.
And I want to know... what is wrong with just banging toys together. I like the noise they make, and it keeps me happy. My parents should just chill out, that's my view!

As part of getting ready for my meeting the Queen, M+D have taught me a new trick. They say "hip, hip" and as we all go "hurray" I stick my arms up as high as I can get them. Well my lovely team at the nursery love this. So whenever someone comes into our room they say "hip, hip" and I do my little hurray wave and everyone laughs. You have to keep your public happy, that's what I say.

Hip hip - whatever!!

And now for two little things before two big ones:
Mum and Dad have finally caught me out with the beaker. I've done my best to keep using a bottle at home but they've managed to work out I can use a beaker - so I'm experiencing a little 'tough love' right now.

Rumbled

And I had my longest ever visit without my parents. They went off to see Don Giovanni at Garsington (and very smart they looked too, dressed as penguins for some reason). I went to see lovely Marlene and Roger who took super-good care of me for nearly ten hours - and I had fun for all of it, so huge thanks.

And in bigger news:
Another wedding! This time for Katie and Blake. Katie was one of my early babysitters but has now moved to Northampton. Which was where we went for a simply lovely do. There were dozens and dozens of children and lots of Simon's colleagues from the hospital - I had a super time. I did lots of dancing on Dad's shoulders watching Mummy who'd drunk lots of special grown-up 'bubbly milk'. Fun for everybody. Huge congratulations to the whole Dunkley clan.

Not the real Mr and Mrs Dunkley!

And my biggest news of all:
I can move!!!!!
I have learned how to bottom shuffle. Many thanks to aunty Julia who gave me some 'wiggly worms'. These are utterly delicious sweeties. And M+D are very good at using them as a bribe to get me to shuffle over. And over the course of June I've got quicker and quicker. I've also learned how to turn, usually without falling over, when I want to go somewhere else. I have had a few goes at crawling but I'm clearly doing something wrong as I seem to get further and further away from whatever has interested me. This tends to make me very cross indeed!

I still haven't mastered sitting up from lying down yet so M+D can still leave me and find me in the same place but I'm practising and practising so I'll keep you posted!!

Love to all,
Arthur x

Wheezy one!

This month started with a trip to A&E with Dad.  I'd had a good day at nursery but as the day went on, I became more and more wheezy so nursery phoned and Dad collected me.  Then Mum got a text message from Dad saying we were in A&E having inhalers and observations, chest X-ray and they were threatening to take blood from me.  Mum sat at work watching the clock until her on call ended and came straight to the hospital where I was giggling and wiggling all over the place whilst Dad looked a bit drained!  After my period of observation (or flirting with the nurses if you believe Dad) I was sent home with inhalers and a special spacer gizmo to help me get all their goodness into my lungs. They seem to be working well and I don't need them all the time.
M + D had more friends round for dinner and we went to Norfolk for a friend's birthday party where there was more coronation chicken than at Buckingham Palace in 1952!  Well done Erika and Rupert on a fantastic bash!

May be a little too much toast at once!?

We went to my friend, Arthur's 1st birthday.  I had chocolate cake and sausage rolls.  Yummy.  I think I'm getting hang of this grown up food.  I'm also finally getting to grips with drinking from a beaker.  According to Nursery, I've been doing it for a while but it's a trick I've been less willing to show at home.  Well, if you've got parents who'll hold a bottle for you, why hold a beaker and drink it yourself?

The Arthurs and their daddies

Along with my wheeze, I got Hand, Foot and Mouth.  This is a virus completely unrelated to Foot and Mouth so I didn't have to be quarantined and M+D didn't have to dip their feet in disinfectant.  It did make my hands look a little sore and blistered but, since no-one had told me I was ill, I carried on as usual. 

It was then my turn for another birthday party.  This time I had to share the lime light with my Grandad and my uncle for a 121st Birthday.  We had lots of friends round to Granny and Grandad E's and had a hog roast and a magician.  It was brilliant and didn't even rain.  M+D said it was the weather they had wanted at their wedding almost 3 years ago.  Apparently it rained quite a bit on their big day!  Despite M+D asking friends not to bother with presents they seemed to ignore the request but I didn't mind lots of lovely presents, so thank you!

More pressies for me!

Then the sun came out...and we have had lots of barbeques in our new back garden.  Three in a week to be precise.  Dad has bought a lawn mower and is now obsessing with making stripes on the world's smallest lawn.  Honestly, I've got muslins bigger than our lawn.  But it is soft and comfy for me to sit on and safer for me than the pond that was there before.

Me with Granny E

It's been a warm finish to the month and I've been sleeping in just my pyjamas without a growbag.  This has given me much more freedom in my cot and my wiggling has meant that M+D have found me in all sorts of positions by the morning.  Turning 180 degrees is nothing to a growing boy like me.  I still haven't quite got round to using me legs for crawling or standing yet but I do kick them when we go swimming and I do straighten my legs when I'm really angry and want to make a point. My physio has given me more exercises involving Mum's big swiss ball.  It is a bit of a work out for Mum too as she has to concentrate on keeping me on it as I roll and bounce about. 

Only 90 degree shift overnight this time

It's nearly Jubilee time and I've got my outfit washed and ready to go.  Photos to follow...

love to all,
Arthur xxx