Over the last fortnight, Aidan has been slowly recovering from a nasty cough and cold which has dragged on since we came back from New Zealand last December. We're hoping he's over the worst of it now, but he still has a lot of catarrh which is causing him to cough rather a lot. Thankfully the doctor seems to think he's okay, and it's just a case of holding out until spring when the warmer weather will arrive.

Aidan hasn't been letting the cough hold him back however. He's been a very happy boy and has been enjoying his usual pursuits of swimming, yoga, playgroup, eating ever increasing quantities of 'solid' food, attempting to crawl, pulling himself up, exploring his environment, general interior destruction (with special attention to CDs and videos), sitting, falling over, playing with his toys, crying and keeping Mummy and Daddy up most nights (thanks to the cough), and socialising with other like-minded individuals!

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Image 0026-3988 Canon PowerShot S45 1/99 sec., f/2.8 2004:02:07 14:10:30 UTC

Aidan at Anglesey Abbey. Aidan loved the freedom to explore his environment that being in his back carrier afforded him - he could reach out and touch leaves and branches. This particular branch had him enthralled for several minutes.

A typical day at home. Aidan thoroughly enjoys sitting and playing with his toys, and on Tuesdays Daddy thoroughly enjoys looking after him while working from home.

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Image 0026-4003 Canon PowerShot S45 1/60 sec., f/3.2 2004:02:13 08:37:53 UTC

Aidan writes his first Valentine's card!

Getting ever closer to crawling! His current method (as of Sunday 15th) of locomotion is as follows: starting on my tummy, stretch my arms out in front of me, push my bottom into the air so that I am on my hands and feet, drop down onto my knees, move them closer to my hands one after the other, collapse onto my tummy... Repeat from the beginning until I get where I want to be.

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Image 0026-4014 Canon PowerShot S45 1/60 sec., f/2.8 2004:02:16 19:10:31 UTC

Playing in the big bath! For the last couple of weeks, Aidan has been enjoying being in the big bath (rather than the baby bath) now that he is sitting up confidently without support. He thinks this a whole new world, has discovered that lying flat out and flailing his arms and legs makes wonderful great splashes which soak Mummy and Daddy, practises his breaststroke, and very seldom manages to catch the floating alien bath toy which he chases endlessly.

The Great Escape! Aidan's most recent trick (as of five hours ago!) is to pull himself up on the bath handles and try to climb out of the bath. He managed to pull himself up from sitting to standing without any help from Mummy or Daddy - indeed they were only just quick enough to catch him at it! Bathtime is getting more and more exciting! Now about that childproofing...

Image 0026-4025 Canon PowerShot S45 1/60 sec., f/2.8 2004:02:16 19:13:24 UTC