Today's highlights

Breakfast was mainly butter (licked off the toast)

Lunch was one strip of chicken and guacamole*

Lunch was also wanting the last of my fajita and pulling it apart and smearing it over his face*

Tea was lettuce with guacamole* and a chunk of pear, with a mini chew of a mushroom (refusal of salmon and baby sweetcorn)

Today he learned to climb stairs...or rather he climbed one stair to get to his Bakica on Skype - again the laptop proves to be a marvellous incentive (I placed her on the third step in the hope he wouldn't be able to get to the laptop - my hopes were dashed in the face of his gleeful achievement)

Today he discovered my belly button stud and wanted to eat it (it was still attached to me, so that's fine, it poses no choking hazard!) - it also successfully distracted him from a major crying session (following him pouring his water over the kitchen floor and slipping over on it, and banging his head)

Today he also learned to shake a shaker on request, rather than just eating it

He has taken to staggering around his cot and flopping on his belly repeatedly to get to sleep - today he flopped onto and fell asleep on my arm and I was too scared to moved it for 15 minutes so I had a lovely snooze while I worked hard being his pillow

Successful removal of pins and needle arm without waking baby

My banana and pecan loaf failed visually but gets ten points for flavour

Nappy wash done, second load on, house clean and tidy again, car failed MOT and repaired and then passed and returned, tomorrow's lunch made for the man

Just got to do some sewing, hang the nappies out on the line and eat more banana loaf.

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* For elderly relatives:

- Guacamole is avocado mashed up with tomatoes, chillies and yoghurt - in my case soya yoghurt and also some ground cumin, cayenne pepper and cinnamon, plus chives and spring onion, with a dash of cider vinegar (in the absence of lime or lemon juice)
- Fajitas are flat breads filled with sauce of chicken, onions, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms with chilli, yoghurt, guacamole, lettuce and (for most people) cheese

Both guacamole and fajitas are messy in the hands of a nine month old.