I'm on a roll now, 2 posts within the week! It just happens to have been a big week and with my imminent return to work, I'm feeling particularly close to my baby. I'm feeling the countdown far more profoundly than I thought I would. We have shared such a close bond in the last 6 months and I also realise that it has probably been the only moment in my life that I have just let myself be. It has been so truely special. There will be an ache that never leaves me when I'm not with him, I know that.

Cam's parents have arrived, and are settling in as best they can. It seems the house is not yet quite empty but both flatmates look set to go.

We had our first true crisis and ensuing trip to the emergency department last week. I'm scathe to say it, but I accidently caught Archie's foot in the car door. Yes it closed and latched! I know, terrible. But more than that terrifying as I thought I'd deformed his foot for life. We pelted to the hospital through peak hour traffic only to arrive as Archie was playing with the said foot and laughing. Nevertheless, we saw a doctor who pushed and prodded the little foot with no reaction. It's been fine ever since aside from a deep, dark line of bruise to remind me of my remiss actions.

He's also sitting unaided. While he doesn't last necessarily for hours, he definitely can sit, hold things, watch and listen to things on his own. He still needs to be on soft surfaces because the eventual fall can be quite hard. I think he first really sat on Friday11. I must record dates, it's just me. Strange, anal but true.

His teething is bad at the moment and he has a cold poor love. The cold has been surprisingly mild and he's coping well but the teething is a bugger. Robin Barker's Baby Love claims that there is little side effect to teething but I must say I disagree. He makes these intense babbling noises every time he rubs something along his lower gums. He got his two bottom front teeth about 2 weeks ago but they didn't seem to bring him the agony that he is going through now. He's also waking more in the night - inevitably - I'm sure because it's bothering him.

Anyway, tonight I could go on and on about the beautiful little boy. He is my treasure. My true joy. I cannot express the boundless love I have for him. I really can't.

Hi all

I've been bad and it's over a month since I've written. Actually, it's quite funny because I'm writing for everyone and no one. Everyone because that's the nature of the web and as such, blogs and no one, because I've shared this blog's existence with no one! So, I hear you say, why write. I suppose it's for Archie in the years to come. For him to cringe, deny but secretly read when he's overcome with the intrigue of what it was like in those days..... who knows if we'll still be blogging.

So he's now 6 months and2 weeks and is not yet rolling or sitting. I'm despairing a little. Just a little. I promise. I try to ignore all the other babies sitting in our mother's group at the local pub, sitting straightbacked, playing with each other's toys; or those babies, who seem to leap onto their fronts as soon as they've moved to their backs. Archie wobbles so when he's placed on his bottom. He can sit when he's placed in a chair or on the couch, so it's not his back muscles which have always been so good. No, it's his balance. Or lack thereof.

Having said all this, HE LOVES FOOD!!! Oh yes he does, it's hilarious. The neck craned foward with bottom lip outstretched. The spoon just seems to be on auto pilot, moving very fast from the bowel to his mouth. And he loves everything!! I can breathe a sigh of relief there.

And he's started swimming lessons. He loves that as well. He's the youngest in his group (the rest over a year) and yet the most fearless. He's intrigued by it all and loves the new toys that are at his disposal each week. It's been a great thing to do with him. Especially for Cam and so I completely recommend it. It's wonderful to already see him so confident in the water.

I go back to work in about a week and I'm dreading it. For so many reasons. This last 6 months has been more delightful and interesting than I'd ever imagine. And now that I'm managing time to read, you can imagine I'm just loving it all!!!

However, a secret between me and you - I caught his foot in the door today and had to rush to emergency with the fear I'd broken something. Thank god I didn't see any one making surruptitious phone calls to DOCS. He's fine. Nothing seems broken and Archie being Archie, he was giggling and playing with the foot within minutes (well within half an hour anyway).

Anyway, here are some photos. I can't resist