9.5 months old - SO proud!

Oh I am soo so so so proud of Robert. I don't know why but the last couple of weeks it feels like my love and pride for him has multiplied 10 times. It seems crazy to say that because of course I loved him before and was proud of him, but lately it just feels so intense!

My little boy is WALKING! I can hardly believe it! He is sometimes stable and sometimes wobbly, but he tries every time he gets up now, and seems to LOVE it!

I love those excited squealy noises he makes when he starts toddling along!

I have as well been feeling a little off colour. Yesterday I just felt so "bleugh" all day, and I have kept on feeling queasy most mornings for a while now. And yes, I've been taking tests, and they're still negative. So I don't know what's up with that, or what really to do... I can't wait for my period to show up because I've not had one since February 2008! Because for all I know I may get pregnant without having had a period. So I guess I just take a test every now and then just to make sure?!

Something else I wanted to record here, as well as a question of sorts, was about babies Robert's age. I'm never quite sure if Robert is understanding anything we say to him. Or if it's just the tone of voice he picks up on. He does seem to be developing an understanding of certain things, for example, he keeps going to play with the radiator, and what with winter coming up I don't really want him to be playing with that! When I say "Robert, no." he'll sometimes turn round and look at me, grin, and then carry on playing with it. If I pick him up and take him away, he will crawl right on back to it!

I have a book which I got for my birthday (it was on my Amazon wishlist) called "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, Children are from Heaven". It is amazing. It has had such good reviews, and having read it, it makes such perfect sense, you know? The only thing is that while I have this book, and definitely intend to use it, I don't think Robert's at quite the age where I can apply the techniques. Since he cannot talk, I cannot listen to him to nurture his needs! Although the blurb says it's for children from birth to teens, it seems that all of the examples he gives are from children who can talk! I am wondering whether if I follow the first step (Ask a child to do something, directly - not order them) whether it will have any effect on him, at not even 10 months old. For example with the radiator, say "Robert, would you please come away from the radiator?" and then maybe give lots of excited praise if he does, and if not I don't know, maybe try and distract him?

I guess it's worth a try, to get him started on this stuff right away it can't hurt right?? But I'm so excited to try it when he is older! I want to be the best parent I can possibly be, and I am so excited to have found this book as I'm sure it will be well thumbed through over the years to come!