"More Barney, Mummy!"

It's true. In the space of a fortnight, Eliott is putting two and three word sentences together. He's using verbs ("what have you been doing at playgroup today, El?", "hiding, Mummy"). He's built up a vocab of around 200 words, probably more, and it's suddenly like living with a little Mynah bird. I never realised how often I say "right then", "wow wee" or "shit" (don't tell Matt) and have never been more conscious of the way I say "bye".

He can count to ten! He's been singing along to songs! His pronunciation is much improved and he's so proud and so happy. Unsurprisingly, so am I - not to mention relieved.

I still don't buy the "he never said a word until he was two and then he could speak!" myth. It hasn't happened overnight, it just feels a bit that way, but I can see how the years will condense the last two or three months into an hour or so of recollection. No doubt I'll be pedelling the same exaggerated shit (see) as everyone else in years to come.

On to other developments and Matt and I won the pitch we went for. On the way to our first "family" meeting with the client this morning, Matt took one look at my carefully printed map and hand-written contact details (in case of emergency - not every receptionist can be trusted to let you in) and after declaring that he knew exactly where we were supposed to be going he screwed up the pristine sheet of A4 and threw it in a litter bin. I felt a bit sick.

In the meeting, I brought out my neat, plastic folder filled with ordered notes pertaining to the project and a stack of stapled, dated notepaper. Matt brought a pen. He also had his toolbox in tow, allegedly full of "artist materials" (tins of paint). Our project manager asked him if he'd come to fix the photocopier.

I will develop a twitch before this job is done.

Thank God we're going to Legoland tomorrow.

Observer Woman

Anyone who is interested in my first Observer interview (hello mum) can read it online here. Must say, I'm rather proud of this one.

And not that I like to show off or anything...

All the news that's fit to print

Has it been so long? My blogging is woefully inadequate.

Eliott is saying lots of words and has a lisp - it's very "me when I was a toddler". He has also started with the childminder and I feel like a new woman. He has pooed and puked all over her already so I'd say they've bonded.

I never did put any weight back on after my illness and in fact, after a bit of careful - but healthy - eating, I lost a bit more. It's hard to convince people that 7st12 (ay carumba!) is my natural state and I'm not on a suicidal size 00 mission. I'm honestly not. While I'm in no rush to lose more, I don't want the post-pregnancy pounds back either and have bought a short & stripey sweater dress to prove it. It really is the eighties (I weighed 7st12 then too).

My first interview for Love It! was published and I should have my first in Observer Woman next Sunday (woo). Work is busy and buzzy and I'm trying hard to carve out time to get my novel-writing going again. First job is to find an agent (like that's going to be easy). Matt and I also worked on a pitch together, which was interesting. He contracted man-flu right at the crucial last minute and lay in bed groaning while I worked (and ranted) into the wee hours in a flurry of sheer panic. I wonder if we'll get it....

Having the childminder one day a week, plus Matt's day on Eliott watch, means I actually get time to relax and have watched several films to celebrate (TransAmerica, Constant Gardener...). We even went to the cinema with El today to see Hoodwinked. It was great, if a little embarrassing as El insisted on shouting things out really loudly to every character he liked. I plugged him up with popcorn, which he didn't seem to mind.

My final exciting news is that I am doing something Proper Bo with a Morrisons (the supermarket - I know!) publication. It's my destiny.