16 Months, 2 Weeks, 3 Days

Well, today is Callum's second day at nursery and it was much harder to leave him than last week.

Last week, he was reaching for me when I left and cried when I picked him up. They told me that he had enjoyed meal times when he was happy and quiet but in between meal times he had whined.

This week he was really crying and reaching out to me when I left him. I wish that I could go in with him for a couple of minutes to set him up playing with some toys and then I know he wouldn't think twice about me leaving.

I think, if this was 2 months ago, he wouldn't have been in the slightest bit bothered and wouldn't have even looked around for me, but recently he has got really shy with people he doesn't know or clings to me when we first go in somewhere, even if it is familiar to him. Even when people visit us, so in his own home, he goes shy.

In some ways, it is very cute as he snuggles in to me and gives the other person a little shy smile. But I liked it when he was really confident and now I am worried that I am leaving him at nursery at the time when he needs reassurance and it could make him more clingy and cause separation anxiety.

I'm not regretting taking him to nursery. If I have a regret, it is that we didn't put him in sooner. Well, I guess that was the intention but circumstances with sorting out childcare vouchers meant it didn't happen. Nevermind, when he goes full time, I bet he'll love it and forget who we are :o(.

Regarding progress with the job - we are just waiting on the occupational health interview now. It got postponed from the first week in January because of the snow and they were sending me out a new date. I rang up on Tuesday and apparently it was meant to be that day. Frustrating to miss it but have booked in an appointment for next Thursday now. If that all goes well, as I am expecting it to, I should receive my final offer and then look to be starting about 2 weeks following that.

I'm getting in a panic now about all the people I want to see and all the things I want to do before I start working! Eeek!

Did I tell you Callum's latest word is 'shoes'. Very cute. I think anything you put on your feet comes under 'shoes' but he is learning.

Still now walking though. I'm sure he could but just doesn't 'think' he can. He was walking into a room yesterday and was holding onto my finger. My hand had a glove on so I carefully slipped my hand out of the glove so he was still holding it and he stood still and then continued to walk forward. He then fell over but only because another child walked into him. He is much better at it than he thinks he is. We should really try to encourage him more.

I took him for a walk to the shop Tuesday with his trolley. He loved it and did really well on the way there. Virtually ran all the way to the shop - well, about 2/3rds of the way. But then it became very hard work as I kept having to carrying him and the trolley. And then on the way back I had the milk too. He really wanted to walk so kept asking to be put down but then was too tired to walk so kept going down on his knees. We stopped for a rest in the park and bumped into Lou, Ben & Toby. Toby was happy to push Callum half the way home while he was sitting in the trolley and then I carried Callum while Toby pushed most of the rest of the way home. I was shattered when I got home.I was going to take the pushchair with me so that I could plonk him in that when he got tired of pushing the trolley but once he got behind the trolley he was off and I didn't get time to get the pushchair out. He would have been out in the road before I knew it so just left it in the car and chased after him. Not again - next time the pushchair is definitely coming with!