OK so a few more gems I have learnt over the last few weeks :)

1) Nappy wars – oh I long for the days when Zara just used to lie on her back happily and change her nappy. Her new found independence however means that this is a thing of the past. Changing nappies has turned into a battle most days with each day becoming a new trial to keep her occupied for 5 minutes whilst I change her. Sods law says that she is at her worst when it is a particularly messy nappy to clean up. It is pretty much impossible to hold onto a wriggling baby, wipe up a lot of mess and apply clean nappy with just 2 arms!

2) No matter how much I hoover and clean, if there is a speck of dust or cat hair on the floor Zara will undoubtably find it and try to eat it. I’m forever getting up to remove something inedible from her grasping little hands nowadays.

3) The length of her daytime naps are now inversly proportional to how tired I am. If I’m exhausted and really need a break then you can guarantee she will nap for about 20 minutes as opposed to her usual 2 hour nap. I’m still not quite sure how this works as if I’m tired and in need of a nap then surely she must be tired too?

4) No matter how many fancy toys I buy her, she is at her happiest when playing with a babywipes packet, a cardboard box of just chasing the cats in her babywalker. And her obsession with remote controls, mobile phones and ipods is getting ridiculous but it’s guaranteed if I buy her a toy mobile phone of her own she won’t be interested.