Flavio's first steps

Just a few minutes ago Flavio took his first steps while playing with Daddy! Maybe for the excitement of playing with his Daddy while Mummy finally relaxes for an evening in front of the computer (which never usually happens!) I couldn't believe it but when I went up to Flavio who was stood by the sofa and held out my arms he took at least four steps and then fell into my arms! I was wondering when it was finally going to happen: he seemed just so keen on crawling that I thought he'd just decided to skip that milestone!
It's such a stressful time at the moment we're in the process of moving house: we've actually moved but the house isn't just ready yet so the constructor of the house is letting us stay in a beautiful 'casale' in Tuscany which is really nice but I have all those boxes niggling away in my mind to be put away and I just want to have my house! Here we have no internet and I feel quite secluded even though there are a few other families around but I have to admit it is a beautiful place. The views are fantastic and the house is typical Tuscan style in a complex with a swimming pool and paths to take walks... There are only a few things missing on the new house like the bannister on the staircase and a couple of wash basins but they can't let us in until it's all finished.
I've just put Flavio to bed and I told him how proud of him 'Mamma' is that he's finally taken those first steps! He calls me 'mamma'. All day I hear 'mamma!' 'MAMMA!' At 13 months he associated mamma to me and started calling me all the time. It's so sweet and it's the milestone I've enjoyed the most until now! 

First kiss!

I can't believe what just happened and I feel so moved by it! Flavio actually kissed me! And once he started he wouldn't stop! I'd just finished changing him for the night and I'd put him into a fresh body suit and he was stood up on my legs hugging me. Daddy was sat next to us. I was telling him about how he always hugs me tight after his bath time and how cute it was and suddenly he looked right at me aimed for my mouth and gave me a big sloppy kiss on my lips! He made the kiss sound too! So cute to hear! Then he looked right at daddy for his reaction. We praised him for it and then he did it again and turned to see our reaction. Then he hugged me tight and kissed my cheek lots of times, sloppily with his tongue out but it was definitely a kiss! A cluster of kisses. Daddy asked for one too, and after a few smacks he got one too on his cheek. What an affection little darling at barely one year old! The funny thing is I didn't teach him to kiss or even ask for one! I love people who display signs of affection and now I'm so glad it seems Flavio is an affectionate person.

The summer holiday period is over and I'm back to update this little blog after a few weeks with no internet connection. We've been a few weeks by the sea and a week in the mountains. The rented apartment by the sea wasn't really classed as a holiday as the cooking and cleaning involved was quite hard work seeing as 'Dad' was working a lot of the time and I was completely alone! The week in the mountains in Val Gardena was a real holiday in a hotel where after long walks we came home to hot meals on the table!

Flavio has loved this holiday period and has learnt so many new things. He now crawls, marathon style. I never thought he'd be a crawler because he was never interested in being on his front and at eight months he'd pull himself up onto his feet. Well what do you know! At nearly 11 months he starts crawling after a few attempts at walking. He's stayed up on his feet for a few seconds but then falls right down as soon as he notices what he's doing. I think he'll be walking quite soon as he is crusading on the sofa and around the table. He recently started greeting people with the cutest 'ciao' and hand wave ever. At the restaurant of the hotel he'd greet everybody and he made so many admirers that at meal times everyone would ask for 'Flavio'. It's not really a hand wave. He opens and closes his hand accompanied by a sweet 'ciao' or even 'hi'. He's also started pointing. He points and says 'there' and you have to explain what it is or go there. He's become a Mummy's boy, he only wants to be in Mummy's arms and Daddy is getting quite jealous. Poor Daddy, he does try hard but I suppose Mummy is Mummy..

Flavio's first birthday is getting closer and it's come way too soon. I was dreading this moment, thinking I was going to lose my little baby but I have to admit I'm enjoying him so much more with every day that passes.

Us two

10 months today!

My little prince is 10 months today. I cannot believe how time has whizzed by no other ten months of my life have ever gone so quickly. My life is just a whole routine of feeding, changing, entertaining and waking up through the night! There again, no other ten months have been so exhilarating, emotional or overwhelming.
In a way I feel sad as he moves on up there towards his first birthday. I don't want him to get older, he's my little baby and growing up means growing away from Mummy, getting independant. I do, however, believe in teaching him independence and respecting his wills and desires in life. I think there's nothing worse than forcing your child into being someone YOU want him to be, obliging him to be like you.
He's developing so fast, he does so many new things now. One thing that I think is particulary cute is that he's starting to show emotions for things he likes and if you take something away from him or take him away from somewhere he likes he'll start to cry. I know it seems so banal but we thought it was so cute how the other day we put him on a little ride in the shopping centre (a loony tunes shopping van) that moved up and down and played music and when it had finished and we took him out of the van his beaming little face turned serious and he got so upset that it was time to go. I was tempted to pay for another ride on it but A said not to otherwise it may lead to spoiling him!
He pulls himself up easily in his playpen now and holds on with one hand while he bobs up and down and picks up toys. He's also got easier because he's starting to invent his own little games whilst he's in the playpen so that leaves me a bit more time to get jobs done. He'll pick up two little teddy bears and bash them together whilst babbling baby talk at them and the funniest thing he does is when he's in his little car in the garden. He's worked out where the pegs are; in a little sac that hangs from washing prop. He puts a hand in a fishes around for pegs and he always pulls two pegs out and puts one in each hand and scurrys around in his car with his hands in the air!
He's so cute I just can't take my hands off him. I'm constantly kissing and cuddling him and shouting out 'Ti amooo' ( I love you) and tickling him, he has THE cutest laugh ever. Today I took him to the supermarket (he goes on all my errands with me, such good company!) and I just went into a bit of a silly mood and I pulled some faces at him and he was laughing his little head off! When I added some silly noises that got him even giddier! He's so good too, he'll behave so well if ever I decide to look around a few shops and everyone always comments on how gorgeous he is! I know he's my son and I don't want to blow my own trumpet but I have to record the fact that he gets so many compliments. Mainly because if anyone speaks to him, he'll have a beaming smile on his face straight away. He loves people and company and he also loves watching other little children.
What can I say? He's perfect and I couldn't ever begin to describe how much I love him.

There's no place like home

Sometimes I just close my eyes and want to go back to the days I felt loved, secure, peaceful-minded and 'at home'. It takes me back to the first house I lived in with Mum, Dad and my brother. I have so many happy memories of that sweet, happy, smoothly-run family home. Back to the days of innocence where everything was so easy and what wasn't; someone else took care of. I feel like this when I get overwhelmed with the responsibilities of being a mother of a baby and a partner who can sometimes seem like a baby too.
I want to create this sweet family home for Flavio too but sometimes it seems as if our ideas are so different. Being quite a quiet, peace-loving person I tend to let others get the better of me but I'm so passionate about this concept. I want this family to work. I want to raise happy children that feel secure in their family nest. It's hard trying to create this with someone who hasn't grown up in a happy family environment and hasn't experienced this family bond that I have. A really wants to participate in the search towards family happiness but his past is his biggest obstacle. How can you set standards that haven't been set for you? How can you aspire to reach a type of happiness you have never felt? A listens to my stories of happy family holidays and little memories that pop into my head now and again and he loves hearing these things but he has never told me a single happy memory from his past. This makes me sad. He must harbour a lot of sorrow.
It's hard trying to bring up a child with someone from a different nationality and even harder with someone who has quite a background of family break-ups. The most important thing is, though, that he loves us and he is working with me to achieve this goal of a happy, united family.
I can't believe Flavio is going to be 9 months old in four days time. Where does the time go? He has TWO beautiful bottom milk teeth and is getting way too heavy to be carried all the time. If he doesn't start walking soon I'll start turning into a hunch-back! He now tries to pull himself up on me when I'm sat on the sofa and he pulls up into standing position. I think he'll skip crawling. He doesn't know what to do when he's on his front.. he just spins around on his tummy!