January 1999

Matthew almost managed to stay up to see the new year in, unfortunately he got really tired and cried himself to sleep just minutes before midnight.

We start 1999 with Matthew settling down after all the disruption in December. He is sleeping a little better: he is fairly easy to get to bed, although we have a way to go with keeping him in his bed all night. It is difficult right now, but when he wakes in the night we just have to be firm and put him back to sleep in his bed. Having his room all to himself again has really helped. He is still keen to be involved with Amber, and loves her to bits. It is so nice to see him possesive about his sister's things (generally her dummy, coat and car seat) telling other children that "that ones Ambers" when we are at nursery or toddler groups together. I hope he carrys on being so caring for her, so long as he doesn't get bored before she begins to be more playful I am sure that they will be great together.

I have noticed that Matthew is starting to colour-in "properly". He was scribbling different colours in the different sections on the drawing, and managing to keep roughly within the lines! I found it interesting to note how differently Matthew behaved to the other toddlers at a story group: He really enjoyed the story and he was quite happy to sit still away from me throughout unlike any of the others, but during the action songs which the others loved, he was totally disinterested. I have no idea why. At the Natural History Museum Matthew thoroughly enjoyed himself... he was awe struck by the dinasaurs and he enjoyed naming all the animals in the mammals section. I was pleasently supprised by how much such a small child could gain from a visit to the museum.

As the four of us return to Manchester after our Christmas break, I am determined to continue the good sleeping habbits that Matthew has developed whilst at Granny and Grandpa's. I am going to insist that he goes to sleep in his own bed, and when he wakes in the night we will put him back into his room to sleep on his OWN! However I am totally happy to continue laying with him to help him go to sleep, both in the evening and during the night. The first couple of nights were difficult, but Matthew soon settled into going to bed nicely, and after a week he was generally not waking in the night. We seem to have cracked it!

I have decided that it is now time to potty train in earnest. I am sure Matthew is ready as he talks about it, and I have noticed that he often holds his nappy when he is weeing. I decided that, for Matthew, the way to do this is to offer him a reward of some sweeties when he manages to use his potty. I am going to start gently and take it at his pace, as I dread the potty training accidents! To begin with I am keeping him in nappies, but putting him on the potty when convenient. At first this was just at bathtime, but he was quickly interested in using the potty more often. After a week he was really getting into using his potty and I decided to extend his training to when he is at nursery, and they are putting him on a couple of times during his afternoon sessions.

In his English skills I have noticed this month that he is now using the words "and", "can't" and "don't" accurately, and constructing more grown up sentances. He can recognise 15 letters of the alphabet: He knows some phonics and some by name according to what he finds easier to say, but either way I have tried to get him used to what the letter means like "a for Amber". With his bath letters he has begun arranging them into "words" (like miiom). His scribbles are now named pictures, although they still all look the same. His favourite things to draw are cars, helicopters and sea horses!