Not your uncle

We were helping Alex move into his new flat. It's actually hard sometimes not to call him uncle Alex, not because he's particularly avuncular, but as a way of emphasising that he's a close friend of ours and we'd love for you to have a relationship with him too.

Doesn't just apply to Alex, of course. The same temptation holds with all of our close friends. But you only have four uncles and two aunts. Plenty enough as it is.

Mind you, I'm sure your uncles on your Mum's side are working on finding you a couple more aunts.

Lighter than air

As I write this, you are sitting in your Bumbo chair on top of the table with your bowl of toys, playing with a balloon that we got from your Gramps' birthday meal last week, while your mum and I write on our laptops.

The balloon's as big as you are. And shiny. I'd be fascinated too.

Third person

Since you were born, we've been referring to ourselves a lot more in the third person.

I'll look at you and tell you that Daddy's doing this or that, as if Daddy is someone else - some character I'm building.

Come to think of it, maybe that's the case.

Hm. Not sure what I think about that.

Cutest baby videos

Your mum has been learning to use iMovie on her Macbook.

Here are the first couple of videos she made. This one shows you at three months old...

And in this one you're just 36 hours old.

We'll post up more of her videos soon!

You were on the Boat Trip!

The Bike Trip across Austria was the fourth of a series of annual trips we've taken with our friends. There was the Road Trip in 2008, the Rail Trip in 2009, and the Boat Trip in 2010.

Technically, you were on the Boat Trip with us, although it was a secret at the time. You were still a foetus - probably only about 3cm long.

Next year's trip might have to be the Pram Trip.

Bike Trip! Part 8

We've all come back home from the Bike Trip now.

But we're still enjoying the happy memories...

And we caught you praying for many more lovely holidays to come.

Bike Trip! Part 7

You saw lots of pretty sights on holiday.

And you dressed up a few times.

All in all, you seemed to be having a great time!

Bike Trip! Part 6

While on holiday, you enjoyed spending lots of quality time with uncle Matthew...

And uncle Andrew.

Andrew even got you a special Bike Trip babygrow.

Bike Trip! Part 5

While we were cycling across Austria, we stayed in lots of different hotels...

Some of which didn't have baths, so we washed you in the sink instead.

Somehow, you always felt at home.

We ate out a lot too...

And went for the occasional drink.

Bike Trip! Part 4

It was very hot when we cycled across Austria.

As much as 35 degrees. We were worried you were going to cook in your little trailer.

But most of the time you were happy. Or asleep.

We had to stop regularly to make sure you didn't get too thirsty.

You even had a go on the bike yourself!

Bike Trip! Part 3

Your dad pulled you more than 300 kilometres across Austria in a bike trailer.

And then, to top it off, he climbed an amusingly-named mountain in the Bavarian part of Germany with you.

So now you've been to as many countries as you are months old: four!

Bike Trip! Part 2

We took you on a trip to Germany and Austria with a big group of friends.

The trip included cycling from Salzburg to Vienna...

With you in a trailer!

Bike Trip! Part 1

A long tube ride...

Planes...

Trains...

And automobiles...

Could only mean - another holiday!

Past and Future

What will the world be like when you grow up?

Our lives until now will seem ancient history to you - in some ways they already seem ancient history to us.

When we were kids, the web didn't exist.

I bought my first CD when I was about 15 years old. It was all cassettes until then.

I didn't have a mobile phone until my first year of University.

Your mum and I still have a sizeable collection of VHS cassettes (although we don't really watch them anymore, given that we have an even more sizeable collection of DVDs).

USB memory sticks and touchscreen smart phones still seem amazing to us now.

What technology will you be playing with when you're a teenager?

Your New Cot

In early August, Gramps, Marion, Elle and Eva came to London to kindly take away your little baby crib and replace it with a big girl cot. You look teeny tiny again! But don't worry, your animals are still there to look after you, and your soft cot books are still there to entertain you when you wake up in the morning.