Daddy mask

Many months ago I picked up one of mummy's craft masks and put it over my face for a couple of seconds. You didn't like it at all - you were very frightened, and I felt instantly bad that you were so upset. But we comforted you and you were ok.

But I think it traumatised you a little. (Sorry!) You've just woken up with a nightmare and when mummy asked you what you dreamt about you said, "Daddy mask..."

(Which makes a change from what you normally dream about. Nine mornings out of ten we ask you what you dreamed about and you say "crocodiles and lions.")

Terrible Twos

You're usually very affectionate with Minnie, but for the last couple of weeks you've occasionally decided to get a rise out of her/us by being aggressive, slapping her or once even biting her. All the books say that this is a normal toddler reaction to having a new sibling - a phase that should quickly pass - and that the best way to respond is to calmly explain that hurting Minnie makes us all sad.

What the books don't say is that it's really hard to remain calm. Seeing you be so suddenly and uncharacteristically mean, and hearing Minnie's pained and frightened cry, is extremely upsetting.

You've been big enough to use normal chairs for a while now, so the high chair has been left in the spare room. Whenever you do something naughty you spend a few minutes on the high chair until you're ready to come back and apologise. But it often seems like you're not taking the punishment seriously. I suppose it's a testament to how safe and loved you feel that you find it hard to believe we're ever really angry with you.

Thankfully your behaviour is delightful far more often than not. (And you even seem to have overcome your brief phase of having a five-minute screaming fit for no reason at pretty much the same time every day...)

Your First Haircut

In April we met up with Aunty Erika and cousin Lucas at Trotters on the Northcote Road, so you could have your first haircut.

At first you were not quite sure if it was a good idea, but after you started playing with toys and Mummy and Aunty Erika explained that we have our hair cut all the time, you warmed to the idea.

We all liked the fishtank, they should have one of those in every hairdressers'!

The final result was very stylish indeed!

Super-Papou's visit

We went to stay in Brighton at the end of April to see your Super-Papou, who was visiting from Greece.

His birthday was also in April - he's 90 years old!

Mini setback

Minnie has appointments almost every other day with hospital outreach workers, paediatricians, audiologists, renal experts and so on. For the last month she's been showing signs of successfully healing and growing past her rocky birth, but on Thursday her blood results came in showing a very low haemoglobin count. The doctor advised us to take her into Accident & Emergency straight away to get a blood transfusion.

So Mummy took her and I stayed to look after you. When, eventually, you asked, "Mummy an' Minnie?" I explained that Minnie was a bit sick again so Mummy had taken her to hospital. You burst into tears. I had to reassure you that the doctors were looking after Minnie and that she would be ok.

You seemed to accept that, so for the next hour or two we started your usual bedtime routine. Dinner, fruit for dessert, and then a long bath... during which time you were obviously processing the information, because during the bath while we were playing with numbers you suddenly said:

"Want Minnie get better."

We do too!