18 months or one-and-a-half

Milla at eighteen months. Beautiful, wonderful and fun. Loves giving affection and can cling cling to Charlie just for the joy of seeing him. She understands a lot, fake laughs and chats. Is learning words so quickly (but still LOVING saying 'rubbish'!). Learns names VERY fast and could distinguish the names of Alana and Elena.

Mt Stirling saddle, making a cubby from her cot. 

We can tell when she's tired as she starts to roam around doing all the hot button naughty crimes, like knocking stuff of tables or touching the bin, or picking at a hole in the plaster.

Has a funny clinging habit of saying 'Da! Ma?' to Charlie to asking him where I am, liking to check where each of us are.

Though given a doll for Christmas, Alpi is still favourite, she's always wanting to change his nappy, offer him food and water and put him to bed (after wrapping him up and patting him VERY firmly).

Milla is becoming more independent, as long as we're not far... Can play play play independently and quietly with books, blocks, water, clean laundry, buckles, Alpi.

Very keen on books and gets read maybe ten books per day, often choosing which one she wants next.

Looks like new teeth the past few days, as predicted, when away on a camping trip away! And her front one is maybe chipped, has been for ages.

Milla has distinctive walk, she goes places with purpose. Is obsessed with olives and could eat them all day, loves to say the word too.

Still not keen on cockatoos.

Can get up brick walls that are chest height.

Has broad music taste, hip hop is still a favourite and this song is #1. These days has been singing 'no more monkeys' incessantly!

Still loves her bottle. Asks for it around 7:30/8pm and will go to fridge. Then couch and nest, lie prone. Hoping to break this one...

Can identify, say, and draw 'circle'. Can identify and say 'triangle' and 'yellow'. Can say 'high five!' and give one, then a fist bump.

Can tell me when she's about to poo. Never caught it in a toilet but we're working on it.Milla has amazed and delighted us. We love her new 'wiggle wiggle' dance and attempts at the harmonica. It's been a huge 2015 and we have grand plans for consolidating family life and happy habits.

New Year's Eve. Lil fat head. See last year!

High Country

She grew today. Longer. More.

Good sleeps and ate a heap for dinner.

High country holiday is tiring, stimulating.
Camping, watching birds, running on hills and stamping in riverbed. Meeting new kids.

And me, reapplying sunscreen.

Running up Mt Stirling.

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Unwrapping Christmas presents in bed.

Happy Christmas

Harmonica for Christmas.

Big hair. Tight cuddles. Graze on forehead. Can say 'beach'. Friends with Barry the staffy. Not eating much (but cherries and olives and sometimes bacon). Still loves Jack insanely. Could ride trike straight off. Given many beautiful books. Happy second Christmas my love.

Festive Season 1

Persistent sleeper.

Blinds up, door open and sing song greeting and she still won't rouse, breathing deeply. Surprises us with so many words these days. Charlie worries that she's a brat. Loving 'Mix it Up' book.

Went to a (beautiful, amazing) wedding and missed most of the ceremony due to squirmy grizzly kid. Kept saying 'home?' and pointing away. But she went to sleep easily in hotel room. Methinks hot and overwhelmed.

51/52

Peaceful, reading. 

You can just see the braid she came home with. And hint of bruise on forehead. Reading, sitting with her beloved Dad. Warm evening, nappy only after bath. Seventeen months old and surprises us with her smarts (and tantrums!). Today she was reported as 'rough' and I don't know how you describe that feeling, hearing that...

17 months

Seventeen months and a member of the family. Is a parrot. Knows right from wrong. Is learning empathy.

Upon waking, first day of eighteenth month. 

Feeds her monkey crackers. Sings 'baa baa' when seeing a picture of the sheep. Can find a boat, a bike, a book, flowers and moon in the book. Very occasionally will have meltdown where only a cuddle from me will do. Like today when I was sick and trying to have a shower. Charlie sat with her in the bathroom while I grabbed my towel. 

Waves 'bye' sweetly when I put her poo in the toilet. Has micro-sleeps on Charlie's chest in the shower. Brushes her hair out of her eyes. But hates me tying it back. Can reach the bench. Loves to trot around with a backpack on saying 'bye' and waving, headed out the back door. Throws stuff, for the fun of it, to seek attention, and to show frustration (alternately, it seems). Lies back on the couch, semi-upright, ready for her milk. Always wants to get off at Flagstaff when we need to wait for Melbourne Central.

Wilson's Prom

A long-planned trip that didn't go exactly as planned. Instead of leaving Friday, spending two nights, we left after breakfast Saturday, Milla had been crook for days and we couldn't be sure we'd make it at all. And Sunday, coming back, I wasn't heading to Malaysia on a work trip at all, but home to contemplate the first week of a new job.

Anyhow, the Prom, decades after my last visit. A few simple, and amazing excursions. Around the Overlook for a walk, a sunset stroll from the house, brilliant sweet moments in the hammock, a run along Boundary Track, small town stops at Fish Creek (terrific op shop) and Meeniyan (ratty toddler on hand).

Watching crabs at sunset. 

Milla and her baby friend played well, a relief to me, the enthusiasm was shared. We kept the Nurofen flowing as Milla had snot, cough, fever and grouch. She said 'spider' when viewing the tiny twilight crabs.

48/52

Hanging out in the city by the basketball courts. 

Falls Creek

We're back.

Same as ever but not at all. Back to the Bogong High Plains. Where we did the longest multi-day hike ever. Where we camped below the roof of Victoria. Where we turned back on the Mt Cope track, but not before I took some of my favourite photos. That was years ago. May 2011.

Cope Hut, 8 May 2011.

Back to Falls Creek where Milla cracked all those teeth through her gums, so painful, so unhappy. That was seven months ago.

Charlie doing training, that's what got us up there. He was effervescent on the Ring Road, Friday night, past 7pm, we were on our way.

Long drive, Milla dressed in her merino gear for an easy transfer to the tent, she fell asleep, we high-fived, I fell asleep. Around Mount Beauty, Milla woke up, I tried to soothe her. We wound up the mountain. She started throwing up. We couldn't stop, she was gurgling. Horrible. By the light of the moon, we cleaned up. The mountain forest was beautiful. Changed clothes, kept going. Another spew just before the village. A quasi-change of clothes and then press on to Langford West Horseyard on the Omeo side of Falls. Milla quiet and peaky.

Set up at the familiar spot, two tents now. Milla went to sleep quickly, but it was after 1am. A long day.

Waking happy.

From the wake up on Saturday morning things straighten out again. Life is good. Charlie rode, met up with a friend. Milla monstered, took naps, we did a walk along the aqueduct towards Roper Hut, with a random that I made friends with.

Saturday night we had camp dinner, listened to bogans chainsaw, and when Milla went to bed, we sat by the aqueduct and chatted. After a while I checked on her, howling! I lay next to her, she relaxed, I fell asleep.

Sunday I ran, the morning was glorious. Breakfast in a singlet. The weather closed in later, as I revisited Mt Cope track, with Milla sleeping on my back. We sat on the step of Cope Hut and had a snack.

Milla at Cope Hut, Bogong High Plains.

Drive home following picnic lunch in Mount Beauty, Milla didn't sleep, not til nearly home, but we were all content. We did it.

46/52

Two pairs of undies on head.

45/52

Wakes so happy.

Nest

Spring is so sweet. My heart almost burst when I found a huge nest, well established in our lemon tree. That's what the little brown scurry-bird had been busy with! I felt so privileged.

So proud.

Today Milla took her breakfast el fresco, and the parrots were back, ready to swoop through the apricot tree. Great temperature, gorgeous sunshine.

16 Months

Sixteen months and physically confident and language is booming. Parrots back at you. "Jack", "Pop", "guitar", "arm". When asked, pre-meal, Milla can go to drawer, open, retrieve bib and attempt to put around her neck, close drawer. Mostly eats heaps, loves beans, peanut butter and endless frozen blueberries. Rarely sits down for a book, still likes her 'Milla's World' book (on those rare occasions). Napped one hour in the morning and three (!!) hours in the arvo yesterday. Today only 45 minutes, in the car. So no way to plan around that. Still going to swimming lessons with 'Grandma', twice this weekend, to make up missed classes. Went to Scienceworks for the first time yesterday, still too young really. Can sit and draw at her desk outside, though wanders off with textas in her hands. 

Knows she is hilarious.

Spring and flowers

When I get home, I know they've been out for a trike walk as there are flowers all over the front step. A little trail. I open up and walk through the house. All quiet. Milla is leading Charlie around the backyard. She turns, her face is puffy from crying. Teething. The yard is green and it is a beautiful mild spring evening. Just gone 7pm.

First run this morning, post half marathon. Left calf still aches. Supermoon hanging over Newport at 6am. Milla wakes late, happy and helps in the yard.

Helping sort rubble in backyard.

Grampians Paradise 4

The two nights at Paradise near Pomonal are not enough. We supersized our trip and spent two cool nights at Jimmy Creek Campground first up. It was a mad drive up on Wednesday, I was on the phone, texting, chatting and working. New job in the works and lots going on. Lunchstop in Beaufort.

By the lake at Grampians Paradise.

This was our first tent camping since the big trip before I went back to work. It was clear Milla had no memory of camping. Arriving at the campground she was clearly overwhelmed by the place, particularly the cockatoos. She settled in and was very good at staying safe around hazards like creeks and fires. Importantly, she slept well. I noticed three huge molars finally have sprouted (maybe two months of work there?) and she occasionally pawed at her mouth and drooled. So we gave her some painkillers.

Four nights of sleeping in her own tent. She practically leapt from our arms at bedtime to get into her cot. And when she was beat yesterday afternoon, she went and sat in the cot quietly. She had late bedtimes, it was bright and interesting so it tended to be after 8pm. And then we all slept in, 7am or after.

Milla under cake screen. Check the photo from last year.

It was different and the same with the crew. Now lots of babies. Lots of work. Milla was bowling them all over. Everyone overcatered, that was the same. Weather was great, as usual. It was too hurried and I just wanted to chat chat chat with my friends but it was hard to find the space.

43/52

I've considered cutting her hair. It's long and thick and so beautiful. It sticks on her snotty nose and gets porridge wiped in it and is wild in the mornings and she can't see. She pulls out ties and clips. Childcare returns her to me with braids, perfect.

Train ride home, always making friends.

42/52

Killer pout!

41/52

Bike til you barf. 

Loves it when the trike is pushed down bumpy lanes or Charlie shoots it super fast. Can say 'mwah'! Ate a whole mango at lunch.

15 months

Says "ear". Can find her nose and yours. Understands when I say "both hands" when on the trike. Will stand up in the bath when she's done. Hates the ocean. First trip to zoo. Loves curry by the bowl fulls. Rarely sits still for a book now. Loves the climbing wall. Says "taaaaa" and gives you tiny tiny things. Picks her nose. Hates getting her nappy changed. Can take her top off over her head. Very steady on her feet. Very good with dogs, courageous and mostly gentle. Flat tummy in morning and huge round belly by evening. Loves to drink water. Still has a 150ml bottle of cow milk before bed.

Williamstown Beach. Milla 15 months.