52/52

Welcome to the final 52 Project photo!



It's not a great photo, I admit. Like many families we've spent the week of 18-24 December frantically trying to make sure that Christmas runs as smoothly as possible, balancing routine against festivity, working out meals against supermarket opening times, doing last minute wrapping and so on. Just to make it that bit more challenging we went to visit Steve's mum - only for about 30 hours but that means as well as presents there was all the overnight stuff and all the eating stuff and all the stuff in case stuff gets covered in food before, during or after the digestive process... So there have been few photos and even fewer good photos.

Nevertheless. I'm glad that I did this and I intend to do it again next year. One photo a week is a nice amount to spool through and watch the changes. It's been an achievable blogging target and one I would not have managed without the regularity of a weekly post and the inspiration of just picking one photo from the previous seven days.

51/52

I spent all weekend wondering which of these pictures I wanted to be this week's 52 Project photo but I really couldn't decide, so now it's Monday morning and I'm posting both of them.

First up, we have Jamie's second trip to the German Christmas Market in Birmingham. The first time I took him, he was all of about 7 weeks old and spent almost the entire time we were there snuggled up asleep. This time, he's rather more active... we had christmassy songs in the car on the way there and then let him loose in the toddler section of Teenie Weenies soft play (level 2 of the Moor Street car park; totally recommend it). Gave him lunch there as well, and then set out into the Market - upon which he promptly fell asleep in the sling on my lap. But eventually he woke up and seemed to be very interested in all the lights and sounds and smells.



(Also, I love his reindeer boots. They're warm for him and soft for me.)

The second photo is of Jamie about to read The Shepherd's Crown, the last Discworld book by the late Terry Pratchett.



No, really. He likes me to read out loud. Usually this takes the form of him selecting one of his rather shorter and more age-appropriate books and holding it up to the nearest adult with an expectant look on his face, but now every so often he'll climb up on me and reach for my current book, pulling it off the shelf if I let him. And then I read out loud while he cuddles up and occasionally gives the book a respectful stroke.

50/52

This is Jamie's current best toy - an empty nappy box.



He needs help getting in and out of it, but he can communicate that. He can also make clear to us which toys or books he wants to have in the box with him. He laughs his head off if you slide him around the floor in the box, but enjoys just sitting in it too, occasionally trying to fold the flaps shut around himself. Carrying it around the room is another box function, and wearing it as a hat, and encouraging others to wear it as a hat. Plus of course the infinite joys of putting Things into it and taking them out again.

It's a beautiful thing, if a little unhelpful at the time of year when people ask "so what is he into?"

49/52

It's been a while since we had a food picture, so here is Jamie with an apple.



Where practical, I like to prepare Jamie's food at the table where he can see what's going on. He can't eat an apple in this form, but I usually let him handle it for a while before we cut it into slices and share it. I admit that I also enjoy the idea that a single apple is one of my 5-a-day, but that the same apple shared between me and Jamie is one of the 5-a-day for each of us.