Week 66 saw Joseph spent several nights (10 in total) sleeping in our bed from about midnight on...who knows what was causing that...teeth, boredom, cold. That habit was broken on Thursday night and he's back to being an angel!

Joseph's speech is coming on well, with quite a few "words" coming out..."all gone" is a favourite, "alright" (more like "alra"), "oh no" and since yesterday "up", "down" and "da da". He also likes to shake his head "no" and roar like a lion!

Another little quirk he's picked up is to walk with his hands behind his back, very amusing.

Joseph had his 15 month injections on Friday morning and now he is fully immunised...no more shots until he's 4 years old. He had the usual thigh jab but also MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) in the arm - that was a bit of a surprise for us but he has been fine.

We went to Piha on Saturday to stay with Jo, Phil and Lizzie (they have a beach house there). It was very stormy and we stayed inside all day with the fire cranking. Joseph and Lizzie got on very well and tore around the house like monkeys possessed! Lizzie is into tidying things away and Joseph is into getting things out so they made a good pair. Here they are after dinner on Saturday night.

Winter has arrived in week 65 of Joseph's life and today (Sun 17th) Joseph officially marks 15 months.

Joseph has not had the best week in terms of night time sleeping and has been awake and screaming (at first) once or (now) twice a night...I took him to the doctor on Friday afternoon to see if his ears were full of fluid...they're clear and we've put things down to teething...one of his incisors has come through - three more to go! As a result of the broken sleep, Dan and I are very tired too!!! And we don't get to have a sleep during the day to recover!

Here's a shot of Joseph and me before we went to work/BP last Wednesday. Joseph is wearing another one of the tops Grandma Milly bought in Bristol.


Today the three of us went for a walk in Cornwall Park...we all had our beanies on to protect us from the southerly.

Finally, Joseph and Dan play a mean game of cushion smothering. Joseph loves it and we think it is good for his scrummaging skills.

Week 64 provided so much great material - it has been hard to choose the content for this week's post!

Joseph is obsessed with cardboard boxes...this one is his current favourite and he spends lots of time carrying it around and just sitting in it chilling out. Another great thing to do is to sit in it on the wooden trolley and get pushed by us for 20 mins or so.

We are trying very hard to encourage Joseph to brush his teeth, I do it in the morning and Dan does it at hard as part of the going to bed routine.

To further mark Joseph's growth, here's the third picture in the series of Joseph and Shelley (Dan's cousin) having a bottle together. He really has got very big!

Finally, Joseph's mate, Lizzie, came for a visit on Sunday...all was going well until Lizzie discovered Joseph's box...we quickly had to find a second box so that each had one to investigate. Here's a shot just before the niggle really started!!!

Special extra post to celebrate Joseph's extraordinary climbing ability...this happened last Saturday...such a clever monkey!

First pic is climbing from the floor through the chair frame onto the chair seat.

Then he has to show (and tell) us how clever he is.

And then the piece de resistance...standing on the table.

nb dressing gown provided by Grandma Milly.

Week 63 was marked with Joseph's 15 month visit to Plunket...Joan (Plunket Nurse) complimented me on what a fine boy I have but also cautioned that I needed to start getting him onto a cup and that I needed to enrol him in the local dental program. She was also concerned that he doesn't say "Mum" or "Dad" but I checked with Bear Park and they don't think there is anything wrong with his communication development. Here is the updated Warren family weight chart...as you can see Joseph has left his parents well and truly behind. We don't go back to Plunket until Joseph is two but I will probably go to the drop in day for an 18 mth weigh in.

Joseph has worked out how to make his truck and his trolley reverse out of corners and he has recently worked out that his turquoise dump truck has a tray that can be moved up and down. Dan is concerned that little fingers might get jammed if it slams down but I think we might just have to allow that to happen! (Please excuse the dirty glass door - I hadn't realised there were so many Joseph finger prints on it!).

Grandma Milly made Joseph a black hat for winter, unfortunately it is quite a snug fit so I'm not sure how much wear he'll get out of it! I think he looks like a burglar!

Joseph has developed a keen interest in tidying up (you might have seen the raking and sweeping photos a few posts back)...he is now fascinated with doing the dishes and here he is on Saturday morning helping me wash up. He has also found an affinity with the squeegee that Dan uses to take the condensation off the windows in the mornings.

Finally, Joseph's fine motor skills are working well (he just needs to develop some more strength) and he has worked out how to turn Dan's headlamp on - using all three settings. Here he is on Friday night showing us how clever he is. If his hair looks like it has lots of "volume" that is because there is quite a big of yoghurt in there!!!

Week 62 saw Dan return safely to us from his overseas travels...Dan was very happy to see Joseph whereas Joseph clung to Dan for awhile before he actually started interacting! All seems to be back to normal now with Joseph insisting that Dan pick him up all the time.

Joseph has cut his third molar (top left) this week (the teeth are coming thick and fast at the moment!) and he has been dribbling like a maniac. This one hasn't given him too much trouble but he did sleep with us from 4am on Friday morning! He still loves the phone and here he is on Friday afternoon making one of his very important phone calls (nb dribble on front of t-shirt!).

Hiromi at Bear Park had to put a bandage on Joseph's foot on Friday...I wasn't expecting something so serious until I took his sock off prior to his shower! He has a rough patch of skin on the top of his left foot (a legacy of his crawling days) and he has taken to scratching it like mad. It has nearly healed so I am hoping we can keep him distracted from scratching it any further.

Joseph was desperate to be outside today when Dan was mowing the lawn so I had to rug him up as it was very blustery. Here he is in his new winter beanie. He's not a fan of having things on his head so hats don't tend to stay on for long.

We've survived our second week without Dan (Week 61) without incident! Joseph is really walking confidently now, enjoys carrying things and his vocab is coming along well. He says "dat?" and points at all manner of objects. His current fascination is lights (or the moon) and he like to point at the light in the car, in the garage and also Dan's headlamp. After eating, when he's had enough, sometimes he will just clamp his mouth together and shake his head "no" or sometimes he will put his hands up in the air and say something that sounds like "all gone".



Here's a couple of shots that indulge my smug mother whimsy...Joseph's hair is getting longish so I wondered what it would look like in a ponytail (cute!).



And on Friday, Joseph wore his pink, metrosexual tshirt to Bear Park where he was lauded as a complete fashion icon. All the teachers commented on how handsome he looked!



Joseph is fascinated by everything at the moment and each new discovery is greeted with an ecstatic "owhhh". Here he is checking out the bathroom cupboard last week (rest assured it now has a lock on it!).



Finally, Joseph does enjoy a bit of scrummaging/lounging on the cushions at the end of a busy, hard day and here he is on Sunday night.

Week 60 was our first week alone with Dan...it was executed with military precision and I am tired as a result!! Joseph's second molar (bottom right) has been coming through and I think now (Monday 14th) that it has cut the gum. It has been much less problematic that the first one (thanks goodness!).

Here's another piece of clothing from Aunty Kate that Joseph has been able to start wearing as the weather has turned a little bit cooler. It's a very cute furry jacket - he looks like a little bear, perfect for Bear Park! Please note the scab on his nose is from a fall at Bear Park - straight onto the astroturf - ouch!

I have been putting Joseph in the big bath on a Saturday for a bit of a treat (he usually goes in the shower)...he had a great time and has even discovered how to get the tap to work!

Uncle Gerry was visiting from Melbourne and Joseph took three full days to really acknowledge his presence! Uncle Gerry did teach Joseph how to get onto his bike and he is now beetling around the courtyard having a great time (he can even turn the handle bars to go round in circles and can reverse). Perhaps he will grow up to be a racing car driver - something that would please his father no end!!

Finally, Joseph loves rattling the gate at the top of the stairs and spends quite a bit of time standing on it, throwing things through the rails and down onto the stairs and rattling it (sometimes to the point where I wonder how long the gate will last!).

I've had a few technical issues over the past couple of weeks as my system administrator has gone away on business - Dan's been away since Friday 4th May and is due back Tuesday 22nd May. He's been on/is on an amazing trip for work having visited Milan, Hamburg and Denmark investigating wind energy (ie wind turbines) plus he gets to have the last weekend in London catching up with the last of his friends still there. I, meanwhile, having been toughing it out with Joseph - he's either full on or full off - there's no middle ground! But, overall, he's been a very good boy with good sleeping through the night, good eating and general cleverness!

Going back a couple of weeks to Week 59, Joseph wore his new t-shirt from Aunty Kate. South Maroubra is a beach in Sydney so it has good memories.

Joseph is a real wriggler in bed and Grandma Milly got Joseph a selection of sleeping bags. Here is he is in the double layer winter weight one. He knows as soon as he see the sleeping bag that bed is not far away!

The inquisitive nature of Joseph continues and he is always desperate to see what is going on...he is too heavy for me to carry him and do something at the same time so I moved one of his chairs to the kitchen bench and he LOVES standing there checking everything out, helping me and mixing things together (plus eating a few snacks that come his way).

As promised here's a picture of Joseph and his Godmother, Vikki, taken a few weeks ago. Such a lovely pic of the two of them - so smiley!

Week 58 and it's Sophia back in the writing seat. I had a good time in Sydney even though most of it was spent in a hotel talking about cereal!

Joseph has been doing all sorts of interesting things over the past week...he is very into "doing" things...here's Joseph cleaning up the kitchen and tidying up the garden. Both skills picked up after watching his parents hard at work!


Now that the weather is getting colder and wetter, Joseph is wearing shoes - mostly just to Bear Park and for any of the outside time they have. Here's Joseph wearing his first pair of shoes (they made him a bit unsteady on his feet while he got used to them). He's also investigating one of his favourite places - the fridge. This is proving to be a great distraction point when I am trying to get any meal organised. He also likes taking containers out of the fridge and bringing them to me with a "ta".

One of the many things I have learnt over the past year is that mobile phones do not withstand the strength of baby dribble...here is Joseph with his very own mobile phone. I had been letting him "explore" mine and he had corroded the bottom of it. So, I've got a new phone and he's got the old one to play with. They have mobile phones at BP to play with so he is very proficient at talking on it and using the keypad!

Finally, here's a picture of Joseph and me...something that hasn't been seen lately!

You have a new correspondent this week because Sophia is over in Sydney for work - so it's just the boys in Onehunga for a few days.

The week was pretty quiet, although Joseph has been toughing it out a little with more back teeth on the way. Sophia has detected one of them coming through during the week, but I'm a little shy of putting my finger in Joseph's mouth as he is usually happy to give it a serious bite.

Dad and Helen stopped by in Auckland on their way back from a couple of weeks in the far North. We took a walk up One Tree Hill on Saturday afternoon (with Grandad Terry practically sprinting up the steep bits pushing Joseph in his buggy!). Here's a picture of us at the top - except Sophia was taking the photo...

Not many pics on the camera this week - although I thought this one was worth sharing - Joseph sharing his mouth with 2 bottles, needing a bit of convincing before giving up the empty!

Week 56 saw us all head back to work after the Easter Break...Joseph had a great four days at Bear Park and his walking and talking are all improving.

We had lots of McDonald family activity (Dan's Mum's side) with cousins Jules and Vicky visiting from Brisbane (Vicky is Joseph's Godmother). I'll have to grab some photos from Vicky's blog as we were remiss and didn't take any on our camera. On the Wednesday night, Shelley came over for dinner as well. I think Joseph was possibly a little overwhelmed with all the attention (even though he is a seasoned charmer!).

The biggest news of the week is that Joseph had his first sleepover on Friday night - he stayed with Denise and Rob while Dan and I went to a BBQ at Sharon and Bob's house (Shaz is my boss/Bob is her husband). I think Joseph, Denise and Rob had a great time together...Joseph slept in until 7.30am (unheard of at our house!!) and got to have a bubble bath, a trip to the park, an ice cream and put the cats' toys in his mouth! Heaven for a little monkey! Meanwhile, Dan and I definitely enjoyed our sleep in and were able to go and buy paint for our bathroom unencumbered!!

Joseph got a belated Easter egg from Great Aunty Aida and since he was back to 100% health, he really enjoyed it...well, this pic is his first taste of it and he does have a bit of a frown on!

Joseph has been doing lots of climbing and reaching and his starting to walk with his hands down by his side (rather than up round his ears for balance). His vocab is also growing - he is a big fan of "ta" (especially when food is concerned), he says "ta ta" when he's off somewhere and "ella" which I think is hello.

Week 55 marked Joseph's second Easter..the Easter Bunny delivered some treats to our house so Joseph must have been a good boy to deserve these!

Unfortunately, Joseph's molars decided to start pushing through and we spent most of the Easter weekend carrying round a very sad, grizzly monkey pants. It is hard going lugging 12.44 kg of kiwi around! He didn't eat or drink much from Friday afternoon onwards...luckily he has a few fat reserves to draw on! We can feel the outline of Joseph's molars but they haven't quite cut through the skin.
(please also note Joseph's hair cut! I trimmed his fringe on Saturday afternoon...just tidied up his long front comb over bits)

He's come right in the last day and went off to Bear Park today as usual (where he got lots more cuddles!). He was back to his cheeky self in the shower tonight and here's a shot of Joseph working on his scrummaging technique busting past Dan to get out and door and into the hallway.

Week 54 was the week that Joseph started going four days a week to Bear Park as I have added Mondays to my working week (it was just getting too frantic for me doing three days and I was ending up making phone calls etc on Friday).

It is geting a bit cooler at night and we put Joseph into his rainbow sleep suit that Caoimhe sent from Madrid last year when he was born. He looks super cute and it has definitely helped him sleep better during the night (especially as he is a wriggler and won't stay under any blankets/sheets).

We took a cake to Bear Park on Monday to celebrate Joseph's first birthday - Dan made a lovely banana cake and I iced it and added some M&Ms for decoration. I went up to Bear Park when they had it in the Fantail Room for morning tea and here's a shot of Joseph getting stuck into his piece (he also tucked Amelia's piece when she left it sitting on the table).

On Wednesday, Joseph and I went to Meadowbank Plunket to their drop-in day as I wanted to have Joseph weighed to mark his 12 month milestone. He is doing well with both his weight and height - and still blitzing both Dan and I.

Joseph's walking is coming along a treat and everyday he does more and more. He can do about 10-15 steps at a time before he gets too excited, loses concentration and gets the speed wobbles!

His vocabulary is also developing and he has some core words that he uses often - some of which we are still trying to work out what they mean! His favourite word is "Do Do" which Cristiana and Hiromi (his teachers at Bear Park) tell us is his name "Jo Jo" as that is what they call him (and coincidentally what Dan's Mother Josephine used to get called). The words that we haven't interpreted are "Na Na"; again, he uses this a lot in many situations so we're still working on the meaning. Joseph also likes to point and ooh and aah at everything.

This afternoon (Sunday 1st) we went to Denise and Rob's for a belated birthday afternoon tea (+ present - a great turquoise dump truck!). Denise made Joseph a birthday cake and we sung happy birthday. Here's a picture of Denise showing Joseph how to cut the cake and make a wish. Joseph has gone to bed a happy boy tonight! (while I have to work out how to get butter frosting out of his clothes!!).