We just spent four days just the three of us (and a couple of visits to Granddad and Nanny's obviously). Mr B and I both took Thursday and Friday off work and ventured out to the Forest of Dean for a walk to the ponds. It was a gloriously warm day, the sun dappling through the canopy of green above us. BB stopped several times to pick up what seemed like every single fallen leaf or twig she could find and then exclaiming "Leaf!" or "Tig" for twig.
Sitting on the sofa last night, having put BB to bed, Mr B and I reflected on just how much BB's speech has come along even in just the four days we spent together, without nursery trips or work worries (not too much anyway), we were totally focussed on us as a family and were able to be more attentive to the words BB was saying to us. She had already got into the habit of repeating words she already knew as she got up in the morning. Almost as if testing herself and making sure that she hadn't forgotten them overnight. But now, she is trying out more and more words and if she hears a new one she tries it out for herself immediately, nodding her head as she expels the new sounds.
She has also got to the point where she actually thinks about the questions we put to her and she will give a proper "Yes" or "No" answer, causing much hilarity to us.
I know most parents probably feel this, but it is a wonder watching a little being learning on a daily basis and enjoying it as much as she does. But dropping her off at nursery this morning, feeling her arm clench around me as we cuddled, it made it all the harder to go off to the office. Mr B admitted that it was hard knowing that BB had changed, grown and loved being with both mummy and daddy for those couple of extra consecutive days and now having to go back to the normal weekly routine. Which, yet again, throws back my old quandary about work v being at home. I know what my ideal is. And it is that ideal that I'm still striding for. It may take a little while longer but I know what will work best for us as a family and that is what I am aiming for. The best.
