I like walking - oh and can I have some 'chee'

We have had a good weekend, quite the reverse from last weekend. We think that something has definitely clicked with him and he is a happier boy for it.

First of all, he has suddenly decided that walking is OK. We took him out walking on Saturday and Sunday. Haughmond Hill on Saturday (his second visit - he went there for the first time when he was a week old!). There were loads and loads of dogs for him to watch (most of which were spaniels of one form or another). This meant that he got distracted a lot, but he did manage to walk quite a long way before we put him in the rucksack and helped him to the viewpoint.

Today we went down to Ironbridge to do a favourite walk - along the old railway line. We couldn't believe it, we parked at Maws Craft Centre, and he walked along the road up and down the icy road (stopping to stomp in every puddle and watch every car / jogger / cyclist) and then quite a long way along the old track before asking to be put in the rucksack. He then got out again to walk over the Ironbridge (bridges are good). We decided to try out the new coffee shop in Ironbridge (Darby's), wasn't very good: overpriced and slow service, Ironbridge really is bereft of good coffee shops / tea rooms. After quite a poor lunch he then walked a significant way back. Matt looked up how far he walked today and reckons it was getting on for 2 miles which is fantastic, he has only got little legs after all.

Another fantastic development is that it looks like he is finally beginning to talk. We were in the new cafe in Haughmond Hill, I gave Tom a babybel, he pointed at it and said 'chee', Matt and I looked at each other, couldn't quite believe what we were hearing, so asked him to repeat it and he did 'chee', 'chee', 'chee' - fantastic, who would have thought one of his first words would be cheese - I'm very proud! As he was in an amiable mood, we pointed out some of the animals on the mural and he did try to say them 'ba' for bat, 'dee' for deer. So, so happy.

Today, he saw lots of dogs again and pointed at them and said something very close to doggie. He is also pointing to lots of things asking us what the word for them are, especially at meal times. He has also started to growl whenever he sees an animal??!!

Needless to say today, we had to wake him up after 2 hours of napping and he was very happy to go back to bed.

Oh, almost forgot to mention that Matt and I managed a night out on Saturday. Rachel came round to babysit (I babysat for her on Friday) and we went off to Lilleshall for a game of squash (both of us were out of shape and played badly - definitely need more practise) and then we went for a meal at The Fox. Didn't get back until 10.30!