We commence Gregory's second year with a naked-but-for-the-nappy shot. He seems very happy to have hold of his sock-ons, having been removed from his babygrow.
I'm playing catch-up a bit with this page, writing it in October. I've let it slip a little, although to be fair it's harder with two of them, both mobile. Plus I have at least documented or trips to Ribby Hall Village, South Lakeland and Haddington/Aberfeldy in the meantime, whilst they were reasonably fresh in the mind.
Anyway, The Boy has been pulling himself up for a month or two on everything, including our legs when we're stood up. Here he is using the Ikea shelving unit, no doubt as a way of seeing what he can get his hands on.
Sometimes, though, the shock is just too great. Particularly when it's shock relaying to the wearing of a fancy disco shirt and some natty blue slacks.
He's about a year and a week here, and now able to push around the Winnie the Pooh walker...
...although this brief act of non-handedness is just showing off.
A week later, following our four-night stay at Ribby Hall Village, I took them over to Waterdale Close, not least because it had recently been my mum's birthday. Whilst previous shots gave an indication Gregory was growing up fast, this shot of Nana Sue feeding him milk demonstrates he's still a baby really.
Gregory is ecstatic to learn that one of the toys that we brought along with us (which I do with the sole aim of making it impossibly tricky to make sure we take absolutely everything back home) is the set of Peppa Pig dominoes.
A rather sombre shot of nephew and auntie as they, presumably, listen to a Nana Sue anecdote.
This is the kind of wanton mess that Gregory can cause from the confines of a highchair. You have been warned.
Gregory seems pretty easy going at this stage of his life, comfortably settling in for a snuggle with Jonathan. As Matt has since pointed out, their clothes are opposite in colour.
This is the kind of wanton mess that Gregory can cause when released from the confines of a highchair. You have been warned.
Sometimes, he's just pretty darned happy to have a hug from his mum. This is from early May, at which point he could stand for about 5 seconds and take a couple of unsteady steps, without really walking as such.
The advantage of his being able to stand up were clear - he could access an extra level of toys, whether it was the higher shelves or, here, scavenging in the Lego container.
Big sister Daisy was keen to help out with Gregory's learning process.
Regardless of his walking development, he could always muster a cutesy look for the camera, showing of the four visible teeth he had accumulated thus far.
Later that day, we headed to the Heaton Moor beer festival, where Gregory ordered a pint of his favourite tipples.
The effect of that first pint was clear for all to see. We were there with Shereen, John and Hannah (pictured), who with Daisy had commandeered some Haribo.
Here's a shot from Lynne as Gregory attempts to scale her leg.
At the beer festival, he did a good stagger across the blanket, and a few days later he stood for 5 to 10 seconds and then took 6 to 8 steps. This feat was a clear level above his previous efforts and he was well on the way to walking at just under 13 months. Here he's just looking cheeky in a rugby-style top.
His puzzle skills were yet to develop, so he mainly busied himself with taking these off the slots, being unable to put them back on again.
He liked to mess around, and generally wrestle with, with the big toy dog we had. He definitely seems to be enjoying himself.
This isn't exactly what the drawers were intended for. Perhaps this is his pea green boat.
In mid-May, with mine and Matthew's birthdays reasonably close together, we again had a logistics-easing joint party. (Well, easing to a point - I seem to remember having a bit of difficulty finding a date that everyone could make.) Aunty Katie is happy enough to see her blond nephew anyway.
Given Gregory's new-found skills, Katie was keen to see what he could do. The eerie reflection of someone in the window haunts this view.
Uncle Matt enquired as to the rules of the Peppa Pig dominoes game which Gregory was fully ensconced in, as Katie looked on, now free to have a glass of vino.
Gregory's mobility necessitated the use of the highchair for feeding time. I have absolutely no idea what's going on with Uncle Matt, though. You'd have to ask him.
On my actual birthday (a Thursday), I took the day off and we headed down to Trentham Monkey Forest, near Stoke. Gregory was delighted to see a monkey as we walked around (in fact, we saw lots).
In the shop, Gregory felt compelled to climb up into the display and sit alongside the monkey family.
He had presumably had his (first?) haircut recently as his fringe was looking quite tidy. Whilst sat on the grass in Trentham Gardens (next to the Monkey Forest), he looked at me with a mild frown on his face.
"Come on, Daddy. Are you going to change my nappy or what?". He's actually in some pretty effective camouflage (credit to Matt for spotting that one).
At the weekend, the weather was set fair so we headed to the local park. Gregory is not unhappy with some swing action, as demonstrated here.
Daisy is also keen to join in, giving her brother a shove.
A scene from teatime. It would have been nice if they had both looked at me, but that is a pretty tricky thing to capture (as they rarely do it). Daisy had had a dance lesson that morning, hence her slightly snazzy outfit. (In a video from that time in the kitchen, she said "Er, y'know, I've been to dance class today, and I look pretty like a princess.." and on and on she went.)
A few days later and a different Gregory hairstyle. This was a picture sent to be by Lynne as a morale booster as I had had to abandon a charity bike ride (PwC's Ride the Nation) on the first day of two due to a mechanical failure with about 55 of the 85 miles completed. (Happily, I managed to get it fixed before the day was out and I managed to ride 99 miles the next day.)
I think this is the earliest record of a Gregory sketch and, whilst not his first ever drawing, is probably the first one which involved him actually pressing the pen down to such a degree that it was reasonably visible.
Lynne questioned the wisdom of getting the ball pool out. They look so innocent, don't they?
Throughout May, he was doing more and more steps and getting more stable. He couldn't yet stand up without something to push on at this point, but he was getting there. And with that, he was treated to his first pair of shoes. The close-up nature of this does not do the (lack of) size of them justice. (Five months later, he is still wearing the same shoes.)
Here he is, trying the shoes out in the shoe shop...
...and then looking extremely grumpy not to be using them whilst wearing them.
Despite an increasing ability to stumble around, Gregory still reverted to crawling for much of the time, the soft grass proving tempting.
Into early June now, and some days Gregory just liked to spend the day in the (ball) pool, although he did make sure that the lounge was covered in unwanted balls.
A moving scene as Daisy plants a smacker on Gregory's lips. Whether he wanted it or not.
Still in early June and Gregory is now comfortable enough walking around the patio outside, although a quirk of his walking style was to raise both hands in the air as he did it, perhaps for balance.
Gregory's unique walking style makes him look a little like Bez out of the Happy Mondays. Meanwhile, Daisy waits to take a free kick.
He's not ashamed to put in a fashion magazine pose went the situation warrants it. I'm not sure what he's gazing wistfully at, but it works.
The signs of adventure are there. Whereas Daisy was content to stick to recognised and familiar actions, Gregory is always looking for ways to expand his repertoire and horizons. He hadn't been long walking and already he is climbing up slides. In fact, this is not long after our trip to South Lakeland, where he did in fact start his reverse slide climbing.
Evidently a big Green Day fan, Gregory is now very keen to clean his own teeth. Which basically just involves him sucking the toothpaste of the toothbrush. But again, fiercely determined to be independent.
Being able to stand and walk freely has many advantages. Probably the biggest is the ability to put the 10th and final cup on the cup tower. For several months, these were a source of hours of entertainment for young Gregory, and we would take them with us if the situation warranted desperate distraction.
It's mid-June, and one of relatively few barbecues (not so much because of the weather; more the practical difficulties of having the two of them running around with an open fire). We'd finished eating by this point and so it was time to play in the garden once more.
Time for a close-up of l'il blue eyes.
I'm not sure whether it was warm outside or, more likely, Gregory had been asleep in the car and gotten a little sweaty. This is a nice one because of the way that Gregory is looking lovingly at his big sister, who is trying to pose for the camera, I think, but without the ability to smile in the right direction.
"Oh hi Dad, I'm just working on a little project on your laptop. Hope you don't mind."
We took a trip to the Heatons Summer Festival. Gregory didn't know which direction to run away from me in, or whether to just have a dance.
Pieces of pancake (one of Daisy's favourite breakfast items) for Gregory in the lounge for a morning picnic.
One Saturday morning, while Lynne was with Daisy at a dancing lesson, Gregory seemed very keen to go outside, so I humoured him, put his shoes and coat on, and let him go where he wanted. He was very keen to walk off the drive, and onto and along the pavement. Still very much the adventurer. This shot was as he wandered towards the A6, which we walked up and down and eventually I persuaded him to walk back home.
At around this point I had the genius (I thought) idea of getting out a keyboard which I no longer used, anticipating that Gregory wouldn't really know it was much different from my laptop. It worked for a while, although he's still managed to take my phone in this shot.
Some more garden slide action, with Gregory down to his socks for minimal friction, and the girls encouraging him
In fact, Daisy's role was to catch Gregory as he landed.
Gregory's Connect4 skills were improving, although he still has absolutely no concept of the rules. That doesn't really matter, though. As long as it keeps them quiet.
Perhaps bored of stacking the numbered cups in the normal way, Gregory started freestyling somewhat.
Early in July, this is a scene from Connor's 4th birthday party, with Gregory eager to join the circle.
Gregory watched on in just his nappy (it must have been a nice day) whilst Daisy did her running and jumping into the paddling pool act.
As Golden Bear arrived for a second stint (and posed, or rather was forced to pose, with Daisy), Gregory chilled in the ball pool.
We'll finish this little segment with the blond boy with a once-again runaway fringe giving a slightly cheeky look whilst playing with the wobbly character windmill thing (pretty sure that's the legal name of it). Whilst wearing no trousers. Make of that what you will.
On to the next page or back to the Secret Portal.