Things I've learnt about you - baby daughter:

1. You demand my absolute and full attention. There's no fobbing you off with half-hearted, half-glancing looks; you fix me with your glare, demand to be looked at. It's no hardship to look at you, and maybe you do me a favour. I have to stop what I'm doing to attend to you, you will not tolerate multi-tasking. You want it all, and you want it right now. It makes me stop, and live the moments seconds by second with you. I'm there with you through your fury at being slighted, deposited, carted around in car seats and bouncy chairs. You hate to 'put' anywhere, unless it's on your terms. I like that about you. You're feisty.

2. You need to be held. Often and close. You like to know where your boundaries are, and you like to know that they're very close to you indeed. You will only sleep in swaddling - even four months along - your arms bound tightly to your sides, your head turned to the left, a satisfied sigh and then surrender.

3. Your moods are often but not various - there are only two: VERY angry and VERY happy. Your smile is amazing. It can change my day in a split-second, from a grey haze of sleep-deprivation to elation. Your eyes smile at me from behind a bottle, they sparkle at me during nappy-changes. Bathtime elicits peals of silent laughter from you - your mouth open wide and tongue sticking out - you chuckle as you kick your chubby legs up and down, your smiles replaced only with a look of intense and solemn concentration as you try to figure out what your legs do.