– 9:10 pm

You turned a year and a half two days ago. It coincided with your grandparents celebrating a year of living in the UK permanently. So we had some cake and a meal to mark the milestones.

I’m skimming through sites trying to find what to expect from an eighteen-month-old child. I’d like to gauge where you are on the spectrum. There are several but this one stands out on one topic – sleeping problems. Last night, you woke up around three asking for “mama”. I tried to explain you were stuck with me mama was upstairs sleeping but you weren’t having any of it. Didn’t care. You cried for a bit, asked for Mama some more and got the same response. I felt so sorry for you. You had some milk and decided it was time for a speech, waving your hands, pointing, delegating… Christ! This went on for about an hour before you decided to pack it in for some shut-eye. I am still recovering.

This other site references coordination and probably explains why your last Montessori set included an open cup and mini jug (to pour yourself a drink). Risky. I’ve never seen your mother with a mop. She’ll probably wrap you in kitchen roll for this. We’ll give it a go for sure.

In other areas, you’re doing just great, Maalouf thinks so anyway. Your speech is still mostly nonsense but you understand and say a tonne of stuff (especially in Russian). No one can quite figure out how you came to understand your name is “Ateh”. We have no clue. But you say it with your hands on your chest every time. You are also sprinting and not walking despite what some sites say. Your balance is pretty good. Music and dancing is still your thing. You point at the radio and say “la-la” for music. It brings warmth to the heart.

I had other topics to discuss but it’s just gone 10 pm and I am beat. My head’s still spinning from the three-hour train journey. I am in Skem for work and have to be up early. But it won’t be long until the next one.