![](\"\/helen\/blog\/images\/Ingrid_with_mouse.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nI look back at what I wrote last month, and I see that a month ago Ingrid had just learned to walk. That seems so long ago now. Walking was, of course, just the first step (if you pardon the pun). Walking opened the way to carrying things around, which is hard when you’re crawling, but is apparently enjoyable. Walking led to more climbing. And walking also meant that we can now go to playgrounds. Previously the swings were the only things that we could use, but now that Ingrid can walk around she can explore the whole playground and decide for herself what she wants to do.\n<\/p>\n
\nIn general Ingrid has become stronger and more coordinated. When we go swimming, she can hold onto the bar so well that I don’t need to support her at all. She likes being swung and spun and thrown up in the air, and bounced on my knees. When I stop, she jumps up and down until we do it again and again. I thought that this kind of activities was more for babies, but Ingrid enjoys them much more now than she did as a baby – she shrieks with laughter.\n<\/p>\n
\nShe also enjoys singing and music more than ever. She likes me to sing for her, and to listen to music, and she will bob her head and try to dance to the music. The theme music for Futurama<\/i> is a particular favourite of hers. One day last week I even managed to cut her fingernails without any screaming, because I was singing to her all that time.\n<\/p>\n
![](\"\/helen\/blog\/images\/Ingrid_smoothie.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nToys are still mostly boring. If she plays with anything, it’s my gloves and hats. She can get a hand into a glove, and almost a hat on her head. But she is much more interested in picture books. The bigger the book, the better, is the general rule, although she also likes Muuu, säger kon<\/i><\/a> and even a story book – Max bil<\/i><\/a>. She can now turn the pages in those herself even though they are paper and not cardboard, although a few accidents have happened and the Max book has required some major repairs.\n<\/p>\n