Vote for Summer......

Mummy has entered Summer in a cutest baby competition in the Sun newspaper.

Voting starts tomorrow 9th September 2009 . To vote click on go to:

http://sunbeams.thesun.co.uk/index.php

Type in Summer Hope and you will see a picture of her. If you click on the picture you should be able to vote.

Much appreciated!

Raising money for Southampton Hospital

We have finally decided that the time has come to start raising money for Southampton Hospital. They have done so much for Summer that we would like to give them something back. We have started a fundraising page that you can find at www.justgiving.com/summerhoperudd.

Any donations will go straight to Southampton Hospital and will help so many more babies and children.

Summer with Auntie Mandy and Auntie Sam

Summer's first haircut....

Yesterday Summer had her first haircut. She was so good at the hairdressers - maybe because she got to sit in a car whilst they trimmed her hair! She has now got rid of the hair that kept getting in her eyes and the back is very neat.

In the last couple of days not only is Summer trying to walk but she has also started crawling forwards. She has been able to go backwards for quite a while but she is very pleased that she can now go forward! The video below shows her crawling.

She'll be running next......

This week Summer has been practicing walking more and more. Here she is in our friends garden with a baby walker.

This week Summer hasn't been feeling very well. She is still teething with her four molars trying to come through all at once. On top of that she has picked up a chest infection and has been started on antibiotics. This hasn't stopped her trying to pull herself up on everything as you can see above. I think she was after the CD's in this picture!

The video below shows how Summers walking is progressing . She is holding onto mummy but is getting quicker!

A busy week...

This week has been a busy one. Summer has managed to work out how to pull herself up from sitting to standing and has been practising over the last couple of days. The video at the bottom shows her having a go at walking in her cot.

The picture above shows her trying out her new swing in the garden and below is Summer on her trike. We all went for a walk at Hengistbury Head. Summer is not longer very keen to sit in her buggy for long periods of time but she happily sat on her trike for an hour - waving at people and saying "hiya".

Summers 7th tooth popped through this week and I think numbers 8, 9 & 10 will be shortly following as I can see them just below the surface of her gums. It has disturbed her a sleep a little so mummy and daddy are a bit tired!

She knows my name!!

Well after waiting a year to hear Summer say "mama" she has spent the past couple of weeks perfecting it!! She now has four words that she uses regularly - dada , mama, hiya, yeah.

Having spent a long time trying to get Summer to let us brush her teeth - she now brushes her own as you can see from the above picture.

This week Summer has started trying to pull herself up on the furniture and loves to stand. She has been enjoying playing with all her new toys from her birthday and has had a great week at nursery. One of the entries that the nursery wrote in her book (which they give to us at the end of the day to let us know what she has done) was "Summer spent the whole day laughing and smiling" which I thought was lovely and a perfect description of our daughter!!

Latest Hospital Update....

Today was Summers latest hospital check-up at Southampton Hospital. We met with her Consultant/Surgeon Mr Burge to discuss when they plan to operate and to check on Summers progress. They were very pleased with her general progress and were happy with how much she had grown. Mr Burge said he thought she was beautiful (Matt and I agree!!!).

Mr Burge checked her scar from the diaphramatic hernia operation and it is already fading which is great. He then tried to feel how much muscle Summer has surrounding the exomphalos but she wasn't too keen on that so I think he struggled a little!!

The doctors have decided to probably wait till Summer is three before attempting the operation. This is because they only want to perform it once and if they try it earlier they may end up having to do more than one operation - which we certainly don't want. As Summer uses her muscles more with crawling and walking they will get stronger and this will also make it easier for them to join them when the time comes.

Mr Burge does not need to see Summer for another year which is fantastic.

Can you believe its been a year?.........

Well Wednesday was Summers 1st Birthday. I can't quite believe that a year has passed since Summer was born and those frantic first few weeks that we spent driving backwards and forwards between Southampton Hosiptal and home. So much has happened in Summers first year but she is doing so well. Above Summer is trying out a new toy - she had managed to reverse into the sofa! Below is Summer opening another present.

We had a lovely lunch with Granny , Oma, Auntie Lia and Isabella in Guildford. Below Summer and Isabella played together very well.

Today Summer had her 12 month jab at the doctors. She was very brave and hardly cried.

Next Tuesday we have our next appointment at Southampton Hospital with Summers surgeon. We are hoping he will give us some idea of when they plan to operate.

Summers 1st Birthday Party....

Yesterday was Summers 1st Birthday Party which we held in the garden. We were very lucky with the weather - gorgeous sunshine all day . It was lovely to see so many friends and family and hopefully Matt and I managed to speak to everyone. Summer seemed to enjoy all the attention and especially liked seeing all the other children.

Summer had a lovely lemon birthday cake with candles but she looked a bit bemused at all the fuss as you can see above! Summers actual birthday is Wednesday - I can't quite believe she is nearly a year old already. So much has happened this last year that it seems to have whizzed by.

Mummy holding Isabella , Grandpops holding Summer

Below - Summer and Oma