THEY grow up so fast... it seems just like yesterday that Sophia was screaming the place down all night with colic.

Actually, not much has changed as she's now moaning constantly with teething!

However, she has a distraction from the pain as she is now going out into the big bad world on her own and starting nursery!

Mum is back to work - got to pay for those nappies somehow - and our little one is ditching her parents for some new little friends.

It would be an understatement to say it felt very strange the first day I took her to nursery.

Sophia was in a good mood, but that soon changed when she realised she was getting left in a room that she was completely unsure of.

Usually it's mum who gets all the hugs from Sophia, but as I was dropping her off, she clung on to me for dear life as I attempted to put her down on the floor.

Thankfully the nursery staff were able to distract her quickly before she started bawling her eyes out and made sure she felt comfortable in her new surroundings.

It was then just up to me to leave her to it and trust the professionals who have far more experience in child care than I have managed to gain in just over a year.

It didn't take her long to take an interest in what her fellow nursery-goers were doing and enjoying the children's music playing in the background.

The big challenge facing her in the first few days was climbing the couple stairs up to a magical-looking miniature chute in her 'baby room'.

Sophia soon mastered it and was quickly venturing down it.

We've been reassuringly told that Sophia is delighting the staff in the nursery and getting on great.

It looks as if she'll have a ball with her new friends!

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