Newbie - growth stages question

[John Kennett]

I have just bought a Pleo for my granddaughter for her birthday, but would like to hve a little try before then. The manual says that Pleo goes through 3 development stages, birth, hatching then growing up. Do these stages repeat every time Pleo is turned on, or is the birth/hatching a one-time only experience which my grandaughter might miss if I fire Pleo up early?

Plus how long should a full charge last, approximately - I realise it will depend mainly on how much it is used.