(First published on The Contented Calf Website on Tuesday 26th March 2013. Seven years ago, when the world was very different.)
….very very soon you’re not going to be a ‘MO’ any longer, but a big, grown-up ‘YO’.
You’ll be 1YO.
Wow. How time flies.
I know it’s what every parent says. But it’s true.
Over the last week or so I seem to keep having moments when I think “this time last year….” And I know on your actual birthday those thoughts will be even stronger.
Your birth wasn’t the totally natural birth I was aiming for (again).
My waters broke early, but I didn’t go into full on labour (again). So I had to be induced (again).
But this time round, instead of labouring for 28 hours, as soon as the prostin gel was applied, my body went into over-drive and you were born three hours later.
(Would probably have been a lot sooner if there hadn’t been a pesky full bladder holding up the proceedings.)
Such a fast and furious labour meant there was no time for any other pain relief other than gas and air, and with the contractions as full on as they were, I didn’t manage to get the timing right most of the time, so it often didn’t touch the sides in terms of pain relief and at times I just gave up on that too.
What that did mean, however, was that after you were born, all my natural post-birth happy hormones came racing in.
It was lunch-time, on a sunny day. By early afternoon, you, me and Daddy were up on the ward, enjoying some sneaky cuddles with you all to ourselves, before we introduced you to your sister.
Since you’ve come into our life on the whole, you have been nothing but a bundle of joy. You really have.
True you didn’t get the hang of night-time sleep as quickly as your sister, and yes you were as ‘vomitty’ as she was.
But really we can’t complain. You truly have been our little Contented Calf.
Not much crying, generally happy, often smiling and frequently giggling.
Thank you gorgeous one.
You love bum shuffling or pulling yourself along with both hands and pottering round the house, finding things to play with. And more often than not, you’ll find some tiny piece of tissue, paper or plastic and pop that in your mouth, even when I think the floor is spotless!
You’re just starting to enjoy playing games and love hiding your face with something, then pulling it down for us to say an animated “peepo!” Much of last weekend was spent carefully giving various things to us all, and then flinging both arms backwards once we’d take whatever it was, as if to say “There! I gave it to you! Aren’t I clever?” VERY cute. And your piece-de-resistance was posting a drinks coaster through a slot in a foot stool! I was, am, one proud mama.
It’s still hard to say what your personality is going to be like. From what I’ve seen though, I think you’re a bit more laid back than your sister (Phew! Not sure we could have coped with two whirlwinds in the house! Though, there’s still time….).
That said, you’re still strong-willed and know what you like and what you don’t like – woe betide anyone try to take anything from you or try to clean your face!I also suspect you’re not going to be quite so physical and ‘climby’ as 3YO – although you like to have a go at standing, I’m not sure your first steps are going to be in the near future. But because you seem to take a bit more time, I think you’ll have more control of your surroundings – as this weekend’s ‘giving and posting’ games have shown.
You LOVE food – hooray! Your favourite things in the whole wide world are clementines (or mandarins or satsumas – I never know what the differences are), bananas (completely demolished in about 30 seconds), blueberries and yoghurt. If you could have these all day every day you’d be a happy baby. Vegetables, meh – you can take them or leave them, mostly leave them. We’re not going to have any pictures of you chewing on a broccoli florette any time soon. I’m slightly concerned you have inherited my sweet tooth and we’ll have food issues further down the line, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I can’t wait for the next year – to watch you grow, to get to know you more, to love you more and more.
I’m already head over heels in love with you. You’re amazing and wonderful and make mummy happy every day.
Thank you for joining us – it’s good to have you on-board.
All my love,
Mummy xxx
