First, the fact that I’m writing this more than a month after your first probably says a lot about the juggle of having a school-aged child and a baby. It’s not easy. But it’s wonderful. Watching you with your big sister is one of my greatest joys. But that’s not what this blog is about. It’s about you. Our beautiful little preemie baby, who is now an active, giggly, wonderfully chatty one-year-old.

Happy birthday baby boy. It’s funny, you’ve been here a year, and I can’t imagine our lives without you in it. Our lives are more full than they’ve ever been, and the time is accelerating as a result. 

It doesn’t feel that long ago that I was lying in a hospital bed, strapped to all sorts of machines, ready for them to tell me it was a false alarm, and to go home. Mere hours later, you were here, tiny and lovely. 

It hasn’t been the easiest of years. Being so small, you had to stay six days in hospital, being fed through a tube. Me and your Dad had to juggle your older sister, and seeing you. I would hop in a cab at 5.30 every morning so that I’d be there for your morning feed. And I’d stay, until dinner time. Then, your dad would come and see you after dinner (after already spending most of the day with you), with a fresh bottle of expressed milk in tow. 

That was tough. 

Then I lost my job. But I found a new one. I wasn’t anticipating going back to work so early, so that was a juggle. Yet thankfully I found an employer who was happy to work around your naps, feeds and needs. It may have given me just what I needed at that time of rejection from my past employer. 

And then you grew. By three months old you figured out how to breastfeed. Yup, I pumped for three months. And I would do it again. It was worth it for those moments we have now, you nestled into me. It’s the only time I get a cuddle. You’re too busy for all of that!

Despite being born a month early, you’ve begun to catch up. You were sitting by just over six months, and crawling (well, would we call it crawling? The very quick shuffle, crawl hybrid) by 10 months. We’re still waiting for those steps, but you are starting to stand alone and why walk, when you can bum shuffle faster? 

You’re a fussy one. You won’t eat anything, but you want anything anyone is having. Even if it’s disgusting. Yesterday you tried to eat an onion at least three times. Hating it every time. But wanting it every time you saw it in my hands. 

You’re obsessed with trucks and balls, through no overt encouragement from us. You have a great arm on you. And it’s not just balls you throw at us, but toys, and unwanted food. Anything really. 

You love water. You love swimming, baths, even just a patch of water on your high chair will be played with. You’re a splasher, and a giggler. The two combined fill me with joy.

You’re already showing signs of having a wonderful sense of humour. You’re so happy and good natured. At childcare they say you’re always happy. And you really are, as long as you’re getting what you want, haha! You’re the perfect second baby. Easy going, and super friendly. You’ll go up to perfect strangers (mostly adults) and throw a ball at them in an attempt to engage. We had one day where a stranger played with you for five minutes, his face full of absolute delight. He said it reminded him of when his own now-teenage son was a boy.

And now here we are, at the end of your first year. My beautiful, funny, cheeky, lovely little boy. You say truck, and dadda, mumma, ta and more. You hang in our bed in the mporning, not snuggling, but throwing yourself on top of us, occasionally giggling while doing so before smackign your lips, demanding breakfast. 

You’re our beautiful ray of sunshine we didn’t know we needed. But we’re so glad we have you. 

Happy birthday baby boy. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.