This time last year I was in hospital, looking blearily at a sleeping baby (ha! that didn’t last) and wondering what on earth I would do once I got him home. Yes, Loudboy is one today and, as Amberjee says, this is a good time to reflect.
So this is what he looked like on that day:
And this is him now:
What have we learned? I’ve learned to trust my instincts, to relax and to enjoy the time I have with him. Loudboy has learned how to shriek, walk and run his cars along the floor. I may not be the parent I imagined I would be, but Loudboy isn’t the child I imagined either. He’s far more entertaining and enthralling and he has managed to reach a year without me doing anything particularly awful (ignoring a few bumps and the time I fed him chilli).
So I’ll stick a candle in a cupcake (additive-free) and say here’s to birthdays, cuddling our babies and listening to that inner voice that tells us to ignore everyone and do it our way.
October 9, 2007 at 3:50 am
Aww… happy birthday Loudboy!! I hope this is the first of 90-100 or so more of them for you!
And for Mum – yes, I agree… we know our kids better than anyone else, and while books can give you some general guidelines, we need to parent our kids by what feels right to us.
October 9, 2007 at 7:25 am
Lovely post Swizz, gave me goosebumps. A very big loudbay Happy Birthday!! You’re SO SO right, every bubba is an individual, as are we, so why would a book know whats best for them over their own mamas?
October 11, 2007 at 10:36 am
Happy birthday to loudboy, it just goes so quick does’t it?
October 11, 2007 at 12:51 pm
he’s adorable. You’re doing such a good job and the bond you’ve formed by being there for him when he needs you will take you far as he grows X