Life at 1 and 11 months

Every morning before 6am I hear a “Muuuum! MUM! Muuuuum! MUM!” which doesn’t stop until I get to her cot. I am welcomed with a baby standing in her sleeping bag, hair everywhere and a smile and outstretched arms that melts my heart. There’s milk and a cuddle on the couch with her sister snuggled under a blanket together. They hold hands then fight with passion one moment later.

She plays before breakfast, reads books, potters about in her play kitchen or in the dolls house. She climbs up next to me with her sister’s laptop and copies everything I do. She rolls a few bowls of cereal before her sister has even nibbled on one piece of toast and then asks for some toast and then perhaps some yoghurt or fruit. Oh she eats well, no doubts about that.

She follows her sister everywhere, just a few steps behind, learning, watching, doing everything that she does and hoping that she will be noticed or played with, even just for a few moments. There are tantrums in between, fiery, passionate outbursts of independence and we know just where she stands on certain matters. We get a glimpse of the big girl she will be.

She sleeps in the day for an hour or so without any fuss, so long as the door is “opey” and the first person she will call for is her sister. Of course. The afternoons are the same, playing, following, learning. She loves to draw. She loves to chase and be chased. She loves play doh and puzzles. She is smart and funny and happy. Such a happy, sweet little girl. Like most little girls I suppose.

Her Dad takes her to bed every night and is lucky to get those last few moments of delight with her. Kisses. Cuddles. Stories and then her happy “goodnight” and “door opey?” before she slips off to sleep for the night.

She is almost 2 now. She is growing faster than the green Spring garden outside my window learning so much each and every day. My baby is slipping away from me, as they do, and that’s OK. That beautiful, chubby, funny, sweet baby girl is turning into a beautiful, less chubby, funny sweet little girl. And there is not a single day when I don’t count my lucky stars that we were blessed with her in our family and that I get to be her Mama.

Comments

  1. Oh hon, melty melt! First thing I read this morning. Your beautiful words have set the tone of my whole day. XO

  2. i’m just gonna go away and have a little sook and then i’ll be back, and i’ll read this again, and probably have another little sook.

  3. Just beautiful.
    Really beautiful – her, this post & you.
    πŸ™‚
    (You forgot to mention she’s NOT doing swimming lessons. ;-))

  4. Beautifully written, and sooo true they grow up way to quick!!

  5. I can imagine her reading this on her 16th birthday or something πŸ™‚

    Beautifully written xx

  6. Such a gorgeous idea, to remember a ‘snapshot’ of your girl at that age. I love it!
    My ‘baby’ is two next month too. i really should try and write something down about him x

    PS he can pack away the cereal in the morning too!

  7. So sweet…good on you for recording these moments for her and for you πŸ™‚

  8. I agree with Cherie – definitely keep this so she can read it when she’s older. Beautiful! xxx

  9. So so sweet. I’ve got a little tear. I feel exactly the same about my little treasure who is only a month younger.
    How much do they love to be chased?! πŸ™‚
    Beautiful beautiful post Beth. xx

  10. so, so lovely. Your posts all make me excited to become a mumma, even the mother fucking mothering bad ones. xx

  11. How good is it, huh?

  12. Waaaah! You have reminded me that I don’t have babies anymore.

    I can’t believe Harper is almost two. Two is grown up. Kindasorta. x

  13. Made me a bit teary … my baby will be 3 in a couple of months – not really a baby anymore is she!

  14. Bewdiful πŸ™‚
    I love that you’ve written this at a time that’s not a birthday – I always think “I’ll do that when he’s 2… I’ll write something like that when she is 4…”, but there is no time like the present.
    x

  15. Oh you are making me clucky, such a beautiful celebration of your baby.
    I’m off to look at that awesome photo of the heavenly choir angels singing to snap out of it..
    x

  16. Oh I love it lady. SO beautifully written. Harper will cherish those words one day. A good post to read over when she’s being less than adorable in the years to come ;o) xo

  17. beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! i feel like you could be writing about my own 1 and 8 month year old! {except she has no hair!} xx

  18. oh man, this just killed me. I’m going to have to stop breastfeeding or something because I’m walking around like a giant SOOK all day long! Seriously, what a beautiful summation of what I’m sure is a beautiful girl xo

  19. oh Beth you are making me all so teary thinking about my little Poppy (who’s only 7-months old) for when she grows up. i’m already missing the baby Poppy. Bah! I think there’s only 1% of the children in this world that wakes up after 6am! ha ha ha.

  20. Tell me about it! I just bought my kids deodorant this year. That is way too big. Than god we have digital cameras to save all that chubby for when it fades away.

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