Twelve Months (A Year, People! A Year!)

Matilda on the swings

Today, my child is one year old.

It's traditional to say that you can't believe it's been a year already. I kind of can't. It doesn't feel all that long ago that I gave birth to her.

But, much more strongly, I can't believe that she's only been around for twelve months. She is such a huge part of my life - our lives - now that it seems crazy that there was ever a time before her. Hasn't she always been here? How could I have ever believed I was complete without her?

I can't believe that, twelve months ago today, we met our daughter for the first time and we had no idea who she was going to be. We were just discovering that she was a girl at all; we had no idea that she would be a clever girl or a funny girl or an independent girl; we didn't know she would be the kid who rolled at eight weeks or walked at nine months; we didn't know that she would say "hiya" and "this" and "here you go" and "shoes" before a year ("shoes" not because she's interested in sparkly pink stiletto heels - yet - but because she wants to go outside and have fun); we didn't know that she would love bananas but hate eggs; we didn't know that she would like musical instruments and building blocks and books; we didn't even know what her smile would look like.

But here she is, twelve months on, with so much personality.

Happy first birthday, Wee One. Let's raise a sippy cup to a year of great big toddler adventures.


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