Dear Quinn: Turning one

Dear Quinn,

Today is your first birthday, and as I write this you are fast asleep on me. All worn out from your family birthday party.

The first photo was taken in the hospital and this is now...

I have no idea, none, ningún idea where the last year has gone. It has been the fastest year ever. I feel like I've blinked and suddenly you are this toddling, inquisitive gorgeous little treasure.

As we thought you would, you took your first steps last weekend and are now toddling along, Jed gets very excited when you do and shouts "look people he's walking". So cute.

I'm asked all the time what it's like having two and the truth is you are an absolute sweetheart, so chilled out and happy. You seem to be so pleased with your little world, you smile so easily and wholeheartedly. The way you grin when you see me is something I will always be grateful for.  

Like I said, you've started toddling and you are so pleased when you do but you are still such a speedy crawler. You can sense the gate being left open a mile off and you are straight out of there and up the stairs as quick as you can. You know you are being cheeky because when we follow you, you grin back at us and then try to speed up. Ooh, I must say though, thank you for starting to walk before I went back to work, I didn't want to miss it and used to get sad just thinking about it. 

You like turning the pages of books. You love tidying things away, like today, you liked putting your presents back into the bags and putting some ducks you got into another box etc, so sweet. Your favourite thing though is posting items over the side of your cot, books, toys, you name it, you think it's so funny. 

You have been so determined to walk and since you started toddling you then started clapping the next day too. I can't wait to see all the things you are going to learn. 

You love taking off your socks and leaving them everywhere, but if I ask you where they are you'll go and get one for me. I swear today you even signed socks when I asked you.

You are so easy going, Jed will often grab toys off you or play a bit roughly or squeeze you a little too hard when kissing you, he does so love to kiss and cuddle you, his latest thing is leaning over you in your highchair and "kissing Quinn's soft head" and you seem to take it all in your stride. Grumbling occasionally, but not as much as you'd expect and just moving on in a heartbeat. 

Today has been a really nice chilled out day seeing family. It started with you sleeping through the night, yay you! And me waking at exactly 7:01, which was when you were born, how cool is that.

Early morning selfie...

We've opened presents, you received some lovely things, Jed even let you play with some of them 😊  there was food (probably the highlight of your day) and cake, loads of smiles, giggles, a tear or two (yours when we had to shut the gate to stop you going up the stairs and one or two of mine, when Daddy was drying you after your bath and we were saying about you being one, it's just so crazy!)

I made you take a lot of photos today, sorry, but I do so love capturing the memories. We even recreated the photo that Lila took just after we'd brought you home last year.

I hope you've had a lovely day sweetheart and as fun a year as we've had. We are very grateful to have you in our lives.

Love always,

Mummy x

Dear Jed: Questions

Dear Jed,

You are so full of questions at the moment, from Why (a lot) to many other funny, inquisitive things.

Today, Monday 13th of November 2017 you have asked me...

Mummy, do birds have ears?

Mummy, where does your voice come from?
   ... Which then after we'd been talking         about it led you to say...

Isn't it weird to have a box in your throat? 😉

Mummy, where does the sun live?
... Followed by...

But where does it go?

Love it!!

I promise to always try and answer as best as I can and to look it up with you when I don't know.

Love always,
Mummy x

Dear Jed: Dream journal 03Nov2017

Dear Jed,

So, today over lunch I decided that I'm going to miss down some of the dreams you tell me about that make me smile as I don't want to forget them and who knows, maybe one day they'll be writing inspiration for one of us, or just a bit of fun.

At lunch today you told me...

"Last night Mummy I dreamt that I was inside a bottle, bobbing along in the water. Not a bottle like mine (pointing at your blue cup) but like...dramatic pause... That one, with the red lid!"

"Wow, how did you fit into something that small?" I asked.

"I squeezed in of course!"

Love it! At the grand old age of 3 and 5 months... Can't wait to hear more as you get older.

Love always,
Mummy x

Dear Jed: Carrying on the tradition

Dear Jed:

So, as I'm sure you will know by the time you read this, I dream. A lot. I also seem to remember them a lot.

Granny has always said how Grandad Henry (who you get your middle name from) always used to tell them about the dreams he'd had at breakfast too, and now you are carrying on that tradition.

On the 26th Oct 17 you came out with the following, which made me smile a lot.

Jed: Mummy last night I dreamt I was on a train.
Me: that sounds fun, where did you go on the train
Jed: to the mountains and a bear told me about my future.

Love it!!

Love always,
Mummy x

Dear Jed: First day of preschool

Dear Jed:

I thought I'd make a note of a few random things about you on your first day of preschool, which was on Monday 4th of September 2017.

You love:
*Octonauts
*Spotting tractors (you like naming them all Masey Fergiskin (hee hee) John Deere, New Holland), combine harvesters, ploughs, you name it!
*Running around making the sounds of the emergency services and getting us to do the same.
*Being outside in the sandpit or driving your green tractor.
*Jumping in muddy puddles.
*Cuddling Quinn
*Favourite colour is red, purple, yellow and green (apparently!)

You want to be a fireman when you are older.

Love you always,

Mummy x

Dear Quinn: 10 months

Dear Quinn,

Oh my, you've hit double figures. I can't actually believe it! Where on earth is the time going. I have to admit in the last few days I've actually started thinking about your birthday party. Oh my!!!

I normally make a note of names we call you at the moment. Well for you, as Jed often reminds me "Mummy, Quinn's name is Quinn, Quinneth, happy old soul (he heard Nanny say it and thought she'd renamed you), sweetheart or little darling". That last one is all Jed, he said he made it up just for you. I know when you read this it might seem silly to make a note of, but we might have forgotten by then, and I don't want to forget these little things.

I can't keep writing without saying that honestly your little face would brighten up the stormiest of days...and yes, I know, I'm biased, but I don't think I'm the only one who thinks this. When you smile, which is nearly all the time, your WHOLE face lights up...I adore and I mean adore! how you can just be going about your own business and then you catch our eyes, or someone walks in the room and you grin at us like we are the best thing you've ever seen. Having someone look at you like that is such a privilege.

You are into EVERYTHING at the moment, you are a speed crawler and like to pull yourself up all the time. You've even started walking the length of the sofa while holding on (oh lord I really don't think walking will be that far away), mainly to get to Saxon who you are fascinated with, but who sadly is a bit wary of you.

You can sense the gate being left open a mile away and you zoom out of it, into the kitchen into the drawers, trying to climb up the stairs, into the bathroom, you name it you want to see it all.

I don't think you really have a favourite toy as such, but your love balloons. Especially if they are on a stick that you can wave around.

You will eat anything it seems and have learnt now that if you throw something on the floor Saxon will eat it, which you seem to like doing just so that he'll sit under the highchair.

You clamber all over us when we sit on the floor and will climb over anything in your way, you are one determined little crawler.

You are getting better at sleeping the last few nights (touch wood!) but you've been having a spell of being awake between 2:30 and 4:00, not upset, just awake. Standing up in your cot, hitting me on the head to make sure i'm awake, shouting at the top of your voice, you name it. You little weirdo ;o)

You are pure sunshine sweetheart, you really are! Thank you for making our little family complete.

Love you always,

Mummy x

Dear Jed: toddler test

Dear Jed,

One of Auntie Lila's friends posted the following toddler test a while back and the idea is that we ask you guys questions and just have a bit of fun seeing what the answers might be. Well I did it then, and I did it a bit more recently and I thought it might be fun to document to see how your answers change over the years. So here goes...

Nov 2016: (Age 2+5)
What's your name- Jed
How old are you- 2
When is your birthday- not yet
How old is Mummy - 2
What's your fav colour- green and yellow
Fav food- biscuits
Fav animal- cats
Fav song- dance lady (meghan trainor's better when I'm dancing)
Best friend- daddy
What are you scared of- nothing
What makes you happy- music
Where's your fav place to go- slides
What do you want to be when you are older- music
What does love mean- love means love you

Jul 2017: (Age 3+1)
What's your name- Jed (and you got your surnames right)
How old are you- 3
When is your birthday- just right now
How old is Mummy - old
What's your fav colour- blue
Fav food- chicken
Fav animal- horsey
Fav song- when he hears the fire alarm (fireman sam)
Best friend- daddy
What are you scared of- a dragon
What makes you happy- a butterfly
Where's your fav place to go- to the barn (playbarn)
What do you want to be when you are older- a policeman
What does love mean- it means to cuddle