Diary of 12 month old baby Alex
Happy Birthday Alex!
Sue's daughter is one year old. In this, the last instalment of her year-long diary, we find out about the birthday celebrations, a final trip to the UK before the new baby arrives and catch Sue in reflective mood…..Alex at 1 year old
And so our darling daughter has completed the passage from babyhood to toddlerhood, and we are left in wonderment at how quickly childhood really does fly by.Yesterday was Alex's first birthday, and she is now walking and running with the ease of someone who has been upright for months. She is tall for her age, and now weighs between 22-23lbs.
We celebrated her birthday a day early with a visit to the beach with some friends - just up the coast from Mont St Michel. Like the UK, France has been experiencing searing heat since the end of July, so we figured a dip in the sea and an afternoon romping on the sand would be the ideal way for a little girl to spend her first birthday. However, it was not to be. Although the weather was nicely overcast at the coast, providing some relief from the 35-degree heat we've been sweltering in all week, the strong seaside breeze proved too much for Alex, and was clearly giving her ear trouble. I ended up having to fashion a headscarf out of a muslin square so that she could gain at least some enjoyment from knocking down sandcastles and jumping over the waves. Otherwise I think she cried for approximately three out of the four hours we were there. What a shame.
Cake-baking fun!
On her actual birthday, Alex went back to the childminder's as usual - she now
goes four afternoons a week because it's working so well. This gave me time
to bake a cake! But what a disaster! I am known for being a shockingly bad cook
- entertaining has generally become Nicholas's department - but yesterday's
attempts at being a good Mum were particularly disappointing. I borrowed a cup
of icing sugar from our neighbour, and smiled as I rolled up my sleeves, thinking
how simple a Victoria sponge cake would be, and how lovely it would look covered
in butter-cream and fancy sweets. But before I knew it, I was only 15 minutes
from needing to pick Alex up again, the layers of the cake remained unrisen
and stuck to the bottom of the cake tins, and I had no time to wait for them
to cool so I could ice them.
Luckily, Nicholas came to the rescue, and assembled and decorated the cake while I went to fetch the birthday girl. We walked in to the sound of party hooters and a colourful display of streamers, plus an almost professional looking cake covered in sugar confetti and resplendent with a single gold candle. Alex looked pensive. We sang Happy Birthday while Alex refused her dinner, put her hands in the butter-cream icing and generally made a big mess. Of course she refused the cake too, but we only made it for the photos so she'd have something to look back on. We haven't got round to making her card yet…
Present surprise
As for presents, Alex was duly spoilt on our recent visit to the UK, where she
finally got to meet her extended family - my granddad, and aunts and uncles.
I'd been worried she wouldn't get much attention, as there is already a new
baby in the family - my cousin's partner gave birth just seven weeks ago, but
fortunately there was plenty of cooing - not to mention an abundance of presents
- to go round!
We had bought her a paddling pool and a swing, plus a few other toys, and we got her a slide with some birthday money, knowing how much Alex loves her afternoon visits to the playground with Mme Quentin. The swing is fastened to the willow tree outside my office window, so I can watch her playing when Nicholas takes her outside in the mornings. She's a very lucky little girl.
Back to Blighty
As though in answer to all our prayers, Alex's coming of age seems to have coincided
with a calming of her teething problems, and - touch wood - we are finally getting
a run of nights where she sleeps peacefully from 7pm to 7am or beyond. She still
has only two bottom teeth to show for the months of agony she has endured, but
she seems to be having some respite from the pain and all the other cruel symptoms
she's had - everything from a very raw bottom to a stuffy nose and a series
of ear and throat infections.
We are all very grateful anyway. Even travelling to the UK didn't seem to disrupt her routine too much, although she did go on hunger strike when we ran out of French baby food half way through the trip. 'We'll just buy Heinz,' we'd thought, but it wasn't quite as simple as that. Alex took against the new texture and began refusing meals. As her determination not to eat grew, so did my anxiety, and we found ourselves snowballing to a point where even to be put in a high chair meant that Alex started to thrash around and scream. Even now (we have been back in France for over two weeks), Alex is still refusing most of her meals. The doctor puts it down to the heat, but I'm not so sure. Having started out as a healthy eater, Alex has gradually been getting more and more fussy about her food. While three months ago she would have eaten any food you'd put in front of her, plus some fruit or a yoghurt as dessert, she now refuses all fruit, yoghurts, and even many savoury dishes. Unless it's bread, she's not interested. Everyone tells me not to worry, but I hope this phase of faddiness passes soon. Still, at least she isn't waking up hungry in the middle of the night, which had been one of my fears!
Being in the UK was wonderful, although we did find ourselves concluding that this would be the last time we'd pass through London for a while, as it wasn't easy to benefit from being in a big city with a little one in tow. I didn't enjoy taking her on the tube, and it was hard sitting in North Circular traffic on a Friday afternoon with a hot and restless baby. Also, when we next return to the UK, we will have a second infant with us, and I reckon it will be difficult finding anyone with the space (or cool temperament!) to put up a family of four! It was much easier staying with my parents in south Wales, especially as we had the freedom to go out while my Mum or sister gladly babysat. What was particularly nice was that Mum and Dad had been collecting toys and baby accessories in the months leading up to our visit, so Alex had a readymade playroom when she arrived.
Looking back over the last year
Speaking of toys, I have just spent the morning packing away the first batch
of toys that Alex has now outgrown. This felt quite sad, as I lamented how quickly
Alex's babyhood has passed. Still, at least we know we'll be unpacking them
all again in just four months when baby no2 arrives!
Summarising the last year seems impossible, but I would have to say that this has been one of the most life-changing years of my life. Nicholas and I don't feel any different as people, but we have been knocked sideways by how much our priorities have changed since this special little person came into our lives. Alex lights up our whole world and we thank our lucky stars every day for the happy, well-adjusted and beautiful child she has grown into - and pinch ourselves as we wonder how on earth this happened with us as parents! People often ask people like us whether we ever regret having children, because of all the things you have to give up (sleep, disposable income, freedom, etc), but Nicholas and I have never questioned our decision to become parents for a second. We couldn't imagine our lives without Alex, and now we can't wait to meet this second little person that is coming so hot on her heels!
All about Sue
Sue Tabbitt, 33, is a freelance IT journalist, who moved to the outskirts of Normandy more than 12 months ago to start a new chapter in her life with her Canadian husband, Nicholas, a ballroom dancing teacher.
This is the last instalment of Sue's column. We wish Sue, Nicholas and baby Alex all the best in Normandy...See below to read her pregnancy and baby diaries
Thanks to Kodak for the digital camera lent to Sue and Nicholas for the duration of this diary column.
Where to next?
- More from Sue's Life with Alex diary
- Read Sue's pregnancy diary
- Create your own pregnancy diary
- Pregnant? Talk with other mums-to-be on our discussion forum
- Find out more about your pregnancy, use your personalised planner on babyworld
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