A new first

As a parent, you eagerly await each developmental milestone and each "First". The biggies are first smile; first laugh, first time crawling; first time walking. We've not had the walking yet, but we've had the others. Each one was amazing and brought tears to our eyes.

However, we have had another first a few days ago...first time on the swings!! We have been taking advantage of the glorious and unusually hot, sunny weather to have some much needed fresh air, and good dose of vitamin D.


And here she is...













While she was enjoying herself, giggling away, and I was frantically trying to get a good picture, I realised that my little girl is growing up. Her first birthday is nearly upon us, and I can't help but wonder where the time has gone. It's barely conceivable to think that this time last year we'd never even met her. She was just a "bump" kicking away and moving around making my tummy undulate wobble as she moved around. In fact, I didn't even know if she was a she or a he.

It seems like every day she's changing, or doing something new. I'm so blessed to be able to be with her every single day to enjoy every moment of this wonderful time.  I feel like I was born for this : to be Georgia's mummy.  I've always been very ambitious at work and now with maternity leave drawing to a close, the thought of leaving my little girl is horrendous. Work have however, made my next year very easy for me as they haven't left me a job open to return to. I would have to return as the "office dogsbody" in essence which is not going to give me any job satisfaction and is not worth missing out on the beautiful moments with my little girl. I have therefore requested a career break for a year.  Not that I particularly wanted to go back, who does? Plus after petrol and childcare costs, the financial gain of going back is quite small, even part time. But to be honest, any extra cash for the household at the moment would be useful. I'm rather annoyed in one sense that I am pushed into the career break (and there's no way I'm going back as a spare pair of hands for so many reasons), but I will look upon this coming year as an amazing blessing for me, as I get to experience all the new firsts that are to come, instead of a nursery worker or childminder experiencing them and not thinking them amazingly wonderful, and relishing in every laugh and smile, every wave and clap of her hands. And I think of all the hunreds and hundreds of kisses and cuddles that we are going to have!