Happy Anniversary

Dear Noah,

Tomorrow is your mummy and daddy's 2nd wedding anniversary.

So much has happened since the 1st of April 2007 that it is hard to comprehend, but coincidentally your clever mum's blog does a great job of capturing this sometimes sad but often wonderful time.

Although I haven't contributed much to these pages, one constant has been the deep love and admiration that I have for your mummy. Via this blog, I thought I'd summarise our last two years of marriage.

Mummy was pregnant with your big brother Banjo when we got married. On her second entry to this blog, your mummy wrote:

"I almost can't believe this tiny person is growing inside of me. It's something I have wanted for so many years and it has been such a long journey to get to this point it's quite the miracle. I'd be happy to have 10 more surgeries and give myself 100 more injections if that's what it takes for Rob and I to hold our own baby in our arms. We are the luckiest people in the world."

That simple quote reflects so much of what I love about your mummy. Her strength and determination to create Banjo, and in many other aspects of our lives, were part of the many reasons I married her.

The wedding was beautiful and so much fun with all our family and friends - but we were just so happy to share it with your big brother… and he came all the way to New Zealand with us, cruised down the east coast and all the way back across the Tasman to Melbourne and Sydney. Those very early days of our marriage were just so happy and wonderful.

Upon settling into married life back at home, your mummy (and daddy too, I must admit) certainly got a taste of the nesting bug. It was during this time that carpets were ripped up, floorboards were laid, painting was done, furniture bought and yours and Banjo's nursery was created… it was just so exciting doing all these things together in anticipation of our life as three (not two) people. We haven't yet got rid of the bug, and perhaps a bit crazily are constantly trying to find ways to make your home environment as perfect as possible. Daddy has almost earned the right to call himself a handyman during the first two years of being married to your nesting mum!

Then very sadly, just over a year before you were born, we lost your very beautiful big brother. The depth of the grief that I, but more so your mummy, felt at losing our little boy was unimaginable, but your mummy's courage to go on was inspirational and helped me very much. This was probably the hardest thing your mummy and daddy ever had to go through, but TOGETHER we got through it, and together we became stronger. Please know that your brother was brought into this world surrounded by as much love as we have for you. Noah, Banjo is an amazing little angel that has blessed us with your presence, and for that you, me, mummy must be forever grateful.

Our memories of Banjo will never fade, but in fact it was you Noah, my beautiful boy, that were our shining light in our darkest hour. The thought of you gave us the want to carry on.
Within a few months of your Mummy preparing for and then undertaking IVF cycling, in the midst of your daddy turning 30 and finally having his PhD passed, we got that much anticipated positive pregnancy test result - you Noah were here just in time for Christmas 2007 (although at that time we thought you were a girl called Poppy!)!! This was a really positive and exciting time - once again we found we could truly be happy. Your mummy had a great job looking after lots of little ones (which by the way she is truly amazing at, of which you have first-hand experience) and daddy had landed his dream job as a marine scientist with a great firm - we both still genuinely love our work - although I think your mummy should turn pro!

I'd be lying if I said the next 7-months of 2008 weren't anything other than nerve-wracking in just trying to bring you into the outside world without any hiccups, of which there were a few - but the months of your mummy's pregnancy with you were also a magical time, which I always had a strong feeling would turn out for the best. If at all possible, I fell even deeper in love with your mummy during this time as I watched her do everything humanly possible to allow you to develop. This wasn't without challenges, as you have always been a tricky little bubba, and gave us many little scares with infection, funny heartbeats and eventually a very early arrival, with much TLC required. Again, your mummy's capacity to make an incredibly difficult situation seem not so tough was awe-inspiring (she was very ill during and after child birth, but more importantly had to cope with not seeing you for a little while, when you were immediately taken away for some special attention at another hospital). Although you were very sick for a little while, my feeling that you shared your mummy's strength never left me, I always knew that you would be OK. Most of all you were here and you were AMAZING!!

Eventually, 'turning out for the best' was a dramatic understatement - with you in our life, everything has turned out to be just perfect. Since 23rd July 2008 our world has been consumed by you, and it seems every day just gets better and better. We have literally watched you come to life before our very eyes, first crying a lot, fattening up (once we discovered your food 'preference'), then developing strength and smiling at us, and now just being delightfully happy if not somewhat frustrated in learning to communicate, roll, crawl, stand-up and no doubt soon toddle around. The look I see in your mummy's eye from time to time is just pure joy that you're finally with us. I share that look.

I've no doubt that the next year will be our best one yet, with it similarly consumed by you. Perhaps by the time mummy and daddy's third wedding anniversary comes around you may have another little brother or sister in mummy's tummy?!

Lots of love, Daddy XXX

P.S. Kirsty, I truly love you from the bottom of my heart. You are a wonderful mummy and a wonderful wife. Happy Anniversary Sweetheart, Love Me XXX

A Weekend in Pictures

8 Months Old

Dear Noah

Today you are 8 months old - unbelievable. I keep hearing myself trotting out all the old cliches - 'Where did the time go?' telling new mums to 'enjoy every minute because the time flies by' etc etc but they're all so true. I remember when you were giving Daddy and I so much trouble in those first 3-4 months and every day felt like a week. Everyone said to us we would look back and it would seem so insignificant and they were right.

These days you are so happy and smiley and an absolute delight to everyone who knows you. Our lives are truly better for having you in them. I am getting tears in my eyes just writing this now and thinking about you reading this silly old blog when you're a big boy. Pretty much today your 2 front teeth have broken through. It may have been yesterday but you are so damn hard to hold down to get a good look. Definitely today the top left can be felt when I run my fingers over your gum and the right one is there too. In fact it looks like all four top ones may come through together. One thing's for sure you will have your bunny teeth in time for Easter!!

You started sitting all by yourself just under three weeks ago and you have almost mastered the art of crawling. You took four good moves on Saturday (at a funeral of all places) and that is your record. You can stand so strong on your legs we wouldn't be surprised if you were standing and walking holding onto the furniture very soon.

Every day you are just so much fun and Daddy and I just can't get enough of you. We're almost sad when it's your bed time (I said almost!!).

You are developing a love of books and a real curiosity in the world around you. Mostly you love people and a good crowd can keep you happy and entertained for hours. Daddy and I drag you everywhere with us - you've been to concerts on the beach and in the park, funerals, engagement parties and Daddy has even played lawn bowls with you in the Baby Bjorn.

You are such a social butterfly and especially love all the kids that are in the house every day. You watch Declan and Reuben with absolute delight as they run around and you and Ivy are just the best of friends and if I leave the two of you sitting on the rug I often come back to find you are cuddling or kissing - soooo cute.

You adore the water and we try to take you to the pool and or the beach several times a week as well as your weekly swimming lesson. For ages you were happy to just relax in the water but now you are a kicking splashing maniac.

This week you have made your first attempts at waving and two weeks ago you started saying Dada or Daddy. At first you said it around the clock so impressed with your new word/sound but we haven't heard it for a while - maybe you're saving your voice ready to say mummy!!

I got a new camera a couple of weeks ago and I've taken one thousand photos (that's not an exaggeration) of you in under 3 weeks - I can't help myself you're just so gorgeous and perfect.

Happy 8 months Noah, Love Mummy