Happy 1st Birthday Kayla!!

Dear Kayla,

This time last year I started labouring and you entered the world.
Amazingly perfect. You were the best baby, sleeping through and people said what an easygoing, happy baby you were.

Today I showered you for the first time with just the shower, and mummy. No bathtub. You were.. absolutely terrified and kept wailing the entire time for Daddy to come back and get you out of there. In my defense, I had to - as you have tonsilitis on one side, and such a runny nose with a cough and I wanted to try and clear as much secretions I could by running a hot shower and letting you breathe in the damp air, and water running down your back directly.

Which brings me to my point. You are sick. After your hospitalisation in late Feb/early March for rhinovirus and adenovirus and seeing you with the NGT and being so miserable and sick (yes seeing the doctors poke you trying to find a vein about 4times was especially heart wrenching), we had a good run, and you were alright, healthy, happy and gaining weight. Until about 2 weeks ago when kor-kor caught that cold and he passed it unknowingly to you. My poor baby. But you still manage to keep your spirits up, always smiling and laughing even though you are struggling to breathe through your mouth as your nose is blocked...

You are a fighter. You are a champion. If I've learnt anything this past year is that you, my second baby, are the most easy-going baby I've ever come across. You seem to adapt easily to anything - even going out during your nap time, you dont even make a fuss, so much so that its easy to forget the baby strapped to Mummy's chest. I know you have your moments (who doesn't?!), but even though you try to assert your will and command your brother to fetch your things, you are still the cutest angriest baby around (yes im biased but rightly so).

You love snuggling up against Mum. You also love just peacefully observing the world. At times I catch you trying to mimic your brother, father and myself. And you certainly have developed a whole lot of words by 1.. being able to say "DADDY" and "BOOK" and "BALL" and "STOP!!" and "ABBITT" (rabbit) sometimes, when you choose to, "MAMMMAAAYYY". We especially love how you refuse to say "Mummy" and how you always say "DADDY!!" instead so deliberately and breaking into your cheeky smile after.

Happy 1st birthday my precious darling.
Here's to many, many more and we look forward to doing life with you and getting to know you even more, especially after the glimpses we've seen of your character this year.

Mummy resolves to record more details of your life on this blog for your 2nd year.

We love you.

Mummy, Daddy and kor-kor Jayden