Catholic and Loving it!

My my my. A year. A whole year. I still feel a bit like she just arrived the other week but actually a lot has happened. In her first year girl has been through four weddings, two funerals and a flood. She's been all the way up to Durham and all the way down to Exeter (twice). Because Easter was early this year she managed two mothers days before her first birthday (only one fathers day). She's eaten goose and duck and lots of raisins and even moved house. Phew!

She is changing at an astonishing rate, the left picture was taken three months ago - she is propped up in a chair and we are all very excited about it...

...the second picture was taken much more recently, see how she effortlessly sits up with no support at all!

In fact, Leona is doing loads of things effortlessly these days. Ella dug out the book today they give you when your child is born and it's full of milestones you are supposed to look out for and note the date. They have almost all happened, she copies the sounds you make (simple sounds, not words) she claps when music plays and she even sings. She smiles, picks up "small objects", empties boxes of things and can take the lid of anything. She is heavily in to exploring things closely, here she is enjoying a spoon...

I mentioned singing. The singing isn't exactly singing as you or I might sing, she can't say the words for a start. It's more of a kind of high pitched humming sound with the sorts of breaks in you get when you go aaaaah and open and close your teeth without closing you mouth. As part of her exploration, Leona found the Piano:

When you bang the keys they make a sound, which is fun. Also fun are Christmas decorations:

Those are fair trade decorations by the way and only cost £1 for a great long woven streamer thing. I feel also strongly compelled to share with you this excellent example of Snorkel Face, Leona can make her top lip touch her nose which is impressive.

So what do you do for a first birthday? Well you get a balloon...

...and, if your name is Leona, you get a Lion Cake!

While listening to my mum recalling tales of my own childhood and the cakes I had I felt an obligation to provide Leona with a particularly special cake. We drew sketches and designs and everything. The best laid plans were hatched and all was going well Ella baked a beautiful sponge cake and asked me to use my carving skills to carve a Lion. I mauled it. I completely ruined the cake and do you know what, Ella saved it, she made it good again. Well done Ella!

So there we have it. One year old! Here's a traditional 0,3,6,9,12 months picture. The same baby grow (for scale) and the same dad (click here for large size)...

So all that remains is to say Happy Birthday, Sto Lat and thank you Leona for a great year.

Happy Birthday!