I’m writing this solely for me, my diary to remember Little B’s first birthday weekend. It snuck up on us so quickly that I don’t want the happy memories to sneak away just as quickly!
His birthday was on Friday 19th July. Thankfully not quite as hot as when he was born! On the Wednesday though, I was watering the garden, just like I was a year earlier. But this time there were no potatoes to lift! 😂 Those that read to the end of my birth story would know that my waters broke last year lifting potatoes. I thought it would have been pretty funny if potatoes had appeared from the same potato plant again on the same day!
On the Thursday night before his birthday we busily tidied the house and brought in from its hiding place his first tractor! We filled the trailer with presents and put up some gorgeous birthday bunting too!
On the Friday morning, the little one – the one year old – was actually up early. Too early for me! Clearly he knew there was something going on, and had sensed we had the day off together and really needed a lie in. So Mr P took him downstairs for a while to give me a lie in! Of course, before he did that the tractor had to return to its hiding place!
When I surfaced, just after Little B had finished his breakfast, the wheels were returned. I remember the way he looked at the tractor, at both of us and back at the tractor. As if he wanted us to reassure him it wasn’t a trick and it was really his! He absolutely loved it from the get go. He tottered around the tractor and the trailer and pushed it round the room. I’d found a yellow vest on Amazon as well, he looked so cute in his bedtime body suit and the trainee tractor driver vest. He was so excited to ride it and be pushed around the house on it, clinging to the wheel!
It was raining on his birthday, the first time in months. But we were inadvertently prepared having brought home all his nursery clothes to have a sort through. We had his shoes and his waterproof coverall. So out we all went into the garden in the rain to make his day! The smiles, the giggles, the clapping. He loved it. And looked so very cute on his tractor. He also had another toy out there – a waterfall toy from his paternal grandparents that was also a big hit!
We were also greeted on his birthday with a power cut – for the whole morning. It’s typical where we live when there’s heavy rain! We had a fancy lunch booked and I was desperate for a shower. Sadly I had to have a shower and hair wash using a jug and we made tea on the camping stove again!
But we made it to lunch! We decided to treat ourselves and took lunch at the Chewton Glen. It’s a hotel that we are lucky always spoils us and actually was the first of our babymoons when the bean was just a week or two old! They treated us all like royalty and the staff doted on Little B. We ate early so as not to disrupt others but we shouldn’t have worried, it really is family friendly! After we had all eaten, there was even a cake, candle and gift for the little one! Gorgeous, his first candle! He was fascinated by it and we think put it out in his (thankfully) wet hand…
We always take a stroll to the beach when we are there. It was nap time for Little B which given the windy soggy weather was probably a good thing! We still paddled!
Saturday dawned bright and sunny. Before we knew it we were outside with the tractor and the water toy too. Much fun for us all! And after lunch my parents joined us with more toys, perfect! By this point Little B was actually helping to rip off wrapping paper! He got more wheels, a wheely bug bee that he’s enjoying using on the carpet upstairs!!
We actually left the little one for bath and bed time with my parents as we had a 50th party over in Sussex to go to! A first time for everything and when I checked the Lollipop camera app when we arrived at the Gravetye for dinner, he was asleep! It was a treat to have a night out and I think the fact it was on his birthday weekend was good too, something nice for us too!
Sunday was the main event! The small matter of a first birthday party, who ever thought we would ever get to host one of these! We had a full house, well garden! It was the unveiling of Sam’s garden project as well as a birthday party.
We invited Little B’s little friends (and their parents) and some of ours too. It was fun to host again, it’s not something we have done much of recently, I’d forgotten that as hosts you don’t get time to relax and talk to everyone, the time just flies! Although I did make life easy for myself – the party was between mealtimes and centred around Prosecco, beer, nibbles and cake. And the cake my mum asked to make and I was very glad of that! It was excellent too! He loved it, when he first saw it he immediately tried to take the red balloon off the tractor…
Cake time was fun! The candle we kept away from him this time… Everyone sang happy birthday and Little B was grinning from ear to ear and clapping along! It was like he knew everyone was there for him. Adorable! He kept clapping after the singing was done, loving the attention!
Magically because I had set a start and a finish time for the party we managed tea, bathtime and bedtime all at the normal times! Quite impressive really! I am fairly certain the little one went to sleep dreaming of all the fun and his many amazing new presents!
I know that we slept well and relaxed that evening with a glass of bubbles reflecting on the most joyful weekend and the best year too.
This is so cute! What a wonderful milestone to celebrate!!
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It came round so quickly! 💙
Happy birthday!!
Author
Thank you – doesn’t it come round so quickly!