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The idea of reviewing the year seemed like a good one when I started thinking about writing this blog entry. But now that I'm trying to do it, I find that it really is a bit of a blur. Milestones that seemed like such a huge deal at the time now seem like a fuzzy string of events, whose timings I really can't quite recall. When Alec rolled over for the first time, we were so excited that we videoed it and immediately shared it with friends - I was sure I wouldn't forget when this happened. But the memory is a bit hazy now - was it 3 months, 4 months, 5 months? And when exactly did he start saying Mama? I'm not sure. All I know is it was before he started saying Dada, and that's the important bit to remember.
Many parents make note of these kind of things in a baby book - apparently, so that they can look back and reminisce and share these little developmental gems with the child when they get older, but really I think it's so they can pretend they remember how it all panned out. In the absence of a suitable baby book to mark these events, I've been doing it the modern way - on Google calendar. Alec has his own little calendar in which I mark things like 'rolled over in his cot - and got stuck' (17th July, aged 5 months), 'first ride in a shopping trolley' (26th October, aged 8 months) and 'climbed the stairs to the kitchen' (11th December, aged 10 months). I've even marked the occasion of his first blood (4th January, aged 11 months - bashed his lip when he fell over). The first time he slept 12 hours in one go is also documented, in CAPITALS for emphasis (28th June, aged 4 months).
The great thing about a timeline like this is that I can look back and see how far we've come in such a short time. Now that we have a noisy, energetic toddler on our hands, it seems like a lifetime since he was just starting to sit up for himself (30th July, aged 5 months). And it helps to jog my memory of all the momentous things that happened amidst the blurry bits too. I remember how we were all in stitches when Alec laughed properly for the first time, as his daddy tickled him (14th May, aged 3 months) and how sad I was the day Alec took one look at my boob and then turned away, deciding for himself that he'd had enough of breastfeeding (11th December, aged 10 months). I remember the delight on Alec's face when he used his toybox to pull himself up to standing for the first time (23rd November, aged 9 months) and the day afterwards, when he got carried away and toppled head first into it.
At the risk of getting soppy and blubbing over my keyboard, I can honestly say it's been the most wonderful year of my life. And I'm pleased to say it's also been far easier than I ever imagined. It's not the done thing to say you had a dream of a time with a young baby, because it seems too much like bragging, and sleepless nights are supposed to be a rite of passage. But if you found the whole thing enjoyable, why not say it? We've had around half a dozen sleepless nights out of 365, so I think that's pretty good, and the inconsolable crying episodes have been mainly confined to periods of illness or extreme tiredness. We've had just one overnight hospitalisation (Berlin, 15th January, aged 11 months, for an unidentified rash and fever) and only two truly horrendous exploding nappies. But best of all, we've stayed sane, and although I can't really remember the details of everything, I'm fairly sure we enjoyed 90% of it.
So happy birthday, Alec, you wonderful little nutcase. I love your enormous eyelashes and your huge great smile and the fact that everyone who meets you falls in love with you too. Here's to the next 17 years, and may they please go a little more slowly.
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