Well. I don’t know where that went.

It’s been a year since baby number three arrived on Valentine’s Day 2017 and I know it’s the biggest parenting cliché out there but I genuinely don’t know where the time has gone.

Needless to say she’s the best Valentine’s Day present I’ve ever had (if you want to know the worst a mum can get check this out!) and I doubt I’ll ever get a better one, so as the rest of the world celebrates Valentine’s Day here’s a letter to my daughter on her first birthday.

A letter to my daughter on her first birthday

When we announced we were expecting baby number three more than one person told me three is the magic number. Well, they were right.

You’re magic in too many ways to mention, but most of all the way you sit back and suck your fingers when life is going on around you at 100 miles an hour.

As baby number three it’s fair to say you haven’t had the undivided attention your brother and sister did. It was a full five days before I realised we didn’t even have a photo of the two of us together – no ropey newborn hospital shot, no tired but happy mummy and newborn, no hospital wristband as I held you close.

But at the same time you’ve had attention in ways they didn’t. How I wrestled with my conscience when it came to leaving the older two at home and taking you abroad, but looking back it was the right thing to do because it meant we got to spend time together we just wouldn’t have had at home.

Beginning our Italian adventure with a trip to the #collosseum in #rome – not quite sure it was a place for babies back in the day but she seems to like it #childhood #childhoodunplugged #capturingchildhood #capturingtheday #rememberingthesedays #italy2017

A post shared by Natalie Brown (@confessionsofacrummymummy) on Sep 15, 2017 at 4:37am PDT

I knew keeping you at home with me when I went back to work so we could exclusively breastfeed was going to be a challenge, but what I didn’t bank on was how much fun it was going to be too.

You’ve been everywhere with me and I’ve quite literally dragged you from pillar to post – from filming at ITV to Mumsnet Towers.

Someone’s made a new friend on the set @thismorning today! @Rylan #baby #newborn #6weeks #bloggerlife #lovemyblog #amaze #snaphappybritmums @britmums

A post shared by Natalie Brown (@confessionsofacrummymummy) on Mar 29, 2017 at 2:56am PDT

And everywhere we’ve been everyone loves you. You’re the real star of the show.

We’re in the studio with @mrsnataliebrown, @diabeticdadruns, @Surrey_mama and @bridiebythesea today, learning about sugar content in the nation’s favourite foods with @PHE_uk.

But if we’re totally honest, Littlest B of the Crummy Mummy clan stole the show! pic.twitter.com/ArM2qlowey

— Mumsnet Bloggers (@MumsnetBloggers) January 29, 2018

And here we are – your first birthday – and almost time to start nursery. I’m going to miss not having a sidekick with me in the mornings, but at the same time I won’t miss extracting pieces of lego from your mouth and putting the books back on the bookcase for the umpteenth time.

We’ve ticked off all the things I said parents should do in the first year, and it’s time to look ahead to year two. Goodness knows what that will hold, but I hope it’s as fun as the first (and I do hope you start sleeping through the night at some point soon).

Happy Birthday Marigold May!

Love from Mummy xxx

Have you had a little one celebrating their first birthday recently? How did it make you feel? I’d love to know!

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