Dear Alice- 13 Months

Dear Alice,

Wow, it's been a while since I wrote you a letter! 13 months kind of flew by us, so much happened. After your birthday, you finally found the courage to get up and just walk. Now you walk everywhere, all the time! You run about the park, climb on everything and scream if I even show you your buggy! (Not so much fun in the middle of the high street when it's just you and me...). This month has also been a tough one.

I booked you in for your MMR jab about a week ago. You hated it, I hated it. But the injections were over quickly and after some choccy buttons and milk you had forgotten all about them. So had I, until a week later when you got the dreaded side effects! High temperature, swollen glands and rash. You woke all night long for three nights before you finally overcame it all. I had to keep reminding myself that it was for your own good and that I would have never forgiven myself if you hadn't had them and then caught this silly measles which is spreading at the moment.

I have something very awful to admit. Something that I am sure makes me the worst mother in the history of the universe. You are picking up on everything I say and repeating almost every word I tell you. The other week, I swore. Loudly. I had dropped the raspberry jam on the floor and I screamed out the F word. Guess what? You heard and are now making very accurate attempts at saying the word yourself. I am mortified. Well, at first it was hilarious, but then it did hit me how terrible this was and how embarrassing this is going to be. So this week mummy and daddy have been singing the alphabet non stop in an attempt to halt this mortifying situation!

Your hair is finally long enough to put in bunches and pony tails! The day I did it, daddy nearly had a heart attack because you looked so much older! Not our little baby any more. But actually, I think it is important for us to start seeing you as a toddler now as it will deter us from treating you like a little baby and encourage you to start being a little more independent. And it does make me so happy every time you learn something new!

Love always,
Mummy xx