Happy First Birthday Elizabeth!

In our matching party dresses (unintentional I promise), note the mullet.

Let's gloss over the small fact that I haven't blogged in over 3 months and dive right into the purpose of this post...the little lady is one year old! The months leading up to her first birthday have been packed. She is now at nursery one day a week, she has taken her first steps, had her first proper illness and given her first kiss (to me, oh lucky me!) She's into swimming, going for walks in her pushchair, playing ball and climbing - both under tables and up stairs - and cuddling up to fluffy bunny and panda, her bezzie mates. We threw her a little birthday party to mark the momentous occasion and in true diva style she sulked her way through most of the afternoon and cried when we lit the candle on her birthday cake! Definitely not got the hang of this birthday thing...

Some pics from the last few months and a film of her first (ok, third) steps:

 

And me? The first year of motherhood has been harder than I could have possibly imagined. I'd like to be able to say something profound about what I've learned but really we've just been coping. I made the difficult decision not to return to work. I had always thought I'd quit my job when I had a nipper but when it came to it I realised what I'd be missing - colleagues, London, working in a creative industry, a regular income - and suddenly the decision wasn't black and white. Being a stay-at-home mum is not a barrel of laughs; it is tirelessly domestic, repetitive, frustrating and boring. But it can also be magical and fun and, most of all, what you make it. If I have learned anything then this is it: I have the chance to make a real difference to one little life. Elizabeth's childhood is in my hands and I'm going to make sure it is the best it can possibly be. Having said all that I am still going to work. On Fridays she goes to nursery and I have the whole day to work on Jules and Clem. I have never had a dedicated lump of time to work on my jewellery before and - wow - it is so good. I achieve much more than I could squeeze into a nap time or a tired evening. I am a better mother and happier person for it. Life finally feels like it is settling down into some kind of normality and I like it.