Mae is One!

Our beautiful girl is one! I can scarcely believe it. The first year has flown by and I have no doubt the years to come will pass with similar speed. I'm not sure I can put into words just how much joy, love and togetherness she has brought to our family. We are forever grateful that this girl is ours to cherish.

A cheeky smile, nose wrinkled just like her Nana Fox!

From before she was born we knew she was energetic and boy is she ever! When awake she is in constant motion, curious and brave. When she sleeps she hardly moves...such a contrast. She is sociable with such an expressive face.

Quick to laugh and smile but equally quick to stamp her wee foot if things aren't going to plan! Oh she just might have inherited a fierce will from her Mum and Nana. We have noticed that she is developing a strong sense of humour just like her Poppa and Aunty Mary.

Around her birthday she began to chatter; her babbling is now peppered with words we can understand and gestures that make sense. She can wave hello and goodbye. If you are lucky she will greet you with an enthusiastic "Hiii"!

 Mr. Fox and I are 'Dad-da' and 'Mum-mum'. Rolling her tongue is a favourite noise and she calls to our cat with a trilling 'Lil-lil-bly". We have had to be rather strict on Mae as dear Lily became quite stressed with all the chasing and grabbing.

Saying hello

After an unsettled and clingy period Miss cublet is once again content to play independently for a while. Pushing books, boxes and cars across the room with a 'brmmm brmmm'. Turning the pages of her books back and forth. She bangs and whacks her blocks together and scatters them across the floor.

Sometimes she will sit quietly placing toys in and out of a basket but more often she is walking around the furniture. Occasionally she is brave and lets go for a couple of seconds to balance. If music comes on she bobs to the beat or sways side to side with great delight.

Her teeth cause trouble as they swell and move in her gums. For weeks now she has been out of sorts as a teeth on either side of her upper gums force towards freedom. It must be very painful as she loses her appetite and finds sleep difficult. Bonjela gel, Weleda teething powder and oral pain relief have been necessary of late to prevent constant tears. She has a total of seven teeth; four on the top and three on the bottom. Her little toothy grin is just the cutest!

We were all excited one night last week when just as Mae was settling to sleep she clapped! She is so very proud of this new skill and takes great delight in clapping to music. It is fun to see her glee when we clap back in response. Finding that she can point out items and we will look where her finger is directed has been a wonderful discovery. It is clearly a thrill to her that she is able to communicate more easily with the world.

Eyes hold a new fascination lately. My sister taught Mae to 'blink' and she thinks it is the funniest trick ever. She has been confusing strangers by greeting them with a fixed gaze, chin dipped and the most concentrated brow as she determinedly blinks in their direction. If they flit their eyelashes back they are rewarded with giggles. Oh she is a funny girl!

A week before her birthday we spent an afternoon in the park. Mae's Grandma Ann was keen to carry on the family tradition for having a one year old portrait. Our cousin Emma is passionate about photography and created some special memories for us. It was fun to let Miss cublet loose in the park, it must have been tricky trying to capture our busy girl. We had a lovely day in the sunshine and Mae just adores her Aunty Emma and Uncle Roman. Spring was bursting forth in all it's glory, the sun shone and the birds sang...not a bad day to record our baby's first birthday! 

We celebrated with friends and family with an afternoon party. It was fantastic, I can't wait to record the details here soon.