Dear Son – Now You Are Seven

Dear J

I cannot believe that it was seven years ago to this day that you arrived in our lives, our first-born child. From the moment that I held you in my arms, your steel-blue eyes looking into mine, my life changed forever. I never knew that I could feel a love as strong as I do for you, you became my new World, my new life and my reason for being. Becoming a parent has made me a better person because I now live my life through my children, seeing the World from a new perspective, from a new set of eyes and with new hope.

I remember cuddling you that first night in the hospital, if I am honest I wasn’t really sure what to do other than to hold you. There is no instruction manual that comes with a new baby and for us, your Mummy and Daddy we were following our instinct but mainly, following you. Your tiny fingers wrapped around mine, your mop of ginger hair was soft to the touch and you smelt divine. You were only 8lb but somehow didn’t fit into the newborn outfits that we had bought especially for your first moments, instead we had to dress you in a blue dinosaur outfit until your Grandad B brought some bigger outfits for you. When I say bigger, I mean that your Grandad got the wrong end of the stick and bought clothes that I swear a two-year old could squeeze into.

It’s quite funny looking back, all the rooky mistakes that we made early on, like the time when you couldn’t sleep and we just couldn’t work out what to do . We had fed you, winded you, changed you, rocked you and after several hours of walking around the house trying to comfort you, we placed you in the baby swing and set it onto lullaby mode. Within minutes you were asleep and rather than moving you into your moses basket and risk waking you your Daddy and I somehow ended up sleeping by you on the floor. Let me tell you, it wasn’t the most comfortable of floors but we were that exhausted we could have slept standing up, which we often found ourselves almost doing at times.

I remember the early days when people kept complimenting us on how well we were all doing, yet I felt as if I hadn’t got a clue as to what I was doing and the only reassurance I could take was that you seemed settled and happy. I soon learnt to follow you, my baby, my beautiful son. You had all the answers and just like back then, you still do now.

You are the most amazing little man I have ever met, you can make me smile no matter how hard things might be. There are times when I have shouted and have told you off but all of those have been through love, I just want the very best for you and always will. It doesn’t matter how old you are, I will always be there to hold your hand whilst you hold my heart forever.

Happy Birthday J, My Super Seven Year Old!