The Udder Life: Happy Birthday Thomas!

Yes, 3 years ago today, I was in hospital having just gone through a scheduled c-section (for a breech presentation), feeling the worst for wear as the drugs were wearing off, looking at this small wrinkled little bundle and thinking "Oh my God, what have I done!?"

I had never held so small a baby (not without any direct supervision anyway) and here I was, being allowed - nay being EXPECTED - to be the indirect life support for this tiny human being. I felt overwhelmed, nervous, unsure, frightened, full of doubt.........but I would honestly lay down my life for this creature without a second thought. And that was in the first hour of meeting him.

I could not in good faith say that the past 3 years have been a fairytale cohabitation of our family, particuarly in the recent 8 months or so, when the "terrible twos" really started. I'm not sure that they have officially ended now that he is 3, moreso just evolved into something else that is going to test us and make us doubt our abilities as parents. The person that coined the phrase "life wasn't meant to be easy" was obviously a parent with a toddler. But even on the worst days, he will say something funny, or give you a look, or a kiss, or a smile and everything is once again right with the world. For 5 minutes at least.

Today was his day though, and he thoroughly loved it. I know this, because as I was putting him to bed tonight, he said "I has a good time at my party mummy and all the dinosaurs and kids". Awwwwwww. Makes all the running around, shopping, food preparation, loot bag organising, cleaning, decorating, spending, [sharp intake of breath], worthwhile.

He is good for about 1 weeks worth of brand new dino wear at a time. The DVD can play new dino shows non stop whilst he plays with new dinosaur PlayDoh. He can introduce new dino figurines to a re-creation of Jurassic Park (although he could probably tell me that not all the dinosaurs he has lived in the Jurassic period). At bedtime, he can be lulled to sleep under a handmade dinosaur quilt, by my dulcit tones reading from one of the many new dinosaur story books . You get the drift of what our house looks like don't you????

The other cool present he received - from mummy and daddy! - was one of those Fisher Price kids digital cameras. I've had it in the cupboard for the past 8 months or so intending to maybe give it to him for Christmas as I wasn't sure if he would "get" it or not. But for the past few weeks, he has been carting around my tripod saying "click" and giving us the imaginary photo. He has wanted to use my digi SLR, but this is never going to happen, so we figured he would be ready for a real thing of his own. And it has proved to be a real winner. He is more than capable of working it and I have to admit that there are a few photos that he's taken that are quite good. However, after downloading the images off the camera and onto the computer, I was scrolling through them when I came upon one of my boob!! He'd obviously snapped me when I was feeding Bridget. Needless to say, we will have to be careful when we are in the shower from now on.

All the commercialism of birthdays aside, I am just so happy that he is healthy, bright, happy, developing normally, smart (sometimes too smart!) and for the most part a great kid to be around.

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY THOMAS!