Isla's 12 month update

Following my post on Isla turning one this last week, I thought I'd write a little bit about where she is now developmentally. We have been a bit concerned about her over the last few months, and particularly more so following her routine 9 month check, which flagged up an area of concern. There were no developmental issues that the health visitor could see, but she was concerned about the fact Isla had an extra roll or crease on one of her thighs. This was flagged up as a marker for developmental hip dysplasia. Queue me reading all about the condition on Google, convincing myself she did in fact have it, and then ending up in a mess because my little baby was almost certainly going to need a big operation and then at least three months with her leg in a cast. Anyway, to cut a long story short, Isla went to the hospital the other week for an examination and, following an examination and an x-ray, was found to have two healthy and perfect little hips. It was such a relief for us and was definitely the bit of good news we needed amongst all the bad news and setbacks we seem to have had thrown our way in recent weeks.

Isla can now say a whole host of recognisable words amongst the incessant, incoherent babble. She knows "dada", "mumma", "bubble", "dog", "there", "boo", "bear", "bird", "car" and "teddy." she greets her teddies (and sometimes the dog) with a big, fat squeeze and says "aaaaaaaaah." Isla can now and again blow us a kiss and she does this super-cute kissy face where she scrunches up her eyes and purses her lips. I keep trying to get a photo but fail miserably every time. She can clap and wave and pretend to go to sleep. Isla loves to sing and dance and she can't help but move to music from the radio or TV. She loves doing the actions to the music from "In the night garden" and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. 

Whilst Isla seems to be hitting all her other milestones, she hasn't been quite as quick to meet her physical ones. Quite frankly, I've been fed up of people asking "Isn't she crawling yet?" or telling me that she should be doing this and that by now or telling mr that their child is/was much younger when they learned to do x, y and z. When something like that is said to you, you always feels like it's a bit of a personal attack, like you haven't done enough to encourage your baby, like you haven't got them the right kind of toys, you haven't allowed them to practise the skills they need to be able to develop. This is, of course ridiculous and children do and will develop at their own pace, often regardless of any input you have. Yes, encouragement will speed things up but it won't  drastically speed up the time it takes for them to hit their milestones.

 Isla has spent some time in strength-developing contraptions but has, most of the time, been left to move around on the floor in whichever way she chose. Believe me I've tried everything the Internet/child-development literature suggests you try to encourage your baby to roll over, sit up unaided, stand, cruise, walk and it's still been to no avail. Sometimes you just have to accept that babies will do things when they are ready. It might take them longer than other babies and you might sit there at baby classes thinking "Why isn't my baby doing that yet?" and "What's wrong with my baby?" and obsessing over how old every baby/young child is that you see and how they compare to yours. It just does you no good whatsoever. 

It took Isla until 11 and a half months before she learnt to crawl 'properly.' But from that point, it only then took her a week to learn how to stand and cruise around the furniture - a lot quicker than we imagined. We still await those elusive first steps, but I don't think it will be long before we get to see them. I can't wait 'til she's running around after her big brother - he won't know what's hit him! 

Turning One

Isla - it is exactly a year since you arrived into the world on a day which I thought would be one of sadness rather than celebration. When I think about it now, I believe you were meant to arrive on the date you did. You were meant to forever change the meaning of that day for us. 

Isla - right from the beginning we knew how precious you would turn out to be. Of course, every baby is a wonderful gift but you were extra-special to us. Tommy will always be extremely special because he was our first-born. He made us parents and taught us how to be Mummy and Daddy. You were special for a very different reason. You were our rainbow, our child brought to us at the very moment we were questioning whether we could put ourselves through the trauma of losing a baby again, whether we would conceive again, whether there was something wrong with either one of us. The day you were born was exactly a year to the day that we were told our second baby had no heartbeat. That day you arrived, you not only completed our family, you also glued together the broken pieces of our hearts. You turned a sad anniversary into a beautiful, happy one. 

Where that year has gone, I have absolutely no idea. We can't believe a whole year has passed since we held you for the first time, yet it is difficult to remember what our life was like without you in it. I remember how scarily tiny you were, how I expected you to look exactly how your brother looked but was surprised instead to see that you were nothing alike. I remember Tommy visiting and staring proudly into your crib. I remember Daddy ringing you to let you be the first person to know you had a sister and you replying "oh thank you!"

 Before you were born, I felt like it was impossible to love a child as much as I loved Tommy. I felt like we couldn't possibly be lucky enough to have such a fantastic child again. I felt like I couldn't become any happier than I already was. You proved me completely wrong. There is equal room in my heart for two after all. You are equally as fantastic as your older brother, very different in some ways, very alike in others but fantastic all the same. Now I am happier than I have ever been because of you. 

I love to see the relationship developing between you and your brother. Yes, there is a struggle a large percentage of the time. Yes you steal his toys, get in his way and mean his time with Mummy and Daddy now has to be shared. He doesn't think much to the situation at times and I've regularly raised my concerns about whether you are going to get along or be close to one another. But he is also fiercely protective of you. He won't let anyone come near you if we are out. He climbs into your crib in a morning and talks gently and kindly to you. He helps you when he sees you struggle to do something by yourself. He plays with you, encourages you, teaches you (albeit rather boisterously). When you go to nursery, he only makes it to just past breakfast before he asks if we can go and collect you. You've made him a big brother and what I hope will be a lifelong best friend so thank you. 

We can't believe how much you have grown and changed during the past 12 months. You've gone from a newborn only capable of pooing, sleeping, crying and feeding to a little girl who is beginning to talk, develop a personality and get pretty much anywhere she wants to. You love music and making lots of noise. When music is played, you can't help but dance. You love to play the fool and certainly know how to make us laugh. You are mischievous and have an understanding of right and wrong, although often choosing to ignore what we tell you to/not to do. Toddlerdom is DEFINITELY on the horizon. 

You are a very cuddly baby, you always have been. Mummy and Daddy cuddles are your favourite but you also like your soft toys and say "ahhhhhhhhh" whilst squeezing them tight. Food is a huge hit with you; we're still on the hunt for something you DON'T like! Nothing makes us laugh more than when you are around food and your mouth opens as wide as it can possibly go, just like a baby bird waiting for the return of its Mum. I imagine this is how you will always communicate your need for food or drink. You are such a noisy baby and always voicing your thoughts or demands. 

You are beautiful. Everybody says so, we're not just biased. You have a twinkle in your eye that captivates everybody and means that you always have them wrapped around your little finger. I've never heard Tommy laugh any more than the way he does when he is with you. 

Isla Gracey Doo (as Tommy calls you), you are already far more than we ever hoped or imagined you would be. You, along with your big brother, give me a reason to be proud every single day. We can't wait to see what the next year with you brings. Love you my little one-year-old rainbow baby.