When I look at my fourth and final (yes, really) baby there is something quite magical about her presence. She didn’t ask to be Earth side, she doesn’t owe us anything, and she was never consciously weaved into our long term plans! Yet here she stands, fiery, wild, confident and just pure joyous. Running the risk of sounding the most cliché person ever, doesn’t time fly when they’re tiny? I don’t know about you but I think the first year of a baby’s life is all about learning to become you in a new way, in as much as it is about your little one’s first milestones. Life isn’t the same anymore, and it’s not supposed to be.
For Romilly’s first birthday we had a little get together, enjoyed cake and spent time with close family in the most simplest way. For me, birthdays are about connection, not extravagance. It’s a fast paced and hard working world, and modern families are no different which is why it’s important to slow down and connect on special days!
We did however visit Tropical Birdland in Desford and had a great time! Romi absolutely loved the colourful, squawky birds and spent most of the time smiling and laughing. It’s such a nice little day out and so local to us living in the North West Leicestershire area. It was relatively inexpensive at £11.25 for adults and £7.65 for children over 4. It also boasts a great café/restaurant and a big playground for kids of all ages. My 14, 12 and 8 year old had a whale of a time. They’d definitely say their favourite part was feeding the birds and having them walk onto their shoulders at the end! So if you are a bit stumped when planning a first birthday, I’d look no further than a simple local day out with family and pals at Tropical Birdland.
The baby had no idea it was her birthday of course, so lots of people might say ‘well why bother at all?’. I recently read something which really struck a chord that refutes this and it’s that these early years are your memories too. This is your Motherhood. And that’s why it matters. So do exactly what you want to do as these are your years! I think it’s so easy to get swept up with what other people are doing and planning with their little ones that we can lose sight of what’s important to us and our own family. I know that I have to stop and consciously think about my own values and situation when it comes to parenting decisions. That’s really just a very long way to say, please just do what you want. I love to see families happy and doing their own thing.
It’s lovely having a baby in September; the leaves are starting to turn golden and the wind is on the change. The air smells delicious with withering foliage and musty soil, reminding us that autumn is knocking at the door. At one year old, Romi much prefers to be back carried now in the Tula which is a lot more comfortable for me on our long dog walks. She pops her arms out now and grabs a leaf or two as we get immersed in the woods as often as we can. Arguably, it is getting more difficult to supervise the variety of leaves and general outdoorsy growth matter being stuffed into her mouth! But alas, we continue.
A lovely way to create everlasting memories for your baby’s special day is with a beautiful, enchanting photography shoot with the Local Mama’s favourite photographer, Nour (@photos_bynm).
Do you have a baby turning one soon? I’d love to hear your plans, no matter how big or small.
Sophie x
The Local Mama Blog Editor
@sophieandteamt
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