3

Day 1

After my son was born I was in a hurry for him to get older and bigger.  I was under the misapprehension that when he got older things would get easier.  Maybe I'm reading too much into it but there is a good chance that I wanted to put as much distance as possible between me, his birth and what I perceived as my birthing and breast feeding failures.

1

With my daughter I knew that her infancy would be fleeting and that older certainly wouldn't mean easier.  Every stage and every day has it's own challenges and it's own joys.  Marigold and I didn't have the opportunity to lie in each others arms all day or welcome visitors anxious to meet the new arrival.  There were school trips to make, dinners to cook, no generous maternity leave salary and there was a deep financial recession to contend with that managed to cast a shadow over everything. 

2

But Marigold's happiness for life and unfailing optimism is what on many days kept us going.  Her spirit is so effervescent, her smiles so infectious and her hugs so frequent that it's impossible to feel sad around her.  

One day recently when I was feeling that my role within our family had become overly domesticated, my husband asked Marigold and Auden what they thought mum was good at.  I was praying it wasn't going to be 'putting our clothes away' or 'making macaroni & cheese.' So when Marigold answered quite matter-of-factly, "snuggling" I could hardly stop smiling.

So on the eve of my Daughters 3rd birthday and feeling very nostalgic I am learning not to fast forward or rewind just enjoy each moment for what it is - precious.

Happy 3rd birthday Marigold.  I will love you forever xo

3