Leo Turns Two

On Wednesday 26th June 2013 I tucked my one year old into bed for the last time.

I stood by his cot and told him that when he woke up the next morning he would be one whole year older.

He would be two years old.

I stood there watching him, and I knowingly stood there a little longer than I usually would. I was thinking about how quickly the last two years have come and gone, how amazing they have been and how I would not change a thing.

I was taking in the beauty of my little boy as he settled down to go to sleep and smiling at him through the darkened room.

It was then I bid him one final goodnight, wished him sweet dreams and a Happy Birthday. I told him I loved him to the moon and back again, and I would see him in the morning when he would be a Birthday Boy.

Walking out of his room and closing the door behind me, I knew it was now that the real birthday work would begin. I had a Timmy Sheep cake to make (you can see how to make your own here), cupcakes, birthday presents to wrap and not a whole lot of time to get it all done. 

I finally retired to bed just after 2:00am, really tired but excited. Excited to see my little boy's face when he woke up to his second birthday.

Leo awoke bright and early, he was a little full of cold but didn't let that stop him demanding to watch 'woof, woof' otherwise known As 'Lady and the Tramp'. After a few rounds of 'I am Siamese if you please' my new found 2 year old came downstairs to open his cards. 

Leo was presented with his birthday card, a very large Timmy Sheep birthday card with his age and name emblazoned on the front. He was so pleased that Baa was making an appearance. Little did he know that Timmy Sheep was going to be making quite a few appearances today!

I had planned Leo's whole day to a Timmy Sheep theme, balloons, cake cases, cake embellishment, an actual feature cake! 

We took Leo to our family photographer to get some birthday shots of our now very grown up boy, it is hard to believe that the first time we took him there he was a tiny baby in arms! Leo however didn't want to play ball, and as soon as we walked into the studio he stopped chatting to me and buried his head in my shoulder. Sufficed to say that we didn't get the snaps that we were hoping for, but with that all out of the way we took our birthday boy to Granny's house for his real birthday treat!

At Granny's house nestled away in the back garden was Leo's main birthday present. A present fit for any little boy with an imagination.

His very own hideaway den in the form of a wooden playhouse. Inside Leo's new house was a beautiful red kitchen that I just knew he was going to love. I ran out of the house ahead of him so that I could capture that one moment when he laid eyes on his birthday gift. 

Leo's eyes widened and his face pursed into a Cheshire smile, it was apparent that he had seen his present and he was marching intently over to inspect further. He did not stop once and that smile was not wiped off his face as he made his way over to the play house. Upon reaching his intended destination, he climbed up the stairs, opened up the front door and found his beautiful kitchen, the smile he was beaming just continued to beam brighter and then the laughter started.

The house had been decorated like a scene from Disney's Up, and I did half wonder whether he would be flying away on an adventure of his own. A 'Happy Birthday' hung around the circumference of Leo's new haunt, Timmy Sheep of course.

Leo ran in and out of his house, cooked up cakes that he fed me through the bars of his balcony, before running off to cook up some more!

It was then I knew that the wooden playhouse had been the perfect birthday gift choice for my very imaginative little monster.

It was around this time that his Goddaddy arrived, and his little friend too for a play date. It was also around this time that the sunshine disappeared behind the clouds and rain decided to rain upon our parade. 

But could I get my two year old out of the house and into Granny's house?

NOPE!

Leo and his little friend were completely soaked through, going down the slide and landing on their bottoms in the puddle forming beneath it. But they were having the time of their lives and I watched them from the shelter of the kitchen door, as they ran around not even noticing the rain falling around them.

Somewhere among all of the playing we fit in a few nibbles for lunch and even opened up some presents. I will never forget Leo asking for 'more' presents once he had opened the last one!

With all of the excitement of the day, Leo had missed his nap time. I pulled him inside, dried him off and put him down for a well deserved nap. Upon his sleepy slumber coming to an end it was time to see more family members and whip out the cake for a round of Happy Birthday.

I cannot believe that my little man is ANOTHER year older, I don't know how time is going by so quickly but I know this year and every year after is going to continue to speed by. I am just intent on making every day special for Leo, making every birthday count and keeping that beautiful smile of his firmly on his face where it belongs.

Staying up late and baking Leo a cake that I knew he was going to love was worth every moment. It was worth all of those practice runs and planning. It was worth it because Leo LOVED his special day, and next year I will just have to pull out the stops again and think up another birthday that he will love equally if not more.

For now though, Happy Birthday Baby Boy.

I am so glad that you enjoyed your special day, and welcome to year 3 of your adventure.

Happy 2nd Birthday Leo!

Dear beautiful boy,

Can you believe it?

Today at 12:56pm you are two whole years old.

I will always remember the perfect day you graced us with your arrival.

The day we met, finally after 9 months we came face to face, I couldn’t stop staring at you, I didn’t want to put you down or miss a single moment of your existence.

Holding you for the first time just took my breath away.

I just wanted to take in your beautiful little face, your glass eyes and your cupid lips. I could have stared at you forever.

You were perfect to me.

You are perfect to me.

And you always will be perfect to me.

You came into our lives and completely stole our hearts, and just like that it was as though you had always been here.

Our first night together was in the hospital, I couldn’t sleep for all of the excitement of the day and I just held you close, breathing you in, not wanting to sleep in case you needed me, scared that I wouldn’t hear you.

You slept soundly right next to me only waking for feeds or when your startle reflex took hold, we soon realised that you were happiest when wrapped up in your swaddle so that those little hands couldn’t startle you awake.

It all only seems like yesterday….

I don’t know how and when it happened, but in this last year we have left your baby days far behind us. We sailed off together on a new adventure to explore pastures new on your once wobbly, 4H sized toddler feet.

A week after your very first birthday, on your expected due date you just got up and started to walk. Like somehow over night you decided that was the next step, and you were ready to take it. Once you started you just didn’t stop and soon you were running everywhere and trying to play football.

The change in you that has been brought around by growing another year older is so apparent. You have so many words that you like to use, and you know exactly what you want, or…at least you think you know.

I still remember you as that little baby, when you needed me in so many ways that your two year old self doesn’t need me now. You have become so independent in so many ways, and you astound me every single day.

Leo I want you to believe in everything you want to believe in, follow your heart and keep on dreaming. Everything you do, everything you want to do and everything that you dream of doing will be supported by me until the very end of time.

I want you to grow up seeing all the magic that this big wide world has to show you. I see your face light up when you see the wonders around you and I want that simplicity to stay with you for always.

I want you to know that Santa Clause exists and he weaves his magic throughout the entire world on one single night. I want you to know that Jack Frost is responsible for the glittery dusting that appears on a cold winters day. Remember that mermaids do swim the seas and Faeries fly the skies before laying down to rest their tired wings in the hollows of trees. Keep your eyes peeled for toadstool rings and look very closely as you may, if you look very closely spy a secret fairy dance.

You should know that Mummy’s kiss will make any awchies better and a cuddle will dry those tears. You should know that a Mummy’s love is a magic potion to keep you your cheeky happy self.

I have been looking back at photos, photos that I can remember taking as though it was just yesterday. I study them and see those same blue eyes and then see how much you have changed and grown. I can see how wise you have come to the ways of the world and feel honoured to have watched you grow from a baby into my beautiful blue eyed boy.

So my beautiful boy, Two years have come and gone and today is your big day.

You are two years old and have the world at your feet, with so many future memories to make, more magic to discover and of course trouble to cause. Now is the time for you to wake up and see what presents have been delivered during your slumber for your second birthday.

The birthday cake is ready to be lit and Happy Birthday is to be sung. So wake up baby boy, come downstairs and see what we have planned for you today!

Happy birthday baby boy, you may be a big boy now, but you are and always will be my blue eyed baby boy.

Happy 2^nd Birthday little one.