Dear Henry – on your fourth birthday
Oh, my darling boy. I cannot believe that you are 4 already. It feels like only yesterday that we were dropping the Bear off at Grandma and Grandads house on the way to the hospital. You took a while to arrive after a complicated birth, but once you made your way into my arms you completed our little family.
It’s been a very strange year for us so far, but you have been such a little star. Starting pre-school in September was the making of you as you have grown in confidence and made the most wonderful little circle of friends. Your world has gotten so much bigger in a single year and you have taken it all in your stride. I could not be prouder.
Then the New Year came and with it the floods. As the rain gave was to Covid 19, the world went into lockdown and your big world filled with adventure shrunk down to just our little family in our four walls. I thought you would struggle, and I thought you would be afraid. What you and you sister did though was teach me that as long as we had each other then we would be ok.
We spent a wonderfully idyllic spring going no further than our own village. Days filled with mummy’s school and adventures spent exploring our local lanes. I know that I will always treasure that time together, that when the world was falling apart, within out little bubble, life felt pretty perfect.
As spring gave way to summer and the weather turned, things have become harder. These four walls are no longer enough for the two of you and you are desperate to get out into the world again. To play with your friends, cuddle your wider family and visit some new places. However, apparently, you are never going back to real school as you prefer mummy’s school too much. I’m not so sure about that I’m afraid!
Dinosaurs and trains still own your heart and you love nothing more than snuggling up with daddy at the weekend in your pyjamas while watching dinosaur videos on YouTube.
You are still a fussy eater and have developed a hatred of spiders but all in all you are my little bundle of perfection who is growing up too quickly. I just want time to slow down so I can savour every delicious cuddle.
You are a sweet, sensitive boy who is incredibly kind and gentle (that is until you have a dinosaur in your hand and everything has to “fight”!) You and your sister have grown so close during lockdown, and although you still bicker constantly, there is a real love and closeness which has emerged. It’s beautiful to see and it’s something that I hope will carry you both through your lives.
Happy birthday my beautiful boy. I don’t know what the next year will bring: we certainly won’t be going back to normal any time soon. A new normal will emerge though, and one thing I know for certain, is that as long as we are together we will be just fine and we will be sure to make it a great one for us all.
I could not be more proud of the wonderful little man you are becoming.
Love you always and forever, for all the stars in the sky.
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