Happy Birthday To You...

It's official. As of yesterday, 9 year old is now 10 year old!

That's her into double figures. A decade passed since I first clapped eyes on her. To be fair when I did first clap eyes on her she was screaming big style and looked very unchuffed to be here!

I had her for only moments after she first arrived at 6.42pm, not due to me not wanting to hold her but due to the fact that I was bleeding somewhat profusely and all hell was breaking loose around me! Doctors and nurses running about the place shouting, a machine beeping like mad in the corner, a blood pressure cuff going slack and tight at scarily regular intervals, blood running of the bed onto the floor...I remember little about it but I do remember hearing Belle (for Belle read Chloe) screaming in the distance!!

It was nearly 10 hours later that I finally got to see her properly. After calming things down medically and inserting enough stitches to create a masterpiece of needlework, my family were allowed in for half an hour to get their wee shot of the new arrival. After that everyone was sent packing to let me sleep and Belle was whisked away to the nursery so I could recuperate from 2 days in labour!

4am it was when I awoke. Instantly, as I had done for nearly 9 months I moved my hand to my stomach and the haziness disappeared. I'd had my baby! I looked round and saw she wasn't beside me, a slight panic set in...probably my first moment of Mothering instinct and the memory that she'd been taken to the nursery came back. I walked along to the nursery and there were 2 plastic cots lying there. As I approached I saw the first baby...she was a huge, gorgeous pudding with masses of black hair, lots of wrinkles and a bruising to her face. A wee voice inside was saying "how will you know which one's yours?", then I saw the other baby...she was small, with skin like a peach, a tiny amount of strawberry blond hair, lying with both hands under her cheek looking every inch a little madam and angelic at the same time...as I looked over her she opened her eyes and seemed to stare right at me (impossible I know!) and her eyes were almost black instead of the usual baby blue...I knew straight away that she was mine. I took her back to the side of my bed and spent the next 3 hours till breakfast just staring at her...she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

She's not changed much over the last decade. She's still got the air of a little madam about her at times. The hair colour didn't last long, the eyes remained a dark brown which bizarrely flash almost green when she gets a temper on her, she is the image of her Dad which I don't actually mind even though we've long since parted as he's actually given her some nice features like the eyes, her legs and her mediterranean colouring. Something that can't be said for her step-sister and his first daughter who is pale, blonde and blue eyed! They are like chalk and cheese!

So we head into decade 2 of parenting her. Time is flying past now it seems. It's hard to believe that in just 6 years time she will officially be able to get married! It's 6 years ago since I was getting all narked about her leaving nursery!! I thought she was getting to big then! Still you know they're getting older when the girls at her party shout "sperm" instead of cheese when they get their picture taken!! Seriously , I kid you not...they've been getting Sex Ed and it's all still gigglesome and shiny and new to them!

Anyway...Happy Birthday Belle...I love you too much!!

Jenny xx (Mum)