We had planned to spend Bambina’s first birthday having a vintage tea party in the park. However, good old British weather had other plans and decided to open the heavens!
We had to decamp at the last minute to our stamp sized living room. Once Bambina’s baby friends started to arrive, we soon realised that it didn’t matter where we were as she was so super excited. Somehow, she seemed to have an inkling that this was all for her.
She was so pretty in her baby pink frilly princess dress with matching butterfly clip in her hair (that lasted about twenty seconds before she pulled it out). Only one year old and it was though the age fairy had crept in through the night and replaced Bambina’s baby face with an updated toddler’esq mask. Where did the last year go? How did we get here so fast?
Bambina relished the attention and loved her gifts. She thrashed the living daylights out of the helium balloon and for one day only stuffed herself silly with pink piggy biscuits and Haribo jellies.
When the time came, I lit the candel on the cake and walked towards her where she sat looking on from her high chair. The Italian was by my side, her grandma (my mum) sat proudly on the sofa watching whilst her Nonni in Italy clinked glasses of Prosecco in celebration on the TV screen (the Italian had hooked up Skype so that they could be involved). Bambina was surround by the people who love her and in her finest moment, as the cake came forward, Bambina let out a light puff of air. She blew!! She blew towards the candle, not hard enough but it was a slightly blow at least. The Italian had been teaching her and she didnt disappoint. As I helped her blow out the candel and melody of Happy Birthday sung by friends and loved ones washed over us, a tiny tear filled in my eyes. This was a ‘moment’. It was my baby’s moment. As I looked at her, I felt my mother look at me and in a split second, the pride washed through three generations of very lucky ladies.
This is it I thought, she’s had a taste if independence. The years are going to fly by and soon I’ll be telling her to take that make up off and don’t look at me with that tone of voice - before I know it, Bambina will have turned into me and I will have turned into my mother!
Our little one year old. So pretty. So confident. We can’t imagine a single day without her and although ever day with her fills us with sheer pride, today our love for her runneth over.
This little one year old is our life. We breathe, sleep, adore her every minute of every day and we promise to make every day of hers as joyous as she makes ours.
Happy First Birthday Bambina, you are the most precious gift to us and we wish you nothing but love, health and happiness. We promise with all our hearts to make every day as exciting as this one!
We love you all the world, more than all the stars in the sky and all the fish in the sea, more than life itself!
Mamma & Papa
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
