Ottilie turns 1!

13.09

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O N   T H E   9 T H   S E P T E M B E R ,   A T   4 . 4 0 A M…

…and I haven’t stopped going on about it for a week solid! All last week my catchphrase was ‘this time last year!’ as I reminisced over the week I was in labour with Ottilie. ‘This time last year my contractions just started and I was rushing to get my hair washed and legs shaved!’ (let me tell you, no rush was necessary!!!), ‘this time last year was the first full night of contractions’, ‘this time last year I was in the birthing pool!’ and so on and so on…you get the picture!

But really, how on earth has it been a year? Watching Ottilie grow from a tiny baby into a miniature- and very, very sure of herself!- little person, has been the greatest joy of my life so far. She fills our days with so much laughter, and hearing her sweet chatter all day long makes my heart feel so full with love I’m sure it might burst.

I still can’t get my head around the fact that this sweet baby girl is all ours, and when she shouts ‘Mama Mama Mama!’ as she climbs the stairs each morning after she’s had her breakfast downstairs with Jason I feel so privileged that it’s me she’s calling for. I never take for granted what a gift it is to be a Mother, and have embraced all the opportunities this year has brought me to grow as a person as I’ve found my way into this new role.

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We decided to have a little get together over the weekend to celebrate this year with our baby girl, and it was such a fun afternoon! My Mum, sister and I spent most of the day before her birthday preparing sandwiches, rainbow skewers of fruit, chocolate traybakes, salads, and then I stayed up super late baking a vanilla and homemade blackberry jam birthday cake! Just don’t ask me about the first batch of cake that went into the bin, okay?

I honestly think could stare forever at these photos below of Ottilie when she first spotted her pretty confetti balloons, the joy on her face makes my heart ache…

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^^ Getting so steady on her feet these days ^^

We bought Ottilie the a beautiful wooden dolls pram for her birthday, and she wants to push it around non-stop now! I ummed and ahhed for ages over what to choose for her as her gift, but it’s been a hit so far! Up until recently she hadn’t been keen to try and walk at all, but since we gave her the pram over the weekend all she wants to do it stand up holding it and trundle it up and down the hallway. I wonder how long it’ll be until she’s off and running? I’m not sure I’m ready for a walking baby!

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We’d been holding off letting Ottie have anything majorly sugary until she turned one, and so I’d been so excited about giving her a slice of her very first birthday cake! But I’ll be honest, she wasn’t majorly interested…I think she’s still a fruit girl at heart! She really just ate the jam out the middle and then mashed the rest up a bit…but hey, she’ll learn! ;)

Also, seeing the way she’s playing with my cousin Emily’s sweet little girl Darcey in the photos melts my heart! Cousins are just extra siblings, if you ask me <3

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See what I mean about Ottilie and her fruit?! We ‘borrowed’ a couple of apples from the tree next door that has branches hanging over into my Mum’s garden, and they were seriously delicious!

Also, please note the crumbs of something or other in my hair in the first of those two photos above! I nearly edited it out, but then I thought, hey, it’s representative of Mum life!

(p.s. I’ve had a lot of questions about the dress I’m wearing in these photos! It’s from LK Bennett, I bought it in the sale at the end of June. As far as I can see it’s no longer on the website, so I’ve put a few alternatives, at a range of budgets, in the widget below :)


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Tania, Freya and their other halves came down from London to celebrate with us, which of course made me the happiest. I’ve missed being able to be spontaneous and pop up to London as much as I used to this year, and so having them come down to visit is the best! In fact, Tania Freya and Lizzie’s visits when Ottilie was a tiny baby were complete lifesavers- they used to come down for the day, take over Ottie-cuddling duty and send me off upstairs for a relaxing bath! I have the best ever friends- fact.

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And that’s it, my baby is one! It’s been so lovely sharing her first year of life and my first year of motherhood here with you all, and I’ve been so grateful for being able to turn to this community for support and advice along the way. Here’s to year number two!

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14 Comments
Posted in BABY, BIRTHDAY, OTTILIE
  • http://www.katelavie.com Kate La Vie

    Loved this so much, Ottilie is such a lovely, happy baby. Such gorgeous photos x

  • http://www.adashofginger.co.uk Kirsty W

    This is such a lovely post Rosie. It’s been a total joy reading all about Ottilie over the last year (and has made me broody more than a couple of times!) x

  • http://www.immymay.com/ Immy May

    Ah Rosie I grinned the whole way through this post! Happy birthday Ottilie! Must be so so heart warming to see your baby girl turn one! So lovely to have everyone over to celebrate too :) Motherhood looks like the most magical thing, I can’t wait to experience it! Immy x

    http://www.immymay.com

  • Lizzie Woodman

    Such a sweet post! Happy birthday Ottilie. I just loved the first year with both my babies – it was such a blissful, relaxed bubble and I honestly can’t remember feeling happier or calmer than I did then x

  • http://thefrenchpier.blogspot.com/ Lucie

    It looks like such a sweet party! Happy birthday to him, the cake looks so delicious!
    Lucie, xx

    http://thefrenchpier.blogspot.com/

  • http://bunniesaremagic.com Aleksandra // bunniesaremagic

    Happy birthday, little muppet! :)

  • Pili G

    So adorable! Congratulations and happy birthday to her!
    Love
    Pili
    To Read with Tea

  • http://lizziedailyblog.blogspot.co.uk/ Elizabeth Rebecca

    She is so gorgeous – happy first birthday Ottie!

    https://lizziedailyblog.blogspot.co.uk/

  • http://www.daisybutter.com Michelle | Daisybutter

    What a wonderful way to celebrate! You did such a great job with the cake. Happy birthday darling Ottie! x

  • http://www.wonderingthrough.co.uk Kelsey Douglas Short

    Happy birthday baby girl! Cannot believe a year has passed!

    K.

    http://www.wonderingthrough.co.uk

  • http://www.silverspoonlondon.co.uk Angie SilverSpoon

    What a gorgeous girl! And she looks so much like you!

  • http://www.brittonloves.co.uk Lauren S

    Oh these photos are so gorgeous Rosie, Ottilie looks so happy with her balloons <3

    Lauren x
    Britton Loves | Cruelty-Free/Vegan Beauty • Lifestyle • Photography

  • indieBerries

    Can’t believe she’s one already!! time has FLOWN! looked like a wonderful celebration!

  • Moosechick

    These photos are beautiful, as are the sentiments.

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