To my Jonah Sammy – happy 7th birthday, Jonah!
Happy birthday, my lovely boy. How has your 7th birthday crept around so fast? Here I am again, writing a letter to you about how much you’ve changed in only a year.
As you transition from a little kid to a big kid, we’ve learned so much more about you, and who you are. Curious, studious, quiet, detailed – dare I say verging on nerdy? Sometimes daft, and yet totally loveable are just some of the ways I can describe you.
It must be part of growing up, but as you get older, you like to spend much more time on your own. I guess it’s also a big part of your personality. I still struggle with not seeing you all day because you’re at school.
Family love
You’re still in love with your sisters, although sometimes you play a little roughly with them. Cara gives it all back, though! It’s beautiful how you’ve always had a soft spot for Grandma Heather, it’s so sweet to see.
Your dad is your guide to your entire life, even if your silly noises often make him cross and neither of us can understand why you won’t just bloody get dressed…
Unless it’s in your sisters clothes!
Discovering more
We’ve spent the last year trying to get various diagnoses – autism the most prominent of these, and we’re still waiting for a diagnosis. But you also were diagnosed with hyper mobility, astigmatism, and long sightedness in one eye, which totally explains why you’ve struggled with writing. But you’ve won awards at school for putting effort in, all the same. We are so proud of you!
Now you’ve got glasses, and you look so smart!
And you’re under the care of a physiotherapist too – together we’ll help you strengthen your core and your bendy hands.
School life
Year 1 is drawing to and close now, and the school year went really well for you, once you settled in. You were star of the week twice, and we attended a special assembly for you. I was literally the only mum crying! And I know you’re going to enjoy progressing to Year 2. We continue to see your studious side, and your love of drawing and reading.
I was so proud of you on your first proper school sports day.
Dressing up as Harry Potter for World Book Day was a definite highlight of the year.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
There only one thing to say about your hobbies at 7 years old – Five Nights at Freddy’s. You are absolutely obsessed with it and there’s nothing else that holds your interest. You talk to me about it incessantly and bring me into your world. It’s so precious but sometimes I worry you should be interested in more conventional children’s entertainments.
Family holiday and swimming
We had a gorgeous family holiday together and it was so good to see you play and be happy. You swam so well, and now we’ve started swimming lessons for you and Cara.
I can’t wait to see you enjoy it every week and progress through the stages.
A year of firsts
Your first little stay in hospital (stomach bug, you were fine – and we welcomed NumNum into our home).
And on the plus side, your first trip to the cinema, circus, and your first game of bowling. Why did we wait so long to do these fun things with you? Well, there was Covid!
Teeth
So many teeth falling out – we’ve seen all kinds of wonky and gummy smiles. Your face keeps changing shape and you look older with every week that passes. Bizarrely, you’re not interested in the tooth fairy and would rather I kept your teeth!
All the round things
Pancakes, bagels, wraps.
All of your favourite foods are round!
Solstice baby
Not only is it your birthday, it’s the anniversary on which we became parents for the first time. Thank you so much for the wonderful gift of your life Jonah. We love to share it with you every day and can’t wait to see what the next year holds in store for us all.
With all my love,
Mummy bear xx
