Happy Birthday Post - some pics from the first year more to follow

Sibling love!

Hello, it's Amina (your sister). Our dad Mark hasn't posted since February and it's May now! Our sister Zainab and I LOVE you! Although it's hard work for mum and dad looking after you. You are a handful! Tugging (my) hair, yelling at the top of your voice, crying in bed ... but there are plenty of sweet, cute things about you that we adore. I remember when we were in Morocco. We were all familiar with the place but it was like a new planet for you! Also, you were a VERY good boy on the planes and everyone fawned over you. I remember everything in Morocco but there isn't enough space for me to type it all up!

So, bye!

From Amina xxx

I can't believe it's nearly the end of february

It is amazing - everyday and everytime I see you i can't get over how you have everything you need, and yet you are so incapable. How is it possible that you go from where you are to become so complex, with such great capaicity and ability as a fully grown human being can be? And how is it that you don't remember any of this, your ups and downs are so raw, crying, bawling, shrieking cooing, making the motorbike noise, bashing your hands and arms up and down frantically with that huge and gorgeos gring, diving into a rusk, a pear or a desperate sip of cranberry or mango juice and of course mummy breast. And what's with the fascination with media screens - you love them (and that's scary as they have multiplied in the world in the lead up to your arrival - I have no idea where this is leading). You like music, classical calms you. You like it when i dance for you (crazy daddy) to keep you amused and occupied. You like looking out of the window with me, and popping outside into the fresh air. You witnessed your first flock of birds the other day - many seagulls, ducks and canadian geese given so much bread by the p
ond. Fasciinated then scared ( there were an awfukl lot of them all around you like a hitchcock movie). You came out and joined me by the garden fire at the weekend. I have no idea how it is for you. You are so raw. You strain and feel with such intensity. You crave variety, you watch everything how is it possible you won't remember. You don't have the ability (or the awareness of your ability) to process as a memory yet. What a mystery the passing of time, you are already bigger and so different to how you were, and the memories we have are already fuzzy (which is why I must write more) and yet you are still short of 6 months. I still can't believe when i look at you you are really my son.