What a busy month that was – it’s really just flown by! Our little girl has just turned one and she made the best of this landmark event and filled the whole of May with celebrations. First we went for a lovely weeks holiday to the great British seaside – Great Yarmouth, it was lovely to have a week just the three of us in our little caravan. As Robin works 12-hour shifts it was really nice to have a week where we could all do things together. Meadow loved our ‘Van Van’ as we called it (we say each word twice to encourage her to say it!) and took great joy in crawling from one end to the other at great speed! She also loved the on site club house entertainment and was the star of the kids fancy dress party in her pink fluffy bunny outfit. The pool was also a hit and we had several visits with the water baby splashing away in her rubber ring. The week was a little wet but that didn’t dampen our sprits and on our fairest day we visited the model village, which Meadow was amazed by, all the little people and houses and trains and small bridges amazed her. We were there for hours!

The weekend before her birthday, she had a little teaparty with her nan and great aunt as they were away on her actual birthday and she enjoyed everyone wearing party hats, singing songs, opening presents and I even let her have a small piece of cake! On the eve of her birthday I had hundreds of presents to wrap and Robin decorated the house will helium balloons. I was reminiscent of how her first year had gone by… she was so tiny and helpless when we brought her home from hospital and home she’s a crawling, singing, almost walking bundle of love. She really is starting to look like a little girl now no longer a small baby.  On the morning of her birthday we sang and she clapped – and as we awaited visitors we watched her card, which I had made being read out on TV (15 times and counting I think!). A colleague of my husbands made Meadow a beautiful first birthday cake and my parents and brother joined us on a day at the zoo, which Meadow loved, particularly the butterfly house where huge blue butterflies kept landing near her. When it came to present opening we had to do it in three sittings throughout the day as she got so much. Robin and I had a rag rug spelling her name out made so she can keep it when she’s older and my dad made her a huge wooden toy box which came in handy as our house looked like a toy shop!

The day after Meadow’s birthday we had another birthday to celebrate – Next’s! So we headed down the sunny banks of the Thames to Somerset House where my mam, Meadow and I enjoyed a sneak preview of the Autumn/Winter collection at Somerset house and raised a toast to 30 fabulous years of Next, whilst the boys enjoyed the sun in Covent Garden. The collection was, as always, stunning. Even Meadow had her eyes on a pair of dungarees! My mum spied a lovely chiffon blouse and I adored the craft inspired home furnishings – especially a ball of wool candle holder! – and a gorgeous fedora. After enjoying a glass of champagne and a cake in the sun we headed home for more of that delicious birthday cake.

The following weekend was of course Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee where we celebrated 60 years of her rein with an extended bank holiday weekend. Meadow loved waving her flag at the flotilla and Cookie even wore her England shirt to mark the occasion. We visited two street parties and a Jubilee fayre at Meadow’s playgroup and it really was lovely to see everyone come together to celebrate. So after a month like that I think we will be spending the rest of June having a lie down….