A year has passed
A year has passed since our son was born. The twelve months have flown by. He’s experienced many firsts during the year; almost every day bringing something new. It’s fascinating watching his personality develop as he grows and we’ve encouraged his interests as they’ve evolved.
He loves books, picking out titles which we read to him, or he uses his own language to read to us. The Hay Festival was an opportunity for all of us to immerse ourselves among books and nature, and he thoroughly enjoyed his time there. We all did.
(Photograph: R. Munn)
Spending time with animals is another favourite thing to do. He has developed a respectful relationship with his furry rescue companions at home. He’s learning to be gentle, and in return, the animals are calm with him. They have access to many safe places when they need their own space. Like my husband and I, he loves being outside, and enjoys watching the regular visitors to our birdtables at home. We also spend a lot of time at a local animal sanctuary. The residents are used to humans, regarding this little person with curiosity as he explores.
He likes music, and always has done. He happily listens to a range of genres, showing a particular affinity towards classical pieces and songs from musicals. Perhaps one day he’ll follow in my footsteps and learn to play an instrument. Or maybe, unlike me, his flair will be for singing. Either way, I hope this interest continues.
The first year has been a learning experience for us all, and we’ve used an instinctive approach to parenting. Manuals offer advice on which milestones might be reached and when, but growing is an organic process. It doesn’t follow a set pattern, and we’ve celebrated new development stages as they’ve happened, rather than worried about whether they’re within a certain timeframe. Our son seems happy and healthy, and I hope this continues as he grows. There are things I hope will have changed, or be on the way to changing, in society as he matures into adulthood. I think this is a topic for another post though. For now, thank you for continuing to read the blog and following the ongoing journey of The Photographer’s Way
Hi Emma
It was lovely to read this about your wonderful little boy’s development and your trip to Hay on Wye. I am fortunate to live right next door to you and to have seen Niall growing into a delightful, sociable little boy. You are perfectly right in your attitude to his development, as they say, babies don’t read the manual so they are all different and develop in their own time. Look at my Mikey, he was so late in talking and now he never stops. Love E x
Thank you Eileen. It’s been a pleasure sharing his development with you x