…Aged 3, Going On 13!

It seems like yesterday my little Olivia was born, a tiny 5lb 8oz baby born on the eve of Valentine’s Day and oh boy, I fell in love with her. I knew for so long she would be a baby girl, even though we decided not to find out at the dating scan. It was such a struggle of a pregnancy, I spent days upon days in a hospital bed, hoping the mini contractions would slow down and she would stay inside me, cooking for a little bit longer. What an exhausting pregnancy.

But here she was, a tiny bundle of love for myself and my other half to love, raise, cherish, nurture and be responsible for. The days were long and the nights were longer, struggling away with breastfeeding, silent tears rolling down my eyes.

They grow so fast! She turned 3 less than a week ago and I wonder to myself where did the time go? I remember her first birthday and her second birthday but shes THREE already.

As you can probably see, My little lady is full of sassiness, attitude, strong-willed, love and fun. I wouldn’t have her any other way as I am in no way concerned about her ability to navigate the world when she is ready. BUT, nobody tells you about this.

THREENAGER.

Honestly, her vocabulary is growing everyday. She loves to sing, dance, perform, laugh. She has the attitude of an Ox. Defiant, smart, cheeky and intuitive. I do find it a challenge being her Mother but I wouldn’t change her for the world. I guess, I should think of it as a pre-warning of what is to come as she grows! Honestly, in one day, I feel happy, sad, tired, joyful in very quick succession. 

There are plenty of days where I wonder whether I can be the Mother she needs me to be. I’m also navigating the world of being a mother to two (Zara is 5 months old, already!!) so experiencing the challenge of how to split my time effectively between them. As well as run a business and a household. I do ask myself, ‘what was I thinking?’ 

I am so grateful to be able to photograph capture her personality, all of her faces I see regularly. I know for sure I can show her these when she is older and should she have children who are strong-willed – she will know where that came from.

These years are flying by, I don’t want to miss them. I don’t want to not have photographs because time isn’t given so freely and once it’s gone, that is it. One day, she will want to spread her wings and learn the world by herself and I don’t think about that too much but I know I will never be ready for that day either. Whilst she is happy to sit infront of my camera and let me photograph her, I will.. always.