Inspired by the blogs I like to read, I'm aiming to keep working on this one.

Yes, today is my Monkey Baby's 1st birthday. I remember reading somewhere that "the days are long but the years are short" and find it to be so true. Today probably wasn't the perfect first birthday- we woke yesterday to find Monkey Baby with a 40C fever. Luckily today she is closer to a regular temperature but still miserable, clingy and off her food. We moved her little birthday party to next Wednesday in the hope that everyone will be healthy by then.

I find it strange to describe myself as SAHM, although that's what I've been for the last year. I used to work at so many different jobs, I was always a slash-person(massage therapist/Pilates instructor/ homeless services worker or student/actor/ fashion retail manager, you get the idea). In my head, I'm not actually a SAHM, although that seems to encompass only part of what we do, as other mums would know. Coming from a strong feminist academic background, I know that being able to make choices, to stay home, to work or to study, is the most important thing. Still, I find it hard to label myself chiefly as 'mother'- maybe that is something that will change in time. After all, it took at least six months of DH saying to DD "Go to your mum" for me to realise, "oh, wait, that's me, I'm the mum."

Looking at the pictures of DD when she was first born, I can't believe the amount love I feel now (honestly the day she was born, I was so tired I just wanted to sleep). I love the look of her furry little head, the way she would snuggle her little hand into the arm of her jumpsuit, and the tiny baby hiccups which she still hasn't grown out of. My Monkey love, you are the greatest thing in my life- happy birthday my baby.