Now You Are One | A Letter to Theo

Thursday 15 September 2016


Now you are one. Its been a year of amazing discovery, endless laughter, sleepless nights, a few tears and a greater love than I knew possible.

Now you are one. And even though one year is not long in this world, you have made an indelible impact in so many lives. You have created acres of hugs, miles of laughs and a bottomless ocean of joy.

Suddenly our horizons have expanded as we look forward to your future and feel in the beat of your heart a world much bigger than our own.



Now you are one. Your little feet are trying to run and you reach out and point to things that spark your interest.

Your best friend is the cat (or possibly Daddy, depending on how you feel that day). You tell us things in your own language and laugh at us when we are too stupid to understand.

You start each morning standing up in your cot with a tentative ‘Mama?’ and end it dishing out a series of the best hugs in the world. 

You love cookery shows, and remote controls and Weetabix. You are the highlight of each day, and when you fall asleep we find ourselves gazing at pictures of you.

Now you are one. You have long legs, big feet, a round tummy, marshmallow cheeks, a Mick Jagger pout, several pearly teeth and the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. 


I can still see the baby in you, but I can also begin to see the man you will become.

Now you are one. You’re emerging into a world that can be cruel, unpredictable, frustrating and toxic. It can also be kind, and full of great love.

You have huge discoveries to make, and watching you make them for yourself will kill me sometimes, but it will also make me the happiest woman on earth. I will do my best to guide you to become what the world needs, which is more men like your Daddy – loyal, brave, hard-working and kind to his mother. 



Now you are one. We will shape you, introduce you to the world, and try our hardest not to mess you up. In return, you will shape us, help us grow, definitely mess our house up and give us a reason to live.

Now you are one, and we celebrate and love you today and everyday.

Happy birthday, little one.

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