As August arrives ...

It's been quite a while since I got chance to blog, partly due to a bout of illness, but mainly due to workload and an increase in the amount of time caring for my mum is requiring daily.   However, as August is such an important month in our family calender I really need to try and get some entries made in the next few weeks.

I was always a big kid as far birthdays went until I had Daniel, but since then not unsurprisingly I've found the day rather difficult to cope with as it brings back such vivid memories.  Over the years this has also had an effect on my wonderful daughter as four years after Daniel was born, she had the bad timing to be born seven weeks early, thus arriving the day before his and my birthday.  That's kind of made it hard to get in the spirit of things for her day even though I try.

  

So today I would like to just take a few lines to say how lucky I am to have such a wonderful daughter as I'm sure she doesn't realise just how much she means to me.  She's intelligent, caring and an incredible advocate for people with learning disability.  She's also very strong willed and single minded in many things and I guess we are very much alike in many ways, which in itself causes some of the tensions between us, but I suppose that's inevitable.

These are all things that make her the person she is and I am incredibly proud and think the world of her.  It's not that I didn't want my boys, but I did always hope to have a girl and coming along after her three brothers and as somewhat of an accident, she really did make our family complete and I know (although they would be loathe to admit it) that her big brothers Andrew and Michael adore her and I'm sure Daniel would echo that sentiment too. 

August 2nd is your day Sarah Jayne and I want to say Happy 17th, you'll always be my baby girl and I think the world of you.  Happy Birthday!

I should also say a Happy Birthday to niece Julie on the 4th and niece and god-daughter Emma on the 5th (I said August was a big month for our family).  Emma will be 21 this year and that's a little difficult for me too as it reminds me every year of what Daniel should be up to, but she's a great girl and I am honoured to have been the first family member to see and hold her after her mum and dad as she was born in the same hospital as Daniel so I was on hand to get in an early visit.   Happy 21st Emma!