Happy 3rd Birthday C: An Open Letter

To my darling C,

It is your 3rd birthday today and I wanted to mark this day with an open letter, like I did last year and the year before. This letter won’t mean much to you now but I’m hoping that it’s something you will enjoy reading when you are older, and I know I like looking back on these letters and remembering how you were at different stages.

What a year it’s been for you! When you turned 2 we were living in London and whilst we had vague ideas about moving we were far from doing anything about them. Fast forward a year and you have had numerous different beds and bedrooms this year, finally coming to rest in our wonderful new home in Mauritius, just under 2 weeks ago.

Despite these huge changes and upheavals you have stayed your usual happy, funny self, taking it all in your stride, even your first long, overnight flight.

After nearly 3 years of sharing a bedroom with your big sister you are now on your own, in your own big bedroom. It slightly breaks my heart that you two aren’t together at night anymore, but I know it’s best for L as she gets older, and it is easier most of the time.

You have always been a bit of a clown but this is becoming clearer now – with your funny facial expressions you crack us up daily. I love that you are so cuddly and let me hug and kiss you – as you are my last baby I want to savour these moments as long as I can.

You have a fantastic relationship with all those around you – us, your parents, your big sister, Grandma and Grandpa, who you’ve had the chance to spend lots of time with recently, friends and nursery workers. We are constantly told by anyone who looks after you what a lovely, happy child you are 🙂

Like your big sister before you, your speech is still a bit stilted with English and French words mixing together in sentences “Where is tout le monde?” or “this is my chambre”, but we know this will all sort itself out in time, as it did with L.

While most children your age are asking “why?” your questions are always the same “where is Daddy?”, “where is Mummy?”, “where is L?” etc. Despite us being in the same house and often the same room – you funny thing!

You never cease to amaze me by how placid you can be at times – you went from having a whole living room full of toys in London (for you and for the children I childminded), to having far fewer toys at Grandma and Grandpa’s, where we went to stay for a while before moving to Mauritius, and now, well now you have next to nothing! We managed to squeeze a couple of your small toys in our suitcases on the plane, but I kept most of the space for toys for your birthday and Christmas presents, you’ve got a few of your toys coming in our shipping container in a month’s time. However for now you literally have a handful of books, cuddly toys and one or two odds and sods to play with, yet you don’t complain.

For the last year I have been bracing myself for the terrible twos with you, but your tantrums blow themselves out in a matter of seconds and you can be calmed down very easily. BUT it looks like you might be a child that does the whole threenager thing instead, as the tantrums are getting bigger and bolder! Eek!!

I have had the most fun with you this year as you really turn into your own little person, with your own quirks (saying “like this!” with a sulk when you don’t like something still makes Papa and me laugh!). I feel very very lucky to have you as my daughter, and I can’t wait to see what the next year brings you (and us too) as you venture into your new, bilingual, school here in Mauritius, and you become an island child, with the beach and our pool as your playground.

I love you more than you can imagine – thank you for being such an incredible daughter to me and your Papa.

All my love on your special day today and every other day,
Mummy xxxxxxxxx