A year ago when I was little...

It is a year since the day that I couldn't breathe and the nice lady doctor did it for me. This is a pic of me the morning before it happened. Mummy says she took the photos just before we went out. She says they are happy photos, the very last photos we have when everything was normal and nothing was 'pear-shaped'. (I have looked and looked and I can't find anything shaped like a pear around here. Apart from pears. But Mummies say funny things like that sometimes).

Wow, a whole year. Things are very different now. I was very little then. I couldn't even walk!!! I could crawl of course, but Mummy says only because I was a very very smart baby. I don't think I could say any words, and I ate slop. YUK! Mummy even said my face was orange from eating too many sloppy carrots!!

We didn't live in a big house with a garden. We lived in a little flat by the sea. It was very lovely but very small and the balcony was very high up. Apparently little babies don't bounce when they fall off balconies so we had to move. There was a funny man next door that use to sing and had long hair and a funny name. Mummy said he was a beardie-weirdie. Daddy doesn't go to 'work' on a boat any more, he goes on a bus. Daddy and Mummy miss living by the sea, but we can see the sea from our front steps now and I go there all the time. Not only is there loads of sea, but there is a giant sandpit right in front of it, it's GREAT!

I didn't sleep much then, because I didn't want Mummy to be sad while I was sleeping. Now Mummy is a bit older and I think she can handle time apart better, so I do have a sleep sometimes. It's actually quite good - I probably should have done it earlier. It means I can run really fast when I get up!

Mummy used to spend all day with me everyday. I love spending time with Mummy. But now I go to kindy some days and I have lots and lots of friends. We play all sorts of games. There is a microwave for me to do cooking, and a washing machine. There is a choo-choo set, and lots of animals like drafs (here is a pic of me looking at a draf at the zoo). Did you know that draf's go 'rrrraaaaahhhhhh'? And they have very long necks. We read books, and sing songs and dance. I have some really good friends like Lili and Tash, who I like to give lots of cuddles and kisses to. Mummy taught me that cuddles and kisses are really good. They call me Cassanova at kindy. I don't know why. My name is Riley. Or Smiley at least.

I didn't go to the doctor much then. But now I go quite a lot. I get lots of bad colds and coughs and sometimes I have to go to the hospital. They have a big namera and they take pictures of my tummy. I don't like that much. But there are good things about the doctor too. There is a nice lady who plays 'chase you' at one, and lots of lego at the other so I can do building. We are going there today.

Mummy says we still have a bit of a road ahead of us. But one day when I am bigger I will be completely better and be the greatest footballer (or artist) you ever saw.

I'll post a pic when I am!