My favourite firsts

One of my favourite things about being a parent is all the ‘firsts’ you get to witness.  

I’ve had 5 years worth of firsts with Rhys, and so many of them are still so clear in my mind.  From the first time he walked (I was out of the room, but I heard it!), to the first time he really laughed (at us saying ‘rusk, rusk’, it was hilarious to him), to his first day at school and, most recently, the first time I watched him swim without armbands.

I feel a bit like some of Nerys’ firsts are a bit more fuzzy in my mind, probably because I was looking after a busy toddler at the same time that she hit those milestones.

But I do have my favourite firsts that are as clear as day.

The first time she smiled.  

Now, you may well claim it was just wind, but I swear she smiled at my Mum when she was about a week and a half old.  It was such a real smile, it reached her eyes and she just twinkled with it.

And that smile has brought so much joy to our lives ever since.  My happy, cheeky girl.

The first time she climbed the stairs.

Oh she was so proud of herself, and so happy!  I spent many an hour going up and down those stairs with her, but I’m pleased I did as she’s been so confident and safe on those stairs for ages now.

The first time she tackled the climbing frame at the park.

This is one of those times when you have to take a deep breath and a step back and trust that they can manage, even if everything in you wants to rush over and hover right behind them to make sure they’re ok.  Daddy did help Nerys across the little bridge to start with, which made me feel a bit better, but with all the rest of it she was just raring to go off on her own!

She’s a little more cautious than Rhys was, but is still pretty bold and confident in her abilities as far as climbing and jumping goes!

The many other firsts.

Some of my other favourite firsts have also been the bittersweet ones, the firsts that mark little steps away from her complete dependence on me and towards her being an independent little girl.

Her first tastes of food, her first pair of shoes and the first shouts of ‘me do it’ that followed in later months when it came to putting them on; all those first, tiny steps towards independence.

One of the big firsts in a baby’s life is definitely the first taste of food after having nothing but milk for the first 6 months, and yoghurt is a great first food in my opinion!

Nerys has always been a big yoghurt fan, and could work her way through a whole pack in a day if we let her, so I was excited when we were sent some vouchers for her to try these yoghurts from Petits Filous.  They’re a great choice if you’re just starting to wean your baby, but are just as good for older children as they’re really low in sugar but contain calcium and protein which is great for growing kids.

I felt I had to be fair when writing this, so I had to try the yoghurts for myself rather than just trust Nerys’ opinion on them, and I have to say they’re really quite nice!  They’re thick and creamy, with a quite subtle vanilla flavour so they’re ideal for younger babies.  I think Nerys maybe found them a bit plain, as she’s now used to sharing flavoured yoghurts with Daddy, but with a bit of fruit added to them they went down very well!

My first Petits Filous are a great choice for parents as they don’t contain any  artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners so you know that what you’re giving your child isn’t full of junk.  And if your child does prefer a bit more flavour then they’re really easy to jazz up with some fruit, fruit puree or even honey for older babies.

I have absolutely loved watching both my children experience so many ‘firsts’ over the last 5 years.  It’s a real privilege, and a joy, to be there and witness those milestones.

And I have to admit that at times I do feel a little bit sad that so many of the big firsts are behind us.

But then, I think about all the wonderful firsts that are still ahead of us.  And you know, I think maybe my favourite first might just be the next one, or the next one, or the next one!