To Jessica – now you are six..

Darling Jessica,

Today is your sixth birthday, one of your heart days and your first day of Year 1. What a lot of lovely milestones for one day! This morning, you headed off to school with a big smile on your face, excited to be back seeing your friends and to be able to celebrate your birthday with them. What a lovely way to start the school year. I hope that you will enjoy Year 1 every bit as much as you enjoyed Reception.

 

 

You have grown up so much in the last year. I have loved seeing how much you enjoy learning and how a new world opened up to you as you learned to read and write. You have always loved books but to see your joy now that you can start to read them for yourself is just magical. I can see how much your imagination has grown as a result. I love to listen to you make up stories when playing with toys and to start writing and drawing them too. In many ways, it is like looking at myself when I was your age. You are very like Daddy personality-wise – placid and laid-back – but my gift to you has been that sense of imagination and the delight in capturing it in words and pictures.

 

 

My beautiful big girl, I am so proud of the wonderful person you are. You are kind, polite and loving and you have a zest for life that is beautiful to see. You have so much self-confidence – you are not afraid to be who you are. I hope that you will always be happy with the person that you see in the mirror and to have the confidence to follow your own path in life.

 

This year, you’ve become much more aware of your special heart. The zipper scar on your chest is something to be proud of.  It is six years today since you were given it by the doctors – you were just eight hours old when you had your first open-heart surgery. The scar you carry is a line of bravery and shows just what a little fighter you are.

 

 

You might only have half a heart, my darling, but you live your life to the full. You love going to ballet and Girls’ Brigade and getting out and about exploring with Mummy, Daddy and Sophie. Over the last year, you have started to get tired more easily and we now need to take your buggy with us on most days out.

 

There is another big step ahead for you in the near future. Your next heart surgery is due to take place later this autumn. You enjoyed looking around the ward and meeting the doctors and nurses and are excited at the prospect of “having a sleepover” at the hospital. You love the book that Mummy made for you to help prepare you for your surgery. I hope that it will help make the surgery easier for you. My brave girl – you are so, so amazing. I am so proud of how you are taking this in your stride.

 

 

We aren’t having a big birthday party for you this year as we usually do. We spent most of the summer waiting for a date for surgery which made it difficult to plan a party. You and Sophie have had a wonderful summer though, enjoying lots of days out. You enjoyed your day out at Peppa Pig World as a birthday treat last weekend and your last day as a five-year-old was spent having fun at Chessington. It’s been a magical summer, full of happy memories. I hope that there will be many more magical summers to come.

 

 

Darling Jessica, I am so very, very lucky to be your mummy. You make my world a brighter place just by being in it. Your smile lights up my world, your laughter is one of the most precious sounds I could ever hear and I am at my happiest when you are snuggling up to me. You are my miracle, my joy-carrier and I thank God every day for you. I love you so very much, more than words could ever say. Happy 6th birthday, my beautiful girl and may all your birthday wishes come true.

 

Love you millions and billions

Mummy xxxx