To Jessica on her 4th birthday

Darling Jessica,

This time four years ago, we didn’t know if we would even have four days with you – to have been blessed with four years is just amazing. What a rollercoaster those four years have been with all your hospital stays and heart surgeries. You have been through so much in your four years on this earth and you amaze me every day with your strength and your zest for life.

This year has been the first one in which there have been no admissions to hospital – and I hope with all my heart that it won’t be the last. This year, hospital check-ups aside, we have just been like any other family, enjoying normal, everyday life and making happy memories. We have enjoyed so many days out to different places. One of the first questions you ask me when you first wake in the morning is “what are we going to do today?” – you love to get out and about and explore.

Legoland is probably your favourite out of all the places we visit. I love the way you and Sophie love to walk along hand-in-hand as you explore Miniland. Miniland and the Lego Friends show are always the two things we have to go to on every visit, and we always have to make sure we say hello to the “fairies” as you call the Lego Friends after the show has finished. We’ve now reached the point that they all recognise and remember you and Sophie!

This year has seen some big milestones on your journey. You started preschool back in January and loved it from the first moment. To see you on your first day, waiting to go in and waving at all the other children as though you had known them forever, made me feel so proud of you. You are so confident and sociable. By the end of the week, you were firm friends with H and E who have remained your best friends ever since.

There have been so many proud mummy moments – watching you taking part in your first Easter concert, seeing you running with the other children in your first sports day. You might have finished last but as you crossed the finish line, you were proud to announce that you were “the winner!” – you will always be a winner in my eyes, my darling.

This last summer has been all about completing various challenges. We finally finished visiting all the gold postboxes during our holiday on the Isle of Man and it has been wonderful to look back on all the photos over the last three years and see how you have grown up during the challenge. Your favourite challenge has been our hunt for the Shaun the Sheep in London and Bristol – you love looking at all the different sheep on the app and naming them all. I am quite impressed at how many you can remember!

This year, I have really seen your imagination blossom – it is a joy to watch you playing with your toys and to get a glimpse into the world of your imagination. I love to listen to you chatter away as you play – you are a little chatterbox and there is always a running commentary of what the toys are doing. It makes me chuckle to hear you mimicking some of the things that I say on a regular basis – thankfully you have yet to repeat anything too embarrassing! You also love to sing to yourself as you play – the “rainybow song” from Bing seems to be a firm favourite at the moment.

Over the last year, you have gradually become a little more aware of your “special heart”. You know that you have a “zip” and that one of your friends does too, and you know that your zip is there because the doctor made your poorly heart better. You are getting more able to articulate when your heart condition affects you – telling us if you are tired, or feeling cold, or need to rest. You certainly don’t let it hold you back though – you always live life to its fullest.

Darling Jessica, you are so confident and full of joy. You love to be around other people and I am so proud that you are so sociable and polite. You are such a loving little girl – hearing you say “I love you Mummy” every single day melts my heart and I love that you always make sure that you give Sophie a big cuddle and kiss and say “I love you Sophie” every night before you fall asleep. You are beautiful, brave and I am so very blessed to be your mummy.

Love you millions and billions

 

Mummy xxxxx