Wow! Where has 2016 gone? To sound like a cliche, it feels like I was only writing my 2015 update yesterday!

Aside from all the death, 2016 has been a mixed bag for us. We’ve had our fair share of sickness; with T picking up everything from conjunctivitis to hand foot and mouth within weeks of each other, but we’ve also had some amazing adventures at the same time.

January – March

January was a quiet month after the craziness of Christmas, but it was the start of the build up to T turning 1.

In February we really started making the most out of our National Trust membership – our first real outing was Bodiam Castle. Over the next few months we visited stunning country homes and estates, ornamental gardens and woodland parks.

During the month we also celebrated LGBT History Month by featuring some of our favourite rainbow families.

In March I started thinking about my return to work after maternity leave. This was by far one of the toughest transitions – parenting aside. I was used to my routine with T, so adding work to it and then leaving T felt so alien.

Sharon also celebrated her first Mamas Day. We decided this year to share it with Mother’s Day and have a Mothers’ weekend. This definitely beat putting Sharon in with Father’s Day.

April – June

April saw T turning the big Zero One! We started our celebrations off with a trip to Marwell Zoo and then finished with a birthday party with close friends and family! I couldn’t quite believe our little baby had already been around for a year. He was almost walking, and eating was his favourite thing in the world.

We also gave a mammoth 12 month update and I got my golden boobies award!

May saw my birthday – which are a completely different kettle and of fish now that I’m a parent, and June saw a high that was my first blogging conference and then the devastation of the shooting in the Pulse nightclub.

July – September 

Steps were taken in July which was HUGE! We’d had a few steps taken along furniture and sofas, but he officially took independent steps whilst playing between Sharon and I one day. We weren’t the only ones screaming in joy – T even took to squealing in delight. Things certainly changed for the better when this happened. Days out became more exciting, and T could get to places without frustration. For us, sitting down became a distant memory.

In August we went to our second Pride as a family. T was dressed accordingly and the weather didn’t disappoint. I felt so so proud having T with us, walking alongside other rainbow families, especially following the sadness last month. We saw friends, danced to the music, and enjoyed celebrating who we are.

We also went on our second family holiday in September, with Wales being our choice of location. Although the weather was incredibly wet, T took this in his stride and enjoyed splashing in puddles. Having a toddler with us made the holiday extra fun as exploring was ten times better. Zoo’s and farms were by far his favourite places, but we also explored caves and Harry Potter locations!

October – December 

In October T hit 18 months. To celebrate we got his first haircut! This was also another big milestone for us as I was adamant that I wanted to keep his hair long but with the mane growing wilder every day we decided it would be better to get a slight trim.

November saw the rawness of toddlerhood. We’d seen hints of T becoming a toddler since 15/16 months, but as soon as confidence was grown with his walking by 18 months we were in full  toddler swing. We’ve had tantrums, mood swings, and countless tears. Although it’s tough, it’s really interesting to see how T works things out and how he’s slowly processing things. I can’t imagine what it must be like.

And finally, December! The month that seems to appear far too quickly and is gone before you know it.

Our Christmas was so much fun, albeit busy. T got quite overwhelmed with presents, but once everything was unwrapped and calm he seemed to relax and enjoy the new toys and books.

He also got used to party food with cheese and snippets of chocolate being his favourite!

So there’s our 2016! It’s been an awesome year what with steps being taken and language constantly improving. I can’t wait to see what 2017 brings us.

T turns two in April, which will hopefully bring more language to the table, although we adoring this stage with him at the moment – we hope he doesn’t change too quickly. He’s funny and playful, but also kind and thoughtful. He’s affectionate and so gentle (most of the time). He works hard to tell/show us things.

As a family 2016 has had several challenges what with changes in childcare and jobs, not to mention a broken foot on my part, but by making our way through it just goes to show how strong we are. I really cannot wait to see what 2017 brings us.

K