Happy first birthday to this most amazing squidgey!!!! And also I have been a mother for a year. I will always and forever look at children’s birthdays with a whole new perspective now that I’m a mom- I will always take a beat to say wow so well done you to the mothers on their children’s birthdays. Birth is absolutely nuts but the first year of parenthood is even more nuts. I cannot tell you how many times I thought to myself “I literally am not going to make it”. There was so much birth prep available when I was pregnant but literally nothing prepared me for the first year of parenthood. Not necessarily anyone’s fault as a society bc I’m not actually sure anything can prepare you but I think it’s important to talk about the fact that for me, as one mother’s experience, the first year was INSANE. (Though I did find both birth and the first year had similar qualities, ie, the impossible notion that any of the struggle is actually finite...) Anyway, the almost constant duality of “conflicting” emotions was overwhelming and at times completely disorienting and while its bitter sweet to see Elle suddenly grow up so fast after what seems like a black hole of never ending time in this first year- I am so excited to hopefully switch gears from just barely surviving to actually thriving. So happy first year of parenthood to me too, I think all moms should give themselves something on their children’s birthdays. Even if it’s just space. 🖤🙏🏼 (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwQ9R38l1Bm/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wcz1om0rt45