Writing the life of a 9 month old baby is not an easy thing to do and we had not a clue where to start until Uncle Steven sent us this

My first encounter with Matilda Mae (although I did not know what her name would be at the time and just how much I would get to know her) was when I took a photograph of Jennie and David leaving their wedding reception. Only on looking at the photograph a few days later did I turn to Carolyn and ask whether she felt Jennie was pregnant! For me, of all people, to have spotted this was nothing short of remarkable!

Of course, Uncle Steven was right.

Matilda was our miracle baby. Conceived against all odds and was our very special secret on our wedding day. In comparison to carrying Esther and William this pregnancy was a breeze. A blessing. As was our beautiful daughter on the day that she was born.

Wednesday 2nd May 2012.

Exactly on one of her due dates!

After an easy pregnancy we had the perfect labour and birth. It more than made up for the traumatic experience that we had with Esther and William. We were able to spend precious time with Matilda as soon as she was born and we were all three able to go home in time for tea.

We cannot say that life was perfect, having three children under two was not easy at all but as weeks and months passed we began to find our way and each day we fell in love with our beautiful daughter a little bit more.

I think most people that had the pleasure of meeting Matilda Mae fell head over heels in love with her.

Matilda was never a fan of sleeping unless she was attached to a person. She was a baby who from the start was happiest at the breast of her mummy or snuggled on the chest of her Daddy. She liked to be worn close, she did not like being in a crib or a pram.

Lack of sleep did not seem to adversely affect Matilda though, for when she was awake she was the happiest baby many people had ever seen.

Her cheeky smile and her twinkling chocolate eyes attracted the attention of family and friends, and total strangers EVERYWHERE!

Matilda Mae has touched the hearts and lives of so many people and we would like to share with you just some of the things we will never forget. I am sure it is a list we will be adding to for years to come.

Matilda Mae, we will never forget …

Your beautiful smile

Your infectious giggle

Your determination to get the things you couldn’t or shouldn’t have.

Your love of the camera especially as a teething accessory!

Your love of lights! What a lovely first Christmas you had.

How when we walked in or out of your room, when we thought you were asleep, you would lift your chest up, crane
your neck and grin at us.

You smiled whenever Mummy or Daddy entered the room.

How you flapped your arms with excitement and when you were really excited your whole body trembled and you scrunched up your face with delight.

How you cried the second you were in a room on your own.

You had long thick eyelashes and bright sparkling brown eyes. Beautiful chocolate brown eyes.

You had one long lock of hair that often curled on your forehead.

You loved playing nappy free after your bath especially in front of a roaring log fire.

How you loved laying beneath the apple tree and watching the colourful ribbons we hung there.

For ages before you could crawl you would bottom shuffle and kind of bottom twirl around a room. You could get from place to place though no one would ever see you move.

You loved music and would clap along to Mummy’s singing. You had a bit of a thing for Wheel’s On The Bus. A passion you share with your siblings.

You loved jingle bells and got very excited when you saw them coming your way.

You loved chewing on Sophie the Giraffe.

For a long time you hated going into your car seat and protested loudly about being in the car!

You giggled and smiled so much when we blew on to your face or pretended to feast on your tummy.

You loved to stick out your tongue! You were such a playful, cheeky little thing.

You snuggled up tight and rested your head on our shoulders when we cuddled you.

You could sit yourself up in your cot.

How you loved playing in our bed early in the morning.

Your favourite toy in these times was always Daddy’s phone!!

How if we bent our heads to one side you would copy us and giggle and make it into a game

How you were so very very good at blinking!

You loved to nod and shake your head.

How you smiled and laughed a long to stories and songs.

How you curled up in a tiny ball like a hedgehog and cried if Esther or William hurt you.

How you looked so pleased with yourself each time you did something new.

Your love of food and how you would study us all as we ate. Your eyes moving from plate to mouth, plate to mouth.

How you would try to steal food from your siblings plates.

Your determination to feed herself with a spoon.

How you loved cuddles with Esther and William, and how you adored watching them play.

How you loved the bath and had learned to do splashing.

That your best thing to do was rifle through a waste paper bin or take things out of a basket so that you could put them all back in again.

Such little things!

We will never forget Esther and William calling you Baby Tiger before they could say Baby Tilda.

You will only ever be Baby Tilda to them, to all of us now.

We will never forget how you beamed when you were pleased with yourself.

That mischievious chuckle.

Your gurgles and giggles and how you used to babble and chat away to yourself all of the time.

I wonder what your first word would have been?

Your wonderful nature

How you seemed to truly believe that everyone was only ever there to entertain you.

Your love of people.

How your smile could light up a room.

Such a beautiful smile.

Such a beauty.

Things we must never forget

We love you and we miss you Matilda Mae

We promise we will never forget.

And so it is written.

Now I just wish I could find the strength to say all of this myself in the church.