A decade of motherhood - Eloise is TEN!

There's something about that phrase 'a decade' that makes you sit and ponder.  Ten years a big amount of time.  It makes me sit and reflect, not just with nostalgia like I do every time my child has a birthday - but with a real focus on my motherhood.  It's ten years since I became a mother.  I hardly remember what it was like before motherhood - that whole 'just thinking of me' or 'thinking of us'.  To be honest, it doesn't even seem significant.

When I had Eloise it kind of pulled my life into a new focus and I don't think that's uncommon with most new mothers.  I had a new reason to live, and honestly found the.whole.reason.to.live.

We marked the ten year milestone with a sleep-over party for 10 of Eloise's friends.  Many called us brave (and maybe foolish behind our backs :) ) but it was a great celebration (albeit a bit sleepless) the girls were all well behaved and it dawned on me, a great representation of the hard work we do as parents.  We still have quite a journey ahead but the 10-year-health-check is looking good so far!

Look at my fresh-faced hubby - proud as can be with his very first baby his 'mini-me'.

And our own little chubba-bubba Eloise - all 8lb 13 oz of her at 39 weeks 2 days gestation.
THOSE.CHEEKS!

She really was an easy baby.  Slept through at 9 weeks (and still sleeps well) and didn't look back, ate everything I gave her (still does).  This is her first doll 'baby' which she still has.

This is her second birthday at playgroup.  All she wanted to do was dance and sing.  She's loved music since forever.

This is her third birthday covered in love by her great-grandmothers.  One knitted the hat and the other knitted the doll!

Here's my doe-eyed beauty at four.  Didn't want her photo taken.. this is when our battle of wills began, it's only just subsided - she's feisty like her Mum!

Here we are at five.  This photo just melts my heart.  This was her last year at home with me before she started school and loved that time with her.

Here's my big school girl, turned six.  Still with that crooked smile.  Bless I love that smile.

At seven she got glasses and jumped leaps and bounds that year, this is the year she became in a hurry to grow up and embraced her love of music.

This is when it started to get scary!  Eight years old going on eighteen!  She started to learn clarinet and went to her first concert (J-Lo).

And just last year, at 9 - with her BFF Stephanie, it's so lovely seeing this friendship grow as they do.

And now she's 10.

It does go just like *that* but looking at each one of these photos I'm grateful for every single moment.  Happy birthday my baby.  I love you.

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