At 20 months.

Dear Bene,

You are now older than Josie was when we first moved to this house. You are the age Fran was when she became a big sister and almost the age Freddie should have been when you were born. You might still be very little but you are now so very… very… big.

Such a boy. Everything is cars and running and throwing and hitting and banging and trains and noise!

Being upside down is very important. So are sisters.

Like I say, trains are important.

You are full on, up early and to bed late, with barely a rest. You never stop climbing or moving or dancing and you like to have our attention all the time. Only the trains will divert you into some quiet play at times. Even then you’d rather have someone’s attention.

And we don’t mind. Not at all. You are only little for such a short time and we are making the most of it.

While at home you are a riot, you do socialising outside home on your own terms. You like the idea but you are cautious of other children. Not frightened, just watchful; sizing them up. But you do love to be out. We got to playgym sometimes and you run and jump and bounce.

Just lately you’ve started nursery, just one day a week. It wasn’t what I planned but the business needs Daddy and I and you love to be out and about so much. So we thought we would try it out. You seem to love it; last night when I picked you up you were deeply engrossed in a vacuum cleaner and had to do ‘respect’ fistbumps with your ladies before you left.

Funny boy.

You got the hang of the sandpit in the end.

Did I mention how important sisters are? (And we don’t mind that you will only eat any one thing for two days at a time before it becomes POISON!!!!)

You may not have your big brother, but I have a feeling your cousin Kit and you will be firm friends.

Anything they can do, you can do too.

Language isn’t coming speedily to you but you do have words: car, NO! dada, mum mum, geese, a-nanana (for all food), dis! (for milk, while making extremely clear gestures 🙄 ), juice and today burdy for bird. But you are an excellent communicator, brilliant and pointing and showing and letting us know what you want. And very funny, a really bundle of fun all day (and sometimes most of the night too).

Sometimes it feels like you never stop…

And then sometimes, just sometimes, you sleep…

Or sit.

One thing is for sure though, however much it might once has felt like you would never quite be the same as the girls, that we could hardly imagine you blending into the family and being just one of us…

You really very much are.